Latest Current Affairs For August, 2022

Indian city, Bengaluru ranked second in Asia-Pacific in Tech Hubs

According to a report by Cushman and Wakefield, China’s Beijing has been topped tech hubs list, followed by Bengaluru.

Report title: ‘Tech Cities: The Global Intersection of Talent and Real Estate’. 

The list followed by Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Mumbai and Pune also made it to the top-10 list with eighth and ninth position in a list.

Bengaluru leads India with 2,30,813 tech job creation, followed by Chennai with 1,12,781, Hyderabad (1,03,032) and Delhi (89,996 jobs). 

Tata Steel, Punjab Govt ink pact to set up steel plant in Ludhiana

Tata Steel has signed an MoU with Punjab government for setting up a 0.75 MnTPA long products steel plant with a scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF).

This initiative will help to set up the greenfield facility at Kadiana Khurd, Hitech Valley, Ludhiana in Punjab.

This step is aligned to the company’s goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emission by 2045.

This steel plant would produce construction grade steel rebar under the Company’s flagship retail brand ‘Tata Tiscon’.

ICICI Bank partners NPCI to launch RuPay credit cards

ICICI Bank has announced its partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a range of credit cards on payments network RuPay.

The ICICI Bank RuPay Credit Card is presently available in the Coral variant of the Bank’s Gemstone series.

This will be soon followed by Rubyx and Sapphiro variants.

It is a contactless card that comes with a slew of perks and benefits.

NPCI was established in 2008 for operating retail payments and settlement systems.

PGIM India Mutual Fund launches Money And Me website

PGIM India Mutual Fund has launched a new investor education and awareness website: MoneyAndMe (https://moneyandme.pgimindiamf.com/).

This website contains exhaustive content on various aspects of personal finance including household budgeting, protection, savings and investing.

The company also launched of a consumer awareness campaign – 'Aapka HappinessPlanned' to promote the MoneyAndMe Initiative. 

Aim: To help investors dealing with various financial challenges. 

Irdai eases firm registration process from 8 to 2 months

IRDAI Chairman, Debasish Panda has announced that IRDAI has been eased the registration process of new companies by reducing the time taken to process new applications from 8 to 2 months.

The regulator has created a facilitation cell consisting of two officers for handholding the applicants so that the entity gets its approval to start its operations.

According to Irdai data, the insurance penetration in the country is at 4.2% as of 2021, which is higher than China.

J&K LG, Manoj Sinha inaugurates 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha has inaugurated the 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo & Summit at New Delhi.

This Expo provides a platform to SMEs, startups, trade, industry, service providers to explore new opportunities for buyers and sellers, and exchange information about federal, state, and local programmes.

J&K has one of the fastest growing horticulture markets in the country.

MSME Minister: Narayan Rane

Eminent economist, Abhijit Sen passes away

Renowned economist and former Planning Commission member, Abhijit Sen has been passed away at 72 due to heart attack.

In his career, he taught economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and hold several important government positions including the chair of the Commission of Agricultural Cost and Prices.

He was a member of Planning Commission from 2004 to 2014,  during the tenure of PM Manmohan Singh.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for public service in 2010.

Reliance Industries to infuse ₹2 lakh cr in Jio 5G

Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman, Mukesh Ambani has announced to invest a whopping ₹2 lakh crore to build its Pan-India true 5G network.

The Reliance Jio Infocomm has prepared an ambitious and fastest ever 5G rollout plan for the country.

Jio plans to roll out Jio 5G by this Diwali 2022 in metropolises of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

He also announced that Reliance will launch the Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School.

Jio Chairman: Akash Ambani; 

MD: Sandip Das

IIT Madras, IIS- Karnataka partner to develop boxing analytics software

IIT Madras researchers have joined hands with Inspire Institute of Sports, Karnataka to develop an advanced boxing analytics platform named Smartboxer.

Aim: To increase India’s boxing medal tally at the 2024 Olympics.

This multi version software is being developed by the Center of Excellence for Sports Science and Analytics at IIT Madras.

Feature: Provide feedback and performance assessments using Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled wearable sensors and video cameras.

Gautam Adani becomes third richest person in the world

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Chairman of Adani Group, Gautam Adani has now become the world’s third-richest person with a total net worth of USD 137.4 billion.

He has overtaken Louis Vuitton chairman, Bernard Arnault (France).

Reliance chief, Mukesh Ambani is now at 11 with a total USD 91.9 billion worth.

This is the first time, an Asian person has been listed in the top three of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Top 2: (1) Elon Musk (2) Jeff Bezos

50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 started in Imphal

The 50th edition of All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 has been started at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal, Manipur.

The inaugural function was attended by Manipur Governor, La Ganesan and CM N. Biren Singh.

Shumang Leela:

It is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur.

The roles of female artists are all played by male actors and male characters are played by female artists in case of female theatre groups.

President Droupadi Murmu meets with Queen Máxima of Netherlands

President of India, Droupadi Murmu has met with the Queen Máxima of the Netherlands at Rashtrapati Bhavan to discuss the various aspects to strengthen the bilateral relation between India and the Netherlands.

Queen Máxima of Netherland is on a three day visit to India (29-31 August 2022).

During their discussion, both leaders discussed the universal financial inclusion initiatives.

Netherland's Capital: Amsterdam;

Currency: Euro

Max Verstappen wins Belgian F1 Grand Prix 2022

Red Bull racing driver, Max Verstappen has clinched the F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2022.

Sergio Perez (Red Bull's driver) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari's driver) have finished at second and third positions respectively.

Max Verstappen has won 9 races out of 14 races of this season.

George Russell (Mercedes driver) has finished at fourth in the  F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2022.

Previous winners:

Canadian GP'22; Azerbaijan GP'22;  

Miami GP'22: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)

IOC to spend Rs 2 lakh crore for net-zero target by 2046

India's top oil refiner, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has planned to invest more than Rs 2 lakh crore (or $25 billion) to achieve net-zero emissions from its operations by 2046.

The target set is in line with India's aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2070.

IOC oil refining and petrochemicals business has a total emission of 21.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). 

IOC has already prepared a road map to achieve its net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions. 

IOC chairman: S.M. Vaidya

India, Tanzania decide to set up task force for defence cooperation

India and Tanzania has decided to set up a task force to prepare a five-year roadmap to boost bilateral defence cooperation.

This decision was taken during wide-ranging talks between Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and his visiting Tanzanian counterpart, Stergomena Lawrence Tax.

Aim: To boost the bilateral defence ties as well as military-to-military cooperation.

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has also invited Tax to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and the DefExpo.

UP government launched new Parivar Kalyan Card

The central government has given its nod to the UP government Family ID plan named the Parivar Kalyan Card.

Aim: To establish a comprehensive database of the family units for its various schemes.

It will provide a unique 12-digit ID number for each family.

The initial collection of data for families will be conducted through ration cards.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has allowed the UP government to link Aadhaar data with the PKC.

PMJDY completes eight years of successful implementation

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the National Mission for Financial Inclusion has completed eight years of successful implementation on August 28.

Data under PMJDY:

Beneficiaries: More than 46.25 crore has banked under PMJDY since inception.

Amount: Over 1,73,0000 crore rupees. 

Women: 56% are Jan-Dhan account holders. 

67% of Jan Dhan accounts are in Rural and semi-urban areas.

31.94 crore RuPay cards have been issued.

The PMJDY was announced by PM Modi in 2014. 

NITI Aayog declared Haridwar as the best aspirational district

The NITI Aayog has declared Haridwar in Uttarakhand as the best aspirational district on five parameters and has become entitled to receive additional allocation of ₹3 crore. 

The Haridwar district has been allocated to union commerce and industries minister Piyush Goyal. 

The allocated money will be used to improve the health sector including the hospitals in Roorkee and district hospital Haridwar.

NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson: Suman Bery; 

CEO: Parameswaran Iyer

FIFA lifts ban on All India Football Federation

World football Federation, FIFA has lifted the ban imposed on the  All India Football Federation (AIFF) after the Supreme Court terminated the mandate of the Committee of Administrators (CoA).

FIFA has also cleared the decks for India to host the Women's U-17 World Cup in October 2022.

Background:

FIFA had suspended AIFF on August 15 for "undue influence from third parties" and the revocation came 11 days after that.

PM Modi inaugurates ‘Smriti Van’ Earthquake Memorial in Kutch, Gujarat

PM Modi has inaugurated the Smriti Van memorial to celebrate the courage shown by people during the devastating 2001 earthquake in the Kutch region of Gujarat (Epicentre: Bhuj).

The grand structure is spread over 470 acres on Bhujiyo Hill near Bhuj town.

It celebrates the strength and resistance of people of Kutch.

It also has a state-of-the-art Smriti Van Earthquake Museum.

He also inaugurated the 300m long ‘Atal Bridge’ for pedestrians across the Sabarmati River.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority celebrates Silver Jubilee

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has observed its Silver Jubilee in New Delhi on August 29.

On the occasion, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has also launched an Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System 2.0.

It is an integrated responsive cloud-based application.

It will provide a single window for submissions of various forms as mandated under Drug Price Control Order, 2013.

Viktor Axelsen clinches 2022 BWF World Championships singles title

Viktor Axelsen from Denmark has clinched his second BWF World Championships men's singles title after beating Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand in Tokyo.

The women's singles title has been retained by Akane Yamaguchi from Japan.

She has defeated China's Olympic champion, Chen Yufei in the final.

Men's Double: Malaysia Aaron Chia; Malaysia Soh Wooi Yik

Women's Double: China Chen Qingchen; China Jia Yifan

Mixed Double: China Zheng Siwei; China Huang Yaqiong

Virat Kohli becomes first Indian to play 100 matches in each format

Virat Kohli has become the first Indian and the second player overall in international cricket history to have played 100 matches each in all three formats of the game.

Kohli has now 100 T20Is to his name in addition to 102 Tests and 262 ODIs since his international debut in August 2008.

New Zealand batter, Ross Taylor is the first player, who played 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is between 2006 and 2022.

Rohit has already played 132 matches in the shorter format.

AAI signs MoU with Sweden to facilitate smart aviation technology

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed MoU with LFV Air Navigation Services of Sweden at Headquarters of AAI in New Delhi. 

It will bring together two air navigation service providers, India and Sweden, with demonstrated capabilities in building and operationalizing the next generation of sustainable aviation technology, to explore smart aviation solutions.

It will pave the way for bi-lateral exchange of aviation expertise and technology between the two countries.

Ananth Narayan Gopalkrishnan appointed as whole-time member of SEBI

Associate Professor of SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Ananth Narayan Gopalkrishnan has been appointed as the fourth whole-time member (WTM) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). 

He has been appointed for an initial period of 3 years.

Other WTMs: SK Mohanty, Ashwani Bhatia, Ananta Barua

Prior to SP Jain, Narayan was the Regional Head of Financial Markets for ASEAN and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank. 

SEBI’s chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch

Maharashtra to get its first “Divyang Park’’ in Nagpur

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has announced to establish and provide all possible support to the first ‘Divyang Park’ of Maharashtra in Nagpur.

It will have different kind of facilities for Divyangjans like sensory garden, textile Pathway touch, smell garden, skill training facility, rehabilitation facility, Sports-infotainment etc. 

During the occasion, ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for distribution of aids and assistive devices to Senior citizens was also held.

8th International Film Festival of Shimla begins at Gaiety Theater

Three-day 8th edition of the International Film Festival of Shimla has begun at Gaiety Theater, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

The festival will screen around 86 films and will be participated by 50 directors from India and abroad.

There are 27 films in the international category, 34 Indian films, 4 Himachali films, and 15 National Award-winning films will be screened.

Film exhibition organized by the National Film Archives of India, Pune will be displayed at the venue.

Awadh Bihari Chaudhary unanimously elected as Speaker of Bihar Assembly

Senior RJD MLA Awadh Bihari Chaudhary unanimously has been elected as the Speaker of Bihar Assembly under Nitish kumar-RJD led Mahagathbandhan.

Election for the post of Speaker was necessitated following the resignation of Vijay Kumar Sinha from the post in the changed political scenario in Bihar.

Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar

Deputy CM of Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav

NITI Aayog to establish 500 Atal Tinkering Labs in Jammu and Kashmir

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and NITI Aayog will establish more than 500 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in Jammu and Kashmir to nurture an innovative mind-set among high school students.

It will encourage young minds in the field, and challenge students to become producers of products themselves instead of consumer. 

AIM was launched to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country via school, University, research, MSME, etc.

Germany inaugurates world's first hydrogen-powered train fleet

Germany has launched world's first fleet of 14 hydrogen-powered passenger trains, replacing 15 diesel trains that previously operated on nonelectrified tracks in the state of Lower Saxony.

These 14 trains use hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity that powers the engines.

They have a range of up to 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) and a maximum speed of 140 kmph (87 mph).

It is manufactured by French company Alstom and are operated by regional rail company LNVG.

Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League Meet title in Javelin throw

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has won the Javelin Throw competition at the Lausanne Diamond League with a best throw of 89.08 metre.

He became the first Indian to clinch the prestigious Diamond League Meet title.

He has thus qualified for the Diamond League Finals, which will take place in Zurich, Switzerland on 7th and 8th September.

He is also now qualified for the 2023 World Championships, which is to be held in in Budapest, Hungary.

Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi won 28th Abu Dhabi Masters Chess Title

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has defeated Spain's David Anton Guijarro in the ninth and final round with 7.5 points and a performance rating of 2893 to win the 28th Abu Dhabi Masters chess tournament.

He has gained 35 Elo rating points after the recently concluded Chess Olympiad in India.

The second spot in the Abu Dhabi Masters was claimed by Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov after defeating Iran's M Amin Tabatabaei.

Justice U U Lalit sworn-in as 49th Chief Justice of India

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit (64 years) has been sworn-in as the 49th Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding 

Justice NV Ramana. 

President Draupadi Murmu administered him oath at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

He will have a short tenure of 74 days and will hold office till Nov 8, 2022. 

He was involved in some landmark judgements like that of Triple Talaq case. 

Constitution grants power to the President of India to appoint CJI, in consultation with outgoing chief justice.

World Water Week 2022: 23 August to 1 September

The World Water Week 2022 is being organised from 23 August to 1 September.

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has organized World Water Week to transform the global water challenges.

Theme of World Water Week Conference 2022: Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water. 

There will be six main sessions held from August 23 to September 1.

World Water Week conference has been held every year since 1991.

World Water Day 2022: 22 March

BOB financial launched contactless credit card with Indian Army

Indian Army has introduced a Yoddha co-branded credit card in association with BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

This co-branded credit card will be available on the RuPay platform and have contactless features.

All members of the Indian Army will be eligible for the co-branded credit card’s Life Time Free (LTF) offer.

The Yoddha credit card will offer features like Personal Accident Insurance and many more.

SBI topped the debit card market and HDFC leads credit card

As per the latest data collated by PGA Labs shows that, the State Bank Of India has topped debit cards market with a 30% market share, as of June 2022.

Followed by Bank of Baroda (8% market share), Bank of India, Canara Bank Union Bank, and Punjab National Bank with 5% each.

HDFC Bank also topped the charts in the credit cards segment with a market share of 22%, followed by SBI (18%), ICICI Bank (17%), Axis Bank (12%), RBL Bank (5%), and Kotak Mahindra Bank (5%).

Anurag Thakur launched 'Azadi Quest' online educational games

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur has launched 'Azadi Quest, a series of online educational mobile games.

This game has been developed by Zynga India in collaboration with the Publications Division and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

The Azadi Quest games are available for android and iOS devices in English and Hindi from September 2022.

Zynga India was established in 2010 in Bengaluru.

Tata Neu partners with HDFC Bank to launch co-branded credit card variants

Tata Neu and HDFC Bank have partnered to launch two co-branded credit cards variants-

(1) Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card.

(2) Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card.

Customers will earn 2% NeuCoins with Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card on all purchases on partner Tata brands.

And, customer will earn 5% NeuCoins with Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card.

Tata Neu customers can apply for the credit card on the Tata Neu app and access its key details.

HDFC Bank to acquire 9.94% stake in Go Digit Life Insurance

HDFC Bank would invest in Go Digit Life Insurance Ltd, the general insurer backed by Canada-based Fairfax Group.

HDFC Bank has proposed an investment of between Rs 49.9-69.9 crore (two tranches) by subscribing to equity shares of the company for an equity stake of up to 9.944% of the paid-up equity share capital of the company.

