NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Education Minister launches NATS 2.0 and Disburses Rs. 100 Crore Stipends: Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal in New Delhi. As part of this initiative, Rs 100 crore in stipends has been disbursed to young graduates and diploma holders through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). These apprentices are receiving on-the-job training across various sectors, including IT/ITes, manufacturing, and automobile industries. The launch of the NATS 2.0 portal represents a significant step toward democratising apprenticeship opportunities, bridging skill gaps, and fulfilling the aspirations of youth, ultimately preparing them for future careers. The portal aims to facilitate a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeships while allowing establishments and industries to manage vacancies and contracts efficiently.
2. India elected as Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council of IPEF: India has been elected as the Vice-Chair of one of the three supply chain bodies set up under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience. India and 13 other IPEF partners have established three bodies under the IPEF’s agreement on supply chain resilience. The pact came into force in February 2024. The inaugural virtual meetings of the Supply Chain Council [SCC], Crisis Response Network [CRN], and Labor Rights Advisory Board [LRAB] marked a step forward for cooperation among partner countries for strengthening supply chain resilience in the region.
3. Santosh Kumar Gangwar sworn in as Jharkhand Governor: Former Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar was sworn in as the 12th Governor of Jharkhand. Gangwar succeeded C.P. Radhakrishnan, who was appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra. Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Sujit Narayan Prasad administered the oath of office to Mr. Gangwar.
4. Government appoints 2 new members in CBDT: The Union government has appointed two new members in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative body for the Income Tax Department. Ramesh Narain Parbat and Prabodh Seth belong to the 1989 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Parbat is posted as the director general of I-T investigations in Lucknow, While Seth is posted as the chief commissioner of I-T (international taxation) in Delhi. The CBDT is headed by a chairperson and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary. Apart from CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal, the other serving members in the Board are Pragya Sahay Saksena, H B S Gill, Pravin Kumar and Sanjay Kumar.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists in New Delhi: India will host the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists at the Pusa Institute New Delhi from 2 to 7 August 2024. After a gap of 66 years, India will be hosting this prestigious Conference again, which it hosted in 1958. Theme 2024 – Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
The International Conference on Agricultural Economics is held every three years. The 2021 conference was held in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists is being organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists in collaboration with the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research.
2. Mridu Pawan Das appointed as next High Commissioner of India to Rwanda: The government of India has appointed Mridu Pawan Das as the next High Commissioner of India to Republic of Rwanda. He presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
3. 1 August – World Lung Cancer Day: World Lung Cancer Day is observed every year on August 1. Objective – To raise awareness about the disease and the unhealthy lifestyle habits that we must change to stay safe. Theme 2024 – Close the care gap: Everyone deserves access to cancer care In 2012, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) decided that every year, August 1 will be observed as World Lung Cancer Day.
4. 1 August – World Wide Web Day: World Wide Web Day is observed every year on 1 August. It aims to commemorate the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW) and how it changed the landscape of connectivity among humans. This day honours the groundbreaking invention by Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist who invented WWW in 1989 while working at European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW in 1989 while working at CERN. His vision was to combine computers, data networks and hypertext into a global information system that was powerful yet easy to use. Berners-Lee wrote the first proposal for the WWW in March 1989, followed by a second proposal a year later. Collaborating with Belgian systems engineer Robert Cailliau, who finalized the proposal in November 1990.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Indian Army launches E-SeHAT Tele-Consultancy for Veterans: The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has launched the Electronic Services e-Health Assistance and Tele-consultation (E-SeHAT) module. The E-SeHAT Tele-consultancy would enable ECHS beneficiaries in obtaining online Tele-consultation for medical treatment from their homes without visiting the ECHS Polyclinic. The module aims to provide health care services through safe and structured video based clinical consultations. The pilot project has been launched today at 12 ECHS Polyclinics including remote locations of Baramulla, Imphal, Churachandpur, Dimapur and Aizawal. The 12 ECHS Polyclinics tele-consulted remotely located ECHS beneficiary ex-servicemen before its pan India Roll Out planned in November 2024. The E-SeHAT initiative aligns with the Digital India vision of the Government of India aimed at promoting digital inclusivity and efficiency in public services. This pioneering effort will transform healthcare delivery for veterans, ensuring timely and quality medical attention from the comfort of their homes.
