NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Jitendra Singh launches “Yuktdhara” portal to facilitate planning of new
MGNREGA assets: The
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and
Technology, Jitendra Singh launched a new Geospatial Planning Portal under
Bhuvan named “Yuktdhara” to enable the planning of new MGNREGA assets using
Remote Sensing and GIS-based information. The portal has been jointly developed
by ISRO and the Ministry of Rural Development.
About the Yuktdhara:
(1) Yuktdhara will serve as a repository of
assets (Geotags) created under various national rural development programmes
such as MGNREGA, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Per Drop More Crop
and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana etc., along with field photographs.
(2) The Yuktdhara portal would ensure the
quality of the plan, enable a long term monitoring of the assets created over
the years for relevance, facilitate identification of new works for resource
allocation.
(3) Shri Jitendra Singh also holds the
portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Union Minister of State for
Prime Minister’s Office; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions;
Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space.
2.
IIT Madras develops India’s first indigenous motorised wheelchair ‘NeoBolt’: IIT Madras has
developed India’s first indigenous motorized wheelchair vehicle named
‘NeoBolt’, which can be used not only on roads but even on uneven terrains. It
has a maximum speed of 25 kmph. The researchers collaborated extensively with
organisations and hospitals working for people with locomotor disabilities and
built the products after factoring in their experiences and making constant
design adjustments. About the ‘NeoBolt’:
(1) IIT Madras said the wheelchair will be
available to users at an approximate price of ₹55,000.
(2) The motor-powered attachment, NeoBolt,
converts the wheelchair into a safe, road-worthy vehicle that can navigate any
kind of terrain that we may normally encounter — drive through unpaved streets
or climb a steep gradient. And do this comfortably as it has suspensions to
absorb the shocks.
(3) It is powered by a Lithium-Ion Battery
and can travel up to 25 km per charge. It empowers wheelchair users with a
convenient, safe and low-cost mode of outdoor mobility when compared to cars,
auto-rickshaws or modified scooters.
3.
MyGov & UN Women tie-up to launch Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Challenge 2021: MyGov under the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and UN Women have joined
hands to launch the Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Innovation Challenge 2021. The
aim of this challenge is to encourage technology solutions developed by Women
Entrepreneurs related to Women’s Safety and Empowerment. The initiative will
promote ‘Nari Sashaktikaran’, and empower women to help them achieve their full
potential. The Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Challenge 2021 is being implemented
under the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (COVID-19) Programme.
About the MyGov: MyGov is the
citizen-centric platform of the Government of India that empowers people to
connect with the Government and contribute towards good governance. MyGov
brings the Government closer to the common citizen by using online platforms,
thereby creating an interface for healthy exchange of ideas and views with the
ultimate goal of contributing to the socio-economic transformation of India.
About the UN Women: UN Women, as the
UN agency with the mandate to work on gender equality, is responsible for
leading and coordinating United Nations system efforts to ensure that
commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action
throughout the world and at the country level.
4.
India’s Evacuation Mission From Afghanistan named as ‘Operation Devi Shakti’: The Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA) has given a name to India’s complex mission of
evacuating its citizens from war-torn Afghanistan, as ‘Operation Devi Shakti’.
The name of the operation was known when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
mentioned it in a tweet on August 24 while referring to the arrival of a fresh
batch of 78 evacuees in Delhi. India began the complex evacuation mission by
airlifting 40 Indians from Kabul to Delhi on August 16, a day after the Taliban
seized control of the Afghan capital city. So far, India has evacuated over 800
people amid a deteriorating security situation in Kabul and scramble by various
nations to rescue their citizens.
5.
Assam celebrates Wanchuwa Festival 2021: Tiwa tribesmen perform their traditional
dnac eas they take part in Wanchuwa Festival in Assam. This festival is
celebrated by Tiwa tribesmen to mark their good harvest. It comes with songs,
dances, a bunch of rituals and people clad in their native attires. Tiwa is
also known as Lalung is an indigenous community inhabiting the states of Assam
and Meghalaya and are also found in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh and
Manipur. They are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the state of Assam.
They practice Jhum or shifting cultivation.
Note: Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi; Assam
Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma.
6. A
book ‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ by Ritu Menon: A book titled has
‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ by Ritu Menon. Menon,
who co-founded Kali for Women, India’s first feminist press in 1983, is
founder-director of Women Unlimited, an associate of KfW. Weeks after the March
2020 lockdown began, Menon started to write a diary.
INTERNATIONALUPDATES:
1.