Recently, Go Digit General Insurance filed draft papers with SEBI to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO).

Irdai eases limits for insurance commissions

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has given insurers more flexibility in paying commission by linking limits to the overall portfolio and company management expenses.

IRDAI has proposed to cap commissions paid by the health and general insurers at 20 per cent of gross written premium (GWP).

For life companies, IRDDAI has proposed to link commissions with expenses of management (EoM).

IRDAI Chairman: Debasish Panda. 

RBI imposes restrictions on Thodupuzha Urban Co-operative Bank

The RBI has imposed certain restrictions on Kerala-based, Thodupuzha Urban Co-operative Bank for a period of six months (August 23, 2022).

Reason: Due to its deteriorating financial condition. 

Impact:

Restriction on granting or renewing loans and advances and making any investments.

Suspended withdrawal in the bank's savings and current accounts for depositors.

The bank will continue its banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves.

Sourav Ganguly appointed as first brand ambassador of DreamSetGo

India’s first premium sports experiences and travel platform, DreamSetGo has appointed Sourav Ganguly as its first brand ambassador.

He will play a key role in promoting DSG’s curated experiences through its key partnerships with Manchester City, Chelsea FC, ICC Travel and more.

DreamSetGo became the ‘Official Travel Agent’ of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 and the ‘Official Tour Operator’ of the Australian Open 2023.

DreamSetGo was founded by Monish Shah in 2019.

SIDBI and TPRMG join hands to set up 1000 green energy enterprises

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has partnered with the TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd (TPRMG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power.

Aim: To set up 1,000 green energy enterprises throughout the country. 

As per the agreement, SIDBI will provide them a “Go REsponsive, ENterprise incentive (GREENi)”,after the entrepreneurs finish a capacity-building programme organised by TPRMG.

Tata Power CEO: Praveer Sinha

SIDBI CMD : Sivasubramanian Ramanan

Govt appoints former CEA, K Subramanian as Executive Director (India), IMF

Former Chief Economic Adviser, KV Subramanian has been appointed as the Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

His term will begin from November 2022 and will continue for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

He will replace the eminent economist, Surjit S Bhalla as ED (India), IMF whose tenure will end on 31 October, 2022.

Bhalla was appointed as the Executive Director (India), IMF in 2019.

Mack Rutherford becomes youngest pilot to fly solo around the world

Mack Rutherford (17), Belgian-British dual national has become the the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft.

He landed on an airstrip of Sofia (Capital of Bulgaria) to complete his task and claimed two Guinness World Records.

Rutherford is also the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane.

His solo trip flying around the world was sponsored by the web hosting company ICDSoft, is headquartered in Sofia.

Former German chancellor, Angela Merkel awarded 2022 Unesco Peace Prize

Former German chancellor, Angela Merkel has been awarded the 2022 Unesco Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees.

In 2015, Merkel has opened German borders for refugees (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea) who were streaming into Europe.

About Unesco Peace Prize:

This honour is officially known as Felix Houphouet-Boigny- Unesco Peace Prize.

It was named after the former president of Ivory Coast.

It has been awarded each year since 1989.

Prize: USD 150,000

Distinguished scientist, Samir V Kamat appointed as Chairman of DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has appointed distinguished scientist, Dr Samir V Kamat as chairman, from the data of his assumption of charge till 60 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

He will replace G Satheesh Reddy, who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh.

Presently, He is serving as the Director General, Naval Systems & Materials (NS&M).

DRDO HQ: New Delhi; 

Founded: 1958

Ukrainian President, Zelenskyy to be conferred with Liberty Medal

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be conferred with the 2022 Liberty Medal.

The National Constitution Center has announced that Zelenskyy will be honored in a ceremony in October 2022 for his heroic defense of liberty in the face of Russian tyranny.

The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to mark the U.S. Constitution’s bicentennial.

It is presented to individuals who strive to secure the blessings of liberty for people around the globe.

India's first observatory to monitor space activity in Uttarakhand

The first commercial space situational awareness observatory of India will be set up in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand by Digantara, a space sector start-up.

Aim: To track objects as small as 10 cm in size orbiting the earth.

The space situational awareness (SSA) observatory will help in tracking any activity in space.

This observatory will strengthen indigenous capabilities of India to monitor space activity over the subcontinent providing a strategic advantage.

Vikram Doraiswami appointed as High Commissioner of India to UK

Vikram Doraiswami, who is presently serving as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the UK.

He started his career as the journalist and joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1992.

He had also served as the Third Secretary in the Indian Embassy in Hong Kong in May 1994.

He has also served as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India.

He is fluent in Chinese, French and Korean.

Tamil Nadu govt launched footwear and leather policy

Tamil Nadu government has launched its Footwear & Leather Products Policy 2022 with a vision to transform the State into a favoured destination for footwear and leather products manufacture in Asia.

This policy will offer a special package for footwear and leather products (FLP) manufacture and incentives for FLP Design Studios.

The State government has also signed MoUs with five companies - KICL SEMS; Wagon International; KICL; Walkaroo and KICL (footwear cluster). 

PNB launches Pre-Qualified Credit Card facility

PNB has launched pre-qualified credit card which also including insurance coverage.

It has also introduced a facility of overdraft against fixed deposit on PNB One in a few clicks and a single OTP.

This card facility will be available for salary account customers and they will be able to apply through PNB One, or website.

There is a concession of 0.25% on the interest rate when applied through digital platforms like PNB One.

Payment gateways: RuPay and Visa. 

Universal Sompo partners with Repco Home Finance to insure loans

Non-life insurer, Universal Sompo General Insurance has partnered with Repco Home Finance (Chennai-based) for insuring home loans.

Aim: To provide security to home financier customers by insuring their home loans in the event of an unfortunate event during the repayment term of the loan.

This partnership will additionally disburse affordable insurance solutions like group credit protection and personal accident policies to customers of Repco.

KreditBee partners with Cashfree to offer EMI solutions

KreditBee has partnered with banking solutions company, Cashfree Payments to offer an option to convert online purchases into EMIs, at the time of checkout.

KreditBee has a large customer base which can avail the online checkout finance facility from merchant partners of Cashfree Payments.

The checkout finance loans range from ₹2,400 to ₹2 lakhs with a tenure of 3-18 months.

KreditBee is currently offering personal loans and a digital gold investment product.

BASIX, Mastercard partner to digitize the rural ecosystem in Maharashtra

BASIX Social Enterprise has launched BASIX Farmers’ Market (BFM) (AgriTech platform) in partnership with Mastercard.

Objective: To integrate farmers into the digital economy. 

BFM will leverage technology capabilities of Mastercard and deep industry expertise of BASIX in agriculture to improve the lives of small and marginal farmers.

This platform will digitizes data and workflows for FPOs with strong controls on data privacy and security. 

CEO BASIX: Sattaiah Deverakonda. 

Govt in consultation with RBI to amend overseas investment rules

The Centre has announced an amendment in the Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules, came into effect from 22nd August. 

Reason: Simplify the existing framework for overseas investment. 

Presently, the overseas investment by a person residing in India is governed by the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Any Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004 and Foreign Exchange Management (Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property Outside India) 2015. 

RBI becomes Net Seller in June 2022 by selling 3.719 billion USD

Reserve Bank of India has become the net seller of the US currency in June 2022 after selling USD 3.719 billion on a net basis.

The central bank has purchased USD 18.96 billion from the spot market and sold USD 22.679 billion.

In June 2021, RBI was net buyer of the greenback after it purchased USD 18.633 billion on a net basis from the spot market.

In May 2022, the RBI has net bought USD 2.001 billion (Purchased USD 10.143 billion and sold USD 8.142 billion).

RBI lifted restrictions on American Express Banking Corp

The Reserve Bank of India has lifted the business restrictions on American Express Banking Corp and allows to restart onboarding of new domestic customers on its card network.

Background:

RBI had put the curbs on American Express in May 2021.

Reason: For not complying with a circular issued on storage of payments data in 2018.

American Express is payment system operators authorised to operate card networks in India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. 

Former VP, M Venkaiah Naidu launches a book titled, 'New India'

Former Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu has released a book titled, 'New India - a compilation of selected articles 2014-19' of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley on his death anniversary (24 August) in New Delhi.

Arun Jaitley has served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Government of India from 2014 to 2019.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan (second highest civilian award of India), posthumously in 2020 in the field of Public Affairs.

Tripartite MoU signed for swift development of MMLP under Bharatmala

National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) has signed the tripartite agreement with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

Aim: To centralize freight consolidation and reduce logistics costs from 14 % to less than 10 % of GDP at par with International Standards.

Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLP) will ensure that cargo is swapped or shifted from and to Waterways, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and Road Transport.

VVS Laxman appointed as the interim head coach of India for Asia Cup 2022

The chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), VVS Laxman has been named interim head coach of Team India in Dubai for the 2022 Asia Cup.

This decision was confirmed by BCCI, as Rahul Dravid, India's head coach, did not travel with the team after testing positive for COVID-19.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will lead the team as captain and vice-captain respectively for the Asia Cup 2022.

Team India will play their first match of the tournament against Pakistan.

Credit Suisse appoints Dixit Joshi as new CFO

Credit Suisse has appointed Dixit Joshi as chief financial officer with effect from October 1, 2022 and Francesca McDonagh as group chief operating officer from September 19, 2022.

Prior to this, Dixit Joshi was group treasurer at Deutsche Bank and also worked at Credit Suisse from 1995 to 2003.

He replaced David Mathers, who stepped down from the post.

Credit Suisse CEO: Ulrich Körner; 

HQ: Zürich, Switzerland

IIT Guwahati developed new method to produce sugar substitute

IIT Guwahati researchers have developed a new method, ultrasound-assisted fermentation, to produce a safe sugar substitute called ‘Xylitol’ from sugarcane waste.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol derived from natural products.

It has potential antidiabetic and anti-obesogenic effects and is a mild prebiotic and protects teeth against caries.

The research team was led by Professor VS Moholkar.

Other team members: Dr. Belachew Zegale Tizazu and Dr. Kuldeep Roy.

Godrej Agrovet signs MoU with Assam, Manipur and Tripura for Oil palm

Godrej Agrovet has signed an MoU with Assam, Manipur and Tripura governments for the development and promotion of oil palm cultivation.

Godrej Agrovet would be allotted land across the three states for the promotion and development of sustainable palm oil plantations in the region under the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme.

Godrej Agrovet is a diversified food and agri conglomerate.

India is one of the world’s biggest importer of edible oils.

Govt amends rules for benefits to SC judges

The Centre govt has amended SC Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958 for providing additional post-retirement benefits to retired Chief Justices and SC judges.

Those judges, who retire from SC will be entitled to a rent free Type-VII accommodation at Delhi (other than the designated official residence) for a period of 6 months from the date of retirement.

The retired SC CJI and judges will get a chauffeur and secretarial assistant for 1 year.

Health ministry, Edelweiss General Insurance sign for digital health IDs

The health ministry has partnered with digital insurer, Edelweiss General Insurance to create digital health IDs under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Digital Health ID or ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number is a 14-digit number that helps users to access their health records digitally with registered healthcare providers.

The National Health Authority (NHA) is the nodal agency for implementing this program under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Adani Group acquires 29.18% in NDTV

AMG Media Networks Limited (AMNL), a subsidiary of Adani Group has indirectly acquired a 29.18% stake in media and news broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV).

AMG Media Networks (AMN) would acquire 29.18% of NDTV through an investor in the channel, Vishvapradhan Commercial (VCPL).

VCPL will have to make an open offer to acquire 26 % of NDTV from public shareholders at Rs 294 apiece, a total cost of around Rs 483 crore.

NDTV Founders: Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh to attend SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has attended the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting at Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

He also hold the bilateral meetings with his counterparts Lieutenant General, Bakhodir Kurbanov (Uzbekistan); Colonel, General Zhaksylykov Ruslan Zhakslykov (Kazakhstan) and Lieutenant General, Viktor Khrenin (Belarus). 

Aim: The entire spectrum of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed to expand mutually beneficial collaboration.

Ministry of Social Justice signs MoU with National Health Authority

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has signed an MoU with National Health Authority for providing an Comprehensive Medical Package to Transgender Persons.

Recently, the Ministry has launched SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme which includes several comprehensive measures for Transgender Community.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is a nodal Ministry for matters related to Transgender Persons.

Fahmida Azim wins 2022 Pulitzer prize in Illustrated Reporting category

Fahmida Azim (Bangladesh) has been selected for the 2022 Pulitzer prize under the category of Illustrated Reporting and Commentary.

Presently, she is working for the Insider online magazine of US.

She is among the four journalists including Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams and Walt Hickey of Insider, selected for their work on the Chinese oppression of the Uyghurs.

Fahmida Azim is an illustrator and story teller. Her work centers on themes of identity, culture and  autonomy

Debasisa Mohanty appointed as director of National Institute of Immunology

Senior scientist, Debasisa Mohanty has been appointed as the director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII).

He is currently working as the staff scientist with the institute.

In another order, Revenue Secretary, Tarun Bajaj has been given additional charge as Corporate Affairs Secretary.

Rajesh Verma, a 1987-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, was appointed as the Secretary to President, Droupadi Murmu.

HDFC ERGO launches portal for EV Users to locate charging stations

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has launched a portal named ‘All Things EV’ (www.allthingsev.io) for Electric Vehicles (EV).

This is the country’s first one-stop-solution portal that can be used by existing and potential EV users.

This portal provides information on nearby charging stations, locations of charging stations.

The platform serves to all Indians who have either purchased EVs or are planning to buy EV or to make an earning out of the booming EV space.

Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga appointed as the interim PM of Mali

The military of Mali has appointed Colonel, Abdoulaye Maiga as the interim Prime Minister of the country.

He replaced civilian Prime Minister of Mali, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, as he was admitted to hospital.

Prior to this, he was working as a government spokesman and Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation.

Mali is governed by a military that promised to organise democratic elections in 2024.

Mali Capital: Bamako;

Currency: West African CFA franc

RBL bank appoints Gopal Jain, Sivakumar Gopalan as non-executive directors

The RBL Bank has appointed Gopal Jain and Dr. Sivakumar Gopalan as the non-executive directors.

Gopal Jain: He cofounded Gaja Capital in 2004 and is a Managing Partner at firm.

He has also been a member of Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee of SEBI since 2018.

Dr. Sivakumar Gopalan: He has been a faculty of the Dept of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay, since 1991.

He has served as an Independent Director on the Board of Andhra Bank and NPCI.

DRDO, Indian Navy successfully test fire indigenous VL-SRSAM from Chandipur

India has successfully test-fired Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

The missile was tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy.

This missile is equipped with indigenous radio frequency (RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy.

The missile system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO. 

DRDO HQ: New Delhi

Veteran producer Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala passes away

Veteran filmmaker, Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala, fondly known as Gaffarbhai, has been passed away at the age of 91 due to cardiac arrest.

He was known for his films including Mahabharat (1965), Jhutha Sach (1984), Lahoo Ke Do Rang (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Welcome (2007) & More.

He had started his film production and media entertainment company in 1953.

His first film as a producer was the Dharmendra and Rekha-starrer family drama Jhutha Sach.

उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार भारत की पहली शिक्षा टाउनशिप बनाने की योजना बना रही है

The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to build an education township in the state, will be developed on the idea of 'Single Entry, Multiple Exit' (come like a blank paper and carry multiple skills).

Aim: To enhance quality education in the state. 

This will provide high-quality education to the youth and equip them with a variety of professional skills in a single place.

The similar education township concept has already exist in the city of Pittsburgh, USA.

Chandigarh Airport to be renamed as Shaheed Bhagat Singh

The Punjab and Haryana governments have been agreed to rename Chandigarh's international airport after the freedom struggle icon Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

The collective decision was taken by Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Deputy CM, Dushyant Chautala.

The terminal building of airport falls in Punjab's Mohali town.

This airport project is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the governments of Punjab and Haryana.

सीएम अशोक गहलोत ने राजीव गांधी सेंटर फॉर एडवांस्ड टेक्नोलॉजीज का उद्घाटन किया

Rajasthan's Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot has inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Advanced Technologies (R-CAT) in Jaipur and three incubation centres in Kota, Bikaner and Churu that will promote the start-up culture in the state.

The inauguration ceremony of RCAT was held on DigiFest 2022 at Birla Auditorium.

RCAT would provide an opportunity for the state's youth to learn advanced and emerging technologies in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing.

