NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
World’s largest floating solar power plant going to be built in Khandwa, MP: The world’s
largest floating solar power plant is going to be built at Khandwa in Madhya
Pradesh. With an aim to increase the power generation capacity of the central
state of Madhya Pradesh and address the electricity problems in the region. A
floating solar power plant is going to be built in Khandwa which will generate
600 Megawatt power by 2022-23.
The project which is said to world’s
largest floating solar plant will be constructed at an estimated cost of over
Rs 3,000 crore over the Omkareshwar Dam and it will help generate. Khandwa will
become the only district in the state to have all three things including solar,
hydel and thermal with over 4,000MW power to be produced from a single
district.
Note: Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal;
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor of Madhya
Pradesh: Mangubhai C. Patel.
2.
Quality Council collaborates with National Health Authority: In order to
accredit and rate HMIS (Health Management Information System) and LMIS
(Laboratory Information Management System) solutions that have been integrated
with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the National Health Authority (NHA)
has onboarded the Quality Council of India (QCI) for six months. The National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), a
constituent board of QCI, is in charge of national accreditation in the medical
field, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Key
Points:
a)
In
order to provide prospective buyers with reliable information, NABH will take
on the task of accrediting and grading the ABDM compliant solutions on a
variety of factors, such as ease of use, user interface, price, number of
modules/features, and value for money/price.
b)
The
recognised health tech solutions will assist healthcare businesses in managing
their patient journeys and business more systematically in accordance with ABDM
standards, according to Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman, QCI.
c)
In
order to build an accreditation standard for digital health solutions across
several product categories (such as HMIS, LMIS, Health Locker, etc.) that have
successfully completed their ABDM integration, NABH, QCI will onboard
professionals in the field of digital health as part of this endeavour.
3.
Goa Police and blockchain network 5ire agree to work to build smart policing: In order to
digitise its operations, Goa Police declared that it had inked an agreement
(MoU) with Level-1 blockchain network 5ire. S.P. Crime, Nidhin Valsan, IPS, and
Pratik Gauri, the founder and CEO of 5ire, signed the MoU on behalf of the Goa
Police. Goa would become the first police state in India to totally abandon
paper with the signing of this MoU. Key Points:
a)
With
the implementation of a smart policing solution to increase openness and
efficiency in policing, the MoU would establish a public-private collaboration
between 5ire and the Goa Police.
b)
It
will make processes more efficient and give stakeholders a more accurate
picture of all events. The digitization and digitalization of offline systems
would also be aided by the MoU.
c)
In
accordance with a press release, 5ire‘s blockchain-based smart policing
solutions can accurately record all official operations, giving police access
to documents and evidence that will aid in assisting citizens.
d)
Furthermore,
the Goa Police can use blockchain technology to streamline processes, make them
online, and more environmentally friendly.
4.
NIESBUD tie-up with Hindustan Unilever Ltd to develop entrepreneurial skills: National
Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth and identifying other aspects
for mutual collaboration. The alliance will further enhance employment generation
and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, giving a major boost to nano
and micro-entrepreneurship advancement in the country. Under the
partnership:
a)
Both
the entities will collaborate to organise training programmes, develop course
curriculum, undertake cluster development activities, organise workshops and
extend incubation support, provide industry linkages, assist trainees in
linking up with suitable wage employment, etc.
b)
HUL
is also contributing INR 63,00,000 to NIESBUD to support the Skill Acquisition
and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project, which aims
at strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and bringing in better market
connectivity and inclusion of marginalised sections of society.
Note: Hindustan Unilever Limited CEO:
Sanjiv Mehta (10 Oct 2013–); Hindustan Unilever Limited Headquarters: Mumbai;
Hindustan Unilever Limited Established: 17 October 1933.
5.
National Handloom Day: 7th August: In India, the National Handloom Day is
observed annually on the 7th of August to honour the handloom weavers. The day
highlights the contribution of the handloom industry to the socioeconomic
development of the country and increased the income of the weavers. 2022 marks
the 8th National Handloom Day. This year theme of National Handloom Day 2022 is
”Handloom, an Indian legacy”.
National Handloom Day History: The Union
government officially declared August 7 as NHD in July 2015. In 2015 the
Honorable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi declared August 7 as National
Handloom Day. It was on this day in 1905, that the Swadeshi Movement was
launched in the Calcutta Town hall to protest against the partition of Bengal
by the British Government.
6.
Javelin Throw Day: 7th August: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is
celebrating the second ‘Javelin Throw Day’ on August 7, 2022. The day was first
observed in 2021 in honour of Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won India’s
first Olympic gold medal in athletics at Tokyo. This decision to observe Javelin
Throw Day is also an attempt to attract more youth towards the sport and get
champions ready for a bright future in athletics ahead.
