National
1. On 1st August 2022, "Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Amendment) Bill 2022" was passed by Parliament. The bill seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction. Bill has been directed by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. It was passed in Rajya Sabha through a voice vote. It was approved in Lok Sabha in April 2022.
2. The Covid-19 vaccination platform Co-WIN is set to be repurposed for Universal Immunisation program as well as blood donation. This announcement was made by Co-WIN Chief & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Health Authority, Dr. R. S. Sharma. This platform will later be used for organ donation.
3. Lok Sabha passed the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 on 2nd August 2022. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 17th December 2021. It will amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill is aimed at implementing "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora".
4. According to Aurangabad Smart City Development Council Limited (ASCDCL), Aurangabad has become the first city to publish the "Environmental Insights Explorer" (EIE) data from Google. It released the EIE data on 2nd August 2022. Google introduced the EIE dashboard for Aurangabad, during an event held in New Delhi.
5. Recently, government of Arunachal Pradesh signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NITI Aayog & an organisation to bring a large-scale transformation in school education. The MoU has been signed as a three year partnership. It will be implemented from 2022 to 2025.
6. The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was approved by Union cabinet and will now be presented in ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament. The Bill seeks to make the Competition Commission of India (CCI) more flexible and accountable. Bill is aimed at bringing more flexibility to the working of CCI. It also aims to strengthen the enforcement efficiency of the body.
7. Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 was passed in Lok Sabha on 3rd August 2022. The Bill aims to convert the 'National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI)' into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV). As per Bill, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will provide quality teaching, research and skill development across technology, transportation and management.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to start-off and lay foundation stone to several projects of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur in Gujarat. Projects will be launched on 4th August 2022, virtually. These projects include - Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital, Shrimad Rajchandra Animal Hospital and Shrimad Rajchandra Center of Excellence for Women.
9. World's largest floating Solar Power Plant will be constructed in Madhya Pradesh. It is aimed at boosting power generation capacity the state and addressing electricity problems in the central region. Floating Solar Panels are Photovoltaic (PV) modules, that are mounted on platforms floating of lakes, water reservoirs etc.
10. On 4th August 2022, Chief Justice of India (CJI) N. V. Ramana recommended the name of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor. Recommendation was sent to the Union Minister for Law and Justice. Justice N. V. Ramana is scheduled to retire from office on 26th August, on superannuation. He was the 48th CJI of India and was appointed on 24th April 2021.
11. The Union Cabinet recently gave approval to India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The updated NDC will be transferred to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It aims to increase India's contributions in strengthening global response towards climate change, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
12. According to union environment ministry, 6 new wetlands from Tamil Nadu and 1 each from Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have received Ramsar recognition as "Wetlands of International Importance". With the inclusion of 10, total number of Ramsar Sites stands at 64.
13. 106 year old astronomical observatory at the Langat Singh College, Muzaffarpur in Bihar has been added to UNESCO World heritage observatories list. This observatory is first of its kind in eastern part of India. The Astronomical Observatory in Muzaffarpur was established in 1916 give detailed astronomical knowledge to students.
14. On 5th August 2022, Uttar Pradesh Government inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Deloitte India, to appoint it as a consultant in a bid to achieving the target of bringing UP's economy to USD 1 trillion. Decision to appoint Deloitte India as a consultant was taken on 19th July 2022, on the recommendation of a high-powered committee.
15. In the Fortune Global 500 list of year 2022, 9 Indian public and private companies have been added. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has been ranked at 98th position in the list, with revenue worth USD 97,266.7 million. LIC has been added to the list for the first time, after it was listed on Indian stock exchanges in May 2022.
16. Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation to relocate cheetahs from Africa to India, under Project Cheetah. as a part of the MoU, the IOC will grant Rs. 50.22 crore over four years period, for the project. Currently, the total cost of relocation project is Rs. 75 crore.
17. Election for the office of Vice President is being held on 6th August 2022. Office of Vice President is second highest constitutional office in India. M. Venkaiah Naidu is the Vice President, currently. His term is scheduled to end on 10th August 2022.
