NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. C-DAC Inaugurates Model EV Charging Station and Hardware Emulation Facility: The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S. Krishnan has inaugurated the Model Indigenous Electric Vehicle Charging Station at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, Technopark Campus. This center will have various AC and DC fast chargers for vehicles ranging from 2W to Heavy vehicles and, Play a crucial role in catalyzing an ecosystem for the promotion of the charging infrastructure with indigenous EV chargers research, development, commercialization, and manufacturing through industries.Apart from this the Secretary also inaugurated the Hardware Emulation Facility at C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram for the Start-ups under the C2S program and DLI Scheme of MeitY.This center will have development, testing, and validation of hardware designs, for VLSI and SoC technologies. This facility provides resources for emulating hardware designs on reconfigurable platforms like FPGAs.
2. Spices board unveils comprehensive scheme to boost exports and enhance cardamom productivity: The Spices Board, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a new scheme titled ‘Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED).’Scheduled to roll out in the fiscal year 2025-26, the scheme has been approved with a budget of ₹422.30 crore.Its primary objective is to enhance value addition, drive innovation, and promote sustainability in the spice sector.The SPICED scheme introduces several key components, including Mission Value Addition, Mission Clean and Safe Spices, the promotion of Geographical Indication (GI) spices, and support for entrepreneurship through Spice Incubation Centres.
3. Himachal Govt. launched Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, in a meeting at Shimla chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved a new scheme, “Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana”.The scheme aims to provide financial support to identified socially and economically vulnerable women and parents of disabled children so as to enable the education and well-being of their children.The state cabinet has approved Rs 53.21 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana for the financial year 2024-25.Parents of children under 18 years will receive monthly financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month from the state government to cover the child’s educational, nutritional, and health expenses.
4. Satish Kumar named new Chairman and CEO of Railway Board: Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) officer Satish Kumar has been appointed as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Railway Board.His appointment marks a historic moment as he becomes the first individual from the Scheduled Caste or Dalit community to be selected for this position.Kumar’s tenure is slated to commence on September 1, when he will replace the incumbent chairperson and CEO of the board, Jaya Varma Sinha, who will be retiring on August 31.Kumar, a notable officer from the 1986 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), has made remarkable contributions to Indian Railways over a distinguished career spanning more than 34 years, as acknowledged by the Railway Board.
5. Subhasri appointed MD & CEO of Shriram Capital: Shriram Capital Pvt Ltd, the holding company of the Shriram Group, has appointed Subhasri as the company’s Managing Director and CEO.Subhasri who has been serving as the joint managing director, will take over the new role with a vision to drive the company towards greater heights of success.Her journey with Shiram Group began in 1991 as an officer in the NBFC business and over the years Subhasri has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and expansion.Shriram Capital is the holding company of the Shriram Group, which is amongst the largest non-bank financiers in the country.Subhasri is a fellow member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India and Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Iran appoints Fatemeh Mohajerani as First Female Government Spokesperson: In Iran, for the first time, a woman will be the government spokesperson.At the suggestion of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, Fatemeh Mohajerani was appointed as the first female government spokesperson.Mohajerani, 54, is a Doctor of Business Administration from Edinburgh and has earlier served as the head of the Technical and Vocational Training University of Shariati (for women).This is the latest appointment of a woman to a senior position. Besides her, three women hold high positions in the government including Shina Ansari who was appointed last week as head of the Department of Environment.
2. Pakistani Christian becomes first in Goa to get citizenship under CAA: Joseph Francis A. Pereira, a Christian from Pakistan, has become the first person in Goa to receive Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presented Pereira with his citizenship certificate during a ceremony in Panaji, the state capital.Pereira, who now resides in Cansaulim, South Goa, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for introducing the CAA.Pereira, 78, retired in 2013 after working for 37 years in Bahrain. He settled in Goa with his wife, Martha Pereira, who was already an Indian citizen.The Citizenship Amendment Act allows Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Buddhists from neighboring countries—Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan—who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship after verification.
3. Siemens Healthineers gets India nod for Mpox test kit: German healthcare firm Siemens Healthineers AG received the Indian drug regulator’s approval to manufacture mpox detection kits in the country, a significant step to help screen and prevent the spread of the viral infection.
The kits will be manufactured by the company’s molecular diagnostics manufacturing unit in Vadodara, which has a production capacity of one million tests per annum.With the RT-PCR kits, the test results will be available in 40 minutes, which is significantly faster than traditional methods that take one to two hours. This will help reduce the turnaround time for reporting, leading to quicker responses.The IMDX Monkeypox Detection RT-PCR Assay is a molecular diagnostic test that targets two distinct regions in the viral genome, spanning both clade I and clade II variants of the virus.This ensures thorough detection across various viral strains, providing comprehensive results.
