August 2024 Daily News Current Affairs

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Aug 31, 2024
1. Visits from India (Aug 2024) -
  1. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited USA.
2. Visits to India (Aug 2024) -
  1. Alberto van Klaveren - Foreign Minister of Chile.
  2. Arzu Rana Deuba -Foreign Minister of Nepal.
  3. Amb. Mauro Vieira - Foreign Minister of Brazil.
  4. Anwar bin Ibrahim - Prime Minister of Malaysia.
    1. MOUs / Agreements signed duirng visit -
      1. MoUs for Co-operation in field of -
        
        Recruitment, Employment and Repatriation of workers
        
        Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
        
        Digital Technologies.
        
        Tourism.
        
        Youth and Sports.
        
        Public Administration and Governance Reforms.
      2. Program on Cooperation in field of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
      3. MoU between International Financial Centre Services Authority (IFSCA) with Labuan Financial Services Authority, in relation to mutual cooperation.
    2. Other Notable announcements duirng visit -
      1. India-Malaysia relationship elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
      2. Special Allocation of 200,000 MT of White Rice to Malaysia
      3. Allocation of 100 additional ITEC slots for Malaysian nationals.
      4. Malaysia joined India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as founding member.
        
        IBCA was launched by India in April 2023 during 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, aimed at conservation of world's seven principal big cats - tiger, lion, snow leopard, leopard, jaguar, puma, and cheetah.
      5. Establishment of Ayurveda Chair at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia
      6. Establishment of Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies at the Malaya University, Malaysia
      7. Co-operation between Start-up Ecosystems in both countries under an India-Malaysia Startup Alliance.
3. General News / Events (Aug 21-31, 2024) -
  1. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched 25 Challenges as part of Create in India Challenge - Season 1 for World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES).
    1. These challenges, hosted by leading industry associations and organizations, cover a wide range of disciplines including animation, filmmaking, gaming, music, and visual arts.
  2. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu launched 5.4 version of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aaam Nagrik) Scheme, under which fresh bids willl be invited for routes which were cancelled earlier, to provide connectivity on unserved routes.
    1. Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India were also Launched on the occasion.
  3. Uttar Pradesh Govt introduced Digital Media Policy 2024, which incentivizes social media influencers to promote state initiatives, schemes, and achievements through various online platforms.
  4. Annual World Water Week 2024 organized by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in Stockholm (Sweden).
  5. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh released commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of former 5-time CM of Tamil Nadu Kalaignar M Karunanidhi.
  6. National Conference of District Judiciary held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
    1. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi unveiled stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of establishment of Supreme Court of India.
  7. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda inaugurated National Medical Register (NMR) Portal of National Medical Commission (NMC), for registration of all MBBS doctors who are eligible for registration in India.
    1. As per NMC Act 2019, Ethics & Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of NMC is mandated to maintain a National Register in electronic form, containing details of all licensed medical practitioners in India.
  8. North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) obtained Oeko-Tex certification for its Eri Silk, from Germany. It positions Eri Silk as a globally recognized, sustainable textile.
  9. India operationalized its new resident Mission in Tirana (Albania).
  10. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched ASEAN-India Fellowship for Higher Education in Agriculture and Allied Science.
  11. Pabitra Margherita (Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles) attended Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting held in Tonga.
    1. PIF is an intergovernmental organization in Pacific Region consisting of 18 oceanic nations as members, with India as a Dialogue Partner.
4. Aug 31 is observed by UN as International Day for People of African Descent (observed since 2021).
5. Manila (Philippines) based Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $100 million equity investment in India's independent power producer Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited, to advance decarbonization of India’s commercial and industrial sector through utility-scale solar, solar-wind hybrid and rooftop solar power projects, and to provide cost-effective clean energy directly to users.
Aug 30, 2024
1. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)'s National Statistical Office (NSO) released Quarterly Estimates of GDP Growth for Q1FY25 (Apr-June 2025).
  1. Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices -
    1. GDP estimated at 43.64 lakh crores in Q1FY25 (2024-25), as against 40.91 lakh crore in Q1FY24 (2023-24), showing growth of 6.7 %
      1. GDP Growth for earlier 8 Quarters -
        
        Q4FY24 (2023-24) - 7.8%
        
        Q3FY 24 (2023-24) - 8.4 %
        
        Q2FY 24 (2023-24) - 7.6 %
        
        Q1FY 24 (2023-24) - 8.2 %
        
        Q4FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.1 %
        
        Q3FY 23 (2022-23) - 4.4 %
        
        Q2FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.3 %
        
        Q1FY 23 (2022-23) - 13.5 %
    2. Notably, For FY24 (2023-24) -
      1. Real GDP or GDP at Constant Prices attained level of 173.82 lakh crores in FY24 (2023-24), against First Revised Estimates (FRE) of GDP for 2022-23 of ₹160.71 lakh crores, showing growth rate of 8.2% in FY24 (2023-24), compared to 7.0% in FY23 (2022-23) and 9.7% in FY22 (2021-22).
2. Aug 30 is observed as National Small Industry Day In India, to support and promote small Industries for their overall growth.
  1. Aug 30 is also observed as -
    1. UN International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
    2. International Whale Shark Day.
3. INS Arighaat has been commissioned into Indian Navy, as an upgraded variant of Arihant-class submarine.
  1. It is 2nd nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine made under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, built at Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.
  2. Other Submarines under this project are -
    1. INS Arihant (Commissioned in 2016)
    2. INS Aridhaman (To be Commissioned in 2025)
    3. 4th ship is yet to be named.
4. Spices Board (Ministry of Commerce and Industry), launched Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED) scheme, aimed at significantly enhancing export of spices and value-added spice products.
  1. It will be implemented during remaining period of 15th Finance Commission (upto FY 2025-26), with outlay of 422 crores.
5. Department of Posts launched philately scholarship scheme Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana, for promotion of research in stamps as a hobby, for generating interest regarding philately amongst students.
  1. Under it, scholarship of 6000 per annum will be granted to students of classes 6 to 9, whose academic records are good as well as who have adopted Philately (collection and study of postage stamps) as a hobby.
Aug 29, 2024
1. First indigenously built Pollution Control Vessel for Indian Coast Guard, named Samudra Pratap, has been commissioned into Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
  1. It has been built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), as part of a 583 Crores contract with GSL for building 2 Pollution Control Vessels for Indian Coast Guard.
2. Aug 29 is observed as National Sports Day in India. It marks birth anniversary of India’s hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand.
  1. On this occasion -
    1. Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched Retired Sportsperson Empowerment Training (RESET). The programme will support retired athletes on their career development journey, by empowering them with necessary knowledge and skills.
  2. Notably -
    1. In 2021, Govt had renamed India's Highest Sports Honour Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
  3. Aug 29 is also observed as -
    1. UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
    2. Telugu Language Day, to mark birthday of Telugu poet Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy. Govt of Andhra Pradesh provides funds and presents awards, to promote Telugu language.
3. Govt approved Navratna Staus for several PSUs -
  1. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI).
  2. Ministry of Power's NHPC Limited.
  3. Ministry of Power's SJVN Limited.
  4. Notably, Navratna companies can invest up to 1000 crores (or 15% of their net value), in a single project without government clearance.
Aug 28, 2024
1. Cabinet Approvals (Aug 28, 2024) -
  1. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) -
    1. Approved 12 new project proposals under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP), with investment of 28602 crores.
      1. It aims to create a robust network of industrial nodes and cities, to significantly boost economic growth and global competitiveness.
      2. These industrial areas will be located in Khurpia (Uttrakhand), Rajpura-Patiala (Punjab), Dighi (Maharashtra), Palakkad (Kerela), Agra and Prayagraj (UP), Gaya (Bihar), Zaheerabad (Telangana), Orvakal and Kopparthy (AP) and Jodhpur-Pali (Rajasthan).
    2. Approved 3 projects of Ministry of Railways, with estimated cost 6456 Crores.
      1. The projects are expected to be completed by FY 29 (2028-29). Projects are Jamshedpur- Purulia- Asansol 3rd Line, Sardega- Bhalumuda New Double Line and Bargarh Road- Nawapara Road New Line.
      2. These projects cover 7 Districts in 4 States (Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh), and will increase existing network of Indian Railways by 300 Kms.
  2. General -
    1. Approved proposal of Ministry of Power for providing Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to State Governments of NER (North Eastern Region) towards their equity participation for development of Hydro Electric Projects, through Joint Venture (JV) Collaboration between State entities and Central PSUs.
      1. This scheme has an outlay of 4136 crore to be implemented from FY 2024-25 to FY 2031-32, supporting cumulative hydro capacity of 15000 MW.
      2. The scheme would be funded through 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for North Eastern Region from total outlay of Ministry of Power.
      3. Grant towards equity portion of State Government would be capped at 24% of total project equity subject to a maximum of 750 crores per project.
    2. Approved conducting 3rd batch of ascending e-auctions for 730 channels in 234 new cities with estimated reserve price of 785 crores, under Private FM Radio Phase 3 Policy.
      1. Cabinet also approved charging Annual License Fee (ALF) of FM channel as 4% of Gross Revenue excluding GST, applicable for 234 new cities / towns.
    3. Approved expansion in Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (Launched in 2020), to make it more impactful and inclusive.
      1. Viable Farming Assets - To allow all eligible beneficiaries of scheme for creation of infrastructure covered under 'viable projects for building community farming assets. This aims to facilitate development of viable projects that will enhance community farming capabilities.
      2. Integrated Processing projects - To include integrated primary secondary processing projects in list of eligible activities under AIF.
      3. PM KUSUM Component-A - To allow convergence of Component-A of PM-KUSUM with AIF for farmer/group of farmers/ FPO / Cooperatives/ Panchayats. It aims to promote sustainable clean energy solutions alongside development of agricultural infrastructure.
      4. NABSanrakshan - In addition to CGTMSE, it is proposed to extend AIF credit guarantee coverage of FPOs through NABSanrakshan Trustee Company Pvt. Ltd also. It aims to enhance financial security and creditworthiness of FPOs.
2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) Completed 10 years of successful implementation on 28th August 2024, as largest financial inclusion initiative in world. Notable Highlights -
  1. Over 53 crore Bank accounts have been opened under the scheme, with total deposits in PMJDY Accounts crossing 2.3 Lakh crores.
  2. 55.6% Jan-Dhan account holders are women and 66.6% Jan Dhan accounts are in rural / semi-urban areas.
3. Indian Army launched first phase of Project NAMAN, designed to provide dedicated support and services to Defence Pensioners, Veterans and their families.
  1. Project NAMAN is centred around implementation of SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha), which streamlines pension related processes for Defence Pensioners.
  2. The project involves establishment of reception and facilitation centres, enabled through a tripartite MoU between Indian Army, Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance India Limited and HDFC Bank (signed in 2023).
  3. In first phase of Project NAMAN, 14 CSCs have been established at key locations across India.
Aug 27, 2024
1. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Maharashtra and Rajasthan -
  1. Maharashtra -
    1. Attended Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
    2. Laid foundation stone of Vadhvan Port in Palghar, to be developed at cost 76 000 crores.
      1. It will be developed as a world-class maritime gateway, to boost India’s trade and economic growth by catering to large container vessels, offering deeper drafts (20 metres), and accommodating ultra-large cargo ships.
      2. Vadhvan Port will be India's largest container port and one of India’s largest deep-water ports. It will provide direct connectivity to international shipping routes, reducing transit times and costs.
      3. The port will be constructed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited, a SPV with Jawaharlal Nehru Port having 74 % stake, and rest 26 % held by Maharashtra Maritime Board.
  2. Rajasthan -
    1. Attended Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Rajasthan HC (est 29 August 1949).
2. RBI Announced recognition of Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE) as a Self-Regulatory Organisation in FinTech Sector (SRO-FT).
  1. FACE has become the first organization to be recognized under Framework for Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs) in the FinTech Sector, which was finalized in May 2024.
  2. As per the Framework, The SRO-FT is expected to play a pivotal role in aligning its members with regulatory priorities.
Aug 26, 2024
1. Aug 26 - Observed by US as Women's Equality Day. It commemorates 1920 adoption of 19th Amendment to US Constitution, which prohibits states / federal government from denying right to vote to citizens of US on basis of Gender.
  1. Aug 26 is also observed as -
    1. Noted nobel peace naureate social worker Mother Teresa's Birth Anniversary.
    2. International Dog Day.
2. Govt approved creation of 5 New Districts in UT of Ladakh, named Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang.
  1. Number of Districts in Ladakh has now become 7, along with Kargil & Leh.
3. Govt named Govind Mohan as new Home Secretary of India, succeeding Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

Aug 25, 2024

Notable Winners at Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne 2024 (Melbourne, Australia) -
1. Best Film: 12th Fail
2. Best Actor: Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion
3. Best Actress: Parvathy Thiruvothu for Ullozhukku
4. Best Director: Kabir Khan for Chandu Champion and Nithilan Swaminathan for Maharaja
5. Equality in Cinema: Dunki
6. Excellence in Cinema: AR Rahman
7. Ambassador for Indian Art and Culture: Ram Charan
10th edition of Annual India- Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI held at Army Training School, Maduru Oya (Sri Lanka).