18. NDA Candidate, Jagdeep Dhankhar has become the 14th Vice President of India, after beating Margaret Alva. He is the second leader from Rajasthan to become Vice President. Out of 780 electors, including elected members of Lok Sabha and elected & nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, 725 electors put their votes.
19. On 8th August 2022, Lok Sabha have nod to "New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022". The bill seeks to rechristen New Delhi International Arbitration Centre as "India International Arbitration Centre". This bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 5th August 2022. It seeks to amend the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019.
20. Chief Minister Hemant Soren kicked-off the Jharkhand Tribal Festival on 9th August 2022. It is a two-day festival and will conclude on 10th August. The festival will witness the participation of artists from tribal-dominated states, including India's north-eastern states.
21. According to "Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022" report, unemployment rare among youth aged 15 - 24 has reached to 15.6% across the world. It is three times of the unemployment rate among adult. This report has been released by International Labour Organisation (ILO), as a part of Global Call to Action for "human-centred recovery from Covid-19 pandemic".
22. The Nature Index 2022 was recently released. Survey for the index was conducted based on research articles published in chemistry, life sciences, physical sciences and earth & environment. Rankings were provided on the basis of information secured during 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022.
23. On 15th August 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation for 9th consecutive time from the Red Fort. During the 88 minutes speech, PM set a "Panch Pran Targets" (Five Resolves) to turn India into a developed nation in next 25 years, when India will celebrate 100th Independence Day.
24. On 16th August 2022, Uttar Pradesh cabinet gave nod to "Uttar Pradesh Defence and Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy-2022". This policy would make the existing policy more flexible and lucrative. It will attract more investments in defence and aerospace manufacturing sectors in the state.
25. In the 75th year of Independence, India has added 11 more wetlands in the Ramsar Sites list. Thus, total number of Ramsar sites in India stands at 75, covering an area of 13 lakh 26 thousand 677 Hectare. Four sites have been added from Tamil Nadu, three from Odisha, two from Jammu & Kashmir and one each from Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra.
26. Start-up loan of Rs. 1.15 crores was approved by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh to commercialise "compostable" plastic. This move also seeks to eliminate the usage of Single Use Plastics (SUP). To commercialise the compostable plastic, Technology Development Board and M/s TGP Bioplastics Private Limited (Satara, Maharashtra) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
27. Tribal-dominated Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first completely "functionally literate" district of India. During 2011 survey, literacy rate in Mandla district was 68%. Another report of 2020 highlights that, more than 2.25 lakh people in this district were not literate, most of them were tribals from forest areas.
28. Recently Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala collectively decided to name Chandigarh International Airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Earlier Punjab Vidhan Sabha had passed a resolution to name the airport as 'Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali' but haryana objected it due to mohali in its name. Later Haryana Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution on renaming the terminal, but with the use of 'Chandigarh'.
29. Amid allegations of shortage of medicines in government hospitals in Kerala, the government will soon launch an online monitoring facility to track the availability and distribution of medicines in government medical institutions in the southern state. The facility comes after reports of shortage of medicines, even basic medicines, emerged in some government hospitals.
30. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the iconic 'Atal Bridge' over the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat. Its name was declared as Atal Bridge on 25th December on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
31. Egypt released a postage stamp to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with India. Diplomatic relations between India and Egypt began when Egypt recognized India's independence on 18th August 1947, three days after India's independence. The two countries became even closer in the 1950s, which resulted in a historic friendship treaty in 1955.
32. A group of researchers has recently discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko from the Agasthyamalai hills in the Western Ghats. The name of this new gecko has been given in the name of well-known malacologist N. A. Arvind as Aravind's ground gecko. The new species has been described based on its distinctness in the morphological and molecular DNA data.
33. Recently, the 50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021 - 2022 began at Iboyama Shumang Leela Shanglen in Palace Compound, Imphal. Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur and the roles of female artists are all played by male actors and male characters are played by female artists in case of female theatre groups.
34. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the 'Smriti Van' memorial built on the outskirts of Bhuj city in Kutch district of Gujarat in memory of the 2001 earthquake victims. The grand structure, which according to a Gujarat government official is the first such monument in the country, is spread over 470 acres on Bhujio Hill near Bhuj city.