SPORTS
1. Hamilton wins thrilling Belgian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton has won the Belgian Grand Prix after teammate George Russell, who had originally come home in first, was disqualified following the race for an underweight car. With McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finishing third. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ended the day down in P7, having been overtaken by Sainz in the latter stages amid continuing pressure around the Mexican’s place in the team. Fernando Alonso took eighth for Aston Martin with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the top-10.
2. BFI sets up National Basketball Academy in Collaboration with CAA: The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has set up the National basketball academy in collaboration with Corvuss American Academy in Mumbai. For a start, the Academy will run with 30 boys and 30 girls from the school. There will be a nationwide hunt for talent to select 30 boys and 30 girls for the academy. These players will be under the guidance of a competent foreign coach. The partner institution will provide a comprehensive academic program, nutritional support, sports counselling, training and access to world class facilities for the trainees. The players in the academy will be free to represent their States in the State and national championships.
3. Swapnil Kusale earns third bronze medal for India in shooting: Swapnil Kusale clinched his first Olympic bronze and third medal for India in the 50m rifle 3 positions event in the Summer Olympics games being held in Paris. Liu Yukun from China bagged the gold with 463.6 points, while Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine won the silver medal scoring 461.3. Kusale scored an aggregate of 451.4 in six rounds. He had finished seventh in the qualification. The last time a 50m rifle shooter made it to the Olympic finals was in 2012 London when Joydeep Karmakar finished fourth in 50m rifle prone event, a discipline which has been discontinued at the Olympics.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. 11 PSU banks charge Rs 2,331 crore from account holders for not maintaining minimum balance in FY24: 11 public sector banks—excluding State Bank of India (SBI) — have charged Rs 2,331 crore from account holders for their failure to maintain minimum balance in savings banks in FY2024, a rise of 25.63 per cent from Rs 1,855.43 crore in FY2023. These banks collected Rs 5,614 crore from account holders for not maintaining the minimum balance in the last three years, according to Ministry of Finance figures. SBI stopped charging penalty for not maintaining minimum balance since FY2020. Punjab National Bank (PNB) collected the maximum amount of Rs 633.4 crore from their customers, followed by Bank of Baroda Rs 386.51 crore and Indian Bank Rs 369.16 crore. The minimum balance penalty will be higher if charges levied by private sector banks are taken into account. All the private banks are charging hefty amounts from account holders if they fail to keep the minimum balance in their accounts.
2. Sanjay Shukla appointed as MD of National Housing Bank: Sanjay Shukla has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of National Housing Bank (NHB). Before joining NHB, Shukla was the founding managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Centrum Housing Finance Limited (CHFL) from October 2016. A seasoned chartered accountant with over three decades of experience in housing and retail asset finance, Shukla has a distinguished history of leading and transforming financial institutions. He began his career in 1991 as an officer at LIC Housing Finance Limited, the National Housing Bank (NHB).
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. DMRC wins Global Water Tech Award for environmental initiatives: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has received the ‘Global Water Tech Award 2024’ in the ‘organisation’ category for its initiatives in environmental conservation. Global Energy and Environment Foundation (GEEF) presented the honour, recognising DMRC’s efforts in water conservation and efficient utilisation of water resources across Delhi. Its key initiatives include rainwater harvesting pits, sewage treatment plants, and the use of treated effluent for construction, horticulture, and dust suppression at various sites. During its first phase of construction, DMRC rejuvenated the dry Sarpakar Lake in the ridge area using “dewatered water” obtained from one of its construction site near Delhi University.
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