Copenhagen tops EIU’s Safe Cities Index 2021: Copenhagen, the
capital city of Denmark, has been named as the world’s safest city from among
60 global cities, in Safe Cities Index 2021, released by the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU). Copenhagen scored 82.4 points out of 100, to top the
fourth edition of the EIU’s biennial index, which measures the level of urban
safety. Yangon is at the bottom of the index, as least safe city, with a score
of 39.5.
From India: New Delhi and
Mumbai have found a place in the index. New Delhi is placed at 48th position with
a score of 56.1, while Mumbai is at 50th place with a score of 54.4.
World’s top 10 Safest cities: (1) Copenhagen;
(2) Toronto; (3) Singapore; (4) Sydney; (5) Tokyo; (6) Amsterdam; (7)
Wellington; (8) Hong Kong; (9) Melbourne; (10) Stockholm
About the Safe Cities Index 2021: The EIU’s Safe
Cities Index is a global, policy benchmarking tool developed to measure global
urban safety. The Index was first released in 2015. In 2021, cities are ranked
based on 76 indicators of security across five broad pillars, which are
digital, health, infrastructure, personal and environmental. Environmental
security is the new addition in the security parameters list for the year 2021.
Cities score on a scale of 0 to 100 where score denotes the safety in the
following manner:
0-25 – Low Safety
25.1-50 – Medium Safety
50.1-75 – High Safety
75.1-100 – Very High Safety
2.
International Dog Day 2021: 26th August: International Dog Day is observed every
year on August 26 to raise awareness about dog adoption and the importance of
providing rescue dogs with a safe and loving environment. The day was started
as National Dog Day in the US in 2004 by pet & family lifestyle expert,
animal rescue advocate, conservationist and dog trainer Colleen Paige. August
26 was chosen as on this day, Paige’s family had adopted their first dog
“Sheltie” from an animal shelter when she was just 10 years old.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Princepal Singh becomes first Indian to be part of NBA championship roster: Princepal Singh
became the first Indian to be part of an NBA title-winning team when his side
Sacramento Kings clinched the 2021 NBA Summer League crown. The 6-foot-9
forward made history by being the first Indian to be part of a championship
roster at any level of the NBA. The Kings dominated the championship game
against the Boston Celtics, clinching the title with a 100-67 win.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
India, ADB sign $500 million loan to expand Metro Rail Network in Bengaluru: Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $500 million loan to
expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with the construction of two new
metro lines totalling 56 km in length. The project will construct two new metro
lines, mostly elevated, along Outer Ring Road and National Highway 44 between
Central Silk Board and Kempegowda International Airport with 30 stations. The
new metro lines will further strengthen safe, affordable and green mobility in
Bengaluru, having a positive impact on enhancing the quality of life,
sustainable growth in urban habitat and livelihood opportunities.
Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa;
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Sri Basava International Award for seer of Bhalki Hiremath: Karnataka
government has selected Sri Basavalinga Pattaddevaru, senior seer of Bhalki
Hiremath, for the prestigious Sri Basava International Award. Minister for
Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar will present the award at Ravindra
Kalakshetra in Bengaluru. The septuagenarian seer has spent over five decades
in the Lingayat religious institution in the Bidar district.
The centre was set up in 2003 when an
abandoned baby from Ujani village near Aurad in Bidar district was adopted. The
seer moved the court to adopt the child. The Central and State governments
later recognised the centre as an authorised Central adoption resource agency.
Note: Chief Minister of Karnataka:
Basavaraj S Bommai; Karnataka Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot; Karnataka Capital:
Bengaluru.
OBITUARIES
1.
Former national football coach SS Hakim passes away: Syed Shahid Hakim,
former India footballer and member of the last national team that played in the
1960 Rome Olympics, passed away. Hakim ‘saab’, as he was popularly known, was
82 years old. In his more than five-decade association with Indian football,
Hakim, a Dronacharya Awardee, has also been an assistant coach to late PK
Banerjee during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi. Hakim has been a FIFA badge
holder international referee having officiated in Asian Club Cup games and was
also conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Award. A former Squadron Leader
of the Indian Air Force, Hakim was also a Regional Director of Sports Authority
of India and his last assignment was as Project Director in charge of scouting
before the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup.
2.
British comedian Sean Lock passes away: British comedian Sean Lock has passed away.
He was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning
wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice
in British comedy. In the year 2000, Sean Lock had won the gong at the British
Comedy Awards for the best live stand-up performance.
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