McLaren's British-Belgian F1 Racer Lando Norris won Dutch Grand Prix 2024.

F1 Season 2024 -

Round	Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 March
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	9 March
3	Australian Grand Prix	Carlos Saint Jr. (Spanish)	24 March
4	Japanese Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	7 April
5	Chinese Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	21 April
6	Miami Grand Prix	Lando Norris (British-Belgian)	5 May
7	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	19 May
8	Monaco Grand Prix	Charles Leclerc (Monaco)	26 May
9	Canadian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	9 June
10	Spanish Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	23 June
11	Austrian Grand Prix	George Russell (British)	30 June
12	British Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (British)	7 July
13	Hungarian Grand Prix	Oscar Piastri (Australian)	21 July
14	Belgian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton (British)	28 July
15	Dutch Grand Prix	Lando Norris (British-Belgian)	25 August
16	Italian Grand Prix		1 September
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix		15 September
18	Singapore Grand Prix		22 September
19	United States Grand Prix		20 October
20	Mexico City Grand Prix		27 October
21	São Paulo Grand Prix		3 November
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix		23 November
23	Qatar Grand Prix		1 December
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		8 December

Aug 24, 2024
1. Cabinet Approvals (Aug 24, 2024) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), whose features include -
      1. Assured pension - 50% of average basic pay drawn over last 12 months prior to superannuation for a minimum qualifying service of 25 years. This pay is to be proportionate for lesser service period upto a minimum of 10 years of service.
      2. Assured family pension - @60% of pension of employee immediately before her/his demise.
      3. Assured minimum pension - @10,000 per month on superannuation after minimum 10 years of service.
      4. Inflation indexation - on assured pension, on assured family pension and assured minimum pension.
      5. Lump sum payment at superannuation in addition to gratuity - 1/10th of monthly emoluments (pay + DA) as on date of superannuation for every completed six months of service. This payment will not reduce quantum of assured pension.
      6. Notably -
        
        UPS will be implemented from April 1, 2025 and employees will have the option to choose between NPS or UPS.
        
        Maharashtra cabinet approved to implement Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for state government employees, making it first state to adopt Central govt's UPS.
    2. Approved continuation of 3 umbrella schemes of Department of Science and Technology (DST), merged into a unified central sector scheme namely Vigyan Dhara.
      1. Scheme components include Science and Technology (S&T) Institutional and Human Capacity Building (1), Research and Development (2), Innovation, Technology Development and Deployment (3). Outlay for implementation of unified Vigyan Dhara scheme is 10580 crores (during 15th finance Commission period (2021-22 to 2025-26)).
      2. Programs proposed underVigyan Dhara scheme will be aligned with 5-year goals of DST. R&D component of the scheme will be aligned in line with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). Implementation of Vigyan Dhara scheme will strengthen S&T infrastructure of the country by fostering well-equipped R&D labs in Academic Institutions.
    3. Approved BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy for Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing, proposed by Department of Biotechnology.
      1. The policy includes innovation-driven support to R&D and entrepreneurship across thematic sectors, to accelerate tech development and commercialization by establishing Biomanufacturing & Bio-AI hubs and Biofoundry.
      2. The Policy will further strengthen initiatives such as Net Zero carbon economy & Lifestyle for Environment, and will steer Green Growth by promoting Circular Bioeconomy.
2. Aug 24 is observed as Gujarati Language Day, Marking Poet Narmad's birth anniversary.
3. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Poland and Ukraine -
  1. Poland -
    1. This was 2nd visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years, after Morarji Desai's visit in 1979.
    2. Unveiled 5 year Action Plan (2024-2028) for India-Poland strategic partnership, to boost co-operation in several areas of mutual interest.
  2. Ukraine -
    1. This was first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine, after establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.
    2. Agrements Signed for Cooperation in fields of Agriculture and Food Industry, Medical Products regulation & Programme of Cultural Cooperation for years 2024-2028.
    3. Agrement for Humanitarian Grant Assistance for implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects.
    4. India presented 4 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) to Ukraine, to help in expeditious treatment of injured and contribute to saving lives.
      1. Each BHISHM Cube consists of medicines and equipment for first line of care for all kinds of medical situations. It also includes surgical equipment for a basic Operation Room that can manage 10-15 basic surgeries per day. The Cube can handle about 200 cases of diverse nature in emergency situations.
      2. It can also generate its own power and oxygen in limited amounts.

Aug 23, 2024

Aug 23, 2024 has been observed as India's first National Space Day, marking successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Moon, on Aug 23, 2023.
1. 2024 Theme is Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India's Space Saga.
2. On this occasion -
  1. Agriculture Ministry launched digital geo-spatial platform Krishi-Decision Support System, to boost India’s agricultural innovation landscape by providing seamless access to comprehensive Agriculture data, on anytime-anywhere basis.
  2. Department of Posts signed MoU with ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), for standardizing addressing in India by integrating NRSC’s expertise in satellite data and remote sensing with DoP’s infrastructure and services.
  3. Department of School Education & Literacy (Ministry of Education) released e-magazine Sapno ki Udaan, in collaboration with NCERT.
3. Also, Spot where Chandrayaan-3 lander landed successfully on the Moon has been named as Shivashakti, and Spot where Chandrayaan-2 Crashed down on Moon, is known as Tiranga Point.
4. Notably, ISRO's next mission under Chandrayaan Programme will be Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) or Chandrayaan-4, as a joint lunar mission by India's ISRO and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
  1. The mission wil send an uncrewed lunar lander and rover to explore south pole region of the Moon, no earlier than 2026.
  2. JAXA is likely to provide under-development H3 launch vehicle and the rover, while ISRO would be providing the lander.
Aug 23 is observed by UN as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, to memorialize transatlantic slave trade.
Aug 23 is observed as Internaut Day, to mark invention of World Wide Web.
1. An internaut is a person who possesses a thorough knowledge of how to use the Internet and its history.
2. August 23 marks the day when the World Wide Web was opened to the public, back in 1991 for the first time by WWW inventor Tim Berners Lee as he allowed its access.
Singapore Navy Hosted Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) 2024, Participated by 18 Nations including India.

Inaugural Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024 were conferred by President Droupadi Murmu, to 33 distinguished scientists across 4 categories.

Vigyan Ratna (highest honor, awarded for lifetime achievements in any field of science and technology) -
1. Govindarajan Padmanabhan (Biological Sciences, IISC Bengaluru)

Vigyan Shri (13 Awardees) -

Awardee	Field	Institute
Anandharamakrishnan C	Agricultural Science	CSIR - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram
Avesh Kumar Tyagi	Atomic Energy	Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai
Umesh Varshney	Biological Sciences	Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore
Jayant Bhalchandra Udgaonkar	Biological Sciences	Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER), Pune
Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi	Earth Science	CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow
Bhim Singh	Engineering Sciences	Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D), Delhi
Adimurthi Adi	Mathematics and Computer Science	Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-K), Kanpur
Rahul Mukherjee	Mathematics and Computer Science	Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC)
Dr Sanjay Behari	Medicine	Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
Lakshmanan Muthusamy	Physics	Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
Naba Kumar Mondal	Physics	Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata
Annapurni Subramaniam	Space Science and Technology	Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru
Prof Rohit Srivastava	Technology and Innovation	Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-B), Mumbai

Vigyan Yuva- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (18 Awardees)
Vigyan Team - ISRO's Chandrayaan 3 Team

Aug 22, 2024
1. BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh’s book Modi’s Governance Triumph: Reshaping India’s Path to Prosperity, has been released.
2. Sindhu Gangadharan has been named Chairperson of IT Industry Body NASSCOM, while Rajesh Nambiar has been named as President of NASSCOM.
3. Nuclear Scientist Kalpana Sankar’s autobiography, The Scientist Entrepreneur: Empowering Millions of Women, has been released.
4. India's first reusable hybrid rocket RHUMI-1 has been launched by Space Zone India, in collaboration with Martin Group.
  1. It was launched using a mobile launcher from Thiruvidandhai beach near Chennai.
  2. RHUMI-1, weighing 80 kg and fueled by nitrous oxide, reached altitude of 35 km, deploying three Cube satellites and 50 Pico satellites for climate research and other applications.
5. Govt named Satish Kumar as new Chairman and CEO of Railway Board, succeeding Jaya Verma Sinha.
Aug 21, 2024
1. Aug 21 is observed by UN as International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism.
  1. Aug 21 is also observed as World Senior Citizens' Day. Note that similar sounding International Day for Older Persons (UN) is observed on October 1.
2. India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue (3rd Edition) held in New Delhi, attended by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, along with Japan's Visiting Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara.
3. Power and Housing Minister Manohar Lal launched 2 Portals -
  1. Portal for Online monitoring of Projects – Thermal (PROMPT) - to enable transparent, coordinated, and effective working of the power sector in country.
  2. DRIPS (Disaster Resilient Infrastructure for Power Sector) - to allow for rapid identification and deployment of necessary resources in a disaster situation.
4. Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been elected as Prime Minister of Thailand, becoming youngest prime minister of Thailand so far.
5. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has been rated A+ for the second time in a row, in Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2024.
  1. Other Central Bank governors who have been rated A+ are - Christian Kettel Thomsen (Denmark), Thomas Jordan (Switzerland).
Aug 20, 2024
1. Aug 20 is observed as Sadbhavana Diwas, commemorating birth anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.
  1. Indian National Congress instituted Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award in 1992, an year after his death. It was last conferred upon Gopalkrishna Gandhi (2018).
  2. Aug 20 is also observed as -
    1. Akshay Urja diwas in India, observed since 2004, to raise awareness about the developments and adoption of renewable energy in India.
    2. World Mosquito Day, to raise awareness about causes of malaria and how it can be prevented.
      1. It commemorates discovery by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. In 1902, Ross won Nobel Prize for Medicine becoming first British person to receive the award.
2. General News / Events (Aug 11-20, 2024) -
  1. India hosted 3rd Voice of Global South Summit in virtual format, with theme An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future.
  2. Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil launched Version 2.0 of FloodWatch India mobile app, developed by Central Water Commission (CWC).
    1. The app disseminates information related to flood situation in country and flood forecasts up to 7 days on a real-time basis to the public.
    2. Earlier version provided information on flood forecasts at 200 level forecast stations, while Version 2.0 adds additional 392 flood monitoring stations, taking total to 592.
Aug 19, 2024
1. Aug 19 is observed by UN as World Humanitarian Day, to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.
  1. Aug 19 is also observed as World Photography Day.
  2. Aug 19, 2024 is also observed as World Sanskrit Day (Observed annually on Shravan Purnima).
Aug 18, 2024
1. Govt named Rahul Navin as full-time director of anti-money laundering agency Enforcement Directorate (ED), for 2 years term.
2. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved merger of Fintech company Slice with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB).
3. Annual US-South Korea joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 24 hosted by South Korea, to enhance military readiness and strengthen alliance.
Aug 17, 2024
1. Germany has been incluled in US-led United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea, taking number of nations to 18.
  1. Established in 1950, UNC was created to restore peace and act as a communication channel with North Korea.
2. 2024 Cincinnati Open Tennis (USA) -
  1. Men's singles - Jannik Sinner (Italy)
  2. Women's singles - Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
  3. Men's doubles - Marcelo Arévalo (El Salvador) & Mate Pavić (Croatia)
  4. Women's doubles - Asia Muhammad (USA) & Erin Routliffe (New Zealand)
3. As per Brand Finance’s Global Food & Drinks Report 2024 -
  1. India's AMUL is world’s strongest food brand, owing to Brand Strength Index score of 91 out of 100 and AAA+ rating.
  2. Amul also retained its title as strongest dairy brand in world, for 4th consecutive year.