Sebi joins RBI account aggregator ecosystem

SEBI has joined the Account Aggregator framework of RBI, this will boost the regulated financial-data sharing system.

It will allow customers to share information about their mutual fund and stock holdings with financial service providers.

The account aggregator (AA) is a licensed by the RBI to enable the flow of data between Financial Information Providers (FIPs) and Financial Information Users (FIUs).

The user has to give consent while sharing data.

Indian men's volleyball team wins bronze in 14th Asian U-18 Championship

Indian men's volleyball team won bronze medal after defeating South Korea by 3-2 in the 14th Asian U-18 Championship in Tehran.

In the preliminary league round, India defeated Korea but lost to Iran in the semifinal.

The Indian U-18 team has been qualified along with Japan, Iran, and South Korea for the FIVB World U-19 Men’s Volleyball Championship.

Japan has secured the gold after beating Iran (Silver) in the final match.

India nominates GARBA to be inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list

India has nominated Garba to inscribe on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list for 2022.

Last year, Durga Puja was also listed on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage representative.

India was elected by UNESCO to serve on the distinguished Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in July. 

Kalbelia dance was listed in UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Muthoot Finance launches Milligram Gold Point programme for customers

Muthoot Finance has launched Milligram Reward Programme for its customers to strengthen its relationships with customers.

In this programme, transactions with the company will be rewarded with a certain amount of milligram reward points.

With this launch, the company has become the first gold loan NBFC to launch a new reward programme.

Two year long programme, every customer referral transaction with the company will yield 20 mg of gold.

Muthoot MD: George Alexander

Royal Enfield partners with UNESCO to promote cultural heritage of India

Royal Enfield and UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) have been partnered to promote and safeguard the 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' of India.

UNESCO has been running a movement to identify, document and preserve the Intangible Cultural Heritage of India.

India is one of the 178 countries, who had adopted the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, for decades.

HM Amit Shah chaired the 23rd meeting of Central Zonal Council in Bhopal

HM Amit Shah has chaired the 23rd edition of Central Zonal Council meeting in Bhopal.

Issues: connectivity, power, sharing of river water and other matters of common interests. 

The meeting was attended by CMs, ministers and senior officers of the member states.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Five zonal councils in the country were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

ADB to provide $96.3 million loan to Himachal Pradesh

India has signed USD 96.3 million (Rs 769 crore) loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for safe drinking water and improve water supply and sanitation services in Himachal Pradesh.

This agreement was signed between the multilateral lending agency and the central government.

The project will buildup the capacity of the Jal Shakti Vibhag of the Government of Himachal Pradesh and gram panchayat village water and sanitation committees.

ADB established: 1966

India's 1st IAC Vikrant to be commissioned on September 2

As per the official sources, PM Modi will commission the India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant on September 2, 2022.

The four trial phases of IAC Vikrant was completed on 10th  July 2022.

The IAC Vikrant was designed by Indian Navy's in-house Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited.

The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and has a height of 59 metres.

The construction of IAC Vikrant was began in 2009.

Indian Neurologist Dr Sundara Chary elected to global prestigious FAAN

Indian neurologist, Dr N V Sundara Chary has been elected as a Fellow of American Academy of Neurology (FAAN).

It is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious honour in the field of neurology and medicine.

This honour has been awarded by American Academy of Neurologists (AAN) to very few neurologists across the world for making valuable contributions in the field of neurology.

He is a professor and HOD of neurology in Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada.

India's first hydrogen fuel cell bus unveiled in Pune

The Union Minister of State, Jitendra Singh has unveiled country's first hydrogen fuel cell bus.

The eco-friendly bus has been built by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and KPIT Limited.

Hydrogen fuel cell: It works like conventional batteries of electric vehicles, but they don’t need to be recharged with electricity. 

It provides a better alternative to completely eliminate the on-road emissions.

UPI expands to UK, provides hassle-free digital transactions

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is ready to foray into the UK market starting with QR code-based transactions.

The NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) has partnered with payments solutions provider, PayXpert to internationalise the acceptance of its payment solutions in the UK.

UAE, Japan, the US, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal and France are already accepting UPI payment services.

NIPL is the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

South Korea, US ready begin joint military drills Ulchi Freedom Shield

South Korea and the United States have started began their largest joint military drills, 'Ulchi Freedom Shield', and scheduled to end on 1st of September.

South Korea has also launched the four-day Ulchi civil defence drills separately, that is designed to boost government readiness.

Aim: To normalise the combined exercises and boost deterrence against North Korea.

The exercise also aimed at improving the country's preparedness to match the changing patterns of war.

Maharashtra to take Rs 4000 cr loan from ADB to set up medical colleges

Maharashtra govt will take a loan of 4,000 crore rupees from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for setting up medical colleges in 12 districts of the state.

12 districts: Jalgaon, Satara, Alibaug, Sindhudurg, Usmanabad, Parbhani, Amravati, Ratnagiri, Gadhchiroli, Bhandara and Ambernath.

Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide 4,000 crore rupees for setting up medical colleges in these districts.

The target is to complete all of these projects within the 2 years.

Centre collaborate with Arunachal govt for district good governance portal

The Central government has planned to collaborate with the Arunachal Pradesh government to develop a “district good governance portal”.

Aim: To monitor the performance of each district of the state on a monthly basis and help in benchmarking performance.

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), under the Ministry of Personnel, in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh government will develop the portal.

10th National Conference of Women Police to begin in Shimla, HP

The 10th National Conference of Women Police has been started in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Home affairs Nityanand Rai.

The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) in collaboration with Himachal Police.

Objective: To enhance the leadership potential of women police officers and discuss their problems and challenges.

Union Govt awarded GI tag to Bihar's Mithila Makhana

Union government has awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Bihar's Mithila Makhana, this move will help farmers to get the maximum price for their premium produce.

It is a special variety of aquatic fox nut, that cultivated in Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal.

Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name.

This tag will be valid for a period of 10 years.

Greece exits 'enhanced surveillance' framework of EU

Greece Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced that it has exited the enhanced surveillance framework of European Union after 12 years.

Economic performance and policies of Greece have been monitored under the framework since 2018 to ensure it implemented reforms promised under three international bailouts.

Greece was badly hit with the pension cuts, spending constraint, tax increases and bank controls after it was forced to seek its first bailout in 2010. 

Paytm shareholders approve re-appointment of Vijay Shekhar Sharma as MD

Shareholders of One97 Communications have approved the re-appointment of Vijay Shekhar Sharma as managing director and chief executive officer of Paytm.

According to the scrutinizer report, 99.67% votes were in favour of Sharma's re-appointment while only 0.33% voted against the resolution.

Remuneration of Vijay Shekhar will be remain fixed for the next three years without any annual increment.

Paytm founded: August 2010, Noida

India, Australia conclude maritime exercise near Perth

The Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between the navies of India and Australia concluded. 

INS Sumedha participated with HMAS Anzac in the exercise reaffirming the strong navy-to-navy links and interoperability between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy.

The MPX included cross deck landing of helicopters, tactical manoeuvres and a farewell steam past.

Indian Navy's INS Sumedha was docked at Perth in Australia to celebrate India's 76th Independence Day.

India's star Olympic football captain Samar 'Badru' Banerjee' passes away

Former India football team captain Samar 'Badru' Banerjee, passed away.

He led the country to a historic 4-place finish in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Fondly known as ‘Badru Da’, he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, Azotemia and high-blood pressure-related ailments.

Besides guiding Mohun Bagan to several trophies including their 1st ever Durand Cup (1953), Rovers Cup (1955), Banerjee has also won the Santosh Trophy twice as a player (1953, 1955) and once as coach (1962).

Scotland museum signs deal to return 7 ancient artefacts to India

Seven artefacts, including a stone door jamb stolen from a Hindu temple in Uttar Pradesh, have been transferred back to India by Glasgow’s museums.

This is the part of Scotland’s “largest-ever” repatriation of objects from a single collection.

Glasgow Life, a charitable organization that runs the city’s museums, had confirmed the handover earlier this year and the arrangement was formalized.

The 7 antiquities include a ceremonial Indo-Persian talwar or sword. 

Odisha to prepare wildlife management plan in newly allotted coal blocks

The Odisha government has decided to prepare a comprehensive wildlife management plan through national-level institutes for newly allotted coal block areas.

The developments come keeping in view the safety of wild animals including elephants.

The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra to engage reputed organizations like the Wildlife Institute of India or the Indian Institute of Science.

Larsen & Toubro commissions new green hydrogen plant at Hazira in Gujarat

Larson & Toubro commissioned a new green hydrogen plant at Hazira in Gujarat.

The development comes 5 months after the company inked a joint venture with Indian Oil Corporation and ReNew Power for the production of green hydrogen. 

L&T and IOC had also inked a separate joint venture for the production of electrolysers.

The plant will produce 45 kg of green hydrogen daily, which will be used for captive consumption in the company’s Hazira manufacturing complex.

Flipkart signs pact with IIMR to groom FPOs, SHGs

Flipkart has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) to give Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) access to markets.

As part of the partnership, Flipkart aims to empower local farming communities and SHGs by providing a pan-India market access to more than 400 million customers.

ICAR-IIMR will extend support with infrastructure and necessary approvals to take the partnership forward.

RBI cancels licence of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank

The Reserve Bank of India has canceled the licence of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank, Karnataka the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.

As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 99 percent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

The cooperative bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on 18 Aug.

Manisha Kalyan becomes 1st Indian to play in UEFA Women's Champions League

Young striker Manisha Kalyan has become the 1st Indian footballer to play at the UEFA Women's Champions League.

She made her debut for Apollon Ladies FC in the European Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus.

She replaced Cyprus' Marilena Georgiou in the 60th minute at the Makareio Stadium. 

She was recently awarded the AIFF Women's Footballer of the Year for the 2021-22 season.

Kalyan is the 2nd player from Gokulam Kerala to sign for an overseas club. 

India’s First Indigenous Monkeypox Test Kit

The Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone recently launched the first indigenously manufactured RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox. With the help of this kit, infection can be detected quickly. This kit was developed by Transasia-Erba Biomedicals and was launched by Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser of the Center.

Infection will be easily detected. 

If we talk about the merits of this kit, then TransAsia-Erba Monkeypox RT-PCR Kit is highly sensitive. Its accuracy is very good, with the help of which people will be very comfortable in use with investigation.

First Case of Monkey Pox in India:

On July 14, the Kollam district of Kerala announced the country’s first case of monkeypox. According to the World Health Organization Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, or a virus that spreads from animals to humans. It has symptoms resembling those of smallpox but is clinically less serious. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person.

India so far has reported ten cases of monkeypox.

ICMR may do Sero Survey:

Recently the Indian Council of Medical Research had said that it can conduct a sero-survey to check antibodies among the contacts of patients with monkeypox. Apart from this, it will also be investigated how many of those patients were asymptomatic. Significantly, monkeypox usually manifests with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes. The disease is usually accompanied by symptoms lasting two to four weeks. The ‘Guidelines on the Management of Monkeypox Disease’ issued by the Center states that human-to-human transmission occurs through respiratory droplets.

Dahi-Handi’ – Maharashtra’s Official Sport

Like Kho-Kho and Kabaddi, Dahi Handi has now been given the status of a game in Maharashtra. It will be considered as a type of adventure sports.

Highlights:

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told in the Vidhan Sabha that Govindas who join Dahi Handi will be given benefits of government schemes, 5 percent reservation in government jobs.

Govindas will now also be given insurance protection. If there is an accident while playing Dahi Handi and any Govinda dies in such a situation, then an amount of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the family members of the concerned Govinda as help.

In case of serious injury like if any Govinda loses both eyes or both legs or both hands or any two important parts of the body, then an amount of 7 and a half lakh rupees will be given to him as help from the state government.

In such an accident, if any Govind loses an arm or a leg or any part of the body, then in such a situation, an amount of 5 lakh rupees will be given to him as help.

What is Dahi Handi?

Dahi Handi is celebrated on the occasion of Janmashtami, the birth of lord Krishna. The Dahi Handi (earthen pots filled with yogurt) is part of the Janmashtami festival where young participants called ‘Govindas’, dressed in colorful clothes, make a human pyramid to reach the pot hung mid-air, and break it.

The tradition of Dahi Handi, which started in Mumbai in 1907, is believed to have been going on for the last 104 years in Ghansoli village near Navi Mumbai. Dahi Handi was first started here in 1907 on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami.

Dahi Handi festival held every year in Mayanagari is celebrated all over the world. Not only the country but people from abroad also come here to see the Dahi Handi festival. Some circles also give a reward of crores for breaking the handi.

VINBAX 2022 -Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise

The third edition of Ex VINBAX 2022 was held between 1st August and 20th August, 2022 in Chandimandir. Over a period of three weeks, the soldiers of the two armies rubbed shoulders with each other learning from each other and sharing best practices.

Highlights of EX VINBAX 2022:

This exercise is a sequel to previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2019 and a major milestone in strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam.

Both the countries share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Defence cooperation is a significant pillar of this partnership.

Vietnam is also an important partner in Act East policy of India as well as Indo-Pacific vision.

Theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022:

Ex VINBAX 2022 will be held under the theme- “employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team under United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations”.

India has a rich heritage of locating troops in United Nations missions. It has best capabilities to impart United Nations peace operations training, including its best practices and hands to train prospective United Nations peacekeepers at operational, tactical, & strategic levels.

The Ex VINBAX – 2022 will help in strengthening mutual confidence and interoperability. It will also help in sharing best practices between Armies of both the countries, as a field training exercise with enhanced scope. Exercise will also provide an opportunity to the troops Indian and Vietnamese contingent to learn social and cultural heritage of both the countries. Indian Army will be represented by troops from 105 Engineer Regiment. Exercise will assess the standards achieved by contingents of both the countries. It will also execute technical military operations in UN missions as well.

World Humanitarian Day (WHD)

World Humanitarian Day was observed on August 19, 2021. Every year, WHD is celebrated under a specific theme. According to the United Nations, the theme for this year is ”to show the importance, effectiveness, and positive impact of humanitarian work”.

Key points:

This day focuses on boosting up the global action in order to combat climate change and stand in solidarity with the vulnerable populations.

On the occasion, the United Nations has urged the people, especially social media users, to mark the day by showing their solidarity for vulnerable populations.

UN urged social media user to run, ride, swim, walk and do any activity of their choice for 100 minutes in between August 16 to August 31.

UN further asked the users to tell the leaders across world that they expect developed countries to deliver on their pledge of $100 billion in order to do climate mitigation and adaptation across developing countries.

About World Humanitarian Day:

It is an international day which is observed to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who lost their lives while working for humanitarian causes. United Nations General Assembly designated this day as part of a Swedish-sponsored GA Resolution A/63/L.49 that seeks to Strengthen the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations. Every year, the day is observed on August 19. August 19 is the day on which Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello and his 21 colleagues were killed in a bombing event at UN Headquarters in Baghdad.

Significance of the day:

The day is observed to honour all those who chose a difficult life to serve, despite the odds and those who are trapped in challenging circumstances worldwide. It pays tribute to humanitarian workers who were killed and injured. On the day, all aid and health workers are honoured who continue to provide life-saving support and protection to needy people.

Jharkhand : Block chain-based Seed distribution

In a significant development to revolutionize agriculture in the country Jharkhand government and global blockchain technology company, SettleMint jointly announced the successful launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.

Highlights:

The move is aimed at reducing pilferage and getting rid of spurious seeds that the farmers receive under various government schemes including the seed exchange scheme.

At present, more than 3 lakh farmers are registered on the platform, and so far 30,000 quintals of seeds have been distributed. More than 300 seed varieties of over 30 crops have been distributed at subsidized rates during both Kharif and Rabi seasons.

In this type of system each farmer is registered on the blockchain-based platform along with their Aadhaar number and mobile number and information on seed distribution is updated on the system after the farmers enter the OTP they receive.

What is Block Chain System ?

Block chain system has been started by the Agriculture Department to give the benefits of the schemes to the farmers of the state in the right way.

In this technique middlemen can never come between the department and the farmer. In this system a chain has been made between the seed company and the farmers. In this, when the seed company sends seeds to the farmers of the state, then there is an online entry.

Along with this, when and in what way the seed released from the company has reached which farmer, its tracking is done. All the information remains online until the seed reaches the Lampus or Pax. Along with this, even when the seeds are distributed to the farmers, it is also tracked.