35. NITI Aayog has declared Haridwar city of Uttarakhand as the best aspirational district on the basis of five parameters. Haridwar has secured first position in Basic Infrastructure theme. Now an additional allocation of Rs. 3 crore will be made to this city.
36. With an aim to make tech graduates more employable Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recently inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Center for Advanced Technologies (R-CAT) in Jaipur. The center will organize modern technologies related training programs of one week to six months duration for graduates from BE, BTech, BCA, MCA, MBA and MSc (IT) in collaboration with tech giants of global scale and World class certificates will also be issued to successful candidates.
37. Recently, on the directions of the Supreme Court, Noida's famous Twin Towers (Apex (32 floors) and Cyan (29 floors)) were blown up and demolished. This twin tower was built by Supertech. This matter was going on in the court for the last 9 years, after which the Supreme Court had said in its decision that the construction of this tower is illegal and the company will demolish it at its own expense under the supervision of the Noida Authority.
International
1. Chileans are set to vote on a new constitution, that seeks to bring the most sweeping changes in country since the end of dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet military. Proposed changes focus on social rights, gender parity and environment. It represents a huge shift from 1980 constitution, which was written during Pinochet's prime.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Maldive's President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on 2nd August 2022 in New Delhi. During the talks, both the leaders are likely to sign several agreements. President of Maldives in on a four-day visit to India.
3. President Joe Biden recently confirmed that, the United States has killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who was the leader of al-Qaeda. He was killed in a drone strike and counter-terrorism operation led by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan. He, along with Osama Bin laden, was the mastermind of 9/11 attacks and thus was among America's most wanted terrorists.
4. The National Water levels in the Netherlands has declined to all-time low. As a result, country has been suffering from a water shortage. According to Water Shortage Management Team, continuous drought in country has led to 'water shortage'. Water shortage suggest that, Rhine River Water is supplying 50% less water than normal.
5. China has started its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, in the aftermath of visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Chinese media is tagging the exercise as rehearsal for 'reunification process'. The drill is underway across six zones across Taiwan. China's navy, air force and other departments are taking part in the drill.
6. On 4th August 2022, China launched a reusable experimental spacecraft into orbit. It was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, on Long March 2F rocket. Spacecraft will be placed into low Earth orbit. A similar clandestine mission was launched by China in 2020.
7. On 7th August 2022, US Navy Ship (USNS) reached at Katupalli Shipyard of L&T at Ennore, near Chennai to undertake repairs and maintenance. This adds a new strategic dimension to India - US military partnership. A US Navy Ship is being repaired for the first time in an Indian shipyard.
8. Recently, UK Ministry of Defence cautioned about the possible use of PFM-1 series 'Butterfly Mines' by Russian military in ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia is expected to deploy anti-personnel mines to discourage freedom of movement across its defensive lines in Donbas region. Butterfly mines are capable of causing widespread casualties among military as well as local civilian population.
9. China and Nepal recently gave their consent to construct "Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network". China will also give a grant assistance of USD 118 million to Nepal, to undertake several projects in 2022. Under the agreement, China will finance the feasibility study of a China - Nepal cross-border railway.
10. The International Youth Day is observed every year on 12th August. The day celebrates the contribution of today's youth in development of society. It also calls out against injustice faced by the youth across the world considering that, youth are leaders of tomorrow and they have potential to bring huge changes in society.
11. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has partnered with Government of Japan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Climate Change. They have launched an initiative to hasten climate action across 10 states and Union Territories in India.
12. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) rechristened the variants of monkeypox virus that are currently in circulation. It was done to avoid any cultural or social offence. Monkeypox variant has been renamed as "Clades I, IIa and IIb". Phylogeny and nomenclature of known and new monkeypox virus variants or clades was reviewed by experts in pox virology and representatives of research institutes from worldwide.
13. The United Kingdom has authorized the first ever covid-19 vaccine for Omicron variant. It is the first country to do so. Authorization of vaccine will now pave ways for autumn booster campaign using two-strain shot of Moderna. Conditional authorisation for the vaccine was granted by "Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority".