Aug 16, 2024

Cabinet Approvals (Aug 16, 2024) -
1. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) -
  1. Approved development of a New Civil Enclave at Bihta (Patna, Bihar), at cost 1413 crores.
    1. It will address anticipated saturation of capacity at Patna Airport. The proposed New Integrated Terminal Building at Bihta Airport spans 66,000 sqm and is designed to handle 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP) and annually cater to 50 lakh passengers.
  2. Approved development of new civil enclave at Bagdogra (West Bengal) airport, at cost 1549 crores.
    1. It will feature a 70,390 square meter terminal designed to accommodate 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP) and an annual capacity of 10 million passengers.
2. General -
  1. Approved Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project with two elevated corridors for a length of 44.65 Km with 31 stations.
    1. Project completion cost of Phase-3 is 15611 crores, to be operational by 2029.
    2. On operationalization of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 Km of active Metro Rail Network.
  2. Approved Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project corridor (Maharashtra), with cost 12200 crores.
    1. 29-km corridor will run along periphery of west side of Thane city with 22 Stations. The network is encompassed by Ulhas River on one side and Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the other.
  3. Approved Swargate to Katraj Underground Line Extension of existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of Pune Metro Phase-I project.
    1. This new extension will span 5.46 km and will include three underground stations.
    2. The project is set to be completed by February 2029, with cost 2954 crores.
ISRO launched its latest Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08, onboard Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shriharikota (AP).
1. EOS-08 carried 3 payloads - Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter.
2. EOS-08 was accompanied by SR-0 Demosat, developed by Space Kidz India.
3. This marked 3rd and final developmental flight of ISRO's SSLV-D3 (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-Developmental Flight 3).

70th National Film Awards (for year 2022) -

Notable Jury -
1. Rahul Rawail - Chairperson of Feature Film Jury
2. Nila Madhab Panda - Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury
3. Gangadhar Mudalair - Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury

Winners -

Best Book on Cinema

Sr. No.	Title of the Book	Language	Name of the Author	Name of the Publisher	Medal and Cash prize
1	Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography	English	Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Parthiv Dhar	HarperCollins Publishers India Pvt. Ltd.	Swarna Kamal and Rs. 1,00,000/- (each)

Best Film Critic:

Sr. No.	Name of Critic	Language	Medal and Cash Prize
1	Deepak Dua	Hindi	Swarna Kamal and Rs. 1,00,000/-

Non-Feature Films :

Award

Film

Awardee

Medal & Cash Prize

Non-Feature Film

AYENA (Mirror)

(Hindi/Urdu)

Producer : Teh Films

Director : Siddhant Sarin

Swarna Kamal

Rs. 3,00,000/- (each)

Debut Film Of A Director

MADHYANTARA (Intermission)

(Kannada)

Director : Basti Dinesh Shenoy

Swarna Kamal

Rs. 3,00,000/-

Arts / Culture Film

(a) RANGA VIBHOGA

(Temple Dance Tradition)

(Kannada)

(a) Producer & Director : Suneel Narasimhachar Puranik

Rajat Kamal

Rs 2,00,000/- (shared)

(b) VARSA (Legacy)

(Marathi)

(b) Producer & Director: Sachin Balasaheb Suryawanshi

Documentary

MURMURS OF THE JUNGLE

(Marathi)

Producer & Director: Sohil Vaidya

Rajat Kamal

Rs 2,00,000/- (each)

Animation Film

A COCONUT TREE

(Silent)

Producer: JB Productions

Director & Animator: Joshy Benedict

Rajat Kamal

Rs 2,00,000/- (each)

Short Film (Upto 30 Min)

XUNYOTA (Void)

(Assamese)

Producer: HM Production

Director: Nabapan Deka

Rajat Kamal

Rs 2,00,000/- (each)

Direction

FROM THE SHADOWS

(Bengali/Hindi/English)

Director : Miriam Chandy Menacherry

Swarna Kamal

Rs 3,00,000/-

Music Direction

FURSAT (Leisure)

(Hindi)

Music Director : Vishal Bhardwaj

Rajat Kamal

Rs 2,00,000/-

Feature Films :

S. No.	Award	Film	Awardee,	Medal & Cash Prize
1	Feature Film	AATTAM (The Play) (Malayalam)	Producer: Joy Movie Productions LLP Director: Anand Ekarshi	Swarna Kamal Rs. 3,00,000/- (each)
2	Debut Film of a Director	FOUJA (Haryanvi)	Director: Pramod Kumar	Swarna Kamal Rs. 3,00,000/-
3	Award for Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	KANTARA (Kannada)	Producer: Hombale Films LLP Director: Rishab Shetty	Swarna Kamal Rs. 3,00,000/- (each)
4	Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values	KUTCH EXPRESS (Gujarati)	Producer: Soul Sutra LLP Director: Viral Shah	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
5	Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects Gaming & Comic)	BRAHMASTRA- PART 1: SHIVA (Hindi)	Producer: Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, Starlight Pictures Director: Ayan Mukerji	Swarna Kamal Rs. 3,00,000/- (each)
5	Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects Gaming & Comic)	BRAHMASTRA- PART 1: SHIVA (Hindi)	VFX Supervisor : Jaykar Arudra, Viral Thakkar, Neelesh Gore	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (shared)
6	Direction	UUNCHAI (Zenith) (Hindi)	Director: Sooraj R. Barjatya	Swarna Kamal Rs. 3,00,000/-
7	Actor in a Leading Role	KANTARA (Kannada)	Actor : Rishab Shetty	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
8	Actress in a Leading Role	THIRUCHITRAMBALAM (Tamil)	Actress : Nithya Menen	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (Shared)
8	Actress in a Leading Role	KUTCH EXPRESS (Gujarati)	Actress : Manasi Parekh	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (Shared)
9	Actor in a Supporting Role	FOUJA (Haryanvi)	Supporting Actor: Pavan Raj Mallhotra	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
10	Actress in a Supporting Role	UUNCHAI (Zenith) (Hindi)	Supporting Actress: Neena Gupta	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
11	Child Artist	MALIKAPPURAM (Malayalam)	Child Artist : Sreepath	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
12	Male Playback Singer	BRAHMASTRA- PART 1: SHIVA (Hindi)	Singer : Arijit Singh (Kesariya)	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
13	Female Playback Singer	SAUDI VELLAKKA CC.225/2009 (Saudi Baby Coconut CC.225/2009) (Malayalam)	Singer : Bombay Jayashri (Chaayum Veyil)	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
14	Music Direction	BRAHMASTRA- PART 1: SHIVA (Hindi)	Music Director (Songs): Pritam	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
14	Music Direction	PONNIYIN SELVAN-Part I (Tamil)	Music Director (Background Music): AR Rahman	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
15	Lyrics	FOUJA (Haryanvi)	Lyricist: Naushad Sadar Khan (Salaami)	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
16	Action Direction Award (Stunt Choreography)	K.G.F Chapter-2 (Kannada)	Stunt Choreographer: Anbariv	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/-
17	Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
(a)	Assamese Film	EMUTHI PUTHI (A Very Fishy Trip)	Producer: Metanormal Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd Director: Kulanandini Mahanta	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(b)	Bengali Film	KABERI ANTARDHAN (Kaberi Vanishes)	Producer: Surinder Films Pvt. Ltd Director: Kaushik Ganguly	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(c)	Hindi Film	GULMOHAR	Producer: Star India Pvt. Ltd Director: Rahul V. Chittella	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(d)	Kannada Film	K.G.F Chapter-2	Producer: Hombale Films LLP Director: Prashanth Neel	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(e)	Malayalam Film	SAUDI VELLAKKA CC.225/2009 (Saudi Baby Coconut CC.225/2009)	Producer: Urvasi Theatres Director: Tharun Moorthy	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(f)	Marathi Film	VAALVI (The Termite)	Producer: Mayasabha Karamanuk Mandali, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. Director: Paresh Mokashi	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(g)	Odia Film	DAMAN	Producer: JP Motion Pictures Director: Vishal Mourya & Debi Prasad Lenka	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(h)	Punjabi Film	BAGHI DI DHEE (The Daughter Of A Rebel)	Producer: G-Next Media Pvt. Ltd Director: Mukesh Gautam	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(i)	Tamil Film	PONNIYIN SELVAN-Part I	Producer: Madras Talkies Director: Mani Ratnam	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
(j)	Telugu Film	KARTHIKEYA-2 - (DAIVAM MANUSHYA RUPENA)	Producer: Abhishek Agarwal Arts LLP, People Media Factory Director: Chandoo Mondeti	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)
26	Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution
(a)	Tiwa Film	SIKAISAL (If only trees could talk) (Tiwa)	Producer: Imaging Media Director: Bobby Sarma Baruah	Rajat Kamal Rs. 2,00,000/- (each)

Aug 15, 2024

Aug 15, 2024 - 78th Independence Day of India.
1. On this occasion -
  1. PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation from Red fort in Delhi, for 11th consecutive time.
  2. RBL Bank introduced Vijay Fixed Deposits scheme, to commemorate India’s 78th Independence Day, with 500-day fixed deposit tenor & high interest rates.
  3. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched -
    1. National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS), which will utilize technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to offer timely and precise pest management advisories.
    2. Kisano Ki Baat radio Program, to make science accessible to farmers.
2. Other Nations that Observe their Independence Day on Aug 15 - Republic of the Congo, Liechtenstein, North Korea & South Korea, Bahrain.
3. Gallantary Awards 2024 -
  1. President Draupadi Murmu approved 103 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces, police and paramilitary personnel on eve of Independence Day.
  2. These include 4 Kirti Chakra, 18 Shaurya Chakras, 1 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 6 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
    1. No Ashok Charka Awarded this year, known as highest peacetime Gallantry Award.
    2. Notably -
      1. India's Wartime gallantry awards -
        
        Param Vir Chakra
        
        Maha Vir Chakra
        
        Vir Chakra
      2. India's Peacetime gallantry awards -
        
        Ashok Chakra
        
        Kirti Chakra
        
        Shaurya Chakra
  3. Kirti Chakra Honorees -
    1. Manpreet Singh (Army)
    2. Malla Rama Gopal Naidu (Army)
    3. Ravi Kumar (Army)
    4. Himayun Muzzammil Bhat (Army)
  4. 1 President's Tatrakshak Medal and 3 Tatrakshak Medals were conferred upon Indian Coast Guard personnel.
    1. President's Tatrakshak Medal was conferred upon Donny Michael.