Advantage of Block Chain System:

Block chain system is better because through this, the complete information of the farmer who is taking benefit is with the department. Through this, the department can know that if the farmer has been given the benefit of the scheme, then which variety seeds have been given to him. Farmers have also got information in this regard that they will get the benefit of that scheme. Through this technology, monitoring of distribution of seeds has become easy.

Exercise Pitch Black 2022

Exercise Pitch Black is scheduled to be organised between 19 Aug 22 to 08 Sep 22. This is a biennial, multi-national exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Highlights:

Almost 2,500 personnel from over 17 countries and 100 aircraft will engage in both Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat drills.

Australia is the host, and others attending include India, Germany, France, UAE, Malaysia, the US, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, the Philippines, Thailand, Canada, and the Netherlands.

The last edition was conducted in 2018. The 2020 edition of the exercise was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s exercise will see the participation of over 100 aircraft and 2500 military personnel from various air forces.

Where is Pitch Black conducted?

It is conducted on Royal Australian Air Force’s Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air Weapons Range — one of the largest training airspaces in the world. Usually the drills are out of RAAF’s Base Darwin and Base Tindal, this year Base Amberley will also be used.

Exercise Pitch Black:

In the 1980s, this first started in Australia’s Northern Territories between different RAAF units. Australia has been inviting international partners since then to practice new doctrines, combat and most importantly interoperability.

India in the exercise:

In 2018, India participated in the exercise for the first time. Around 131 aircraft were involved and more than 4,000 personnel participated in the exercise. This also included Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Malaysia.

India’s first electric double-decker bus ‘Switch EiV 22’

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari recently launched India’s first AC double-decker electric bus named ‘Switch EiV 22’ developed by Ashok Leyland in Mumbai.

About the Bus:

The bus can gain a 100km of range with just a 45min charge, while a full charge takes 80 minutes and has a Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt (NMC) battery that comes with an 8-year warranty.

The ‘Switch EiV 22’ can ferry nearly twice the number of seated passengers as compared to a single-decker bus, with just 18% increase in kerb weight (without the passengers).

The electric bus has contemporary styling with feel-good interiors and exteriors. With wide front and rear doors, two staircases and an emergency door, the bus boats of the latest safety standards.

This electric double decker serves as an ideal solution for urban commuting, as they occupy less road, terminal and depot floor space per seated passenger.

Target:

Ashok Leyland plans to deliver 200 air-conditioned units to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), starting from December.

Way Forward:

In India, electric buses in future will have a big leap in mass public transport. It would support the government initiative of reducing fuel import bill. Besides, it will help to curb air pollution as these buses have zero tailpipe emissions and lower noise pollution.

35% of pollution in the country is due to diesel and petrol. So it is high time for India to start using alternative fuels like electricity, ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, bio-CNG, bio-LNG and green hydrogen for automobile sector”.

US Military package to Ukraine

The United States has announced a USD 775m military aid package in line with its promise to provide all possible help to Ukraine in the Ukraine-Russia war. This assistance will include “additional arms, munitions, and equipment”.

Highlights:

USD 775 million aid package will include 15 Scan Eagles, 40 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs with mine-clearing rollers, and 2,000 anti-armor rounds that can help Ukraine troops move forward in the south and east, where Russian forces have placed mines.

The aid package also includes 1,500 anti-tank missiles, 1,000 javelin missiles and an undisclosed number of high-speed, anti-radiation or HARM missiles that target radar systems.

Also US is sending 40 heavily armored MaxxPro mine-resistant vehicles, originally developed for U.S. forces in Iraq during the height of the fighting there when roadside bombs were taking a heavy toll on U.S. forces.

This latest aid comes as Russia’s war on Ukraine is about to reach the six-month mark. It brings the total US military aid to Ukraine to about $10.6 billion since the beginning of the Biden administration. It is the 19th time the Pentagon has provided equipment from Defense Department stocks to Ukraine since August 2021.

Government launched Aqua Bazaar feature of Matsya Setu App

To protect the interests of fish farmers and to benefit them from new technologies Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the Online Market Place feature “Aqua Bazar” in the “MatsyaSetu” mobile app.

Features of Aqua Bazar:

The app was developed by the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, with the funding support of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

This online marketplace will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seeds, feed, medicines, etc., and services required for fish culture as well as farmers can also list their table-size fish for sale.

It aims to connect all stakeholders in the aquaculture sector.

Through this platform, any registered vendor can list their input materials. Every listing will contain detailed information about the product, price, available quantity, supply area, etc. along with the seller’s contact details.

It also allows the fish farmers to list their grown table-size fish/fish seeds for sale with an option to indicate the date of availability along with the price offer. Interested fish buyers will contact the farmers and offer their prices.

About Matsya Setu App:

Matsya Setu app was developed by ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

Funding support was provided by National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad.

This app comprises of species-wise or subject-wise self-learning online course modules.

On the app, renowned aquaculture experts will explain basic concepts and practical demonstrations regarding breeding, seed production and grow-out culture of commercially important fishes such as carp, murrel, catfish, scampi, ornamental fish and pearl farming.

NASA’s Moon landing sites for Artemis III mission

NASA is in full preparation to send its astronauts to moon again. Ths US space agency is currently focusing on the launch of its Artemis I rocket which is scheduled to be launched on August 29, 2022. This rocket is moved to the launch pad for final preparation.

Highlights:

Amid all these happenings, NASA has now identified multiple potential landing sites for Artemis III, which will be the first mission to bring crew to the lunar surface, including the first woman to set foot on the Moon.

The agency has identified 13 candidate landing regions near the Lunar South Pole. All 13 regions contain sites that provide continuous access to sunlight throughout a 6.5-day period which is the plan duration of the Artemis-III surface mission.

The 13 locations, each about 15 by 15 kilometers, are located within six degrees of latitude of the south pole. They are named: Faustini Rim A, Peak Near Shackleton, Connecting Ridge, Connecting Ridge Extension, de Gerlache Rim 1, de Gerlache Rim 2, de Gerlache-Kocher Massif, Haworth, Malapert Massif, Leibnitz Beta Plateau, Nobile Rim 1, Nobile Rim 2, Amundsen Rim. 

According to NASA each of these regions is located within six degrees of latitude of the lunar South Pole, and collectively contain diverse geologic features.

Artemis Programme:

Artemis Programme is an international human space flight programme funded by the US Government.

The main objective of the programme is to launch a manned mission to the south pole region of the moon by 2024.

The programme is predominantly carried out by NASA. The other international partners in the programme are JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Italian Space Agency, UK Space Agency, UAE space Agency, Brazilian Space Agency, Australian Space Agency, State Space Agency of Ukraine, Canadian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency.

The total cost of the programme is estimated to be 35 billion USD.

The programme is to be implemented in three parts. They are Artemis I, Artemis II and Artemis III.

Author of Kocharethi, Narayan passed away

Kerala’s first tribal novelist and short story writer, Narayan has been passed away at the age of 82 in Kochi due to age-related ailments and had tested Covid positive.

He was born in the Malayaraya community in Kadayathur hills in Thodupuzha taluk in 1940.

His debut novel, 'Kocharethi' published in 1998, was selected for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1999.

The novel has been translated to English, Hindi and south Indian languages.

Ratan Tata invests Goodfellows, senior companionship startup

Ratan Tata has invested in Goodfellows, a senior companionship startup that provides companionship services to senior citizens.

The startup is designed to pair senior citizens with young graduates to form meaningful friendships.

The company offers a freemium subscription model in which the first month is free only to understand the concept without actually going through it.

The second month onward, the user has to pay a small subscription fee.

India's IT Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma appointed to UN internet panel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Electronics and Information Technology Secretary of India, Alkesh Kumar Sharma to a panel of 10 eminent experts on internet governance.

The panel includes: Vint Cerf, Hatem Dowidar, Lise Fuhr, Maria Fernanda Garza, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Maria Ressa, Karoline Edtstadler, Gbenga Sesan, Lan Xue.

Agenda: To deal with strategic and urgent issues of the Internet and provide solution. 

World Photography Day 2022: 19 August

World Photography Day is observed on August 19 every year to celebrate the beautiful art of photography.

Theme 2022: Pandemic Lockdown through the lens

This day was originated after the invention of the 'daguerreotype'.

Daguerreotype is a photographic process that was developed in 1837 by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce.

On August 19, 1839, the French government has announced about the invention of the daguerreotype.

Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik scheme completed 5 years successfully

Ministry of Civil Aviation flagship program Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) has completed 5 years of success.

Aim: An enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and tier III cities.

In 2014, there were 74 operational airports, but after the launch of the UDAN scheme this number has been increased to 141 by now.

Under the scheme, more than 1 crore passengers have been benefited till August 4, 2022.

India’s first electric double-decker bus unveiled in Mumbai

Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari has unveiled Switch EiV 22, India’s first electric double-decker air-conditioned bus, in Mumbai.

The electric bus was designed, developed and manufactured in India by Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm.

The double decker has a lightweight aluminium body construction that provides higher passenger-to-weight ratio and a competitive cost per km, per passenger.

Minister of Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala launches 'Aqua Bazar' app

The National Fisheries Development Board (NPFB) has conducted the 9th governing body meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Minister of Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala.

During the event, he has also launched an online marketplace feature - 'Aqua Bazar' app.

The app will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seed, feed and medicines required for fish culture.

He has released a book on Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries.

Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise Vinbax 2022 concluded at Chandimandir

The 3rd Edition of Ex VINBAX 2022 Bilateral Army Exercise between India and Vietnam has been concluded at Chandimandir, Haryana.

Theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022: Employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team under United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations.

Focus: Strengthening mutual confidence and interoperability.

The next edition of VINBAX will be hosted in Vietnam in 2023. 

HDFC Bank launched ‘Vigil Aunty’ Campaign

HDFC Bank has launched latest campaign 'Vigil Aunty’ with an aim to promote safe banking habits among people.

Anuradha Menon who plays the popular character of ‘Lola Kutty’ on television, will be the face of the ‘Vigil Aunty’ campaign.

This campaign will run with the Bank’s popular ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ campaign, that urges people not to share their confidential banking information with others.

The Vigil Aunty campaign will run for 4-6 weeks.

HDFC Bank CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan

Anuj Poddar appointed as MD, CEO of Bajaj Electricals

Bajaj Electricals has elevated its Executive Director Anuj Poddar to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The company has separated the post of Chairman & Managing Director to marks the company's commitment to strong corporate governance standards.

Shekhar Bajaj will continue as Executive Chairman of the company.

Bajaj Electricals had a turnover of Rs 4,813 crore in FY22.

Bajaj group founder: Jamnalal Bajaj;

Founded: 1926; 

HQ: Pune, Maharashtra.

India, China participate in Vostok-2022 held in Russia

Indian army and Chinese Army will attend the Vostok 2022 military exercises that will held in Russia from August 30 to September 5.

Other participants: Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikstan.

The strategic command and staff exercise will be held under the chief of Russia's General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds of the Eastern Military District.

In 2021, India had attended ZAPAD 2021 drills in Russia in which 17 countries including China and Pakistan.

PM Modi addressed `Har Ghar Jal Utsav’ in Goa virtually

PM Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the Har Ghar Jal Utsav, that was organized in Goa under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The event will be attended by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Goa CM, Pramod Sawant.

During the event, the QR code payment system for water bills was also launched.

Goa is the first State, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is the first UT in the country, to achieve 100% Har Ghar Jal certification.

FIBA U-18 women Asian Basketball championship to be held in Bengaluru

Dr. Narayanagowda (Karnataka Sports and Youth Empowerment minister) has announced that Bengaluru will host FIBA U-18 women Asian Basketball championship from September 5th to 11th.

The international event will be organised in the Sree Kanteerava Indoor stadium and Koramangala Indoor stadiums.

Division A team will compete with Division B team in the championship to qualify for the FIBA World Championship to be held in July 2023 in Spain.

Indian Railways launches Operation Yatri Suraksha

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched a pan-India operation known as Operation Yatri Suraksha to provide round-the-clock security to passengers.

It facilities surveillance through CCTV, checking on active criminals, presence of a person at different stations to reduce crime.

The RPF has launched a month-long pan-India drive against criminals who loot passengers in July 2022.

The RPF caught 365 suspects who were handed over to the concerned GRPs for legal action.

Bank of Baroda introduce new deposit products

Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched the ‘Baroda Tiranga Deposit Scheme’, a special retail term deposit product that offers interest rates of 5.75% for 444 days and 6% for 555 days.

This scheme is applicable on retail deposits below ₹2 crore and remain in force till December 31, 2022.

senior citizens will earn an additional interest rate of 0.50%, while non-callable deposits will get 0.15% extra.

BoB Headquarters: Alkapuri, Vadodara; CEO: Sanjiv Chadha

Yes Bank partners with SellerApp to facilitate adoption of ONDC

Yes Bank has announced its partnership with SellerApp (a seller-centric intelligence platform) to adopt Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC).

This partnership will help them to expand their digital commerce footprint.

ONDC is a strategic initiative of the Indian government with an aim to democratize the entire digital commerce space.

The network is also being built as an alternative to e-tailers like Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon in the Indian ecommerce market.

Sikkim launched schemes for women’s welfare

Sikkim Chief Minister, P S Tamang has launched two welfare schemes for women - ‘Aama Yojana’ and ‘Vatsalya Yojana’.

Aama Yojana:

All unemployed mothers in the state will receive Rs 20,000 annually.

Amount will be deposited in their bank accounts.

Vatsalya Yojana:

An aid of Rs 3 lakh will be provided to childless women for in vitro fertilization treatment.

The amount will be given in two phases (Rs 1 lakh in the first and Rs two lakh in the last phase).

India ranks fourth in 2022 Forbes Asia best under a billion

The Forbes Asia has published its 2022 edition of the best 200 mid-sized companies in the AsiaPacific region.

In 2022, India has ranked fourth in the report titled "Best Under A Billion" with 24 Indian firms, down from 26 in 2021.

Taiwan has the greatest number of companies listed at 30, followed by Japan with 29 and South Korea has 27.

China placed 5th in the list with 22 firms.

The list was compiled from 20,000 publicly traded companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Karnataka Bank launches new Term Deposit Scheme KBL Amrit Samriddhi

Karnataka Bank has launched a new Term Deposit Scheme, KBL Amrit Samriddhi under ACC and Fixed Deposit for a tenure of 75 weeks (525 days), will be available for a limited time.

The interest rate for this Deposit Scheme is 6.10% per annum.

With the new product, KBL Amrit Samriddhi, the bank has extended the benefit of increase in the interest rates to customers.

Karnataka Bank MD & CEO: Mahabaleshwara M S; 

Headquarters: Mangaluru

William Ruto elected as the new president of Kenya

Deputy President of Kenya, William Ruto has been elected as the President of country.

He has won with 50.49% of the vote, defeated veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga ( contesting his fifth election ).

With this win, he become the fifth President of Kenya since independence.

His party, Kenya Kwanza coalition, has also won a majority of seats in Senate of Kenya, the upper house of the parliament.

Kenya Capital: Nairobi;

Currency: Shilling

BRO to build first steel slag road in Arunachal Pradesh

The Border Road Organization (BRO) will construct a pilot road using steel slag Arunachal Pradesh, which can withstand heavy rains and adverse climatic conditions.

If this found successful, then this can become a big solution for building durable roads along the strategic areas.

This project has been initiated after the success of using 100% steel slag on a port connectivity road in Gujarat, which has longer life and built at low cost.

BRO HQ: New Delhi

IRDAI conducts First Hackathon named Bima Manthan 2022

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has organized its first hackathon named “Bima Manthan 2022”.

Theme: Innovation in Insurance

Aim: To identify and develop solutions that have the potential to make the insurance available to every individual.

Problem areas: Automated Death Claim settlement, miss-selling of Insurance products, identify uninsured motor vehicles, distribution of insurance products, Fraud prevention in motor insurance. 

Paytm partners with Samsung stores to deploy smart PoS devices

Paytm has partnered with Samsung stores across India to provide smart payments as well as its loan service Paytm Postpaid through deployment of point of sale devices.

Consumers can purchase Samsung devices from any authorised store in the country to pay through Paytm payment instruments.

Paytm through its Postpaid service will provide credit limit of up to Rs 60,000 per month.

It will also give customers an option to avail personal loan of up to Rs 2 lakh. 

Indian Bureau of Mines to create individual portal for Mines Ministry

Ministry of Mines has announced to launch an individual portal of the ministry, will be started soon in the country.