14. Iran recently submitted a "written response" to final roadmap of restoring its torn nuclear deal with world powers. The country would not go with the proposal mediated by European Union. Iran and United States have differences on three issues. Though, United States noted verbal flexibility in two issues. But Iran demands to include it in written.
15. William Samoei Arap Ruto, who has been the deputy president of Kenya since 2013, won the Presidential election against Raila Odinga. He won by 50.49% of the votes, on the other hand Odinga received 48.85% of votes. He will take an oath of allegiance to the constitution. Oath will be administered by Chief Justice of Kenya within 14 days of the win.
16. Government of US recently passed the "Inflation Reduction Act, 2022". With this, it joins hands with central bank to decrease inflation. Inflation has reached to the level that was last witnessed 40 years ago. Fighting inflation is the top priority of policymakers in US.
17. Amid the unusual hot and dry weather, water levels in the Rhine River have lowered down. Low water level is making it difficult for vessels to navigate through critical European shipping route when fully loaded. When water levels decrease, cargo vessels are forced to sail with lower load in order to avoid them running aground. Due to reduced water level, loading has reduced to about a quarter of regular amount for some shippers.
18. In first half of 2022, China's funding in Pakistan for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had reduced by around 56% in the first half of 2022. Other countries like Russia, Egypt and Sri Lanka also witnessed a reduction by 100% in BRI engagement as compared to first half of 2021.
19. According to China's defence ministry, the People's Liberation Army of China will participate in "Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise" which is scheduled to take part in Russia. Armies of India, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Belarus will also take part in the exercise.
20. The United States has announced a USD 775 million military aid package in line with its promise to provide all possible help to Ukraine in the Ukraine - Russia war. This assistance will include "additional arms, munitions and equipment". This package will include 15 Scan Eagles, 40 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs with mine-clearing rollers and 2,000 anti-armor rounds that can help Ukraine troops move forward in the south and east, where Russian forces have placed mines.
21. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Paraguay during his first official visit to South America. He also praised the decision of Asuncion Municipality to put the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the main bank of the city.
22. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently announced that it would decriminalize same-sex/gay sex between men by scrapping a colonial-era law protecting the definition of marriage. Prior to this under Singapore's Section 377A, men who have sex with men could be jailed for up to two years. LGBT activists in Singapore have hailed the move as "a win for humanity".
23. Recently, a tropical storm hit the northern Philippines, injuring at least three people and displacing thousands. Authorities then closed schools and government offices in several provinces, including the capital, where flooding and landslides were likely.
24. According to a study published by the contemporary Portugal database Pordata, the elderly population in Portugal has tripled in the past three decades and it currently registers 182 elderly people for every 100 young people, making it the European Union (EU) has the largest population. There has been a rapidly growing population an old country.
25. China is facing its biggest drought ever. Drought has dried up rivers and affected power generation at hydroelectric power plants. There is darkness in small and big cities due to no electricity. After 64 years, China faced the longest summer and as a result, the Yangtze, the longest river in Asia, which is the largest river in China, has dried up.
26. Union Minister Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. During this, he will also take part in the meeting of defense ministers of the countries involved in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
27. Recently Africa adopted a pen-plus strategy at the 72nd session of the Regional Committee of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) held in Lomé, Togo. PEN-PLUS is basically a regional strategy to address serious non-communicable diseases at first level referral health facilities.
28. Germany recently launched the world's first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains to replace 15 diesel trains running on non-electrified tracks in the state of Lower Saxony. The new trains are equipped with a hydrogen tank and fuel cells on the roof and will produce electricity by combining water and hydrogen. The company revealed that the excess energy produced will be stored in ion-lithium batteries.
29. During the 38th Ministerial Meeting of the India - Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, the two countries finalized a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding to share the waters of the Kushiyara River on an interim basis.
30. Recently, Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Dr. Sturgomena Lawrence Tax, Minister of Defense and National Services of Tanzania in New Delhi. During the meeting, the two ministers agreed to set up a task force to prepare a five-year roadmap to enhance defense cooperation between the two countries and to hold the next joint defense cooperation meeting in Tanzania at the earliest.