Monthly Trade and Inflation Data (July 2024) -

Inflation -
1. Wholesale price Index (WPI) based (wholesale inflation) -
  1. WPI-based inflation rate for July 2024 decreased to 2.04 %
  2. WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
    1. June 2024 - 3.36% (16 months high)
    2. May 2024 - 2.61%
    3. April 2024 - 1.26 %
    4. March 2024 - 0.53 %
    5. February 2024 - 0.20 %
    6. January 2024 - 0.27 %
    7. December 2023 - 0.73 %
    8. November 2023 - 0.26 %
    9. October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
    10. September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
    11. August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
    12. July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
2. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
  1. CPI-based inflation rate for July 2024 decreased to 3.54 % (Lowest in 59 Months)
  2. CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
    1. June 2024 - 5.08 %
    2. May 2024 - 4.75 %
    3. April 2024 - 4.83 %
    4. March 2024 - 4.85 %
    5. February 2024 - 5.09 %
    6. January 2024 - 5.1 %
    7. December 2023 - 5.69 %
    8. November 2023 - 5.55 %
    9. October 2023 - 4.87 %
    10. September 2023 - 5.02 %
    11. August 2023 - 6.83 %
    12. July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)

Trade -

Trade in July 2024 (Amount in Billion USD) -

		July 2024 (USD Billion)	July 2023 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	33.98	34.49
Merchandise	Imports	57.48	53.49
Services*	Exports	28.43	26.22
Services*	Imports	14.55	13.74
Total Trade (Merchandise +Services) *	Exports	62.42	60.71
	Imports	72.03	67.23
	Trade Balance	-9.61	-6.52

Trade During Previous Financial Year (FY24 (2023-24)) -

		2023-24 (USD Billion)	2022-23 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	437.06	451.07
Merchandise	Imports	677.24	715.97
Services*	Exports	339.62	325.33
Services*	Imports	177.56	182.05
Overall Trade (Merchandise+ Services)*	Exports	778.20 (NEW RECORD)	776.40
	Imports	854.80	898.01
	Trade Balance	-76.60	-121.62

Aug 14, 2024
1. August 14 is observed as Naga Independence Day, celebrated in states of Nagaland and Manipur.
  1. When India became independent from British rule, Nagas under Naga National Council wished to remain free. On 14 August 1947, Nagas declared independence of Naga region. Nagas did not take part in first and second general elections held in 1952 and 1957 respectively.
  2. Also, Govt observes 14th August every year as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (since 2021), to commemorate sacrifice of people who faced pain during violence during India-Pakistan partition in 1947.
Aug 13, 2024
1. Aug 13 - World organ donation day.
  1. Aug 13 is also observed as International Left-Handers Day.
  2. 13 August is also commemorated as Patriots Day in Manipur, to honour Kangeilpak soldiers that lost their lives during Anglo-Manipur War.
2. Notable points from 25th issue of publication Women and Men in India 2023, released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) -
  1. By 2036, population of India is expected to reach 152.2 Crore, with slightly improved female percentage of 48.8 % (compared to 48.5 % in 2011). Sex ratio is projected to increase from 943 in 2011 to 952 by 2036.
  2. Proportion of individuals under 15 years will decrease, due to declining fertility. Proportion of population aged over 60 years will substantially increase.
  3. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has been brought down to 97/lakh live births (in 2018-20). India is on track to achieve UN SDG MMR Goal of 70, by 2030.
  4. Among 1.2 Lakh start-ups recognized by DPIIT, 47.6% are led by women.
3. Govt notified Scheme Guidelines for implementation of Model Solar Village under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana -
  1. The initiative focuses on establishing one Model Solar Village in each district across India. Under this, a reward of ₹1 crore will be granted to each selected village. The program aims to promote widespread adoption of solar energy, empowering village communities to become self-reliant in fulfilling their energy requirements.
  2. To be considered, a village must be a revenue village with a population size above 5000 (or 2000 for special category states).
Aug 12, 2024
1. Aug is observed by UN as International Youth Day, with 2024 theme From Clicks to Progress.
  1. Aug 12 is also Observed as -
    1. World Elephant Day.
      1. Notably -
        
        Indian Govt has merged Project Tiger with Project Elephant, forming Project Tiger and Elephant Division under Environment Ministry.
        
        As per report on Asian Elephant population and demography 2023, Top 3 Indian states in terms of elephant population - Karnataka, Assam, Kerala.
    2. Aug 12 is also Birth anniversary of ISRO Founder Vikram Sarabhai, knows as father of India's Space Proramme. It is observed as National Remote Sensing Day.
2. Govt named T V Somanathan as new Cabinet Secretary, succeeding Rajiv Gauba.
3. Hockey India named former goalkeeper PR Sreejesh as head coach for Indian junior men’s hockey team.
4. Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh has been named Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI), overseeing Risk Compliance and Stressed Assets Resolution Group (SARG).
  1. Current SBI Chairman is Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, and other 2 MDs - Ashwini Kumar Tewari, Vinay M Tonse.
5. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Released India Rankings 2024 of higher educational institutes, which implements National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) drafted in 2015 -
  1. Notably, With addition of 3 categories (Open Universities, State Public Universities and Skill Universities), the existing portfolio of India Rankings has increased to 16 categories / subject domains.
  2. Overall -
    1. IIT Madras (6th consecutive year)
    2. IISc Bengaluru
    3. IIT Bombay
  3. University -
    1. IISC Bengaluru
    2. JNU
    3. Jamia Millia Islamia
  4. State Public Universities (Added in 2024)-
    1. Anna University (TN)
    2. Jadavpur University (WB)
    3. Savitribai Phule Pune University (MH)
  5. Open University (Added in 2024) -
    1. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
  6. Skill Universities (Added in 2024) -
    1. Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (Formerly Symbiosis Skill and Open University)
  7. Colleges -
    1. Hindu College (Delhi)
    2. Miranda House (Delhi)
    3. Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College (West Bengal)
  8. Research -
    1. IISc Bengaluru
    2. IIT Madras
    3. IIT Delhi
  9. Innovation -
    1. IIT Bombay
    2. IIT Madras
    3. IISC Bengaluru
  10. Engineering -
    1. IIT Madras
    2. IIT Delhi
    3. IIT Bombay
  11. Management -
    1. IIM Ahmedabad
    2. IIM Bangalore
    3. IIM Kozhikode
  12. Pharmacy -
    1. Jamia Hamdard (Delhi)
    2. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Hyderabad (Telangana)
    3. Birla Institute of Technology & Science -Pilani (Rajasthan)
  13. Architecture and Planning -
    1. IIT Roorkee
    2. IIT Kharagpur
    3. NIT Calicut
  14. Law -
    1. National Law School of India University Bangalore
    2. NLU Delhi
    3. Nalsar University of Law (Telangaga)
  15. Medical -
    1. AIIMS Delhi
    2. PGIMER Chandigarh
    3. CMC Vellore
  16. Agriculture -
    1. IARI
    2. ICAR - NDRI (Haryana)
    3. PAU Ludhiana

Aug 11, 2024

33rd Summer Olympics 2024 (Paris, France) -

About -
1. 10714 Athletes from 204 Nations particiated in 329 Events of 32 sports (48 disciplines).
2. Sports included 28 core Olympic sports, and 4 optional sports (including breakdancing, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing).
3. Paris became 2nd city (After London) to host Summer Olympics 3 times (earlier in 1900 and 1924).
4. The Phryges were named as Mascots of 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, as a pair of anthropomorphic Phrygian caps, a historic French symbol of freedom and liberty.
5. Next, 2028 Summer Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles (USA), while 2032 edition will be hosted by Brisbane (Australia). Notably, India has expressed interest in hosting 2036 Summer Olympics.

Medal Table -

Rank	NOC	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	USA	40	44	42	126
2	China	40	27	24	91
3	Japan	20	12	13	45
4	Australia	18	19	16	53
5	France	16	26	22	64
6	Netherlands	15	7	12	34
7	Great Britain	14	22	29	65
8	South Korea	13	9	10	32
9	Italy	12	13	15	40
10	Germany	12	13	8	33

USA topped the medal table for 4th consecutive Summer Olympic Games and 19th time overall.

Winners in Notable Team Sports (Men's Competition) -

Sport	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
Basketball	USA	France	Serbia
Soccer	Spain	France	Morocco
Volleyball	France	Poland	USA
Rugby Sevens	France	Fiji	South Africa
Field Hockey	Netherlands	Germany	India

Notable Records set during 2024 Summer Olympics -

Discipline	Athlete/Team	Record	Details
Athletics	Armand Duplantis (Sweden)	6.25m	Broke his own world record in pole vault
Swimming	Katie Ledecky (USA)	9 Olympic Golds	Tied the record for most Olympic golds by a female athlete
Sport Climbing	Aleksandra Mirosław (Poland)	6.06s	Twice broke the women’s speed climbing world record
Tennis	Novak Djokovic (Serbia)	Golden Slam	Completed career Golden Slam with his first Olympic gold

India at 2024 Olympics -

Indian contingent consisted of 110 athletes who competed in 16 sports. PV Sindhu and Sharath Kamal were flag-bearers for opening ceremony, while Manu Bhaker and PR Sreejesh carried Indian flag during closing ceremony.
India won 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze) during the games, to be ranked 71st (Compared to 48th place in 2020 Olympics).

Indian Medalists -

Medalist	Sport/Discipline	Medal	Event	Notable Details
Neeraj Chopra	Athletics	Silver	Men's Javelin Throw	Became India's most successful individual Olympian with two Olympic medals.
Manu Bhaker	Shooting	Bronze	Women's 10m Air Pistol	First Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal.
Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot Singh	Shooting	Bronze	Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol	Manu Bhaker became the first Indian to win two medals in the same Olympics.
Swapnil Kusale	Shooting	Bronze	Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions
Men's Hockey Team	Hockey	Bronze (Defeated Spain)	Men's Tournament	2nd Consecutive Olympic Bronze Medal in Field Hockey
Aman Sehrawat	Wrestling	Bronze	Men's 57kg Freestyle	Became India's youngest Olympic medalist.

Aug 11 is observed by UN as World Steelpan Day, observed since 2023.
1. Steelpan is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago.
Chhattisgarh govt approved setting up a new tiger reserve in state, as Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve.
1. Spanning 2829 square KMs, it will be Chhattisgarh’s 4th tiger reserve, and 56th Tiger Reserve in India.
RBI constituted an Expert Committee headed by RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra, to Benchmark statistics regularly disseminated by RBI against global standards / best practices & Study quality of other regular data, where such benchmarks do not exist (e.g., sectors of national priority).
Govt named Parvathaneni Harish as new Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of India to United Nations at New York (USA), succeeding Ruchira Kamboj.
1. Notably, Arindam Bagchi is Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Office in Geneva (Switzerland).
Book 75 Great Revolutionaries of India, written by MP Bhim Singh has been released.

Aug 10, 2024
1. Aug 10 is observed as World Biofuel Day, to create awareness about importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
  1. This day honors research experiments by Sir Rudolf Diesel who ran an engine with peanut oil in 1893. His research experiment had predicted that vegetable oil is going to replace fossil fuels in the next century to fuel different mechanical engines.
  2. Other Aug 10 is also observed as -
    1. World Lion Day.
    2. Birth anniversary of V V Giri, 4th president of India (Between 1969 - 1974).
2. 2024 Hamburg Open Tennis (Hamburg, Germany) -
  1. Men's singles - Arthur Fils (France)
  2. Women's singles - Anna Bondár (Hungary)
  3. Men's doubles - Germany's Kevin Krawietz & Tim Pütz
  4. Women's doubles - Anna Bondár (Hungary) & Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium)
3. General News / Events (Aug 1-10, 2024) -
  1. Rashtriya Hindi Vigyan Sammelan 2024 held at CSIR-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (Bhopal, MP).
  2. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched Version 4.0 of Price Monitoring System (PMS) Mobile App, to monitor daily prices of 38 commodities (up from 22 earlier).
  3. International Conference of Agricultural Economists 2024 held at National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex (New Delhi).
  4. India International Hospitality Expo 2024 held at Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh).
  5. 1st Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Business Summit held in New Delhi.
    1. Dhaka (Bangladesh) based BIMSTEC has 7 members - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India & Sri Lanka, Myanmar & Thailand.
  6. Andhra Pradesh govt revoked the 2-child norm, which barred persons having more than 2 children from contesting elections to rural / urban local bodies in state.
4. Indian Army conducted strategic military exercise Parvat Prahaar in Ladakh, focusing on high-altitude warfare and operations.
5. China's Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) launched first set of 18 flat panel satellites associated with mega constellation project named Qianfan (also called Thousand Sails / G60 Starlink), aimed at rivaling US company SpaceX's Starlink Internet network.
  1. SpaceX's Starlink project has a broadband constellation of around 5500 satellites, which is used by consumers, companies, and government agencies globally.
  2. While, Under G60 Starlink project, China's SSST plans to deploy 15000 satellites by 2030.

Aug 09, 2024

Cabinet Approvals (Aug 09, 2024) -

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) -
1. Approved 8 projects of Ministry of Railways with total cost 24657 crores, under PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity.
  1. Projects cover 14 Districts in 7 States - Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal. These projects will increase existing network of Indian Railways by 900 Kms.
  2. Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site will be connected to Indian Railways Network.

General -

Approved Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29, wherein financial assistance will be provided for construction of 2 crore more houses.
1. Unit assistance will be 1.20 lakh in plain areas and 1.30 lakh in North Eastern Region States and Hill States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
2. Total outlay of 3.06 Lakh crores for FY 2024-25 to 2028-29, including Central Share of 2.06 lakh crore and State Matching Share of 1 lakh crores.

Approved Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0, under which assistance will be provided to 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families to construct, purchase or rent a house at an affordable cost in urban areas.