The portal is being created by the Indian Bureau of Mines under the Prime Minister Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

The portal will have two data layers, in which the first layer covers the spatial data of Mineral concessions and the second layer includes mineral auction blocks.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Coal and Mines: Pralhad Joshi. 

Wholesale price-based inflation declines to 13.93% in July

The Wholesale price inflation (WPI) has been declined to 13.93% in July 2022 from 15.18% in preceding month.

According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, WPI inflation fell on easing prices of food articles and manufactured products.

The WPI was at a record high of 15.88% in May 2022 and stood at 11.57 per cent in July 2021.

The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was also declined to 6.71% in July 2022 from 7.01 in preceding month.

Simon Stiell appointed as the new executive secretary of UNFCCC

Secretary of United Nations, General António Guterres has appointed Simon Stiell, the former environment minister of Grenada, as the new executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

He will replace Patricia Espinosa of Mexico.

Responsibilities: Keeping countries on track to meet international climate goals.

UNFCCC:

Parties: 197

It was entered into force on March 21, 1994.

The original secretariat was in Geneva.

Veteran BCCI administrator Amitabh Choudhary paases away

Amitabh Chaudhary, the former BCCl acting Secretary and president of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has passed away at 58, due to heart attack.

He served as acting Secretary of the BCCI until 2019.

He was a retired senior IPS officer, who rose to the rank of IGP with the Jharkhand Police and was the chairman of Jharkhand Public Service Commission.

He played a crucial role in developing infrastructure for Jharkhand cricket. 

1082 Police personnel awarded Police Medals

A total of 1082 Police personnel have been awarded Police Medals on the occasion of Independence Day, 2022.

347 personnel were awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry, 87 with President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

648 personnel were awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

109 CRPF personnel and 108 J&K Police personnel have been awarded Police Medal for Gallantry.

38 personnel received the Correctional Service Medal for Meritorious Service.

Author of ‘The Horse Whisperer,’ Nicholas Evans passes away

Nicholas Evans, who penned the bestselling novel 'The Horse Whisperer' has passed away at 72 due to heart attack.

His debut novel, 'The Horse Whisperer', published in 1995, was the bestselling novels in the United States for 1995 as determined by The New York Times.

The book was turned into a movie in 1998.

His other work includes "The Loop" (1998), "The Smoke Jumper" (2001), "The Divide" (2005) and "The Brave" (2010).

Delhi airport launches beta version of DigiYatra app for Android platform

The Delhi International Airport Limited has announced to launch with a beta version of DigiYatra app for Android platform.

Aim: To provide contactless, seamless processing of passengers at Airports.

The 'DigiYatra' is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel experience (BEST) based on Facial Recognition Technology.

This unique initiative of government of India, is coordinated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Minister of Civil Aviation: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Defence forces, RBI and PM office most trusted institutions: Survey

According to a survey, conducted by Ipsos India, stated that Defence forces, RBI and Prime Minister of India are the three most trusted institutions in the country.

The Supreme Court of India came fourth, followed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Defence Forces with at least 2 in 3 (65% of respondents) reposing faith in them followed by RBI with 1 in 2 (50%).

Prime Minister of India as an institution was at the third spot with 49% citizens having trust in it.

Village Defence Guard scheme comes into force in Jammu and Kashmir

The Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned the approval for the creation of Village Defence Guard Scheme 2022 in Jammu and Kashmir.

This scheme has come into effect from August 15, 2022.

Earlier, this scheme was known as Village Defence Committee in which volunteers from villages were trained by Indian Army and Police.

Under this scheme, rifles were provided to VDC’s to protect their villages from terrorist attacks in mountainous areas of Jammu region.

Kolkata to host 23rd edition of India International Seafood Show in 2023

The 23rd edition of the India International Seafood Show (IISS) will be held in the Biswa Bangala Mela Prangan, Kolkata from February 15-17, 2023.

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has collaborated with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) to organise the event.

This show will provide an ideal platform for interaction between Indian exporters and overseas importers of India's marine products.

MPEDA Chairman: Dr. K N Raghavan

State Bank of India launches Utsav fixed deposit scheme

The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a unique term deposit programme called "Utsav Deposit."

This fixed deposit scheme has higher interest rates and is only available for a limited time.

Under the Utsav Fixed Deposit Scheme, SBI is offering an interest rate of 6.10% per annum on fixed deposits with a tenure of 1000 days.

And senior citizens will be eligible to get an additional interest rate of 0.50% over and above the regular rate.

UK becomes first nation to approve Omicron vaccine

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority, UK has authorised a Covid-19 vaccine tailored to the Omicron variant, setting the stage for an autumn booster campaign using Moderna’s two-strain shot.

It has granted conditional authorisation to the vaccine, which targets both the original strain of the virus and Omicron BA.1.

This makes UK, the first country in the world to approve an original Covid-19 jab.

FIFA Suspends All India Football Federation

The global football governing body FIFA has suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Reason: Undue influence from third parties. 

Impact: The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022, scheduled to held in India, cannot currently be held in India as planned.

The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed.

FIFA President: Gianni Infan tino

Ranveer Singh won 2022 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne best actor award

Ranveer Singh has won the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022 best actor award for his movie 83.

Shefali Shah (Jalsa) has been awarded the best actress award.

Other winners IFFM 2022:

Best Film: 83

Best Director: Shoojit Sircar (Sardar Udham) and Aparna Sen (The Rapist)

Best Series: Mumbai Diaries 26/11

Best Actor in a Series: Mohit Raina (Mumbai Diaries 26/11)

Best Actress in a Series: Sakshi Tanwar (Mai)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kapil Dev

Ayush Grid Project: MoU between Ayush Ministry & MeitY

Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Ayush Grid Project. As a part of MoU, MeitY will provide technical support to Ministry of Ayush to digitise Ayush Sector, for a period of 3 years.

Highlights of the MoU include;

This MoU is continuation of a MoU that was inked in 2019.

Both the ministries will continue to work in together.

MeitY will provide technical support, including adoption of emerging technologies, for the Ayush Grid project.

About Ayush Grid project:

Ayush Grid Project was launched by Ministry of Ayush in 2018 to create a backbone for IT sector.

Project was launched under Digital India Program that support ‘Information and Technology’ in transforming operational efficiency, enhancing service quality and improving delivery of service.

It will allow integration of all stakeholders and services or functions related to Ayush systems of health care.

The project seeks to bring all onboard all the facilities of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), including laboratories and hospitals besides promoting traditional healthcare systems.

As a part of MoU, entire Ayush Sector will be digitalised, that will help in transformation of health care delivery across all levels, including research, education, drug regulations and various health programmes. Advisory inputs on Ayush Grid project will be provided by a High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC). This committee would be chaired by Secretary of Ayush and co-chaired by Secretary of MeitY.

Nature Index 2022- Highlights

The Nature Index 2022 was recently released. Survey for the index was conducted based on research articles published in chemistry, life sciences, physical sciences and earth & environment. Rankings were provided on the basis of information secured during April 1, 2021, to march 31, 2022.

Highlights of Nature Index 2022:

In the index, University of Hyderabad has secured first position among Indian Universities while has been placed at 16th position among all institutions in academic sector.

Hyderabad was ranked first with 72 research papers and a share of 19.46 in academic sector.

Ranking of other Indian universities can be summed up as;

Rank 23rd– Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.

Rank 26th– Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati.

Rank 54th-Amity University.

Rank 76th– National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hyderabad.

Rank 82nd– International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad

Rank 92nd– Andhra University

Rank 108th– Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada

Rank 122nd– Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (IIT) Tirupati.

University of Hyderabad:

University of Hyderabad is among major higher education institutions in country. It was set up in 1974 as a central university through an act of parliament.

The Nature Index:

This index is a database of affiliations of author and relationships of institution. It records contributions to research articles, published across 82 high-quality natural science journals. These journals are selected by an independent group of researchers. This database is compiled by Nature Research. It provides real-time proxy of high-quality research output. It is updated monthly.

Shashi Tharoor to receive France’s highest civilian award

Shashi Tharoor (Senior Congress leader) will be conferred with France’s highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur for his writings and speeches.

In 2010, he had received a similar honour from the Spanish government, when the King of Spain had bestowed upon him the Encomienda de la Real Order Espanola de Carlos III.

He is a two-term Lok Sabha MP (Thiruvananthapuram constituency).

Books: The Paradoxical Prime Minister; An Era of Darkness

Veteran stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala passes away

Veteran stock market investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (also known as Warren Buffett of India) has been passed away at the age of 62.

He was started his journey in stock markets while still in college with a capital of just 5,000 rupees.

India's newest budget carrier, Akasa Air was one of the business ventures of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.

The airline began commercial operations this month with a maiden flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

Kuwait appoints first ambassador to Iran since 2016

Kuwait has appointed Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh as an ambassador to Iran since 2016, who has handed his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran.

Foreign Ministry of Kuwait has also confirmed that Munaikh was appointed envoy to Iran.

This move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve its ties with Iran.

Earlier, Riyadh had broken their ties with Tehran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Iran.

WHO announces new names for variants of monkeypox virus

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced new names for variants of the monkeypox virus that are currently in circulation.

The former Congo Basin clade (group of variants) in Central Africa as Clade I.

The former West African clade as Clade II.

The latter consists of two sub-clades, Clade IIa and Clade IIb, of which Clade IIb was the main group of variants circulating during the 2022 outbreak.

The monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958.

Gopal Vittal re-appointed as managing director of Airtel

Shareholders of Bharti Airtel have given their approval for the re-appointment of Gopal Vittal as managing director of Bharti Airtel for a period of five years ( February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2028).

He was re-appointed as the managing director and CEO with effect from February 1, 2018 for a period of 5 years, (upto January 31, 2023).

Fixed pay of Vittal (excluding perquisites) stood at Rs 9.1 crore in 2021-22,in addition to a variable pay component.

World's highest railway bridge 'Golden joint' inaugurated on Chenab in J&K

The World's highest railway bridge 'Golden Joint' has been inaugurated in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir.

The joints of bridge is connecting two ends of the deck of the world's highest railway bridge.

Chenab Bridge:

This bridge is located in Chenab river, will be 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower (after completion of project).

Aim: It will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.

The Design life of the bridge is at least 120 years.

Kotak Mahindra Bank launches lifestyle-focused corporate salary account

Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a lifestyle focused salary account named Kotak Creme.

This account will offer an upgraded experience to its customers working in MNCs, retails, law firms, unicorns etc.

The account will be available to all corporates in India and will also come with a host of privileges and rewards across lifestyle, travel, healthcare, dining, skilling and learning experiences.

Kotak Mahindra Bank HQ: Mumbai; CEO Uday Kotak

LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates "UMEED Market Place" under AVSAR Scheme of AAI

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha has inaugurated "UMEED Market Place" under AVSAR Scheme of Airport Authority of India at Srinagar International airport.

A similar Marketplace was also opened at Jammu Airport and both the outlets will exhibit products of all 20 districts.

Aim: To support local art and artisans of Self Help Groups of J&K Rural Livelihood Mission.

The products of Self Help Groups will get exposed to the national market.

Indian American journalist, Uma Pemmaraju passes away

Uma Pemmaraju, an Indian American journalist has passed away at the age of 64.

She was a part of various shows such as The Fox Report, Fox News Live, Fox News Now, and Fox On Trends.

She has been awarded many Emmy Awards in her career for investigative reporting and journalism.

She was also awarded The Woman of Achievement Award by the Big Sisters Organization of America, the Texas AP Award, and the Matrix Award from the Women in Communications for reporting.

Bhavani Devi wins gold medal at Commonwealth Fencing Championships 2022

Indian fencer, Bhavani Devi has secured gold medal in the women’s senior individual sabre category at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships 2022 in London.

She defeated Veronika (Australia), who has settled for silver in the event.

Bhavani Devi hails from Tamil Nadu and was the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics (Tokyo 2020). 

Fencing was recognised by the Commonwealth Games Federation as a sport.

7.3% of Indians owned digital currency in 2021: UN

According to the UN, India's population has owned 7.3% digital currency and ranked seventh in the list of top 20 global economies for digital currency ownership as share of population.

Ukraine topped the list with 12.7%, followed by Russia (11.9%), Venezuela (10.3%), Singapore (9.4%), Kenya (8.5%) and the US (8.3%).

It also been observed that the global use of cryptocurrencies has increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic (including developing countries).

ISRO launched new virtual space museum named SPARK

ISRO Chairman, S Somanath has launched the India's first virtual space museum 'SPARK' for Public use to showcase the digital content related to different ISRO missions in an interactive manner.

SPARK can be accessed through the official website of ISRO or at: https://spacepark.isro.gov.in.

Presently, the space organisation has also launched an application, the beta version of SPARK on their website.

ISRO HQ: Bengaluru; Founded: 15 August 1969; Founder: Vikram Sarabhai

Government revised the Atal Pension Yojana rules

The government of India has made revised the rules of Atal Pension Yojana (APY), will be effective from from October 1, 2022.

No citizen who is or has been an income taxpayer will not be eligible to join the APY.

If an income tax-payer joins the APY scheme on or after October 1, 2022, the APY account will be liable to be closed.

Currently, all citizens of India between the age of 18-40 years are eligible to join the scheme, irrespective of their tax-paying status.

International Youth Day: 12th August

International Youth Day observed annually on 12th August annually to create awareness about the issues faced by youth.

Theme 2022: Intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages

In 1999, the General Assembly has passed a resolution 54/120, and declared 12 August as International Youth Day.

This decision was made after the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998).

Election Commission of India hosts virtual Asian Regional Forum meet

The Election Commission of India (ECI) hosted a virtual meet of the ‘Asian Regional Forum’ at Nirvachan Sadan on August 11, 2022.

Theme: “Making our Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative

This Regional Forum meet was a precursor to the “Summit for Electoral Democracy'' that to be hosted by the National Electoral Institute of Mexico in the coming month.

Chief Election Commissioner of India: Rajiv Kumar

Latvia and Estonia withdraw from cooperation group

Latvia and Estonia have withdrawn from a cooperation group amid the Western criticism of China over escalating military pressure on Taiwan.

Reason: Both countries will continue to work towards constructive and pragmatic relations with China.

Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are among countries that remain in the cooperation format.

Latvia Capital: Riga; 

Currency: Euro

Estonia Capital: Tallinn

HM Amit Shah to inaugurate National Conference of Rural Cooperative Banks

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah will inaugurate the National Conference of Rural Cooperative Banks.

It was organized by the Ministry of Cooperation and the National Federation of State Cooperative Banks.

He will also confer Performance Awards to select State Cooperative Banks, District Central Cooperative Banks, or PACS.

The short-term cooperative credit structure in India comprises 34 State Cooperative Banks, 351 District Central Cooperative Banks, and 96,575 PACS. 

NHIDCL, NSDC sign MoU for skill development initiatives

National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has signed an MoU with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Purpose: To take up multiple initiatives contributing towards making India the Skill Capital.

Signed by: MD of NHIDCL, Chanchal Kumar and COO & Officiating CEO of NSDC, Ved Mani Tiwari. 

NHIDCL is a fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

NSDC is PPP model under Ministry of Skill Development. 

ISRO successfully tests Gaganyaan Low Altitude Escape Motor from Sriharikot

Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully completed the test-firing of the Low Altitude Escape Motor (LEM) of Crew Escape System from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Objective: Evaluation of motor ballistic parameters; Validation of motor subsystem performance.

LEM:

It is a distinctive special purpose solid rocket motor.

It has four reverse flow nozzles.

It generates a maximum sea level thrust of 842 kN (nominal) with a burn time of 5.98 seconds (nominal).

Manisha Kalyan, Sunil Chhetri named AIFF Footballers of the Year 2021-22

National captain Sunil Chhetri has been named the AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year for the seventh time, while Manisha Kalyan named the AIFF women's footballer for the 2021-22 season.

Chhetri and Kalyan were nominated as the winners by their respective national team coaches Igor Stimac and Thomas Dennerby.

He is the third highest goal scorer among active international players.

Emerging Footballer of the Year:

Women: Martina Thokchom

Men: Vikram Partap Singh

Cabinet approves India-Australia pact to promote co-production of films

The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an audio-visual (AV) co-production treaty between India and Australia to promote co-production of films.

Under this umbrella agreements, private, quasi-government or governmental agencies enter contracts to produce films together.

So far, India has has signed 15 audio visual co-production treaties with foreign countries.

