NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. IREDA
signs MoU with Government, Revenue Target for 2023-24 set at ₹ 4,350: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a
performance-based MoU with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government
of India The Ministry of Finance outlines strategic targets that IREDA
aims to achieve during the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. IREDA is a Mini
Ratna (Category - I), Government of India, enterprise The Gov of India has set
a Revenue from Operation target of Rs 4,350 crores for the FY 2023-24 and Rs
5,220 crores for 2024-25
2. NHPC
signs MoU with RITES for Dibang Multipurpose Project Arunachal Pradesh: State-owned hydro power giant NHPC signed MoU with Rail India Technical
and Economic Service to construct railway siding for a 2,880 MW Dibang
multipurpose project NHPC's total installed capacity is 7,097.2 MW of
renewable power (including wind and solar) through its 25 power stations,
including 1,520 MW through its subsidiary. RITES will provide comprehensive and
efficient solutions for developing rail infrastructure facilities for NHPC
Dibang
3. Jitendra
Singh launches the CSIR Prima ET11, the first indigenous e-Tractor: The Union Minister of State Science & Technology Jitendra Singh
launched the CSIR Prima ET11, the first indigenous e-Tractor developed by the
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur. Jitendra
Singh focused on the role of Agri StartUps in India’s economy and called for
the adoption of new and AI-driven technologies in Agriculture. An increasing
number of new Startups are venturing into the Agriculture sector, focussing on
niche technology.
4. Shivraj
Singh Chouhan inaugurated Mukhyamantri Seekho-Kamao yojna scheme: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the scheme Mukhyamantri
Seekho-Kamao yojna means 'Chief Minister's Learn-Earn' scheme in Madhya Pradesh
The scheme has facilitated on-the-job training on the lines of 'learn and earn
along with skill development, and has been started for the youth in the age
group of 18 to 29 yrs Under the scheme, the selected youth will be given
training according to the requirements of the industries and also get an 8 to
10 thousand rupees stipend
5. Guwahati
airport becomes first in northeast to get ‘Digi Yatra’ facility: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati,
become the first in the northeast to launch Digi Yatra for
hassle-free travel. Aim: To eliminate the need for verification of tickets and
IDs at various touchpoints. The Digi Yatra service will be available in three
major areas namely - first entrance, check-in and boarding areas. Passengers
will be able to register their documents on the ‘Digi Yatra’ app and enter the
airport by scanning their faces.
6. Tirupati
boy bags silver at Singapore Math Olympiad: Raja
Anirudh Sriram, a fourth-standard student of Tirupati, has bagged a silver
medal at the Singapore International Math Olympiad Challenge 2023 (SIMOC). His
journey of success has been marked by numerous national and international
awards that highlight his extraordinary capabilities. More than 2000 students
from 32 countries participated in the prestigious event, where Raja Anirudh
came up with flying colours.
7. AICTE partnered with Jio Institute for faculty
development programme: The All-India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) has partnered with Jio Institute for a faculty development
programme on artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. The
partnership aims to upskill and reskill faculty members from AICTE-approved
institutions. It will also explore emerging opportunities within the
technological landscape. The collaborative initiative aims to empower academic
leaders and senior faculty members with a deep understanding of AI and data
science while also emphasizing the ethical considerations of utilizing AI tools
for immersive learning.
8. BPCL announced Rahul Dravid as brand ambassador: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
(BPCL), the second-largest Indian oil marketing company (OMC), has
announced Rahul Dravid as its latest brand ambassador. Rahul Dravid’s
remarkable sportsmanship, role model status, integrity, dependability, and
trustworthiness perfectly reflect the values we stand for and make him the
perfect fit for brand BPCL. Rahul Dravid will represent BPCL’s Pure for Sure
initiative and its range of MAK lubricants. CMD of BPCL – G. Krishnakumar
9. 20 August – Akshay Urja Day: Akshay Urja Day is observed annually
on August 20. Objective – To raise awareness regarding the importance of
renewable energy. The main goal of celebrating the day is to create awareness
about the energy generated by using natural resources like hydroelectric power,
solar energy, wind energy, and biogas. The Akshay Urja Day was initially
established by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2004. The first
observation was organized in Delhi when a commemorative stamp was released by
the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. To promote the goal of the day, a human
chain having nearly 12,000 students from different schools was formed in Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. First
Foreign Office Consultations between India and Samoa held in Apia: The 1st Foreign Office Consultations FOC between India and Samoa was
held in Apia in August 2023 Aim: To discuss their wide-ranging bilateral relations
including their development partnership covering areas such as health,
Information and Communications Technology ICT, Education, and Small and
Medium Sized Enterprises SME They also discussed follow-up on Forum for
India-Pacific Islands Cooperation FIPIC III Summit, as well as regional and
global issues
2. Saudi
Arabia Launches AI-Powered Program to Combat Desertification: The Saudi Environment Ministry has launched a program to combat
desertification using artificial intelligence (AI). Aim: To study the
status of vegetative cover in the Kingdom and contribute to the goals of
afforestation projects and the "Green Saudi" initiative. It will use
AI to analyze satellite imagery to identify areas that are most vulnerable to
desertification. Remote sensing technologies will be used to monitor
vegetation cover, and track its changes over time.