Neeraj Chopra has scripted history at the
Olympic Stadium in Tokyo when he threw the javelin to a distance of 87.58m to
end India’s medal drought in athletics at the Olympics. This is India’s
first-ever gold medal in athletics in the history of the Olympics.
Note: Athletics Federation of India
President: Adille J Sumariwalla; Athletics Federation of India Founded: 1946;
Athletics Federation of India Headquarters location: New Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Sweden and Finland approved to join NATO by US Senate: With 95 senators
voting in favour of the measure, the US Senate decisively approved the NATO
membership of Sweden and Finland. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
cast the lone dissenting vote, contending that the threat posed by China should
receive considerably more attention than European security. Finland and
Sweden’s membership in NATO has the strong support of US President Joe Biden,
who in July forwarded the issue to the Senate for consideration.
About Finland and Sweden’s
Membership:
a)
The
decision in Washington came after a vote earlier in the National Assembly of
France, where 209 deputies supported the admission of Sweden and Finland and 46
opposed it.
b)
The
approval of the accession was already approved by the Senate, the second
chamber of the French parliament.
c)
In
the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland submitted
applications to join the Western Defense Alliance. The two nations have up to
now been close allies but not NATO members.
d)
All
30 NATO countries, of which two-thirds have already approved the new members,
must ratify the accession procedures before they can go into effect.
Note: NATO Chairman: Jens Stoltenberg;
NATO Nations: Current member states of NATO
are Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.
2.
IDF World Dairy Summit 2022 to be held in New Delhi: International
Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS 2022), is scheduled to be held in
New Delhi from September 12. India will look to improve its per animal milk
productivity by drawing lessons from advanced nations. Currently, the world’s
largest milk producer with about 210 million tonnes of production per year,
India lags behind many advanced countries in dairy productivity. This,
according to dairy sector leaders, will be a key takeaway for the country from
the Summit that has a theme of “livelihood and nutrition”. Before this, India
hosted the International Dairy Congress in 1974. It must be noted that India is
the largest milk producing country in the world.
About the IDF World Dairy Summit: The IDF World
Dairy Summit is an annual meeting of the global dairy sector, bringing together
approximately 1500 participants from all over the world. The participant
profile includes CEOs and employees of dairy processing companies, dairy
farmers, suppliers to the dairy industry, academicians, government
representatives, etc. The summit is composed of a series of scientific and
technical conferences and social events.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Commonwealth Games 2022: Bajrang Punia Wins Gold in Men’s 65kg Category: Bajrang Punia has
won his 3rd Commonwealth Games medal and his second successive Gold medal in
the men’s 65kg category. The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist beat Lachlan
McNeil of Canada in the final (9-2). He had won silver in his maiden CWG in
2014 and then bettered the colour four years ago in Gold Cost by winning a
gold.
2.
Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian Grappler Divya Kakran won Bronze medal: Indian wrestler,
Divya Kakran has won a bronze medal in the women’s 68 kg category at the
Commonwealth Games 2022. In the bronze medal match, Kakran defeated Tonga’s
Tiger Lily Cocker Lemalie in 26 seconds via Victory by Fall. Kakran bagged the
medal in only 26 seconds via Victory by Fall.
3.
Commonwealth Games 2022: Wrestler Mohit Grewal Bags Bronze in Men’s Freestyle: Indian grappler,
Mohit Grewal has clinched the bronze medal in the Men’s Freestyle 125kg in the
Commonwealth Games 2022 after defeating Jamaica’s Aaron Johnson. Grewal
defeated Johnson 5-0 in the bronze medal match. He bagged the medal in only
three minutes and 30 seconds. Mohit started his campaign on a winning note
against Alexios Kaouslidis of Cyprus in the quarterfinal bout but lost to
eventual champion Amarveer Dhesi of Canada in the semi-final.
4.
Sakshi Malik Wins Gold in Women’s wrestling: Star Indian wrestler, Sakshi Malik
has won the gold medal in the Women’s Wrestling Freestyle 62Kg at the 2022
Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She defeated Ana Godinez Gonzalez of Canada in
the final. The 29-year-old defeated England’s Kelsey Barnes 10-0 via technical
superiority in the quarter-final and then beat Cameroon’s Berthe Emilienne
Etane Ngolle 10-0 via technical superiority in the semi-final.
5.