Australia has emerged as a preferred destination for shooting of Indian films.

India’s home loan market expected to double in 5 years: SBI report

According to State Bank of India’s economic research report “Ecowrap”, India’s home loan market is currently valued at about ₹24 lakh crore and it is expected to double (₹48 lakh crore) in the next 5 years.

The share of ‘Housing Loans’ in ‘Bank Credit’ has increased to 14.4% in June 2022 from 13.1% in March 2020.

The total home loan portfolio grew by 10% in FY22 in tier-3 and tier-4 areas, faster rate than tier-1 and tier-2 districts.

Paytm, Piramal Finance tie up to offer loans

Paytm has partnered with the Piramal Capital & Housing Finance for expanding distribution of merchant loans to the small cities and towns of India.

With this, merchants can avail loans of up to Rs 10 lakh with a tenure of 6-24 months.

It will also empower MSMEs from smaller cities and towns with access to digital credit.

Piramal Capital & Housing Finance is a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Limited.

Chairman of Paytm: Vijay Shekhar Sharma

RBI cancels licence of Rupee Co-operative Bank, Pune

RBI has cancelled the licence of Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd, Pune, will be effective after six weeks (September 22, 2022).

Reason: The bank is unable to pay its present depositors in full (capital inadequacy).

It does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

The bank has also prohibited from conducting the business of ‘banking’ which includes, acceptance and repayment of deposits.

RBI issues Digital lending norms to curb malpractices

RBI has issued the regulatory framework to make digital lending safe for customers.

The RBI has mandated that digital loans must be credited directly in the bank accounts of borrowers and not through any third party.

Any fees, charges, payable to Lending Service Providers in the credit intermediation process shall be paid directly by Regulated Entities and not by the borrower.

Automatic increase in credit limit without explicit consent of borrower is prohibited.

YES Bank ties up with IBSFINtech to provide digital services

YES Bank has joined hands with IBSFINtech (Treasury Tech Solution provider) to explore digital services for corporate clients.

This partnership will strengthen the corporate treasury ecosystem with a strong decision-making tool and automated workflows.

It will provide connectivity between a corporate’s ERP (Enterprise resource planning) and a bank’s solutions.

YES Bank MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar; 

Headquarters: Mumbai

Pulitzer prize winning author David McCullough passes away

David McCullough, who won Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of presidents John Adams and Harry Truman, has died at the age of 89.

He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for Truman, a biography about the 33rd president of the US and another Prize in 2002 for the biography about the second US president, John Adams.

He has also earned National Book Awards for "The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal and Mornings on Horseback".

Axis Bank launches Axis Receivables Suite

Axis Bank becomes the first Indian bank to launch Axis Receivables Suite (ARS), an innovative Cash Management proposition.

Aim: Simplifies Receivables reconciliation, accelerates cash flow, enhances the client experience and reduces the cost of doing business.

ARS is an end-to-end proposition to automate the reconciliation of receivables against sales invoices raised by clients.

Benefit for Clients: Know about payments, real-time control over receivables

Russia successfully launches Iran's satellite into orbit

A Russian rocket has successfully launched an Iranian satellite named Khayyam, into orbit by the Soyuz rocket from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.

The name of satellite was named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.

The satellite fitted with high-resolution camera will be used for environmental monitoring and will remain fully under its control.

IDFC FIRST Bank joins hands with LetsVenture to support startups

IDFC FIRST Bank and LetsVenture have partnered to support the startup ecosystem by providing curated products and solutions to startups (founders and investors).

IDFC FIRST Bank provides customised solutions to start-ups under its FIRST WINGS programme.

With this, it makes IDFC FIRST Bank a preferred banker to all startups on LetsVenture's Scalix.

LetsVenture's Scalix is a newly launched platform that supports the startUp ecosystem.

IDFC FIRST CEO: V. Vaidyanathan

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit appointed as 49th Chief Justice of India

President, Droupadi Murmu has approved the appointment of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as the 49th Chief Justice of India for three months.

He will replace CJI Justice N V Ramana, who will retire on 26th August 2022.

He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court (SC) in August 2014.

He will be the second CJI to be directly elevated to SC from the Bar, after Justice S.M. Sikri (13th CJI).

He was enrolled as an Advocate by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in 1983.

PNB HFC increases its Unnati portfolio to offer affordable loans

PNB Housing Finance has revamped its 'Unnati' loan portfolio to offer affordable housing loans of ₹9-12 lakh to target customers.

PNB Housing has created a small vertical under Unnati which will be different from existing ₹18-19 lakh as affordable housing loans.

In the June quarter, PNB HFC has already opened 10 more branches.

PNB HFC:

HQ: New Delhi

MD & CEO: Hardayal Prasad

It was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956.

Pramod Kumar appointed as CFO of Power Grid Corporation

Board of Directors of the Powergrid Corporation of India Limited has approved the appointment of Pramod Kumar as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Prior to this, he served as the Executive Director (Finance) of the company.

He has an experience of 35 years in the Power Sector including Finance and Accounting functions i.e. finalisation of Corporate Accounts, formulation of Capital Budget etc.

Power Grid HQ: Gurgaon; 

Chairman & MD: Kandikuppa Sreekant

Microsoft join ONDC to launch a shopping app in India

Microsoft becomes the first global Big Tech Company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

ONDC is an Indian government initiative for developing a first-of-its-kind open network for digital commerce.

Microsoft has intended to introduce social e-commerce via its app in the Indian market later this year.

Initially, the network began its pilot in De­lhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bho­pal and Shillong.

ONDC is sponsored by the DPITT.

World Biofuel Day 2022: August 10

World Biofuel Day is celebrated annually on August 10 to mark the importance of non-fossil fuels as a replacement for conventional fossil fuels.

On this date, Sir Rudolf Diesel (German) successfully ran his diesel engine on peanut oil. 

In India, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change started celebrating World Biofuel Day 2015 onwards.

Three types of biofuels used in India: Bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas

Google launches 'India Ki Udaan' to mark 75 years of independence of India

Google has launched the 'India ki Udaan' project to celebrate the 75 years of Independence of India in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister, G Kishan Reddy and other senior officials.

It was executed by Google Arts and Culture.

It is based on the theme ‘Unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years’.

The project will use rich archives and feature artistic illustrations to tell the story of India.

Google CEO: Sundar Pichai

12th edition of Defence Expo to be organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

The 12th edition of the Defence Expo, India's flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems will be organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The event will be held between October 18 and 22, 2022.

Theme: Path to Pride

Focus: Live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skill set of the Armed Forces, DPSUs and Industry.

The exhibition is in line with the vision of PM Modi to achieve self-reliance in defence and achieve export of $5 billion by 2025.

Singapore declared Padang as 75th national monument of the country

Singapore has declared its 200-year-old iconic green open space Padang as its 75th national monument as the country celebrates its 57th National Day (9th August).

From this site, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given his ‘Delhi Chalo’ slogan in 1943.

From now, the Padang has been preserved and accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act.

The victory parade of Japanese surrender on September 12, 1945 was held on Padang.

Serena Williams announces her retirement from professional tennis

American legendary tennis player, Serena Williams has announced her retirement from professional tennis.

The US Open 2022 would be her farewell tournament.

She has been ranked singles world No.1 by the Women's Tennis Association for 319 weeks.

She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most of all time by any player in the open history after an Australian player, Margaret Court (24).

She won her first Grand Slam, the U.S. Open in 1999.

44th Chess Olympiad concluded; India's men & women team win bronze medal

The 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad has been concluded in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

India 'B' team (Men's) comprising D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwaniand and Adhiban won the bronze medal after defeating Germany.

India 'A'  team (Women's) comprising Vaishali and Koneru Humphy, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkari won the bronze medal.

The Uzbekistan team won gold medal in the men's section and Armenia clinched the silver medal.

Asian Championship medalist Kamaraj passes away

Former Athlete, P V Kamara has been passed away at 68 due to a massive heart attack in Chennai.

He was a part of the 4x400m Indian men's relay team that won bronze at the 1979 Asian Championships, Tokyo.

He was retired as a Chief Reservation Officer with the Indian Railways and had contributed immensely to athletics in Tiruchi (hometown of Kamaraj).

He was a NIS-trained coach and had trained the Tamil Nadu state team for several years.

AIADMK's MP, K Maya Thevar passes away

Former MP of AIADMK, K Maya Thevar has been passed away at 88 due to age-related ailments.

He started his career as lawyer, and practised as an advocate at the Madras HC.

Later he moved to politics and joined AIADMK, and becomes the candidate for the first-ever Lok Sabha election faced by the AIADMK after the formation of the party in 1972 by former CM MG Ramachandran.

He had also selected the two-leaves symbol for seeking a mandate from Dindigul constituency, TN.

PM Modi dedicate second generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat, Haryana

PM Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation the 2nd Generation (2G) Ethanol Plant at Panipat in Haryana through video conferencing.

The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, at an estimated cost of over 900 crore rupees.

The project will utilise about two lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around three crore litres of Ethanol per annum.

It will also contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases.

James Marape sworn in as prime minister of Papua New Guinea for second term

James Marape, who become the prime minister of Papua New Guinea in 2019, has been re-elected as PM of the country for second term.

Papua New Guinea has been governed by multi-party coalitions.

He joined the PANGU Pati in May 2019 and announced to lead the PANGU Pati.

About Papua New Guinea:

Capital: Port Moresby; 

Currency: Kina

It is a South Pacific nation.

It got independence from Australia on 16 September 1975.

It is rich reserves of copper, gold, and oil. 

Telangana launches ‘Nethanna Ku Bima’ Scheme for weavers

Telangana Government has launched ‘Nethanna Ku Bima’ Scheme, an insurance scheme, which covers handloom and powerloom weavers in the State.

This scheme was launched by Telangana Handlooms Minister, KT Rama Rao virtually on the occasion of National Handloom Day.

The insurance coverage scheme will be implemented in association with LIC.

In case of natural or accidental death of a weaver, Rs. 5 lakh would be deposited into the nominees’ account within 10 days.

Dalai Lama received Ladakh highest civilian award, dPal rNgam Duston

14th Dalai Lama (Tibetan spiritual leader) has been honoured with the 'dPal rNgam Duston' award, the highest civilian honour of Ladakh.

Reason: For his immense contribution to humanity, especially towards the union territory.

The sixth award was conferred by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.

The 'dPal rNgam Duston' is the celebration of the remarkable contribution and achievement of the heroes of Ladakh.

Ladakh LG: Radha Krishna Mathur

Indian Bank signs MoU with SRM University-AP for start-ups

Indian Bank has signed an MoU with Hatchlab Research Centre, TBI of SRM University-AP to launch ‘IND Spring Board’.

It is an initiative for financing start-ups and MSMEs.

The bank will extend financial aid of up to Rs 50 crore to start-ups incubated at SRM Hatchlab for their working capital requirements.

This collaboration is one of its kind in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Indian Bank Headquarters: Chennai; 

CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain 

American Express launches Global Pay, cross border payments platform

American Express has launched its cross-border payments platform for small to medium-sized businesses named Global Pay.

It will work as a digital solution that will let U.S. businesses make secure domestic and international B2B payments.

In addition to this, the eligible customers can earn rewards points on foreign exchange payments.

Global Pay is available to all eligible American Express Small Business Card Members in the U.S.

American Express HQ:  New York, US

All small finance banks eligible for authorised dealer category-I

RBI has announced that all scheduled small finance banks (SFBs) will be eligible for authorised dealer (AD) category-I licence after completion of at least two years of operations as AD Category-II.

Eligibility norms for Small Finance Banks:

It should have included in the Second Schedule to RBI Act 1934.

It should have a minimum net worth of ₹500 crore.

Its CRAR should not be less than 15%.

The net NPAs of the bank should not exceed 6% (last four quarters).

Prof Ramadhar becomes first Indian psychologist on US Heritage Wall of Fame

An Indian professor, Ramadhar Singh has been marked on the 'Heritage Wall of Fame' of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in the United States.

Currently, he is a professor at the Amrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad.

The Ohio State University, Columbus had nominated Ramadhar Singh for the induction to the 'Heritage Wall of Fame'.

SPSP was established in 1974, is the world's largest organisation of personality and social psychologist.

MP, Rajasthan and Karnataka among top states to provide power subsidy

As per the Ministry data, as many as 27 states/UTs out of 36 are providing subsidised electricity to consumers.

The state of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka are among top states providing highest power subsidy bill, which accounting for ₹48,248 crore (36.4%).

Madhya Pradesh has spent ₹47,932 crore between 2018-19 and 2020-21 and Rajasthan spent ₹40,278 crore.

About 1,70,000MW of electricity generation has been added since 2014.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 9 August

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples observed across the world on August 9.

Aim: To highlight the role of indigenous people and the importance of preserving their rights, communities and knowledge.

2022 Theme: The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge. 

On December 23, 1994, the UNGA, passed resolution 49/214, to observed August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. 

Aarya Walvekar crowned Miss India USA 2022

Indian American teenager, Aarya Walvekar from Virginia, has been crowned with the title of Miss India USA 2022 in New Jersey.

She is an advocate for Mental Health and Body Positivity Heath at Every Size Movement and created various awareness campaigns.

She is also the founder of Euphoria Dance Studio that provides affordable dance lessons to local children.

Akshi Jain of Washington was crowned Mrs. India USA.

Tanvi Grover of New York was crowned as Miss Teen India USA.

Singer Olivia Newton-John passes away

The British-born Australian singer and actor, Olivia Newton-John has passed away at the age of 73 in Southern California.

She was best known for her music video Physical and the hit musical Grease.

Grammy awards:

1973: Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Let Me Be There"

1974: Record of the Year: "I Honestly Love You"

1974: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "I Honestly Love You"

1982: Video of the Year: Olivia Physical

HM Amit Shah to e-launch onboarding of cooperatives on GeM portal

HM Amit Shah has e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on GeM portal, now all eligible cooperatives will be able to place orders on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.

Total 589 cooperatives have been shortlisted as eligible for onboarding.

National Cooperative Union of India has prepared data of cooperatives with turnover and deposits of 100 crore rupees.

GeM has been set up as the National procurement portal to provide an end-to-end online marketplace.

13th Edition of Indo-US exercise “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022” started at Bakloh

The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise, “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022” has started at Bakloh of Himachal Pradesh.

Aim: To share best practices and experiences and also improve inter-operability.

The 12th edition was held at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October 2021.

During the exercise, both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Air Borne operations.

PV Sindhu beats Michelle Li to win Gold Medal at CWG 2022

Badminton player, PV Sindhu has defeated Michelle Li of Canada by 21-15, 21-13 to win her first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in women’s singles.

She won silver at Gold Coast in 2018 and bronze medal at Glasgow in 2014.

Badminton player, Lakshya Sen has also clinched gold after defeating Ng Tze Yong of Malaysia in the men's singles.

Other Winners:

Indian Men's Hockey Team won silver (Australia: gold)

Sharath Kamal won gold in Men's Singles Table Tennis. 

13th Edition of Indo-US exercise “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022” started at Bakloh

The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise, “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022” has started at Bakloh of Himachal Pradesh.

Aim: To share best practices and experiences and also improve inter-operability.

The 12th edition was held at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October 2021.

During the exercise, both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Air Borne operations.

Max Life Insurance launches ‘Smart Secure Easy Solution’

Max Life Insurance Company Ltd has launched Max Life Smart Secure Easy Solution, a comprehensive three-in-one protection of life, critical illness & disability and accidental cover.

It covers self-employed individuals, salaried and other professionals to comprehensively guard against life’s uncertainties.

Aim: Providing financial protection in case of any uncertainties in life with an accidental cover option and Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Health Rider.

India wins silver in first Commonwealth women’s cricket

The Indian women’s cricket team has settled for the silver medal in Birmingham after losing to five-time T20 Champions Australia (won gold) by 9 runs in the Commonwealth Games 2022 final.

Other winners:

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won the Bronze Medal in Badminton Doubles.

Annu Rani won Bronze medal in Women’s Javelin Throw.

India’s Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker won the gold and silver, respectively, in the men’s triple jump final. 

World Bank provide USD 300 million to Bangladesh for urban area resilience

The government of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with the World Bank for USD 300 million financing.

Aim: To strengthen its local urban institutions to respond and recover from the Covid 19 pandemic and improve preparedness for future shock.

It will also help cities and towns of Bangladesh to build back better as they recover from the pandemic and prepare for future shocks.