4. 25-29 August – World Water Week: The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is organising the next World Water Week on 25-29 August 2024.World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues, held every year since 1991, and the theme for this year’s conference is “Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future “.This powerful theme encapsulates the urgent need for global cooperation in addressing water-related challenges that transcend national boundaries.The role of governance is critical when it comes to defusing tensions and preventing conflicts from escalating. It is important to learn from experiences from different contexts and analyze how governance structures can be more dynamic, flexible, and participatory.”
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Senior IPS officer B Srinivasan appointed as DG of NSG: Senior IPS officer B Srinivasan has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the National Security Guard (NSG).Srinivasan is a 1992 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Bihar cadre.He will take over as NSG director general after Nalin Prabhat’s departure to being deputed as Jammu and Kashmir’s Special Director General of Police.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Srinivasan as Director General, NSG, from the date of joining the post and up to August 31, 2027.
SPORTS
2. 29 August – National Sports Day: National Sports Day is celebrated every year on 29 August.The day commemorates the birth anniversary of greatest field hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.Theme 2024 – Sports are an enabler to an inclusive and fit society.The Indian government officials announced to celebrate National Sports Day in 2012 marking August 29 as a day to recognise sports excellence. The date was selected to pay tribute to Major Dhyan Chand, also known as the ‘Wizard of Hockey’.Major Dhyan Chand was born on August 29, 1905, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. His career spanned from 1926 to 1948, when he played 185 matches for India scoring over 400 goals.His excellent performance brought the golden period for Indian hockey as he led India to win three gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Amazon launches AI assistant chatbot ‘Rufus’ in India: Ecommerce major Amazon India has launched its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered shopping assistant ‘Rufus’ in India.Rufus is currently available in beta mode in India, and available only to some customers.The assistant can help shoppers get product recommendations, access shopping list advice, compare productcategories and see what other customers have said in response to their specific questions.The chatbot was first announced in the US in February this year, after which it was rolled out widely to all customers in the US in July.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Tata AIA Life launches ‘Sampoorna Raksha Promise’ product with ₹3 lakh instant payout feature: Tata AIA Life Insurance has unveiled its latest term insurance product, Sampoorna Raksha Promise. This product is designed to enhance financial security.Keeping in mind that the family may have to incur urgent expenses on the demise of the key member, it offers an instant payout of Rs. 3 lakhs on death claim intimation.Sampoorna Raksha Promise allows the policyholder to defer the premium by 12 months in such circumstances. When diagnosed with a terminal illness e.g. cancer, the consumer is paid 50% of the sum assured, even as the future premiums are waived and policy benefits continue to accrue.
2. Sampoorna Raksha Promise provides coverage up to the age of 100 with two plan options: Life Promise – Consumers can select a particular sum assured at the time of purchase, which is payable upon the policyholder’s death.Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector: Bandhan Bank launches Avni Saving Account for Women CustomerKarnataka Bank unveils credit line on UPI in partnership with Navi TechnologiesRBL Bank launched Vijay Fixed Deposits to honor 78th Independence DayAxis Bank launches PRIMUS super-premium credit card with VISA PNB launches PNB ANTAH DRISHTI Braille Debit Card for visually impaired customersDBS Bank India launched “DBS Golden Circle,” a priority banking program for senior citizens.
3. YES Bank inks pact with Newtap Finance to offer financing solutions: YES Bank has entered into a co-lending partnership with Newtap Finance Private Limited to provide personalised financing solutions for creditworthy individuals on payments platform CRED.Dreamplug Technologies Private Limited (DTPL), which operates CRED, will serve as the Lending Service Provider (LSP) for YES BANK and Newtap Finance in this partnership.The collaboration aligns YES BANK’s financing expertise with CRED’s affluent member base, where in recognition of their demonstrated financial responsibility, CRED members will benefit from competitive rates and a superior, digital-first experience, designed to be intuitive and frictionless.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Mother Teresa International Awards Celebrated in Dubai: The 24th International Mother Teresa Awards Ceremony took place at the Millennium Plaza Dubai, commemorating the 114th birth anniversary of the revered humanitarian.This prestigious event, organized by the All-India Minority and Weaker Sections Council, was held outside India for only the second time, with both international ceremonies having taken place in Dubai.The awards, established after Mother Teresa’s passing in 1997, recognized exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields including education, science, culture, sports, social work, medicine, industry, and politics in India.This year’s ceremony featured a diverse group of awardees from different countries and sectors. Notable recipients included the late João Bernardo Vieira II, from Guinea-Bissau , Sidharth Srivastava and Namit Bajoria from the industry sector, and Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, Chairman of NRB Bank Limited.
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