Commonwealth Games 2022: India’s Deepak Punia won a gold medal in Wrestling: India’s wrestler
Deepak Punia has won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022 by defeating
Pakistan’s Muhammad Inam by 3-0 in the men’s 86 kg category in the final. In
the semifinal earlier, Deepak saw out Canada’s Alexander Moore 3-1 as he gained
early points. This is India’s third gold medal in wrestling.
6.
Commonwealth Games 2022: Anshu Malik Clinches Silver In Women’s Freestyle: Indian Grappler
or wrestler, Anshu Malik won the silver medal in the Women’s Freestyle 57kg
category in the Commonwealth Games 2022. She faced 3-7 defeat against Nigeria’s
Adekuoroye in the gold medal match. Malik bagged the first medal for India in
the wrestling of the Commonwealth Games 2022.
So far India has won 26 medals in the
ongoing games with nine gold, eight silver and nine bronze medals. India is now
expecting medals in boxing, badminton, table tennis and hockey. India won the
most number of 10 medals in weightlifting, including three gold. Australia is
at the top of the medal’s tally with 50 gold, 43 silver and 45 bronze medals.
The Commonwealth Games 2022 games will conclude on August 8.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
New Payment System for NRIs: The BBPS: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
proposed to allow non-resident Indians (NRIs) to make utility, education and
other bill payments on behalf of their family members living in India. The
payments will be processed through Bharat Bill Payment System’s (BBPS)
cross-border inward bill payments facility.
BBPS: BBPS is a
payments system conceptualized by RBI and run by National Payments Corporation
of India(NPCI) to help customers make bill payments both digitally and
physically, say, through bank branches and business correspondents.
It’s Benefits: Experts said the
move will be convenient for NRIs who make regular payments in India. The move
was announced by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das in his monetary policy statement.
The central bank will soon be issuing instructions to put this into effect.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
India’s Trade Deficit at Record High: 31 billion Dollar: India’s trade
deficit widened to a record $31.02 billion in July, as imports of goods surged
despite curbs and merchandise exports contracted for the first time in 20
months. July merchandise exports declined by 0.76% from a year ago to $37.24
billion, while imports grew 44% to $66.26 billion during the month because of
high commodity prices and a weak rupee, data released by the ministry of
commerce and industry showed on Tuesday.
Trade Deficit: Trade deficit is
said to take place when the imports done by a country exceed that of the
exports done by a country in a fiscal year.
Current Development: Barring 2019-20,
when global trade collapsed under the impact of the Covid pandemic, India’s
trade deficit has been gradually falling due to an increase in Indian exports.
In 2021-22, India’s exports touched a record $418 billion.
2. Agreement
between NPCI and IIT Kanpur for Research Collaboration: A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, paves the way for the exchange
of creative ideas and collaboration on the creation of homegrown digital
payment solutions. The collaboration will also aid in strengthening
cybersecurity safeguards for the goods and services provided by NPCI and its
affiliates. The MoU will spur NPCI and IIT Kanpur to work together on a variety
of projects. Key Points:
a)
With
the help of this partnership, distinguished faculty members from the institute
will conduct in-depth educational sessions and give lectures to NPCI staff on
cybersecurity and the most recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Machine Learning (ML), Security Product Roadmaps, and Distributed ledger
technologies (DLT).
b)
On
the other hand, NPCI would give IIT Kanpur students internship opportunities,
giving them the essential experience of working on real NPCI projects.
c)
IIT
Kanpur students’ domain-specific knowledge and skills would help NPCI swiftly
carry out the changing demands of customer-focused solutions.
d)
The
MoU’s knowledge-sharing features will be advantageous to both parties and make
it possible to create better and more secure digital payment products and
services that are focused on advancing the national interest.
DEFENCE
1.
Indian Navy’s all-female crew completes first solo maritime mission: Women officers in the
Indian Navy made history when they flew a Dornier 228 on the first-ever
all-female autonomous maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission in the
North Arabian Sea. Five officers from the Indian Navy Air Squadron (INAS) 314
stationed at the Naval Air Enclave in Porbandar, Gujarat, completed the
mission.
About the Maritime Surveillance
Mission over Arabian Sea:
a)
Lt
Cdr Aanchal Sharma, the mission commander, piloted the plane while assisted by
Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite, Lt Pooja Panda, and SLt Pooja Shekhawat,
tactical and sensor officers.
b)
The
women officers underwent extensive mission briefings and months of ground
training in preparation for this historic sortie, according to a statement from
the Ministry of Defence.
c)
Frontline
Naval Air Squadron INAS 314 is stationed in Porbandar, Gujarat.
d) This “first-of-its-kind military flying operation” is anticipated to open doors for female aviation cadre officers to take on more responsibility and strive for more difficult roles.