The project will carry out labour-intensive public works to ensure water supply.

ITU's Regional Standardization Forum for Asia & Oceania region begins

Regional Standardization Forum of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for Asia and Oceania region has been started in New Delhi, hosted by Communications Ministry.

Theme of 'Regulatory and Policy aspects of Telecommunications'.

MoS for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan has inaugurated the Regional Standardization Forum.

More than 250 delegates from 20 countries has been participated in the Forum, to provide an insight from policy and regulatory perspective.

Sharath, Sreeja clinch gold medal in table tennis mixed doubles at CWG

A. Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula won gold in the mixed doubles table tennis after defeating Javen Choong and Karen Lyne (Malaysian) at Commonwealth Games 2022. 

Other winners:

India’s Eldhose Paul wins first-ever gold medal in Men’s Triple Jump.

Boxer, Nitu Ghangas wins gold in women’s 48 kg category. 

Boxer, Amit Panghal won the gold in the 48-51kg weight category. 

Avinash Sable becomes the first Indian Man claim a medal (silver) in men's 3000m steeplechase.

India starts cooperation with Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces

India has officially began working with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) of Bahrain.

Aim: To strengthen collaboration in regional security in the Western Indian Ocean.

At the India-US 2+2 in April 2022, India had announced that it would join the CMF as an Associate Partner.

CMF is a multi-national naval partnership (34 nation grouping) to promote security, stability and prosperity across the 3.2 million square miles of international waters.

India beat Bangladesh to lift SAFF U-20 Championship trophy

India has clinched the 4th edition of the SAFF U-20 football championship title by defeating Bangladesh by 5-2 goals in the final at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

India won this championship for the second consecutive time (first crown in 2019).

Top scorer: Indian Gurkirat Singh(8 goals), he has scored four goals in final.

Best player: Indian Gurkirat Singh

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports: Anurag Thakur

Gustavo Petro takes oath as the President of Colombia

Gustavo Petro has sworn in as the first leftist President of  Colombia.

He is a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group, who won the presidential election in June 2022 by beating conservative party candidate.

He also promised to implement outstanding provisions of the 2016 peace agreement that saw the rebel FARC movement lay down arms after nearly six decades of civil conflict.

Colombia Capital: Bogotá; 

Currency: Colombian peso

V Pranav becomes India’s 75th Chess Grandmaster

V Pranav(15) has become the 75th Grandmaster of India by winning the Limpedea Open in Baia Mare, Romania, after securing his third and final GM norm, to attain the Grandmaster title.

He had won his maiden GM norm at the Serbia Open in 2021 and the second in the Vezerkepzo GM round-robin tourney in Budapest, Hungary in June 2022.

He is the 27th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu (list include Viswanathan Anand, D.Gukesh and R.Praggnanandhaa among others).

Hiroshima Day is observed globally on 6th August

Hiroshima Day is observed on August 6 to commemorate the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, at the end of World War II.

The horrific incident took place on August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb named “Little Boy”, on the town of Hiroshima in Japan. 2022 marks the 77th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing.

The day, which is observed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan, highlights the effects of nuclear wars, pays respect to those who got killed, discourages nuclear proliferation and promotes world peace.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Anshu Malik Clinches Silver In Women’s Freestyle 

Indian Grappler or wrestler, Anshu Malik won the silver medal in the Women’s Freestyle 57kg category in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

She faced 3-7 defeat against Nigeria’s Adekuoroye in the gold medal match. Malik bagged the first medal for India in the wrestling of the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Commonwealth Games 2022: India’s Deepak Punia won a gold medal in Wrestling 

India’s wrestler Deepak Punia has won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022 by defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Inam by 3-0 in the men’s 86 kg category in the final.

In the semifinal earlier, Deepak saw out Canada’s Alexander Moore 3-1 as he gained early points. This is India’s third gold medal in wrestling.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Sakshi Malik Wins Gold in Women’s Wrestling 

Star Indian wrestler, Sakshi Malik has won the gold medal in the Women’s Wrestling Freestyle 62Kg at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She defeated Ana Godinez Gonzalez of Canada in the final.

The 29-year-old defeated England’s Kelsey Barnes 10-0 via technical superiority in the quarter-final and then beat Cameroon’s Berthe Emilienne Etane Ngolle 10-0 via technical superiority in the semi-final.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Wrestler Mohit Grewal Bags Bronze In Men’s Freestyle 

Indian grappler, Mohit Grewal has clinched the bronze medal in the Men’s Freestyle 125kg in the Commonwealth Games 2022 after defeating Jamaica’s Aaron Johnson. Grewal defeated Johnson 5-0 in the bronze medal match.

He bagged the medal in only three minutes and 30 seconds. Mohit started his campaign on a winning note against Alexios Kaouslidis of Cyprus in the quarterfinal bout but lost to eventual champion Amarveer Dhesi of Canada in the semi-final.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian Grappler Divya Kakran won Bronze medal 

Indian wrestler, Divya Kakran has won a bronze medal in the women’s 68 kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2022. In the bronze medal match, Kakran defeated Tonga’s Tiger Lily Cocker Lemalie in 26 seconds via Victory by Fall. Kakran bagged the medal in only 26 seconds via Victory by Fall.

Divya Kakran (born 1998) is a freestyle wrestler from India. Divya has won 60 medals, including 17 gold medals in the Delhi State Championship, and has won the Bharat Kesari title eight times.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Bajrang Punia Wins Gold in Men’s 65kg Category

Bajrang Punia has won his 3rd Commonwealth Games medal and his second successive Gold medal in the men’s 65kg category.

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist beat Lachlan McNeil of Canada in the final (9-2). He had won silver in his maiden CWG in 2014 and then bettered the colour four years ago in Gold Cost by winning a gold.

ISRO’s launched tiniest rocket to display the Tricolor in Space

A tiny satellite launch vehicle will be sent from Sriharikota by the Indian Space Research Organization on 7th August 2022. It is a three-stage vehicle, and each step of propulsion uses solid fuel.

The goal of the project is to place an Earth observation satellite called EOS-02 into low earth orbit along with a satellite called “Azaadi SAT.” The satellite will be launched from Sriharikota.

750 female students from government schools in remote areas from Kashmir to Kanyakumari created the “Azaadi Satellite.“

Srimathy Kesan, the founder of Space Kidz India, said that the opportunity for the girls to participate in the programme was fantastic.

New Payment System For NRIs: The BBPS

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed to allow non-resident Indians (NRIs) to make utility, education and other bill payments on behalf of their family members living in India.

The payments will be processed through Bharat Bill Payment System’s (BBPS) cross-border inward bill payments facility.

BBPS is a payments system conceptualized by RBI and run by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to help customers make bill payments both digitally and physically, say, through bank branches and business correspondents.

K-DISC inks MoU with LinkedIn to Promote Employability 

Kerala Development and Innovation Strategy Council (K-DISC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, along with the ICT Academy of Kerala (ICTAK) under the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission (KKEM) as a part of Connect Career to Campus campaign (CCC).

Kerala government aims to boost employability skills with this partnership among the youth of Kerala to get relevant jobs using LinkedIn.

State Government announces that various products and services will be made available for the students on LinkedIn.

The products and services include LinkedIn Insights, curated LinkedIn learning courses, and LinkedIn jobs.

Uttarakhand govt decides to develop one Sanskrit-speaking village in each district 

Uttarakhand government has decided to develop one Sanskrit-speaking village in each of the 13 districts in the state. Citizens of these villages will be trained by experts to use the ancient Indian language as a medium of daily communication, Uttarakhand’s Minister for Sanskrit Education.

Sanskrit teachers will be sent to the selected villages to teach locals how to communicate in the language. They will also be taught the Vedas and the Puranas to help them acquire proficiency in Sanskrit. To be called ”Sanskrit Gram”, each of these villages will be a centre of ancient Indian culture. 

Important For All Exam 2022:

Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami;

Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer);

Uttarakhand Governor:  Lt Gen Gurmit Singh.

Sweden and Finland approved to join NATO by US Senate

With 95 senators voting in favour of the measure, the US Senate decisively approved the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri cast the lone dissenting vote, contending that the threat posed by China should receive considerably more attention than European security.

Finland and Sweden’s membership in NATO has the strong support of US President Joe Biden, who in July forwarded the issue to the Senate for consideration.

Important For All Exam 2022:

NATO Chairman: Jens Stoltenberg

Haryana government launched Cheerag scheme for EWS students

Haryana government has recently launched the “Chief Minister Equal Education Relief, Assistance and Grant (Cheerag)”scheme.

Under the Cheerag scheme, government school students whose parents have an annual verified income of less than Rs 1.8 lakh can enroll in private schools from Class II to XII.

The government will reimburse:

Rs 700 per student from Classes II to V

Rs 900 per student from Classes VI to VIII

Rs 1,100 per student from Classes IX to XII

ULA's Atlas V rocket launched with US Space Force satellite

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket has been successfully launched from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

It was carrying the Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit-6 (SBIRS GEO 6) mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command.

SBIRS is an early missile warning system that will replace the Defense Support Program (launched in the 1950).

The ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. 

RBI raises Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 5.40%

RBI has increased the Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 5.40%, Standing Deposit Facility Rate to 5.15%, MSF and Bank Rate revised to 5.65% in the latest bi-monthly monetary policy.

Reason: to control the inflationary pressure

As per the RBI, real GDP growth for the first quarter of the ensuing fiscal year is projected at 6.7%.

GDP growth projection for 2022-23 retained at 7.2%.

India’s reserves remain the fourth largest globally. 

Former boxing world champion, Johnny Famechon passes away

Former featherweight boxing world champion, Johnny Famechon (Australian) has passed away at 77  in Melbourne.

He was associated with professional boxing for more than 20 years and had a record of 56 wins (20 by knockout, six draws and five losses).

He won his featherweight world title against Masahiko Harada from Japan.

His most memorable world title victory was his WBC points decision win against Jose Legra from Cuba at London’s Albert Hall in 1969.

Ranjit Rath takes charge as CMD of Oil India

Ranjit Rath has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of state-run Oil India Ltd (OIL).

He has replaced Sushil Chandra Mishra who superannuated on June 30.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the CMD Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Ltd.

He has also held the positions of the CEO of Khanij Bidesh India Limited, additional charge of the Director General of Geological Survey of India, and MD of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd. 

Amazon joins hands with Indian Railways to boost delivery of packages

Amazon India has come into a partnership with Indian Railways to boost its delivery services in the country.

This partnership helps e-commerce firm to transport packages on more than 110 inter-city routes, ensuring one to two-day delivery for its customer.

Amazon India now ferries customer packages with the Indian Railways to cities and towns such as Jharsuguda, Ratnagiri, Kurnool, Nanded, Bareilly, Bokaro and Rudrapur among others. 

India adds 10 more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites

India has added 10 more sites to Ramsar list, taking the total number of such sites in the country to 64.

10 new wetland sites are from TN, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

TN: Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve; Vembannur Wetland Complex; Vellode Bird Sanctuary; Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary; Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

Odisha: Satkosia Gorge

Goa: Nanda Lake

Karnataka: Ranganathituu BS

Madhya Pradesh: Sirpur wetland

Russia becomes third largest coal supplier of India in July 2022

According to the data published by the Indian consultancy Coalmint, Russia has become the third-largest coal supplier of India in July 2022.

Russia has historically been the sixth-largest supplier of coal to India, after Indonesia, South Africa, Australia, and the United States, with Mozambique and Colombia alternatingly featuring in the top five.

Imports of India from Russia have increased nearly five times to over $15 billion ever since Russia-Ukraine war.

South Korea launches first Moon mission

South Korea has successfully launched its first lunar mission, Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, also known as Danuri, from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

This mission is jointly developed by Nasa and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

The satellite launched by SpaceX, will arrive in December 2022.

The Scientists are expecting to collect geologic and other data from this low polar orbit.

South Korea has also planned to land its own spacecraft on the moon by 2030.

Biography of President Draupadi Murmu to be released soon

A biography of 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu, titled 'Madam President: A Biography of Draupadi Murmu' will be released by the end of 2022.

The book has bee written by Bhubaneswar-based senior journalist, Sandeep Sahu.

The book will be published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

Droupadi Murmu, is the youngest President and the first woman tribal President of India.

She was also appointed as the governor of Jharkhand.

Indian Navy women crew completes surveillance mission over Arabian Sea

Five women officers of the INAS 314 have created history by completing the first all-women independent maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission over the north Arabian Sea onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft.

The INAS 314 is a frontline Naval Air Squadron based at Porbandar, Gujarat.

Five women: Lt Commander Aanchal Sharma (Mission Commander); Lt Shivangi; Lt Apurva Gite; Lt Pooja Panda; Sub Lt Pooja Shekhawat

Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral, Hari Kumar

DRDO successfully test-fires laser-guided ATGM from Main Battle Tank Arjun

DRDO and Indian army have successfully test-fired indigenously developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun.

The missiles have hit the target successfully with the precision at two different ranges.

Laser Guided ATGM employs a tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour protected armoured vehicles.

This is currently under technical evaluation trials from MBT Arjun's 120 mm rifled gun.

Para-powerlifter, Sudhir wins gold medal in Men’s Heavyweight in CWG 2022

Para-powerlifter, Sudhir has clinched the gold medal in the Men’s Heavyweight, after defeating Ikechukwu Obichukwu (Nigeria), in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with the lift of 212kg.

He won India’s first gold in Para-Powerlifting at Commonwealth Games.

Other highlights:

India's M. Sreeshankar has clinched silver in Men's long jump.

India’s Saurav Ghosal has bagged the bronze medal in squash men’s singles.

Till now,  India has won 20 medals (6(G) 7(S); 7(B)).

Indian Judoka Tulika Maan won silver in 2022 CWG

Indian Judoka, Tulika Maan has claimed Silver medal in women's 78 kg category at Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.

This is India's third medal in Judo this Commonwealth Games.

Other winners:

Indian weightlifter, Gurdeep Singh won bronze medal in the men's 109-plus kg final.

Indian Saurav Ghosal won bronze medal in squash men's singles.

India’s Tejaswin Shankar won bronze, India's first medal in athletics at CWG 2022 in the men’s high jump.

CJI NV Ramana recommends Justice UU Lalit as his successor

CJI, NV Ramana has recommended the name of the senior-most SC judge, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as the new CJI of India.

CJI Ramana is retiring on August 26, 2022, who had become the 48th CJI of the country on April 24, 2021.

Justice UU Lalit hails from Maharashtra, was a senior advocate in the Supreme Court before he was promoted as judge.

If the Centre accepts recommendation of CJI Ramana then Justice Lalit will become the CJI for a period of three months.

Agri Infra Fund awards presented by Union Agriculture Minister

Narendra Singh Tomar ( Minister for Agriculture) has presented Agri Infra Fund awards under various categories to honour Banks and State Governments.

Best Performing Banks: SBI, PNB and Bank of India

Banks valuable contribution category: Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank and Kotak Mahindra

Best performing State: Madhya Pradesh

PACS application:

Best performer in sanction : Andhra Pradesh

Best performer in faster disposal: Karnataka

LIC breaks into Fortune 500 list

According to the latest Fortune Global 500 list, LIC has broken into Fortune Global 500 list, was ranked 98th with revenue of USD 97.26 billion and a profit of USD 553.8 million.

While Reliance Industries has jumped 51 places to 104 on the 2022 list. The list has been topped by US retailer, Walmart.

Indian companies: IOC (142nd); ONGC (190th); Tata Motors (370th); Tata Steel (435th); Rajesh Exports (437th); SBI (236th) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (295th).

Sebi restructures advisory committee on market data

Sebi has restructured advisory committee on market data, that recommends policy measures pertaining to securities market data access and privacy.

The market data advisory committee will now have 20 members (earlier 21 members).

Sebi has replaced former MD and CEO of NSE, Vikram Limaye by NSE current chief, Ashishkumar Chauhan.

The committee is chaired by S Sahoo Professor at National Law University.

SEBI Chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch

GST e-invoicing mandatory for entities with Rs 10 cr turnover from Oct 1

The government has lowered the mandatory turnover threshold from Rs 20 crore to Rs 10 crore under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime from October 1, 2022.

Aim: Digitising a higher volume of transactions, transparency in sales reporting, reducing errors and mismatches, automating data entry work, and improving compliance.

E-invoicing (electronic billing) has been started in October 2020.