PMAY-U 2.0, with an investment of 10 lakh crores, will address housing needs of 1 crore families.
Also -
1. Corpus fund of Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust (CRGFT) has been increased from 1000 crore to 3000 crores, to provide benefit of credit risk guarantee on affordable housing loans from Banks/HFCs/PLIs to EWS/LIG segments for construction/purchase of their first home.
2. Management of Credit Risk Guarantee Fund will be transferred to National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGTC) from National Housing Bank (NHB).
PMAY-U 2.0 Eligibility -
1. Families belonging to EWS/LIG/Middle Income Group (MIG) segments having no pucca house.
  1. EWS households are families with annual income up to 3 lakh.
  2. LIG households are families with annual income from 3 - 6 lakh.
  3. MIG households are families with annual income from 6 - 9 lakh.
PMAY-U 2.0 components include Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) & Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS).
1. Govt Assistance in AHP/BLC verticals under PMAY-U 2.0 will be ₹2.50 lakh per unit.
2. Under ISS vertical, Central Assistance up to ₹1.80 lakh subsidy will be given to eligible beneficiaries in 5-yearly instalments.
Funding Patterns (Central : State) -
1. For UTs without legislature - 100:0
2. UTs with legislature (Delhi, J&K and Puducherry), North-Eastern States and Himalayan States (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) - 90:10
3. Other states - 60:40

Detailed Sharing Patterns -

S. No.	States/UTs	PMAY-U 2.0 Verticals
S. No.	States/UTs	BLC & AHP	ARH	ISS
	North-Eastern Region States, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Union Territory (UT) of J&K, Puducherry and Delhi	Central Govt.- ₹2.25 lakh per unit State Govt.- Min. ₹0.25 lakh per unit	Technology Innovation Grant GoI: ₹3000/Sqm per unit State Share: ₹2000/Sqm per unit	Home Loan Subsidy – up to ₹1.80 lakh (Actual Release) per unit by Government of India as Central Sector Scheme
	All other UTs	Central Govt. - ₹2.50 lakh per unit
	Remaining States	Central Govt. - ₹1.50 lakh per unit State Govt.- Min. ₹1.00 lakh per unit

Technology & Innovation Sub-Mission (TISM) -
1. TISM will be set up under PMAY-U 2.0 to guide and facilitate States/UTs and other stakeholders in adoption of modern, innovative and green technologies and building material for faster and quality construction of houses.

Approved modified Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, To keep pace with latest developments in field of biofuels and to attract more investment.
1. Modified scheme extends timeline for implementation of scheme by 5 years (till 2028-29) and includes advanced biofuels produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks (i.e. agricultural and forestry residues, industrial waste, synthesis gas, algae etc.). Bolt on plants & Brownfield projects would also now be eligible to leverage their experience and improve their viability.
2. The scheme aims to provide remunerative income to farmers for their agriculture residue, address environmental pollution, create local employment opportunities, and contribute to India's energy security and self-reliance.
3. Notably -
  1. Govt has been promoting blending of ethanol in petrol under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme wherein Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) sell petrol blended with ethanol.
  2. Blending of ethanol with petrol increased from 38 crore litres in Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2013-14 to more than 500 crore litres in ESY 2022-23. Blending percentage touched record 15.83% in month of July 2024, against 20% blending target by end of ESY 2025-26.
  3. Govt is also focusing on alternate sources like 2nd Generation (2G) Ethanol (Advanced biofuels). To encourage 2G ethanol capacity in country, Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana was notified in Mar 2019, for providing financial assistance to 2G Bio-ethanol projects.
  4. Under the scheme, the first 2G Ethanol Project was set up by Indian Oil Corporation Limited at Panipat (Haryana), in 2022.
Approved Clean Plant Programme (CPP) proposed by Agriculture Ministry.
1. With investment of 1766 crores, this initiative aims to revolutionize the horticulture sector in India.
2. Key Benefits -
  1. Farmers - CPP will provide access to virus-free, high-quality planting material, leading to increased crop yields and improved income opportunities
  2. Nurseries - Streamlined certification processes and infrastructure support will enable nurseries to efficiently propagate clean planting material, fostering growth.
  3. Consumers - Consumers will benefit from superior produce that are free from viruses, have enhaned taste and nutritional value.
  4. Exports - By producing higher-quality, disease-free fruits, India will strengthen its position as a leading global exporter.
3. 9 state-of-the-art Clean Plant Centers (CPCs) will be set up, equipped with advanced diagnostic therapeutics and tissue culture labs.
  1. These include Grapes (NRC, Pune), Temperate Fruits - Apple, Almond, Walnuts etc. (CITH, Srinagar & Mukteshwar), Citrus Fruits (CCRI, Nagpur & CIAH, Bikaner), Mango/Guava/Avacado (IIHR, Bangaluru), Mango/Guava/Litchi (CISH, Lucknow), Pomegranate (NRC, Sholapur) and Tropical/Sub-Tropical Fruits in Eastern India.
  2. These centers will play a crucial role in producing and maintaining virus-free planting material meant for larger propagation.
4. A robust certification system will be implemented, supported by a regulatory framework under Seeds Act 1966, to ensure thorough accountability and traceability in planting material production and sale.

Indian Army particiated in annual Multinational Army Exercise KHAAN QUEST held at Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
Haryana govt announced procurement of all crops at minimum support price (MSP), to benefit farmers in state.
Centre for Australia-India Relations announced recepients under 2nd edition of Maitri Research and Cultural Partnerships Grants.
1. The 2nd edition includes 5 research grants and 14 cultural partnership grants.
2. 2024-25 Maitri Grant Program has been expanded with a total of $5 million available to support included projects.
Aug 9 is observed by UN as International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples (Also called World Tribal Day).
1. The day marks 1st meeting of UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, on Aug 09, 1982.
2. August 9 also marks anniversary of atomic bombing in Nagasaki during World War II. The incident took place on August 9, 1945, when USA dropped an atomic bomb named Fat Man, on Nagasaki (Japan).
  1. 3 Days Earlier, on Aug 6, An atomic bomb named Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima (Japan). The two bombings killed upto 2.5 lakh people, and still remains only use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict.
3. Aug 9 is also observed as National Traders' Day in India, marking foundation day of Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal.
Budget Session 2024 of Parliament concluded (Held between July 22 - Aug 9, 2024) -
1. During the session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Presented Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament, as her record 7th Union Budget and 1st Full Budget of newly elected NDA Government forming 18th Lok Sabha, led by PM Narendra Modi. Details can be seen here.
2. Notable Info disseminated during the session -
  1. Yuge Yugeen Bharat museum is being constructed in New Delhi, to be largest museum in world with an area of 117000 square meters. It will be housed in existing Secretariat buildings, both north and South blocks and will replace National Museum of India as national museum.
  2. Indian Patent Office granted 103057 patents in FY24 (2023-24), up from 34134 an year ago (FY23 (2022-23)).
  3. Department of Higher Education in collaboration with IIT Kanpur started SATHEE (Self-Assessment, Test and Help for Entrance Examination) portal, to provide equal access to quality education for competitive exams.
  4. As per data by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), India gained 266000 hectares of forest area annually from 2010 to 2020, ranking 3rd in terms of forest area gains.
    1. China topped the list with a gain of 1937000 hectares, followed by Australia with 446000 hectares.
  5. Top Performing States under Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme (which supports urban street vendors with collateral-free loans up to 50000) - Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat.
  6. India held onto its position as the world’s eighth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2023, despite a decline in exports from $55 billion in 2022 to $51 billion.
  7. Ministry of Textiles had launched Kasturi Cotton Bharat programme in Nov 2022, to boost traceability, certification and branding of Indian cotton. It is being implemented through an MoU between Cotton Corporation of India and Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council.
  8. Under National Mission for Financial Inclusion (NMFI) launched in August 2014 (Namely Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)), to provide universal banking services for every unbanked household across country -
    1. Over 53 crore Jan-Dhan accounts have been opened as of now, with deposit balance over 2.32 lakh crores.
    2. Of these, 55.6% Jan-Dhan accounts belong to women and about 66.6 % Jan-Dhan accounts have been opened in rural and semi-urban areas.
3. Bills -
  1. Bills Introduced in Rajya Sabha -
    1. Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill 2024 -
      1. Bill amends Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act 1948, which regulates exploration and extraction of natural gas and petroleum.
      2. The Act defines mineral oils to include petroleum and natural gas.
        
        The Bill expands the definition to include: (i) any naturally occurring hydrocarbon, (ii) coal bed methane, and (iii) shale gas/oil. It clarifies that mineral oils will not include coal, lignite or helium.
      3. The Act provides for a mining lease, which provides for various activities such as exploration, prospecting, production, making merchantable, and disposal of mineral oils. Prospecting is initial stage in the search for oil and gas fields, involving assessment of potential petroleum accumulations across large areas.
        
        The Bill replaces mining lease with a petroleum lease, which also covers similar set of activities. Existing mining leases granted under the Act will continue to be valid.
      4. The Bill empowers central govt to make Rules on several additional matters includeing merger and combination of petroleum leases, sharing of production and processing facilities, obligations of lessees towards protecting environment and reducing emissions, alternative mechanisms for resolving disputes in relation to grant of petroleum leases.
      5. The Act provides that violation of Rules will be punishable with imprisonment up to six months, a fine of Rs 1000.
        
        The Bill instead provides that the above offence will be punishable with a penalty of Rs 25 lakh.
        
        The Bill also adds following offences: (i) undertaking activities related to mineral oils such as exploring, prospecting, and production without a valid lease, and (ii) non-payment of royalty. These are also punishable with a penalty of Rs 25 lakh. Continued violation will attract a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh per day.
      6. Central govt will appoint an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary or above for adjudication of penalties. Appeals against the decisions of the Adjudicating Authority will lie before the Appellate Tribunal specified in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Board Regulatory Board Act 2006. The 2006 Act designates the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, constituted under the Electricity Act, 2003, as the Appellate Tribunal.
    2. Boilers Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill seeks to replace Boilers Act 1923, which regulates manufacturing, installation, use, and repair of boilers and boiler components to ensure safe operation. A boiler refers to a vessel in which steam is generated under pressure.
        
        The Bill retains all provisions of the Act. The Statement of Objects and Reasons to the Bill states that the Bill aims to enhance clarity of the provisions.
      2. Act empowers the state govt to exempt an area from the application of certain or all provisions of the Act. It empowers central govt to constitute the Central Boilers Board to make regulations. Registration and certification of boilers is mandatory under the Act. It empowers the state governments to appoint inspectors for inspection and certification of boilers.
  2. Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha -
    1. Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Transferred to Joint Parliamentary Committee) -
      1. Info -
        
        It amends Waqf Act 1995, the Act which regulates waqf property in India. Waqf are defined as an endowment of movable or immovable property for purposes considered pious, religious, or charitable under Muslim law.
        
        Every state is required to constitute a Waqf Board to manage waqf.
        
        The Bill renames the Act to United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act 1995.
      2. Formation of waqf -
        
        The Act allows waqf to be formed by: (i) declaration, (ii) recognition based on long-term use (waqf by user), or (iii) endowment when the line of succession ends (waqf-alal-aulad).
        
        The Bill -
        
        States that Only a person practicing Islam for at least 5 years may declare a waqf. The person must own the property being declared.
        
        Removes waqf by user.
        
        Adds that waqf-alal-aulad must not result in denial of inheritance rights to the donor’s heir including women heirs.
      3. Bill states that any government property identified as waqf will cease to be so. The Collector of the area will determine ownership in case of uncertainty, and submit a report to state government. If deemed a government property, revenue records will be updated accordingly.
      4. The Act empowers the Waqf Board to inquire and determine if a property is waqf. The Bill removes this provision.
      5. The Act provides for appointment of a Survey Commissioner and additional commissioners to survey waqf. The Bill instead empowers Collectors to do the survey. Pending surveys will be conducted as per the state revenue laws.
      6. Act constitutes the Central Waqf Council to advise central and state governments and Waqf Boards. Union Minister in-charge of Waqf is the ex-officio chairperson of the Council. The Act requires that all Council members be Muslims, and at least two must be women.
        
        The Bill instead provides that two members must be non-Muslims. MPs, former judges, and eminent persons appointed to the Council as per the Act need not be Muslims.
        
