NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Ministry of Education launches second cycle of Capacity Building Program on Specific Learning Disability: The Ministry of Education has launched the second cycle of its Capacity Building Program on Specific Learning Disability (SLD) under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP).Building on the success of the first cycle, this programme is designed to empower Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) with the skills and knowledge necessary, to support students with specific learning disabilities.The first round of the ‘Capacity Building Program on Specific Learning Disabilities’ was conducted from January to July 2024 partnered with Changeinkk Foundation. In the first round, a cohort of 27 HEIs participated in the programme including Central Universities, IITs, IIITs, IIMs, IISERs, SPAs, and NITs.As part of the programme, different sessions were conducted, viz., Orientation Session, Sensitization Session, Masterclasses, In-Person Zone-wise Workshop, and Monitoring of Implementation. More than 400 faculty members from different departments of these institutions benefited.
2. Actor Vijay launches his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s flag: Tamil cinema’s leading actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay launched his party’s flag and flag song at the party headquarters at Panaiyur in Chennai.Vijay introduced the two-coloured flag with red on top and bottom; yellow in the middle; and a flower resembling Vaagai surrounded by 28 stars at the centre with two trumpeting tuskers facing each other on either side.Warriors of ancient Tamil kingdoms wore Vaagai flower garlands to symbolise victory. Mr. Vijay also hoisted the flag at the party’s headquarters and launched the party’s flag song Thamizhan Kodi Parakuthu.Vijay had in February, this year announced the formation of his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and declared that his party would enter the electoral fray in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
3. Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates GST Bhawan at Udaipur: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the GST Bhawan, an Official complex of CGST, Udaipur Commissionerate under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), at Udaipur, Rajasthan.The Union Finance Minister also launched ICETAB 2.0, a handheld device for customs operations, and expressed hope that it will help in uploading real-time examination reports and in quicker clearance of cargoes.The complex is located at one of the most preferred locations in Udaipur.
4. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi launched Subhadra scheme: The Bharatiya Janata Party Government led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, announced the implementation of the Subhadra scheme under which ₹50,000 will be provided over five years to one crore women between the ages of 21 and 60.The Subhadra scheme is one of the key poll promises made by the BJP which came to power toppling 24 years rule of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.The Scheme has been approved for implementation from the financial year 2024-25 to financial year 2028-29. An outlay of ₹55,825 crore has been made for this initiative.Subhadra will transform the lives of more than one crore women of the State. It will cover all eligible women aged 21 years or above and less than 60 years.A total of ₹10,000 per annum will be paid in two installments of ₹5000 each on Rakhi Purnima Day and International Women’s Day (March 8).
5. Eastern Railway develops ‘Prabodh’ chatbox for easier access to railway rules: The 161-year-old Kanchrapara Workshop of Eastern Railway (ER) in West Bengal — one of the oldest such establishments in the country — has come up with an Artificial Intelligence-based chatbox named ‘Prabodh’ to help ER employees remain abreast with the latest rules and regulations.Prabodh is being touted as a human resource management wizard that will help employees give their best while keeping them informed about their responsibilities and rights.Prabodh is not merely a chatbot; it is a groundbreaking innovation designed to streamline the complex world of Railway Establishment Rules. Developed by the personnel department at the Kanchrapara Workshop, Prabodh leverages the cutting-edge capabilities of the OpenAI platform to provide an intelligent, responsive, and user-centric experience.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. DGCA fines Air India Rs 90 lakh for operating flight with unqualified crew: Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has slapped a fine of ₹90 lakh on Air India for operating a flight on July 9 from Mumbai to Riyadh with an unqualified crew.Besides, the watchdog has slapped fines of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh on Air India’s Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively, for the lapse.Air India Ltd operated a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer which has been viewed by the regulator as a serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications.
2. PM Modi presents BHISHM Cubes to Ukraine during first visit to Kyiv: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented four BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri) Cubes to the Ukrainian government during his visit to the war-torn country where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy under the shadow of the raging war with Russia.Each BHISHM Cube consists of medicines and equipment for the first line of care for all kinds of injuries and medical situations. It also includes surgical equipment for a basic operation room that can manage 10-15 basic surgeries per day.The Cube can handle about 200 cases of diverse nature in emergencies such as trauma, bleeding, burns, fractures, etc.It can also generate power and oxygen in limited amounts. A team of experts from India has been deployed to provide initial training to the Ukrainian side to operate the cube.
3. Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider steps down after 8 years; Laurent Freixe to take over: Nestle chief executive Mark Schneider quit from the Swiss food group after eight years in charge.He will be replaced by Latin America boss Laurent Freixe.Laurent Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986 and has “successfully managed” the company’s European zone during the 2008 financial crisis and until 2014.After this he was named CEO of the Americas region before taking over at the newly created Latin America zone in 2022, “where he has been successfully leading through challenging conditions”.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Diana Pundole: First Indian Woman Racer to Win National Championship: Diana Pundole, a mother of two and a teacher from Pune, has shattered the glass ceiling by claiming the national championship title in the saloon category at the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship 2024, held in Chennai.She holds the distinction of being the first and only woman participant in the prestigious Indian Touring Cars mixed category, a fiercely competitive racing championship where most participants boast a minimum of 10 to 20 years of experience.Her impressive racing resume includes competing at world-renowned venues such as the Dubai Autodrome, the Hockenheimring, and the F1 Circuit de Spa in Belgium.She has also participated in high-profile races, including the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Ferrari 488 Challenge, BMW M2 Competition, and Renault Clio Cup.
2. Ronak Dahiya wins Bronze in U-17 Wrestling Championship: Indian wrestler Ronak Dahiya won bronze medal in Men’s Greco-Roman 110 kilograms event at Under-17 World Wrestling Championship in Jordan.Dahiya defeated Turkish wrestler Emrullah Capkan 6-1 in the crucial medal match.With this, India has finished their campaign in Men’s Greco-Roman category with two Bronze medals in the championship as Sainath Pardhi also secured Bronze in GR 51 kilograms category.
3. Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli honoured at the 26th CEAT Cricket Awards: The Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma was awarded the 26th CEAT International Cricketer of the Year Award at a ceremony held in Mumbai.Sharma was honoured for his exceptional performance in the 2023-24 season. Under his captaincy, India reached the final of the 13th ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup but lost to Australia.During this period, Rohit scored around 1800 international runs, including 597 runs during the 13th ODI World Cup.Virat Kohli, who had a terrific year in the One Day Internationals (ODI), was honoured with the Best ODI Batter of the Year award.In the 2023-24 season, Kohli scored 1377 runs, which included six centuries and eight fifties. Kohli was the leading scorer of the 2023 ODI World Cup with 765 runs at an average of 95.62.During the World Cup, Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most centuries -49 in ODI. With 50 ODI centuries, Virat Kohli has surpassed Tendulakar’s record.
4. Neeraj Chopra won silver in Lausanne Diamond League: Star Indian javelin throw athlete Neeraj Chopra registered a season-best throw of 89.49m at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024, in his first competitive appearance since he bagged silver for the nation at the Paris Olympics 2024.The 26-year-old was edged out by Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who claimed the top spot in Switzerland with a mammoth throw of 90.81m. Julian Weber of Germany came in third on the day with a best throw of 87.08m.The top six javelin throwers in the season’s standings qualify for the final in Belgium slated to be held on the 14th of September.
5. Shikhar Dhawan retires from all forms of Cricket: One of the finest One Day Internationals (ODI) batsmen in the world, Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. His last competitive match was for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April 2024. Shikhar Dhawan played 269 international matches in his cricketing career and scored 24 hundreds-17 in ODIs and 7 in test matches.His last game for India was an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2022.Shikhar Dhawan, nicknamed ‘Gabbar’ by his teammate, is a left-handed batsman who made his debut for India in an ODI Match against Australia in Visakhapatnam in 2010.He created a world record by scoring the fastest century by a debutant in a Test match, an 85-ball hundred against Australia in Mohali in the 2013 Test match.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. India observed first National Space Day on 23 August 2024: India is commemorating its first-ever National Space Day on August 23, 2024, marking a historic achievement with the successful landing of ISRO’s Vikram Lander from Chandrayaan-3 on August 23, 2023.This landmark event signifies India’s growing prowess in space exploration, celebrating the importance of space science and technology. The day is also remembered for Pragyan Rover’s successful deployment and the naming of the landing site as ‘Shiv Shakti’ point.On August 23, 2023, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a safe and soft landing of Vikram Lander on the moon’s surface, making India the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near its southern polar region. Following this, the Pragyan Rover was successfully deployed. The landing site was named ‘Shiv Shakti’ point, and this date was officially declared as National Space Day.The theme for this year’s National Space Day is “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.
BANKING AND FINANCE
2. Bandhan Bank launches Avni Saving Account for Women Customer: Kolkata-based Indian Private sector bank Bandhan Bank has launched an exclusive savings account, Avni, for women customers.The bank launched the product on its 9th foundation day, which is on 23 August.The bank also launched a customer loyalty programme called Bandhan Banks Delight. The bank is women-focused, and of its 3.4 customers,73% are women.With the Avni account, customers receive an exclusive debit card that provides benefits like free airport lounge access, personal accident insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh, lost card liability coverage of ₹3.5 lakh, and special milestone-based offers from premium brands. Avni also offers discounts on annual locker rentals, gold loan processing fees, and beauty and wellness products.
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