NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. The
US 's FDA approved first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine: The United States of America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for use in women
during pregnancy to protect the baby. Aim: To prevent lower respiratory
tract infection and severe disease in infants until they are six months
old. This vaccine has been developed by Pfizer and the approval allows
the vaccine to be given to women 32 to 36 weeks of pregnancy
2. 4th
G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting to begin in Varanasi: The 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting will begin in Varanasi
in August 2023 Aim: To arrive at actionable outcomes while positioning
culture at the heart of policy-making. G20 Culture: Shaping the Global
Narrative for Inclusive Growth”. will be launched in Varanasi as a part of the
Culture Ministers’ Meeting. The CWG will also release a special stamp to
commemorate the Culture Unites All’ campaign to highlight India’s unwavering
belief in multilateralism.
3. Sachin
to be National Icon for voter awarenes and Education for EC of India: Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar would begin a new inning as the
‘National Icon’ for voter awareness and education for the election commission
of India. MoU will be signed with Sachin for a period of three years in the
presence of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in New Delhi Aim: To bridge
the gap between citizens, especially youth and urban populations, and the
electoral process thereby, trying to address the challenges of urban and youth
apathy.
4. Jitendra
Singh unveils new lotus variety ‘Namoh 108’:
Minister of Science Jitendra Singh, launched "NBRI Namoh 108", a
unique variety of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) with 108 petals, in Lucknow. It was
developed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- National
Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow Jitendra Singh also
introduced apparel made from lotus fibre and perfume 'Frotus'. The perfume is
extracted from lotus flowers and was developed by NBRI, and the Fragrance &
Flavour Development Centre
5. Nitin Gadkari launches Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment
Programe): Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin
Gadkari has launched the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat
NCAP). Bharat NCAP is a significant step forward in the government’s commitment
to improve road safety by raising the safety standards of motor vehicles up to
3.5 tonnes in India. The programme aims to provide a tool to the car customers
to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles available in
the market. Under this programme, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their
cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. Based on the
performance of the car in the tests, the car will be awarded star ratings for
Adult Occupants (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP). Potential car customers can
refer to these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different
vehicles and accordingly make their purchase-decision.
6. Justice Prakash Shrivastava appointed Chairperson of
National Green Tribunal : Former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Prakash
Shrivastava has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) The Cabinet Appointments Committee of the Central
Government approved the appointment of Justice Prakash Srivastava as the
Chairman of the NGT. NGT was set up under the National Green Tribunal Act in
2010. Earlier, Justice Shiv Kumar Singh was appointed as the executive
chairperson after the retirement of the then NGT Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar
Goel in July. Justice Shrivastava was appointed as a Judge of the Madhya
Pradesh high court in January 2008. He became a permanent judge two years
later. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court in
October 2021. He was retired from there in March this year.
7. Sachin Tendulkar designated as ‘national Icon’ By EC: Cricketing legend Sachin
Tendulkar has been designated as a “national icon” by the Election
Commission (EC) to encourage greater voter participation in the electoral process.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Tendulkar and the poll
panel. As part of the three-year agreement, Tendulkar will spread voter
awareness. This collaboration would mark a significant step towards leveraging
Tendulkar’s unparalleled impact with the youth for increasing voters’
participation in the forthcoming elections, especially in general elections (to
Lok Sabha), 2024. Last year, the commission had recognized actor Pankaj
Tripathi as a national icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,
stalwarts such as MS Dhoni, Aamir Khan and Mary Kom had been the EC’s national
icons.
8. 27th edition of the naval exercise ‘Malabar’ of QUAD
nations concludes : The 27th edition of the naval exercise Malabar concluded
off Sydney on Australia’s East Coast Ships, submarines, and aircraft
from the Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence
Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy (USN) participated in the exercise. The
five-day-long naval exercise was conducted in two phases, which included a
harbour phase and a sea phase. The Indian Navy was represented by the
indigenously built Destroyer INS Kolkata, Frigate INS Sahyadri and P8I Maritime
Patrol Aircraft.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. ICG
signs MoU with Philippine Coast Guard to enhance maritime cooperation: Indian Coast Guard has signed a MoU with the Philippine Coast Guard to
enhance maritime cooperation in New Delhi Aim: To enhance bilateral maritime
cooperation between the two nations for ensuring safe, secure, and clean seas
in the region. Objective: To enhance the professional linkage between the
two Coast Guards in the domain of Maritime Law Enforcement, Maritime Search and
Rescue, and Marine Pollution Response.
2. 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. Aim: To raises awareness
about the horrifying nature of the slave trade and remind people about the
transatlantic slave trade and its implications. Theme of international
Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition 2023
is “Fighting slavery's legacy of racism through transformative education”
3. China
launches Gaofen Earth-observation satellite: China
sent a new Earth observation satellite Gaofen-12 04 into space from the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center in China. The satellite, Gaofen-12 04, was launched by
a Long March-4C carrier rocket and has entered the planned orbit
successfully. It will be used in a variety of fields, including land surveys,
urban planning, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster relief.
The launch marks the 484th flight mission of the Long March series carrier
rockets.