        Following members must be Muslims: (i) representatives of Muslim organisations, (ii) scholars in Islamic law, and (iii) chairpersons of Waqf Boards. Of the Muslim members, two must be women.
      7. The Act provides for election of up to two members each from electoral colleges of Muslim: (i) MPs, (ii) MLAs and MLCs, and (iii) Bar Council members, from the state to the Board.
        
        The Bill instead empowers state government to nominate one person from each of the above background to the Board. They need not be Muslims.
        
        It adds that the Board must have: (i) two non-Muslim members. and (ii) at least one member each from Shias, Sunnis, and Backward classes of Muslims.
        
        It must also have one member each from Bohra and Agakhani communities if they have waqf in the state.
        
        The Act provides that at least two members must be women. The Bill states that two Muslim members must be women.
      8. The Act requires states to constitute Tribunals to address disputes over waqf. The Chairman of these Tribunals must be a Judge of the rank equivalent to a Class-1, District, Sessions, or Civil Judge. Other members include: (i) a state officer equal to an Additional District Magistrate, and (ii) a person knowledgeable in Muslim law and jurisprudence.
        
        The Bill removes the latter from the Tribunal. It instead provides the following as members: (i) a current or former District Court judge as its chairman, and (ii) a current or former officer of the rank joint secretary to the state government.
      9. Under the Act, decisions of the Tribunal are final and appeals against its decisions in Courts are prohibited. The High Court can consider matters on its own accord, on an application by the Board, or an aggrieved party.
        
        The Bill omits provisions deeming finality to Tribunal’s decisions. Tribunal’s orders may be appealed in the High Court within 90 days.
      10. Bill empowers central govt to make rules regarding: (i) registration, (ii) publication of accounts of waqf, and (iii) publication of proceedings of waqf Boards. Under the Act, state government may get the accounts of waqfs audited at any point. The Bill empowers the central government to get these audited by the CAG or a designated officer.
      11. The Act allows establishing separate Waqf Boards for Sunni and Shia sects if Shia waqf constitute more than 15% of all waqf properties or waqf income in the state. The Bill also allows separate waqf boards for Aghakhani and Bohra sects.
      12. Notably -
        
        Key legislative changes in administration of Waqf properties in India through Waqf Act -
        
        Waqf Act 1954 - Waqf has only been strengthened post-independence. The Waqf Act 1954 (passed by JL Nehru Govt) provided a pathway toward the centralisation of Waqfs. Central Waqf Council of India was established in 1964, to oversee work under various state Waqf boards.
        
        Waqf Act 1995 - The Waqf Act was made even more favourable to Muslims in 1995, which made it an overriding law. Waqf Act 1995 was enacted by PM P. V. Narasimha Rao's govt to govern administration of Waqf Properties (Religious Endowments) in India.
        
        This act strengthened Waqf board beyond any boundaries, causing large scale illegal capturing of land across India by Waqf boards.
        
        Wakf Boards currently control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India. India has largest waqf holding in World. Waqf Board is largest landowner in India, after Armed Forces and Indian Railways.
        
        Both these acts represent Indian National Congress led govts' pro-islam approach since independence.
    2. Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill 2024 -
      1. It repeals Mussalman Wakf Act 1923, which provides for management of wakf property, and keeping and publication of their accounts.
      2. It defines wakf as dedication of any property by a Muslim for causes considered religious, pious, or charitable under Muslim law.
      3. The Act does not apply to wakf covered under Waqf Act 1995.
    3. Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024 (Passed in Lok Sabha) -
      1. It seeks to replace Aircraft Act 1934, which regulates civil aviation sector.
      2. The Act sets up 3 statutory authorities - Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for performing regulatory functions and overseeing safety, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for overseeing security, and Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau for investigation of aircraft accidents. Bill retains regulatory structure and most of the provisions under the 1934 Act.
      3. The Act regulates various activities related to aircrafts including manufacturing, possession, use, operation, and trade. The Bill retains this and also seeks to regulate design of aircrafts.
      4. The Act empowers central govt to make Rules on several matters including (i) regulation of specified activities related to aircrafts and matters related to licencing, certification, and inspection, regulation of air transport services, and (iii) implementation of Convention relating to International Civil Aviation of 1944.
        
        The Bill retains these provisions and adds that central govt may make Rules on radio telephone operator certificate and licences under International Telecommunication Convention.
      5. The Act allows central govt to impose penalties for contravention of Rules. It empowers central govt to appoint an officer for adjudication of penalties. This officer must be of the rank of the Deputy Secretary to Government of India or above. Decisions of Adjudicating Officer may be appealed before an Appellate Officer, of higher rank.
        
        The Bill retains this and adds an additional level of appeal. The appeal against decisions of First Appellate Officer will lie before Second Appellate Officer, of higher rank.
      6. Bill adds that appeals against an order of DGCA or BCAS will lie before central govt. No further appeals will be allowed against central govt's orders.
    4. Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
      1. Bill amends Disaster Management Act 2005, which establishes National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), and District Disaster Management Authority. These authorities are responsible for disaster management at the national, state, and district level, respectively.
      2. Act provides for constitution of a National Executive Committee and a State Executive Committee to assist NDMA and SDMA in performing their functions. A key function of these Committees is preparing national and state disaster management plans, respectively. NDMA and SDMA approve respective plans and coordinate their implementation. The Bill instead provides that NDMA and SDMA will prepare disaster management plans.
      3. Bill adds certain functions for NDMA and SDMA at their respective levels. Bill also empowers NDMA to make regulations under the Act with prior approval of central govt.
      4. Bill empowers state govt to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and cities with a municipal corporation.
        
        The Urban Authority will comprise Municipal Commissioner as chairperson, District Collector as vice chairperson, and other members specified by state govt.
        
        It will prepare and implement disaster management plan for the area under it.
      5. Act provides for constitution of a National Disaster Response Force for specialist response to disaster situations. The Bill empowers the state government to constitute a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The state government will define the functions of SDRF and prescribe the terms of service for its members.
      6. Bill provides statutory status to existing bodies such as National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and High Level Committee (HLC).
        
        NCMC will function as the nodal body for dealing with major disasters with serious or national ramifications.
        
        HLC will provide financial assistance to state governments during disasters. It will approve financial assistance from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund.
        
        Cabinet Secretary will serve as chairperson of NCMC. Minister of department with administrative control over disaster management will serve as chairperson of HLC.
      7. Act provides that central govt will provide NDMA with officers, consultants, and employees, as it considers necessary. Bill instead empowers NDMA to specify number and category of officers and employees, with previous approval of central govt. NDMA may also appoint experts and consultants as necessary.
    5. Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill amends -
        
        Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act 1934
        
        Banking Regulation Act 1949
        
        State Bank of India Act 1955
        
        Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act 1970
        
        Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act 1980.
      2. Definition of fortnight for cash reserves -
        
        Under RBI Act, scheduled banks must maintain a certain level of average daily balance with RBI as cash reserves. This average daily balance is based on the average of the balances held by banks at the closing of business of each day of a fortnight.
        
        A fortnight is defined as the period from Saturday to second following Friday (including both days). The Bill changes definition of fortnight to period from: (i) first day to fifteenth day of each month, or (ii) sixteenth day to the last day of each month. It also changes this definition under the Banking Regulation Act where non-scheduled banks are required to maintain cash reserves.
      3. Banking Regulation Act prohibits director of a bank (except its chairman or whole-time director) to hold office for more than 8 years consecutively.
        
        The Bill seeks to increase this period to 10 years for co-operative banks.
      4. Banking Regulation Act prohibits a director on a bank’s board to serve on board of another bank. This does not apply to directors appointed by RBI.
        
        The Bill extends this exemption to director of a central co-operative bank. This exemption will apply where he is elected to the board of a state cooperative bank in which he is a member.
      5. Under Banking Regulation Act, substantial interest in a company refers to holding shares of over 5 lakh rupees or 10% of the paid-up capital of the company (whichever is less). This may be held by an individual, his spouse, or minor child, either individually or collectively.
        
        The Bill amends this to increase the threshold to 2 crore rupees. Central govt may alter the amount through a notification.
      6. Banking Regulation Act allows single or joint deposit holders to appoint a nominee for their deposit. Such a nominee can also be appointed for items left in custody of a bank or for a locker hired from a bank.
        
        The Bill allows the appointment of up to four nominees for these purposes. For deposits, such nominees can be appointed either successively or simultaneously while for other purposes they can be appointed successively.
        
        In case of simultaneous nominees, the nomination will be effective in a declared proportion. For successive nomination, the nominee who has been named higher in the order of nomination will receive priority.
      7. State Bank of India Act and Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts provide for transferring unpaid or unclaimed dividend to an unpaid dividend account. If money in account remains unpaid or unclaimed for 7 years, it is transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).
        
        The Bill widens the ambit of the funds that can be transferred to the IEPF. These include: (i) shares for which dividend has not been paid or claimed for seven consecutive years, and (ii) any interest or redemption amount for bonds which is unpaid/ unclaimed for seven years.
        
        Any person whose shares or unclaimed/ unpaid money is transferred to IEPF can claim the transfer or refund.
      8. At present, the remuneration paid to auditors of banks is fixed by the RBI in consultation with central govt.
        
        The Bill empowers banks to decide remuneration of their auditors.
    6. Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill seeks to reserve seats in the Goa Legislative Assembly for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
      2. Bill requires the Census Commissioner to estimate population of the persons belonging to ST communities in state, based on 2001 census. The Census Commissioner is appointed by central govt under Census Act 1948.
      3. Election Commissionwill make amendments to Delimitation Order to provide for the reservation of seats in Assembly, based on population determined by Census Commissioner. Election Commission must invite suggestions from public and consider objections before making amendments to Delimitation Order. The reservation will be applicable to all elections held onward from dissolution of current Assembly.
    7. Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill seeks to repeal Railway Board Act 1905, which provides for constitution of the Railway Board to administer Indian Railways.
        
        The Bill seeks to incorporate provisions regarding the Railway Board into the Railways Act 1989, which provides the legal framework for railways in India. The Bill seeks to eliminate the need to refer to two laws.
      2. 1905 Act provides that central govt may invest powers and functions of govt in the Railway Board with respect to any or all railways.
        
        The Bill incorporates these provisions into the 1989 Act. It adds that the central government will prescribe: (i) number of members of the Board, and (ii) qualification, experience, and terms and conditions of service, and manner of appointment for the Chairman and members of the Board.
        
        It also adds that the Board will be provided with a secretary, and officers and employees, as necessary.
    8. Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill seeks to replace Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1925, which establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from a port in India to another port in India or any other port in world. The Act is in conformance with the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading of August 1924 (Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments to it. The Bill retains all provisions of the Act.
      2. Bill empowers central govt to: (i) issue directions for carrying out provisions of the Bill, and (ii) amend the schedule specifying rules applicable to bills of lading.
        