GST Day: July 1

IFS officer Shweta Singh appointed as Director in PMO

IFS Shweta Singh, a 2008-batch IFS officer, has been appointed as a director in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Her appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a period of three years from the date of her joining.

The ACC has also cancelled the appointment of Aniket Govind Mandavgane, a 2009-batch IFS officer, as the Deputy Secretary in the PMO, who was appointed on July 18.

India's Trade Deficit triples to record $31 Billion in July

The Trade deficit of India has been increased to $31 Billion in July 2022, with decline in exports and increase in imports.

According to the data released by the commerce ministry, the merchandise exports have been declined to a five-month low at $35.2 billion in July 2022 while imports eased sequentially to $66 billion.

It has almost tripled from USD 10.63 billion in the same month of the previous fiscal.

Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal

Bangladesh signs MoU with IOCL for emergency supply of petroleum goods

The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has signed an MoU with the Bangladesh Roads and Highways department in Dhaka for the emergency supply of petroleum goods.

As per the MoU, the petroleum tankers will enter from Meghalaya and will go to Tripura crossing through the Bangladesh territory.

The IOCL will carry all the administrative fees, charges and local taxes including road usage fee for use of the Bangladeshi territory.

IOCL Chairman: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya

India and the US to hold mega military exercise in Uttarakhand in October

The 18th edition of India and US mega military exercise “Yudh Abhyas” will be held in Auli, Uttarakhand from October 14 to 31, 2022.

Aim: To build the understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two armies.

The 17th edition of the exercise was held in Alaska in US.

India - the US ties:

The US has designated India a “Major Defence Partner”(2016).

India and the US sealed Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020.

RBI's Financial Inclusion Index shows growth

भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक (RBI) का वित्तीय समावेशन (FI) सूचकांक मार्च 2022 में बढ़कर 56.4 हो गया, जो मार्च 2021 में 53.9 था।

यह देश भर के सभी क्षेत्रों में विकास को दर्शाता है।

वित्तीय समावेशन सूचकांक देश भर में वित्तीय समावेशन की सीमा को पकड़ने के लिए बनाया गया था।

क्षेत्र: बैंकिंग, निवेश, बीमा, डाक, पेंशन क्षेत्र

यह इंडेक्स बिना किसी आधार वर्ष के बनाया गया है, और हर साल जुलाई में प्रकाशित किया जाता है।

PSBs write off loans worth Rs 10 lakh crore in last 5 years

Banks have written off loans worth of Rs 10 lakh crore in the last five financial years (2017-18 to 2021-22).

The write-off amount has come down to Rs 1,57,096 crore (2021-22) as compared to Rs 2,02,781 crore (2020-21).

In 2019-20, the write-off has also come down from Rs 2,36,265 crore to Rs 2,34,170 crore.

The commercial banks and financial institutions have reported credit information of all borrowers having aggregate credit exposure of Rs 5 crore and above to RBI.

India to host special meeting of UNSC members on counter-terrorism in Oct

India will host the special meeting of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on counter-terrorism on October 29, 2022.

The tenure of India as a non-permanent member at the UN Security Council will be ended on December 2022.

Theme: Mindful of the increasing threat posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies

Non- permanent members: Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and the UAE

India's envoy to the UN: Ruchira Kamboj

Suresh N Patel Sworn-in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner

Vigilance Commissioner, Suresh N Patel has been appointed as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, after a post fell vacant for a year.

He has been working as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner since June 2022.

CVC Patel has administered the oath of office to Arvind Kumar (former IB chief) and Praveen Kumar Srivastava (ex-IAS officer) as vigilance commissioners.

The tenure of a CVC and vigilance commissioner: Four years or till attains the age of 65 years.

Union Bank of India launches Union Prerna 2.0 - EmpowerHim

Union Bank of India has launched first ever, men-focused Committee 'EmpowerHim' as part of its flagship HR initiative 'Prerna'.

Aim: To promote the employees' career trajectory and improve diversity in the Bank by picking out and resolving individual as well as common existing challenges.

This Committee will complement the women focused; EmpowerHer Committee launched by the bank earlier in July 2022.

MD&CEO, Union Bank of India: A Manimekhalai

Air India allows pilots to fly till 65 yrs

To meet the workforce requirements, the Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) has raised the retirement age of pilots to 65.

Earlier, the age of retirement of AI pilots was 58, but now post-retirement age on a contractual basis for 5 years extendable to 65 years.

DGCA has also allowed pilots to fly till the age of 65 years.

According to AI's new policy, a panel will be constituted to examine the eligibility of pilots retiring in the next two years.

Assam CM launches digital issuance of caste certificates for students

Assam CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched 'Mission Bhumiputra', a digital way to issue digitalised caste certificates to students.

He has also inaugurated a Bhumiputra Portal at a programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra.

This initiative was implemented by the Departments of Tribal Affairs (Plain) and Social Justice Empowerment.

The certificates issued will be available in the digi locker under the IT Act with digital signature of the respective DC.

SIDBI joins hands with SVC Bank for empowering MSMES

SVC Co-operative Bank Ltd and Small Industries Development Bank in India (SIDBI) have entered into a partnership for empowering MSMEs.

According to the agreement, SIDBI will extend refinance facility to SVC Bank to facilitate an improved flow of credit to MSMEs.

The agreement was signed by Ashish Singhal (MD, SVC Bank) and Sanjeev Gupta (GM, SIDBI) in Mumbai.

SIDBI is the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the MSME sector.

Satyendra Prakash takes charge as principal director general of PIB

Satyendra Prakash has been appointed as the principal director general of Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Earlier, he served a the principal DG of Central Bureau of Communication (HQ: New Delhi).

He has a wide range of experience in the field of public communication, media management, administration, policy formulation and programme implementation.

He has also represented India in various national and international forums.

PIB Formed: 1919; 

Headquarters: New Delhi

Point 5140 at Drass in Kargil Sector named as 'Gun Hill'

To commemorate the victory of the Indian Armed forces during the Kargil War, the Point 5140 at Drass in Kargil Sector was renamed as 'Gun Hill'.

The Regiment of Artillery, with lethal and accurate firepower, was able to have a telling effect on the enemy troops and their defences.

On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the success of ‘Operation Vijay’.

Kargil Vijay Diwas observed annually on 26 July.

DG of SSB, Dr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen assumes additional charge of ITBP

Dr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen, Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal has assumed as the additional charge of Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police in New Delhi.

He is an IPS Officer of the 1988 batch, Madhya Pradesh Cadre.

He has taken charge from Sanjay Arora, who has recently appointed as the Police Commissioner of Delhi Police.

ITBP:

It was founded in 1962.

Headquarters: New Delhi

Motto: Shaurya – Dridhata – Karm Nishtha

Irdai revised the anti-money laundering rules for insurance companies

The IRDAI has revised the guidelines on the anti-money laundering rules and counter financing of terrorism programme for insurance companies.

The rules issued to consolidate and update guidelines replace the assorted norms issued since 2013.

No life, general, or health insurer can claim any relaxations to comply with the money-laundering rules, with effect from Nov 1, 2022.

IRDAI HQs: Hyderabad; Chairperson: Debasish Panda

Noise appoints Vaani Kapoor as brand ambassador for new smartwatch range

Nexxbase-owned Noise has roped in actor Vaani Kapoor as the brand ambassador of its upcoming smartwatch, X-Fit 2 series with the release of the #KeepGoing campaign.

Last year, the company had announced partnership with HRX, a fitness brand jointly owned by Hrithik Roshan and Exceed Entertainment.

India’s wearables market saw double-digit growth in Q1 2022 with products crossing 13.9 million units, according to the nternational Data Corporation India.

India's Women's team win first ever Gold medal in Lawn Bowls at 2022 CWG

India's women team has clinched first ever gold medal in the lawn bowls after defeating South Africa by 17-10 in the finals.

Women team Lawn bowl include: Nayanmoni Saikia, Pinki, Lovely Choubey and Rupa Rani Tirkey.

Other Highlights of 2022 CWG:

The Men's Table Tennis team clinched gold medal after defeating Singapore.

Weightlifter, Vikas Thakur won the silver medal in men's 96-kilogram category.

India's mixed badminton team settled for a silver medal.

India and Maldives sign six agreements to strengthen ties in key areas

During the four-day visit of Maldives president, Ibrahim Solih, India has inked six agreements to expand cooperation in several key areas.

Six agreements were exchanged in areas including cyber security, disaster management, and infrastructure.

PM Modi has also announced Line of Credit of USD 100 million to Maldives for the completion of development projects on time.

Both leaders have also embrace the launch of the Greater Male Connectivity Project funded by India.

Indian Oil, NTCA sign MoU for transcontinental relocation of ‘cheetah'

Indian Oil has signed an MoU with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for transcontinental relocation of ‘Cheetah’ in its historical range in India.

Indian Oil will also contribute Rs.50.22 crore in 4 years for the Cheetah re-introduction project.

Indian Oil becomes the first corporate, that has come forward to support the “Project Cheetah” under CSR.

It is a national project involving NTCA (Nodal Agency), Govt. of India and Madhya Pradesh.

World Bank appoints Auguste Tano Kouamé as country director for India

The World Bank has appointed Auguste Tano Kouamé as the country director for India.

He succeeded Junaid Kamal Ahmad (Bangladeshi economist), who has recently completed his term of five-year.

He recently served as the country director of  World Bank for Turkey.

Earlier, he worked as the director of the department of human development and economic management in the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG).

World Bank's Chief Economist: Indermit Gill

England beat Germany to win Women’s European Championship 2022

England defeated Germany by 2-1 in the final of the European Championship to win its first major women's soccer title at Wembley Stadium.

Chloe Kelly (England) gave 2-1 win over Germany in the Women’s European Championship final to claim their first-ever major title in front of a record crowd on home soil.

England coach, Sarina Wiegman made history by becoming the first manager to win the Euros with two separate teams (England and Netherlands)

GST revenue collection for July 2022 second highest ever at ₹1.49 lakh cror

The government has collected gross GST for July 2022 is ₹1,48,995 crore, which is the second highest collection ever since the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax.

The July 2022 revenue is 28% higher than the revenues in the July 2021 of ₹1,16,393 crore.

CGST is ₹25,751 crore, SGST is ₹32,807 crore, IGST is ₹79,518 crore (including ₹41,420 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is ₹10,920 crore (including ₹995 crore collected on import of goods).

Indo-Oman joint military exercise begins in Rajasthan

The joint military Exercise "AL NAJAH -IV" between contingents of Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman has been started at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

The contingent of Royal Army of Oman is comprising 60 personnel from the Sultan of Oman Parachute Regiment and the Indian Army is represented by troops from the 18 Mechanised Infantry Battalion.

Focus: Counter Terrorism Operations, Regional Security Operations and Peace Keeping Operations.

Indian Weightlifter Achinta Sheuli clinched gold medal in 2022 CWG

Indian weightlifter, Achinta Sheuli has bagged gold medal in Men's 73 Kg category, with a total lift of 313 Kg (143kg in snatch and 170kg in clean & jerk).

Erry Hidayat Mohammad (Malaysia) has clinched Silver medal with a total of 303 kg, while Darsigny (Canada) won Bronze with a total of 298 kg.

Earlier, Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinunnga have claimed gold medal while Bindyarani Devi and Sanketh Sargar bagged silver and Gururaja Poojary has settled for bronze.

Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Razia Dhillon win gold in each shooting meet

Olympic medallist, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Raiza Dhillon have claimed gold medals in men's and women's skeet events respectively in the inaugural Digvijay Singh Memorial Shooting Championship (Shotgun).

Arjun Thakur of Madhya Pradesh has silver position and Gurjoat Singh from Punjab has settled for bronze in Men's category.

Dhillon has bagged double gold after winning the Junior Women's Skeet competition over Parinaaz Dhaliwal from Punjab.

Sanjay Arora takes charge as Delhi police commissioner

Sanjay Arora, a Tamil Nadu-cadre IPS office, took charge as Delhi’s police commissioner. He is due for retirement in 2025.

He succeeded Rakesh Asthana (Gujarat cadre IPS officer), who retired after nearly 38 years in service.

He was appointed the Director General of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

He served as the Superintendent of Police of the Tamil Nadu Police STF and also served as Coimbatore police commissioner between 2002 and 2004.

President of Maldives visit to India from August 1

Maldives President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has arrived in India on a four-day visit to India.

He will hold talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several agreements are expected to be signed after the talks.

He also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Both countries share common perspectives on maritime security issues in the Indian Ocean.

Maldives Capital: Maale; 

Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates Badi Sadri-Mavli gauge converted rail section

Union Rail Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw has inaugurated the Badi Sadri-Mavli gauge converted rail section.

The minister flagged off the Badi Sadri-Udaipur City train service in Chittorgarh.

While, the Rewa-Udaipur City Special and Siuri-Sealdah-Siuri train services in West Bengal virtually.

The railway stations that are currently in the redevelopment phase are being built with a plan keeping in mind the next 50 years.

Karnataka govt announces various welfare programmes on completing one year

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has announced various welfare programmes on the occasion of his government completing one year in office.

Vidyanidhi Programme: This provide scholarship from Rs 2,500 to Rs 11,000 to the children of farmers, weavers, taxi drivers and fishermen, who studying in 11th class.

Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sangha: provide training to the youths to evolve into entrepreneurs. 

SC/ST families will be provided free power supply up to 75 units

Third edition of Vietnam-India army exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” begins

The third edition of Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” has begun at Chandimandir in Haryana till 20th August.

Aim: To strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam.

Theme of Ex VINBAX - 2022: Employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team as part of United Nations Contingent for Peace Keeping Operations.

Indian Army General Chief: General Manoj Pande

Zimbabwe launches gold coins to control inflation

Zimbabwe has launched gold coins named “Mosi-oa-Tunya' to control an inflation spike that has eroded the country’s unstable currency.

The move was announced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (central bank), which has disbursed 2,000 coins to commercial banks.

Coins have been given the status of liquid asset, which can be easily converted into cash.

Coins can be used by Individuals or companies.

They can purchase coins from banks and other authorised outlets.

RIL partners IOA for first-ever India House at Paris Olympics 2024

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has come into partnership with Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which would involve the setting up of first-ever India House at Paris Olympics 2024.

Aim: To elevate the performances of Indian athletes, support the national sports federations and build the credentials of India.

This partnership will support Indian athletes in major events including the CWG, Asian Games, and the Olympics Games.

IOA President: Anil Khanna (Acting)

Canadian scholar receives ICCR’s ‘Distinguished Indologist for 2021’ award

A Canadian scholar, Jeffrey Armstrong has been awarded with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) 2021 Distinguished Indologist for his outstanding contribution in study, teaching and research in any of the fields of Indian Studies.

He is the founder of the Vedic Academy of Science & Arts and author of The Bhagavad Gita comes Alive.

The ICCR Distinguished Indologist award was instituted in 2015 during the First World Indology Conference.

IIT Madras launches ‘Nilekani Centre at AI4Bharat’

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras) has launched the ‘Nilekani Centre at AI4Bharat” with an aim to advance the state of Indian language technology.

AI4Bharat, is an initiative to build open-source language (Artificial Intelligence) AI for Indian languages.

The centre has made several cutting-edge resources open-source for mass public use and can be downloaded from their webpage.

Tamil Nadu govt launched ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’

Chief Minister of The Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin has announced to roll out a breakfast scheme for state-run school children of Classes 1 to 5.

The project incurs the cost of Rs 33.56 crores.

The breakfast meal included sambar and vegetables, will be provided to children in all working schools.

Every student is to be provided a 150-500 gram breakfast with sambar with vegetables.

Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai; 

Governor: RN Ravi

Kerala govt to launch online cab service 'Kerala Savari'

The Kerala government is set to launch its own e-taxi service named 'Kerala Savari' from August.

This online taxi hiring service is being rolled out by the state Labour Department which is linking the existing auto-taxi networks in the state.

Aim: To ensure safe and dispute-free travel for the public at affordable rates prevailing in the state.

The new service would be launched in a function to be held at Kanakakkunnu Palace.

Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan

Savitri Jindal becomes the richest woman in Asia

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Savitri Jindal (72, Indian) has become the richest women in Asia with $11.3 billion fortune.

She replaced China's Yang Huiya, with the net worth of $11.0bn.

Huiyan, who controls largest real estate developer Country Garden Holdings of China has lost half of his wealth drop from nearly $24 billion last year to $11 billion.

Savitri Jindal became the chairperson of the Jindal Group, after the death of her husband OP Jindal.