4. Srettha
Thavisin elected as Prime Minister of Thailand: The
Pheu Thai Party’s Srettha Thavisin become Thailand’s prime minister after
clinching parliamentary support He co-founded Sansiri in 1988, which later
became one of Thailand's largest real estate developers, leading Srettha to
become a property tycoon. He was the former chief executive and president of
Sansiri. Srettha will lead an alliance of 11 parties that includes two
pro-military parties affiliated with outgoing Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha
5. Indonesia seeks to emulate India’s Jan Aushadhi Kendra
model: Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi
Sadikin visited a Jan Anushadhi Kendra in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar.
Sadikin praised India’s healthcare model and sought to replicate the same
PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana in Indonesia. Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide
affordable medicines to senior citizens and middle-class families in India,
with prices ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 20. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
during his Independence Day speech from Red Fort this year said that the
government has plans to increase the number of ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendras’ from
10,000 to 25,000.
Jan
Aushadhi Kendras have provided new strength to senior citizens and middle-class
families in our nation. We provide medicines which cost Rs 100 in the market
for just Rs 10, Rs 15, Rs 20 through Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” PM Modi had said
from Red Fort.
6. Viacom 18 appointed Kiran Mani as CEO of digital
business: Viacom 18 has
appointed Google’s Kiran Mani as CEO overseeing digital business
operations. Currently, Mani is Google’s General Manager and MD for Android and
Google Play for the Asia Pacific region. As the head of the digital business,
Mani will be responsible for spearheading the growth of JioCinema, which has
disrupted the video streaming market with its free proposition.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. India
bagged gold and silver at World Para Powerlifting Championships 2023: Honey Dabas and Rahul Jograjiya clinched first-ever gold and
silver respectively in the junior men’s 72kg category at the World Para
Powerlifting Championships 2023 in Dubai. Dabas lifted a best total of
135kg while Jograjiya had his best total lift of 132kg. Dabas has two gold
medals from the Dubai 2022 Fazza World Cup. India’s only medal at a World
Championships has been claimed by Parmjeet Kumar (men’s -49kg) at the Tbilisi
2021 World Championships.
2. Khelo
India Women’s League officially be known as Asmita Women's League: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh has announced
that the Khelo India Women’s League will officially be known as Asmita Women's
League. ASMITA refers to Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through
Action. The Asmita Portal serves as a comprehensive resource, offering valuable
insights into upcoming leagues among other features. It will enable any school,
college, government, or private organization to host the 'Asmita Women's
League.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. LIC
acquires 6.7% stake in Jio Financial Services via RIL demerger action: The Life Insurance Corporation of India has acquired a 6.66 per cent
stake in Jio Financial Services owing to the de-merger action by Reliance
Industries. According to the LIC the cost of acquisition is equivalent to 4.68
per cent of the pre de-merged cost of Reliance Industries. The country’s
largest insurer held a 6.49 per cent stake in RIL at the end of June 2023. JFS
shares hit its lower circuit limits for the second straight session on August
21.
2. Canara Bank launches UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee
mobile application: Canara Bank has launched the UPI
Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application as a part of
the Reserve Bank of India’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot
project. It is the first bank in both the public and commercial sectors to
offer this feature via its CBDC mobile app called the Canara Digital Rupee app.
With the introduction of this feature, customers can scan merchant UPI QR codes
using the Canara Digital Rupee app and pay through digital currency. Moreover,
the feature is aimed at empowering 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. Digital
currency is legal tender per RBI regulations, and the launch of this app is a
significant step towards adopting digital currency in India.
3. Government to launch ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar’ GST
reward scheme: The government will
launch the ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar’ invoice incentive scheme, which offers
cash prize from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 crore. Under the invoice incentivization
scheme, cash prize of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore monthly/quarterly
could be given to individuals who upload invoice received from retailer or
wholesaler on the app. The invoice uploaded on the app should have the GSTIN of
the seller, invoice number, amount paid and tax amount. An individual would be
able to upload a maximum of 25 genuine invoices in a month on the app and the
invoice should have a minimum purchase value of Rs 200. Over 500 computerized
lucky draws would be conducted every months where prize money could run into
lakhs of rupees. Two lucky draws will be done in a quarter where the prize
amount could be Rs 1 crore. The ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar’ scheme would ensure
electronic invoice generation even in case of B2C customers so as to enable the
buyer to be eligible to participate in the lucky draw.
OBITUARIES
1. Former
Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak passes away at 49:
Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak passed away at the age of 49. Streak
took 216 wickets and scored 1,990 runs in 65 Tests between 1993 and 2005.
He also played in 189 one-day internationals, scoring 2,943 runs and taking 239
wickets. He was the first Zimbabwean bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs. Post-retirement
Streak served as Bangladesh coach and was the bowling coach of twice Indian
Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
2. Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi passed away at the age of 40: Popular Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi passed away at the age of 40. A well-established name in the Haryanvi music industry, he had charted out several hit sons as “Desi desi na bolya kar”, “Solid Body”, “Sandal”, “Aacha lage Se”, “Tu Cheez Lajawab”, “Bhang Mere Yaara Ne”, and “Last Peg” among others.
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