        A bill of lading refers to a document issued by a freight carrier to a shipper. It contains details such as the type, quantity, condition, and destination of goods being carried. The rules outline the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities of goods carriers.
    9. Bills of Lading Bill 2024 -
      1. The Bill seeks to replace Indian Bills of Lading Act 1856, which provides a legal framework for issuance of bills of lading.
      2. A bill of lading refers to a document issued by a freight carrier to a shipper. It contains details such as the type, quantity, condition, and destination of goods being carried. The Act states that a bill of lading is conclusive evidence of goods on board. It grants following persons all rights of suit and liabilities regarding the goods: (i) the receiver as per the bill of lading, or (ii) any third party to whom the receiver may transfer the ownership of goods. The Bill retains all provisions under the Act.
  3. Bills passed by Both houses (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha) -
    1. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024
    2. The Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2024
    3. The Finance (No.2) Bill, 2024

Aug 08, 2024
1. Aug 8 is observed in India as Quit India Movement Day, which marks launching of Quit India Movement at Bombay session of All India Congress Committee by M K Gandhi, on 8 August 1942, demanding end to British rule in India.
2. Assam govt launched Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Asoni scheme, to provide monetary benefits to girl students every month, aiming to put an end to child marriages. Under this, monetary benefits given to Girl students will be -
  1. 1000 per month - Girl students who have passed Class 10, for 2 years till they complete their Class 12.
  2. 1250 per month - Girls who have completed Class 12 and enrolled in UG courses, till they complete their UG Courses.
  3. 2500 per month - Girls who have enrolled in PG courses, till they complete their PG courses.
  4. School / College girl students who have been married, would not be able to get benefits of the scheme.
3. As per RBI Monetary Policy Statement August 2024 -
  1. Policy rates have been kept unchanged at -
    1. Repo Rate - 6.50 %
    2. Reverse Repo - 3.35 %
    3. Bank Rate - 6.75 %
    4. CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 4.5 %
    5. SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 18.00 %
    6. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 6.75 %]
  2. Notably -
    1. Real GDP growth for FY25 (2024-25) is projected at 7.2 %, with -
      1. Q1 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.1 %
      2. Q2 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.2 %
      3. Q3 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.3 %;
      4. Q4 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.2 %
      5. Q1 FY26 (2025-26) is projected at 7.2 %.
4. As per 2024 Fortune Global 500 list -
  1. Top 5 -
    1. Walmart (USA), Amazon (USA), State Grid (China), Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia), Sinopec Group (China)
  2. Indian Firms in List -
    1. 9 Indian Companies have been included in the List -
      1. Reliance Industries (86) (Best ever Ranking for an Indian Company)
      2. Life Insurance Corp. of India (95)
      3. Indian Oil (116)
      4. State Bank of India (178)
      5. Oil & Natural Gas Corp (180)
      6. Bharat Petroleum Corp (258)
      7. Tata Motors (271)
      8. HDFC Bank (306)
      9. Rajesh Exports (463)
5. Govt appointed Vikas Lakhera as Director General of Assam Rifles, succeeding PC Nair.
Aug 07, 2024
1. Aug 7 is observed as National Handloom Day, being observed since 2015.
  1. It commemorates Swadeshi movement that was launched On Aug 7, 1905. The day focuses on contribution of handloom to socio economic development of country.
  2. 2024 marks 10th National Handloom Day. To mark the occaison, a fortnight long exhibition named VIRAASAT was organised at Handloom Haat (New Delhi), by National Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (NHDC).
  3. Also -
    1. Athletics Federation of India (AFI) observes National Javelin Day on Aug 07, as it was on this day in 2021 that Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold medal with a throw of 87.58 metres. It was India’s first track and field medal in the Olympic Games.
    2. WHO observes Aug 1-7 annually as World Breastfeeding Week.
2. Muhammad Yunus has been named Chief Adviser (interim head of government) of Bangladesh, after earlier PM Sheikh Hasina was ousted under a Military coup.
  1. Notably, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding Grameen Bank, and pioneering concepts of microcredit and microfinance.
3. India-Malyasia Joint Air Force Exercise Udara Shakti 2024 held at Kuantan (Malaysia).
4. Govt named Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), succeeding Dinesh Kumar Khara.
5. Tata Group laid foundation stone for its new Semiconductor ATMP unit to be set up at Jagiroad facility (Assam), as India’s first indigenous facility for assembly and testing of semiconductor chips.
  1. To be set up at cost ₹27000 crores, the facility will produce over 15 billion chips annually.
  2. Notably, earlier in Feb 2024, Union Cabinet had approved 2 more units in semiconductor space -
    1. Semiconductor Fab with 50,000 wfsm capacity -
      1. Tata Electronics Private Limited will set up a semiconductor fab in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), Taiwan.
      2. This fab will be constructed in Dholera (Gujarat), with Investment of 91000 crores.
      3. Segments covered will be High performance compute chips with 28 nm technology, Power management chips for electric vehicles (EV), telecom, defence, automotive, consumer electronics, display, power electronics, etc.
    2. Semiconductor ATMP unit for specialized chips -
      1. CG Power, in partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan) and Stars Microelectronics (Thailand) will set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand (Gujarat), with investment of 7600 crores.
      2. Segments covered will be chips for consumer, industrial, automotive and power applications.
      3. Capacity will be 15 million per day.

Aug 06, 2024

Quality Council of India (QCI) launched QCI Surajya Recognition & Ranking Framework, designed to drive excellence among states, under 4 pillars - Shiksha (Education), Swasthya (Health), Samriddhi (Prosperity), and Sushasan (Governance).
1. Top states as per August 2024 ranking (1st edition) -
  1. Shiksha - Uttar Pradesh.
  2. Swasthya - Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala.
  3. Samriddhi - Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launcherd Million Designers, Billion Dreams initiative, to empower individuals across India with systems design know-how, to tackle complex societal challenges, Spearheaded by LEAP in collaboration with DAY-NRLM.
1. The initiative will aim to enhance capacity of individuals through systems design know-how. It will target rural leaders, frontline change agents and village entrepreneurs, equipping them with skills to create impactful, scalable solutions.
2. LEAP is a catalyst organization that emerged from multidisciplinary work developed in India by Design Laboratory at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (D-Lab) and Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF), with seed investment from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

2024 Asian Weightlifting Championships (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) -

Medal Table (by Big (Total result) medals)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	North Korea	11	0	0	11
2	South Korea	4	1	3	8
3	Uzbekistan	2	5	1	8
4	Indonesia	1	2	2	5
5	Iran	1	1	1	3

India did not win any medals at the event.
Notably -
1. 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships shall be held in Jiangshan (China), while 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships shall be held in Gandhinagar (India).

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) established a dedicated standardisation department, to advance standardisation for the Ayush sector.
1. The new department will focus on promoting safety, efficacy, and quality of Ayush products and practices, encompassing traditional Indian systems of medicine.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched publication named India@100: Envisioning Tomorrow’s Economic Powerhouse, authored by K V Subramanian.

Aug 05, 2024

ENI Awards 2024 -
1. Winners -
  1. Energy Frontiers Award - Nam-Gyu Park (Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea)
  2. Advanced Environmental Solutions Award - Holger Braunschweig (Julius-maximilians-universität Würzburg, Germany)
  3. Energy Transition Award - Marc Fontecave (College de France, France).
2. About -
  1. Eni Awards are awarded by Italian oil and gas company Eni, to encourage better use of energy sources and increased environmental research. These are conferred since 2007.

As per data on Richest Central Banks, compiled by Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI) -

Top 5 -

Rank	Central Bank	Total Assets (USD)	Country	Region
1	Federal Reserve System	$7,835,559,000,000	USA	North America
2	People’s Bank of China	$6,004,919,369,845	China	Asia
3	Bank of Japan	$5,543,058,448,125	Japan	Asia
4	Deutsche Bundesbank	$2,776,759,343,640	Germany	Europe
5	Bank of France	$2,011,001,711,400	France	Europe

India’s Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holds 12th position globally, with assets worth $845 Million.

Kamel Madouri has been named prime minister of Tunisia (Northern Africa).

Aug 04, 2024
1. Gujarat government has set up Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT), to act as a policy think tank on lines of Central Govt's NITI Aayog. It will be headed by Chief Minister of Gujarat (Bhupendrabhai Patel currently).
2. Home Minister Amit Shah launched e-Sakshya, Nyaya Setu, Nyaya Shruti and e-Summon apps, for three new criminal laws - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).
  1. Under e-Sakshya, all videography, photography and testimonies will be saved on e-evidence server, which will also be available in courts.
  2. Under e-Summon, it will be sent electronically from the court to the police station and also to the person to whom the summons is to be sent.
  3. Police, Medical, Forensic, Prosecution and Prisons are interlinked together on Nyaay Setu Dashboard.
  4. Through Nyaay Shruti, the court will be able to hear witnesses through video conferencing.
3. Inaugural virtual meetings held for Supply Chain Council (SCC), Crisis Response Network (CRN), and Labor Rights Advisory Board (LRAB), the 3 supply chain bodies establisbhed under Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience.
  1. During the meetings, each of 3 supply chain bodies elected a Chair and Vice Chair, who will serve for a term of 2 years. The elected chairs and vice chairs are:
    1. Supply Chain Council - USA (Chair) and India (Vice Chair)
    2. Crisis Response Network - South Korea (Chair) and Japan (Vice Chair)
    3. Labor Rights Advisory Board - USA (Chair) and Fiji (Vice Chair)
  2. About -
    1. IPEF was launched in May 2022 at Tokyo (Japan), comprising 14 countries – Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and USA.
    2. It seeks to strengthen economic engagement and cooperation among partner countries with goal of advancing growth, economic stability and prosperity in region.
    3. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to Trade (Pillar I), Supply Chain Resilience (Pillar II), Clean Economy (Pillar III) and Fair Economy (Pillar IV). India had joined Pillars II to IV of IPEF while it has maintained an observer status in Pillar-I.
Aug 03, 2024
1. Sanjay Shukla has been named new Managing Director (MD) of National Housing Bank (NHB).
2. Australian Author Alexis Wright won 2024 Miles Franklin literary award for her novel Praiseworthy.
  1. Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize in Australia, set up according to will of Miles Franklin. It carries monetary grant of A$60,000.
3. Goa govt launched Goem Vinamulya Vij Yevjan, to boost solar energy adoption in state.
  1. It has been launched in-line with Central govt's PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
  2. The scheme is designed to enhance solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households in Goa to generate their own electricity.
4. India's Ministry of Ayush and World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Donor Agreement at WHO Headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland).
  1. The agreement outlines financial terms for implementing the activities of WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar (Gujarat).
  2. Through this collaboration, India will donate US$ 85 million over 10 years (2022-2032), to support operations of WHO GTMC in Jamnagar, to be established as a key knowledge hub for evidence-based Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
5. Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) has been awarded Certificate of World Craft City by World Crafts Council International, becoming 4th Indian City to attain this recognition, after Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), and Mysore (Karnataka).
Aug 02, 2024
1. Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in biennial & multi-national exercise Pitch Black 2024, hosted by Australia (at Darwin), and participated by 20 countries.
2. 2024 WTA Poland Open Women's Tennis -
  1. Singles - Alycia Parks (USA)
  2. Doubles - Poland's Weronika Falkowska & Martyna Kubka
3. Book Call of the Gir, authored by Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani has been released.
4. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched Women Entrepreneurship Program, to empower approx 25 lakh women entrepreneurs by addresing challenges that women face when starting and growing their businesses.
  1. In partnership with Britannia Industries, the initiative will also offer financial grants and feature their products and services on Skill India Digital Hub.
5. Cabinet Approvals (Aug 02, 2024) -
  1. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Approvals -
    1. Approved development of 8 National High Speed Corridor projects across country, with Length of 936 km, at cost 50655 crores. Projects -
      1. Agra - Gwalior National High-Speed Corridor
      2. Kharagpur - Moregram National High-Speed Corridor
      3. Tharad - Deesa - Mehsana - Ahmedabad National High-Speed Corridor
      4. Ayodhya Ring Road
      5. 4-Lane Section between Pathalgaon and Gumla of Raipur-Ranchi National Highspeed Corridor
      6. Kanpur Ring Road
      7. Northern Guwahati Bypass and Widening/Improvement of Existing Guwahati Bypass
      8. Elevated Nashik Phata - Khed Corridor near Pune
Aug 01, 2024
1. Misc. Appointments (August 2024) -
  1. Govt named Preeti Sudan as Chairperson of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
  2. Sadhna Saxena Nair has been named new Director General of Medical Services of Indian Army, becoming 1st woman to hold the post.
  3. RBI approved re-appointments of Inderjit Camotra and Govind Singh as MD/CEO of Unity Small Finance Bank and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, respectively.
  4. Puneet Roy Kundal has been named new Indian Ambassador to Portugal.
  5. Singapore based DBS Bank named Tan Su Shan as its first Female CEO, to succeed Piyush Gupta (Indian origin).
  6. Praveena Rai has been named MD & CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).
  7. Raj Kumar Chaudhary has been named CMD of PSU NHPC Limited.
  8. Harish Dudani has been named as Member in Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
    1. CERC consists of 2 Members and 1 Chairperson. Other member is Ramesh Babu Veeravalli and current chairperson is Jishnu Barua.
  9. Ashok Kumar Singh has been appointed as Director General of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) .
  10. RBI approved appointment of Salee Sukumaran Nair as MD & CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB).
  11. Notable Secretary Level Appointments -
    1. Deepti Gaur Mukherjee - Secretary in Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
    2. Sandeep Poundrik - Secretary in Ministry of Steel.
  12. Central Govt nominated Nagaraju Maddirala (Secretary, Department of Financial Services) as a Director on Central Board of RBI.
    1. RBI Central Board has -
      1. 1 Governor and upto 4 Deputy Governors (to be appointed by Central Govt).
      2. Upto 4 Directors to be nominated by Central Govt, one from each of four Local Boards.
      3. Upto 10 Directors to be nominated by Central Govt.
      4. 1 Government official to be nominated by Central Govt.
        
