Daily GK Update- 6th Aug, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NHAI launches mobile app ‘Rajmargyatra’ for national highway users: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched ‘Rajmargyatra,’ to enhance the highway user experience. A unified mobile application aimed at providing comprehensive information and efficient complaint redressal for national highway users. The app offers real-time weather conditions, timely broadcast notifications, and details about nearby toll plazas, petrol pumps, hospitals, hotels, and other essential services, ensuring a seamless and safe journey on National Highways. Users can report highway-related issues and attach geo-tagged videos or photos for clarity. Complaints will be handled promptly, with system-generated escalations to higher authorities in case of delays. Users can track the status of their grievances for transparency.

 

2. Assam govt to set up National Centre of Excellence for Badminton: Assam government has signed an MoU with the Badminton Association of India to set up the National Centre of Excellence for Badminton in the state. The MoU for the centre will be signed between the Assam government and the Badminton Association of India for 25 years, subject to renewal for a further 10 years. The centre will have world-class facilities to nurture and harness the potential of young badminton players across India. To ensure effective management and administration of the center, a supervisory committee comprising five members will be formed. This committee will be responsible for overseeing the functioning of the center and its activities.

 

3. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba gets one-year extension: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved extension in service to Rajiv Gauba as Cabinet Secretary for a further period of one year in relaxation of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958 and Rule 56(d) of the Fundamental Rules.” Before Rajiv Gauba, BD Pande had been the longest serving cabinet secretary from November 2, 1972, to March 31, 1977. Rajiv Gauba, a 1982-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Jharkhand cadre and a former Union home secretary, assumed the country’s top bureaucratic post in 2019, and his tenure was initially set for two years. Subsequently, he received extensions twice, first in 2021 and then in August of the following year. Rajiv Gauba is credited as the primary architect of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This act led to the division of the erstwhile state into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, following the abrogation of the special status accorded to the region under Article 370 of the Constitution.

 

4. Valid license for import of laptops, personal computers to be required: According to the Gov, a valid License for imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers will be required from the1st November 2023 The Centre has said that there is no ban on the import of IT Hardware as such devices can be imported after obtaining a valid license by companies or traders. Directorate General of Foreign Trade has prepared a portal, for getting a license by applying online Gov has notified Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware.

5. August 7 is celebrated as National Handloom Day: National Handloom Day is observed on August 7. Goal: To pay tribute to the huge handloom community in the country for their contribution to carrying on the traditional heritage and ensuring financial stability. Aims:  To preserve India's handloom tradition and to provide more prospects for the people associated with the handloom industry. This Day in India celebrates the Swadeshi Movement that began in Bengal to rely on Indian-made goods and boycott foreign goods.

 

6. Cabinet approves ₹1.39 lakh crore for BharatNet project: Cabinet has approved an outlay of ₹1.39 lakh crore for BharatNet, the government’s project for last-mile connectivity across 6.4 lakh villages in the country in Aug 2023 It is one of the biggest rural telecom projects in the world, implemented in a phased manner to all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country for last-mile broadband connectivity Cabinet has approved ₹1,39,579 crore fund for providing last-mile optical fiber-based connectivity to homes in all the villages

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. RVNL, Russian partner to build 120 Vande Bharat trains: A joint venture between public sector company Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) and Russian company Metrowagonmash is on course to manufacture and supply around 120 Vande Bharat trains to Indian Railways, at a cost of ₹120 crore per train. The RVNL wants a larger share of 69%, leaving 26% for Metrowagonmash and 5% for a third partner, Locomotive Electronic Systems Blue-and-white trains, with AC, are expected to be manufactured at a railway factory in Maharashtra.

 

2. Anti-dumping duty on optical fibre imports from China, Korea, Indonesia: The Finance Ministry has imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty on certain optical fibre imports from China, South Korea and Indonesia. Aim: To give some relief to the domestic optical fibre industry reeling under the adverse impact of low-price and low-quality imports.  The anti-dumping duty ranges from $122 per kfkm to $857.23 per kfkm, with the commodity being traded in fkm (fibre kilometres). Optical fibres are used to transmit data in the form of light pulses.

 

3. Iraq eliminates trachoma as a public health problem: World Health Organization has announced, Iraq has now joined the league of 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma, which is world’s leading infectious cause of blindness in Aug 2023. Iraq established its national trachoma programme in 2012 to coordinate the final domestic push against the disease. A trachoma surveillance system was developed to detect and manage cases within secondary and tertiary eye care facilities, as well as through school pre-enrolment

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. 9th edition of Malabar River Festival opens in Kerala: The ninth edition of the Malabar River Festival opens at Thusharagiri in Kozhikode, Kerala. The three-day event, organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and the Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council will be held at Iruvanjhipuzha and Chalipuzha rivers at Thusharagiri. Besides Indian Kayakers, paddlers from ten countries including the US, UK, Israel, Kazakhstan, and South Africa are participating in the event. The competition will be held in Kayak Slalom, Boardercross, and Down River events. The National Whitewater Kayaking Championship will also be held as part of the Malabar River Festival this year.

 

2. Manoj Tiwary announces retirement from all forms of cricket: India middle-order batter and Bengal veteran Manoj Tiwary announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. The 37-year-old, who last played for India in 2015, was playing domestic cricket as recently as February 2023. The highly-talented West Bengal batter led Bengal in Ranji Trophy and the team made it to the final as well. Manoj Tiwary played 12 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India between 2008 and 2015. He scored a hundred in the 50-over format of the game at the highest level. Tiwary made his international debut against Australia in the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series.

 

3. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurated 132nd Durand Cup in Assam: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 132nd Durand Cup today at SAI Stadium which marked the grand beginning of the annual football competition for the first time in the Assamese city. The mega event is being organized by the Indian Army in association with Assam Government and Bodo Territorial Region.  The inaugural ceremony was followed by the opening match of the tournament between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Mcap of seven of top-10 most valued firms erode by Rs 1 lakh cr: The combined market valuation of seven of the top-10 most valued firms eroded by Rs 1,09,947.86 crore in first weak of Aug 2023 State Bank of India taking the biggest hit, with a weak trend in the stock market. The valuation of SBI tumbled Rs 38,197.34 crore to Rs 5,11,603.38 crore. First weak of Aug 2023, the BSE benchmark fell by 438.95 points or 0.66 percent. Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, and Infosys observed an increase in their market capitalization.

 

2. SBI Posts Highest-Ever Quarterly Profit Of ₹ 16,884 Crore: In the April-June quarter of 2023-24, the financial results of State Bank of India revealed a significant rise in quarterly profit to ₹16,884 crore, compared to ₹6,068 crore in the corresponding quarter of 2022. Net income also more than doubled to ₹18,537 crore from ₹7,325 crore in 2022 Net interest income showed marginal deterioration while loan loss provisions more than doubled, leading to SBI shares tanking nearly 3 per cent on bourses.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Mrunal Thakur to be honoured with Diversity in Cinema Award at IFFM: Actor Mrunal Thakur will honoured with Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). The “Sita Ramam” star will be honoured with the award in recognition of “her outstanding performances across diverse roles and languages in the world of Indian cinema. The actor, who made her film with “Love Sonia”, and then featured in movies such “Super 30”, “Toofan”, “Jersey”, will receive the award during the annual gala night on August 11 in the Australian city. The 14th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne will run from August 11 to 20.