3. Viacom18
appointed Kiran Mani as CEO of digital business:
Viacom18 has appointed Google's Kiran Mani as CEO overseeing digital business
operations in August 2023. Currentl he holds the position of General Manager
and MD for Android and Google Play in the Asia Pacific region at Google. He
has been associated with the company for over 13 years now. Mani, in his role
as the head of the digital business, will have the responsibility of leading
the expansion of JioCinema, according to the sources.
4. 22 August – International Day for the Remembrance of
the Slave Trade and its Abolition: International
Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is observed
annually on August 23. This day raises awareness about the horrifying
nature of the slave trade and reminds people about the transatlantic slave
trade and its implications It commemorates the day when an uprising began in
Saint Domingue, now called Haiti, on 23 August 1791, against the slave trade. Haiti
was a French settlement and a centre of the slave trade across Europe. The
uprising led to a revolution against the rulers of the country. Did you know
that the transatlantic slave trade affected over 15 million people, including
children, for more than 400 years? This day is observed in memory of all
victims of the slave trade and also aspires to promote critical examinations of
such behaviors that could lead to modern forms of exploitation and slavery.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Novak
Djokovic secured the titles Cincinnati Open 2023: Novak
Djokovic of Serbia secured the titles Cincinnati Open 2023 after defeating
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. The win delivered Djokovic his 95th career title and
39th Masters 1000 crown. The Spaniard is currently ranked at number one in the
ATP Tour rankings, with Djokovic ranked just behind him at number two. Djokovic
is the only player in tennis history to be the reigning champion of all four
majors at once across all three different surfaces
2. Spain beat England to become Women’s World Cup
champions: Spain’s women’s football team won
the World Cup 2023 for the first time after beating England 1-0
in Sydney, Australia. With this win, Spain also became only the second nation
to clinch both the men’s and the women’s World Cups after Germany. pain’s first
major international trophy made it the first European team to win the Women’s
World Cup since Germany in 2007. The other nation is Germany, who won the men’s
World Cup in 1974 and 1990, and the women’s World Cup in 2003 and 2007. Spain’s
Olga Carmona scored the winning goal against England.
3. India’s Anahat Singh clinches gold in Asian Junior: India’s Anahat Singh clinched the
gold medal in the U-17 category of the Asian Junior Squash Individual
Championships held in Dalian, China. The 15-year-old Anahat defeated Hong
Kong’s Ena Kwong 3-1 in the final on 20th August 2023 to win the gold medal. She
had beaten Malaysian players Doyce Lee and Whitney Isabelle Wilson in the
quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively. Last year in Thailand, the
Delhi-based Anahat had won her first gold medal of this event. Earlier this
year, Anahat emerged winner in the U-15 category of the British Junior Open
Squash, beating Sohaila Hazem of Egypt in the final.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Canara
Bank launches UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application: Canara Bank launched the UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile
application and become the first bank in both the public and commercial sectors
to offer this feature via its CBDC mobile app called the Canara Digital
Rupee Aim: To empower merchants to accept digital currency payments using
their existing UPI QR codes in addition to UPI-based payments without the
requirement of a separate onboarding process for CBDC. CEO of Canara Bank is K.
Satyanarayana Raju
2. YES BANK launched ‘iris’ to offer digital banking
solutions in India: Private lender YES Bank has launched
its state-of-the-art mobile banking app ‘iris’ by YES Bank. The iris
app has a sleek and intuitive user interface that aims to offer a simplified
banking experience for users of all age groups, and backgrounds. Designed to
cater to both existing and new customers, the app offers access over 100
features and services in just a few clicks on a single platform. It also
ensures utmost safety of the customers’ financial data by incorporating
best-in-class safety features like – Biometric Authentication, Sim-Binding as
well as a 2-factor Verification
3. Indian Bank opens specialized startup cells in 10
cities: Public sector Indian
Bank has set up 10 startup cells across different centres in the
country to serve its specialized banking requirements. The startup cells have
been set up in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Chennai, New Delhi,
Gurgaon, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Mumbai. It includes offering payment
gateways, corporate credit cards and credit facilities apart from the existing
products of the bank. The launch of the startup cells is a major milestone in
Indian Bank’s journey to support the growth of the startup ecosystem in India. The
startup cell branches would have dedicated relationship managers, who would
partner with them and build lifecycle engagement with the start-ups. Indian
Bank has also launched ‘IND SPRINGBOARD’ — a customised loan product for
startups to address their unique financial challenges.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Ratan
Tata conferred Maharashtra's first Udyog Ratna award: Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata conferred the first-ever 'Udyog Ratna'
award instituted by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The
honour comprised a shawl, a citation and a memento from the Maharashtra
Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). The aim of the Maharashtra Udyog
Ratna Awards is to honour those people and groups who have significantly
impacted Maharashtra's business, industry, education, financial services,
fashion, and other sectors.
OBITUARIES
1. Adobe co-founder John Warnock passes away at 82: Former John Warnock, who helped invent the PDF and co-founded Adobe Systems passed away at the age of 82. He worked for Xerox before he and colleague Charles Geschke created a company around a rejected idea in 1982. Later, he outlined an early version of the Portable Document Format, or PDF, transforming the way documents are exchanged. In 1964, he solved the Jacobson radical, an abstract algebra problem that had been a mystery since it was posed eight years before.
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