        Concerned appointment of Mr Nagaraju Maddirala has been done under this category.
2. Obituaries (August 2024) -
  1. Yamini Krishnamurthy - Noted Indian classical dancer recognized for her contributions to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She was a recipient of all three Padma Awards - Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan & Padma Vibhushan.
  2. Graham Thorpe - Former England Cricketer.
  3. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee - Former chief Minister of West Bengal.
  4. Shobhana Ranade - Noted Padma Bhushan awardee Gandhian social worker, known for her services towards destitute women and children.
  5. Tsung-Dao Lee - Noted Chinese-American physicist, known for his work on parity violation. He was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics, in 1957.
  6. Natwar Singh - Former Minister of External Affairs.
  7. Sundararajan Padmanabhan - Former Chief of Indian Army.
  8. Rakesh Pal - Serving Director General of Indian Coast Guard.
  9. Ram Narain Agarwal - Noted Defence Scientist, best known for his contribution to Agni Missiles program.
3. Aug 01 is observed as Muslim Women’s Rights Day in India, to mark enactment of law that made Triple Talaq a criminal offence. Triple Talaq Bill was passed by Both houses in July 2019. The day is observed since 2020.
4. Aug 01 is observed annually as World Wide Web Day, to mark ability of people to browse information freely using the Web.
  1. WWW was created by English computer scientist Tim Berners Lee in 1989, while he was working for European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). He developed essentials of the web - HTTP, HTML, the WorldWideWeb browser, a server, and first website.
5. GST revenue collected in July 2024 stood at Rs 182075 crores (CGST 32386 crore, SGST 40289 crore, IGST 96447 crore & cess 12953 crore).
6. Misc. / Industrial Awards (Aug 2024) -
  1. Google's Indian-Origin CEO Sundar Pichai has been honoured by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur with an Honorary Doctorate Degree.
  2. Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan received a career achievement award during Locarno Film Festival 2024 (Switzerland).
  3. President Droupadi Murmu conferred National Geoscience Awards 2023, including 12 awards to 21 Geoscientists (1 Award for Lifetime Achievement, 10 National Geoscience Awards & 1 National Young Geoscientist Award).
    1. Lifetime Achievement Awardee - Dhiraj Mohan Banerjee (INSA).
  4. Indian team won 3 Gold, 1 Bronze & 2 Silver medals at 17th International Earth Sciences Olympiad (IESO) in Beijing (China).
7. Misc. Economy / Financial News (Aug 2024) -
  1. RBL Bank launched integrated Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on its RuPay Credit Cards.
  2. IRDAI fined HDFC Life Insurance with 2 crores, for breaching several regulatory norms.
  3. As per Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2024 -
    1. Microsoft, followed by TCS & Amazon are India’s top 3 most attractive employer brands.
  4. RBI increased upper limit for tax payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to Rs 5 lakh per transaction, from current 1 lakh limit.
    1. The enhanced limit is expected to provide convenience to taxpayers, especially for high-value transactions.
  5. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Aug 2024) -
    1. India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) - 7.5% for FY25 (2024-25).
    2. As per RBI Monetary Policy Statement August 2024 -
      1. Policy rates have been kept unchanged at -
        
        Repo Rate - 6.50 %
        
        Reverse Repo - 3.35 %
        
        Bank Rate - 6.75 %
        
        CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 4.5 %
        
        SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 18.00 %
        
        Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 6.75 %]
      2. Notably -
        
        Real GDP growth for FY25 (2024-25) is projected at 7.2 %, with -
        
        Q1 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.1 %
        
        Q2 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.2 %
        
        Q3 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.3 %;
        
        Q4 FY25 (2024-25) - 7.2 %
        
        Q1 FY26 (2025-26) is projected at 7.2 %.
  6. Pine Labs subsidiary Setu launched UPISetu (in partnership with Axis Bank), with focus on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) solutions catering to businesses and developers.
  7. RBI reduced reporting frequency for credit information from monthly to every 15 days, to enhance accuracy and timeliness of credit data of borrowers.
  8. RBI announced measures on Continuous Clearing of Cheques under Cheque Truncation System (CTS), to enable quick and same day clearance of cheques, instead of two days taken currently.
    1. New system proposes to transition CTS from current approach of batch processing to continuous clearing, with on-realisation-settlement.
  9. Notable Penalties imposed by RBI -
    1. Union Bank of India - 1.06 Crores
    2. CSB Bank - 1.87 Crores.
    3. Bank of Maharashtra - 1.27 Crores.
    4. UCO Bank - 2.68 Crores.
    5. Innofin Solutions Private Limited (also referred to as LenDen Club) - 1.99 Crores.
    6. NDX P2P Private Limited (also referred to as LiquiLoans) - 1.92 Crores.
  10. RBI launched RBI90Quiz for undergraduate college students nationwide, as part of events to commemorate 90 years of RBI’s functioning. It includes prizes between 1-10 lakh, for students winning at State/Zonal/National Levels.
  11. Bharti Global (International investment arm of Bharti Enterprises) completed acquisition of 24.5% stake in UK’s BT Group plc (formerly British Telecom), for approx $4 Billion.
  12. RBI approved transition of L&T Finance Ltd. from an NBFC-Core Investment Company (NBFC-CIC) to a Non-Banking Financial Company (Investment and Credit Company) (NBFC-ICC), following merger of its subsidiaries including L&T Finance, L&T Infra Credit Ltd, and L&T Mutual Fund Trustee Ltd.
  13. Axis Bank launched Primus credit card, an ultra-premium offering tailored exclusively for India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs).
    1. Launched in partnership with Visa, This invite-only card carries joining fee of 5 lakh and annual fee of 3 lakh.
  14. RBI canceled Certificate of Registration of NBFC Margdarshak Financial Services Limited.
  15. Foodtech Firm Zomato acquired Paytm’s entertainment and ticketing business for ₹2048 crores.
  16. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) introduced new feature called UPI Circle on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform, which will allow primary users to delegate payment responsibilities to secondary users (upto 5), making digital payments more convenient and accessible.
  17. Bandhan Bank introduced Avni savings account, tailored specifically for female customers.
  18. Tata AIA Life Insurance launched term insurance product Sampoorna Raksha Promise, designed to provide enhanced financial security to policyholders and their families.
  19. ESAF Small Finance Bank launched Inori RuPay Platinum Credit Card, with premium financial offerings.
  20. International Credit Rating Agency S&P Global Ratings Limited assigned BBB- long-term and A-3 short-term issuer credit ratings to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA), with Outlook Stable.
8. Misc. Science News (Aug 2024) -
  1. 2 indigenous healthcare technologies developed under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)-funded project Nanoelectronics Network for Research and Applications (NNetRA) have been transferred to Industry by IIT Delhi.
  2. ISRO Shortlisted two astronaut-designates named Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, to train for Upcoming Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station (ISS).
    1. Axiom Mission 4 will be launched from Kennedy Space Center (Florida, USA) in early 2025, and will last for 14 days.
    2. It will be operated by Axiom Space and will use a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
  3. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) confirmed presence of Lithium resources in Mandya and Yadgiri districts (Karnataka). Approx 1600 tonnes (G3 stage) Lithium resources have been reported in Marlagalla area (Mandya district).
  4. Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), a purplish flowering shrub known for its rare blooming cycle every 12 years, has been added to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species.
    1. Strobilanthes kunthiana is a shrub of bear's breeches family (Acanthaceae), found in shola forests of Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
  5. Archaeologists discovered site housing world’s oldest calendar (13000 years old), at Göbekli Tepe (Turkey).
  6. Gopichand Thotakura became India’s first civilian space tourist, as part of New Shephard-25 (NS-25) mission of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin.
    1. He is 2nd Indian citizen to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma, who travelled to space in 1984 as part of a Soviet space program.
9. Notable MOUs (Aug 2024) -
  1. Between Ministry of External Affairs and ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), to grant assistance for launching Nepal-built Munal satellite.
    1. Munal Satellite has been developed under aegis of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), aiming to build a vegetation density database of Earth’s surface.
  2. Between Maharatna CPSEs Coal India Limited and GAIL (India) Limited, for setting of a Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) plant using surface coal gasification (SCG) technology, in Raniganj area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (West Bengal). The plant is expected to produce 80000 Nm3 per hour of Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG).
    1. Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) is a fuel gas predominantly consisting of methane (CH4), which is a feedstock for production of various chemicals and fertlizers.
  3. Between Nagaland Govt & SBI General Insurance, for Disaster Risk Transfer Parametric Insurance Solution (DRTPS), making Nagaland the first state in country to implement a disaster risk management insurance solution.
    1. DRTPS will aid in protecting state’s critical infrastructure and reduce economic losses due to a disaster.
  4. Bancassurance tie-up between Capital Small Finance Bank and Edelweiss Life Insurance, under which the bank will promote the Insurer's products to its customers.
  5. Between Ministry of MSME and USA's Small Business Administration (SBA), to provide a framework to discuss issues concerning MSMEs and explore possibilities of cooperation. It will also enable joint conduct of programmes for women entrepreneurs, and facilitate trade partnership between women-owned small businesses.
  6. Between GAIL & US-based Petron Scientech, to explore a joint venture for setting up a 500 Kilo Tonne per Annum (KTA) bio-ethylene plant in India.
  7. Between Piramal Finance & Central Bank of India, to expand co-lending operations aimed at supporting underserved markets.
  8. Between Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) & Payments Firm Visa, to enable a 3 year partnership, which is designed to up-skill at least 20000 Indian youth in tourism-relevant skills.
10. Misc. Infra Projects (Aug 2024) -
  1. PSU SJVN Limited commissioned 90 MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project, in Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park located in District Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh).
    1. Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park is largest floating solar park in India.
    2. The project will reduce 2.3 lakh tons of annual CO2 emissions.
  2. Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) has been set up in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), under Green Strategic Partnership between Government of India (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), IIT Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) and Government of Denmark, to bring excellence in small river rejuvenation and management.
    1. SLCR will receive initial funding of 16.80 crore from Jal Shakti Ministry and additional 5 crore grant from Denmark.
11. Misc. Sports News / Events (Aug 2024) -
  1. Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has been named brand ambassador for SA20 League, South Africa's domestic Cricket league.
  2. Indian women’s volleyball team won gold medal at 4th CAVA (Central Asian Volleyball Association) Women’s Volleyball Nations League In Nepal, defeating Nepal in final.
  3. German Footballer Ilkay Gundogan announced his retirement from international football.
  4. Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international cricket.
  5. England Cricketer Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket.
  6. Rohit Sharma has been named Men's International Cricketer of the Year in 2023-24 CEAT Cricket Rating Awards. Also, Rahul Dravid was named winner of Lifetime Achievement Award.
  7. India's Tanvi Patri won Asian U-15 Badminton title at Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Championships 2024 in Chengdu (China).
  8. India won silver medal at Maruhaba Cup, a team event in Asian Surfing Championships 2024 in Maldives. Gold was won by Japan.
    1. Notablty, India also recently secured its first-ever Asian Games quotas in surfing. Both the Indian men’s and women’s surfing teams will now compete in Asian Games 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya, Japan).
  9. Karthik Venkataraman won 61st National Chess Championship Title 2024, as his 2nd national title.
12. Misc. Defence News (Aug 2024) -
  1. DRDO carried out successful maiden flight test of Long Range Glide Bomb GAURAV, from Su-30 MK-I platform, off the coast of Odisha.
  2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated newly-constructed Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), along with Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre at Chennai Port and Coast Guard Air Enclave in Puducherry.
  3. Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar has been named Director General of Project Seabird.
    1. INS Kadamba (Also called Naval Base Karwar / Project Seabird) is an Indian Navy base located near Karwar in Karnataka.
    2. Its first phase was completed in 2005, while 2nd phase work is on since 2011. INS Kadamba will become largest naval base in eastern hemisphere after completion of Phase II.

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