31. Pakistan is currently battling its worst monsoon floods in a decade, which has killed more than 1,100 people, caused more than USD 10 billion in damages and submerged nearly a third of the country. Also, the United Nations issued a USD 160 million flash appeal to help Pakistan deal with the floods.
Defence
1. The 3rd Edition of Ex VINBAX 2022 is set to conducted on 1st August and 2nd August 2022. Ex VINBAX is Bilateral Army Exercise between India and Vietnam. It will be conducted Chandimandir. The exercise is a follow-up to last bilateral exercise, that conducted in Vietnam in 2019.
2. Women officers of Indian Navy recently made history after completing their maiden all-women independent "maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission" to the North Arabian Sea. The mission was completed onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft. Maritime Surveillance Mission was carried out by five officers of Indian Navy Air Squadron (INAS) 314.
3. The Indian Army recently conducted "Skylight Mega-Exercise", to enhance its space domain capabilities. It was first of its kind large-scale exercise. Skylight exercise was aimed at testing operational readiness of satellite communication assets and giving training to personnel manning these assets.
4. The Army Design Bureau has inked a MoU with Drone Federation of India, to work for promotion of research, development, testing and manufacturing of drones, counter drones and related technologies, in collaboration. These technologies would help the Indian Army in its operations.
5. On 8th August 2022, Him Drone-e-thon Programme was recently unveiled by the Indian Army, in association with the Drone Federation of India. The programme was launched in line with "make in India in defence manufacturing". It aims to catalyse and provide focused opportunities for Indian drone ecosystem, in a bid to build drone capabilities for meeting the needs of Indian troops at frontline.
6. Udarashakti is a bilateral exercise between Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). The four-day bilateral exercises recently started in Malaysia. In Udarashakti 2022, Indian Air Force is taking part in air exercise with Su-30 MKI and C-17 aircraft.
7. On 16th August 2022 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched "Nipin" and "F-INSAS" weapons and futuristic weapon systems for Indian Army. These weapons were launched under Indian Army modernisation plan. F-INSAS is "Future-Infantry Soldier as A System" weapon.
8. The Moscow Conference on International Security-2022 was held from 15th August to 17th August 2022. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the plenary session conference virtually on 16th August. In his address, Defence Minister stressed on brining comprehensive reform in structure of United Nations.
9. Exercise Pitch Black is scheduled to be organised between 19th August to 8th September 2022. This is a biennial, multi-national exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Almost 2,500 personnel from over 17 countries and 100 aircraft will engage in both Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat drills.
10. Recently, Defence Research & Development Organisation and Indian Navy successfully flight tested Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range Chandipur, Odisha. The flight test was conducted against a high speed unmanned aerial target to demonstrate vertical launch capability from an Indian Navy ship.
11. The Indian Coast Guard recently conducted its biennial National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise SAREX 22 off the Chennai coast. The objective of this exercise is to avoid accidents at sea and save lives by conducting rescue operations. During this, 24 observers from 16 countries participated in the exercise organized under the theme 'Capacity Building Towards Maritime Security'.
12. The 13th edition of India - US Joint Special Forces Exercise Vajra Prahar recently concluded in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. During this 21-day joint training, the special forces of both the countries underwent training in special operations, air operations and counter-terrorism operations in a joint environment under the United Nations Charter.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. Union Government set up a task force to monitor Monkeypox situation in country. It was created after reporting first death related to monkeypox. The Task force will provide guidance to government with respect to expansion of diagnostic facilities and exploration of vaccination for the disease in India.
2. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently released data on Unified Payments Interface (UPI). According to this, UPI crossed more than 6 billion transactions in July 2022. It is the highest since UPI platform was launched in 2016.
3. Recently, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised over 75,000 start-ups. This milestone has been achieved at the time when India is celebrating 75th year of Independence and Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Start-up ecosystem in India is picking up through innovation, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit.
4. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held meeting on 5th August 2022. MPC fixes the benchmark interest rate in India, by holding meetings for at least 4 times a year. Its decisions are published after each meeting. It has 6 members - 3 officials of RBI and 3 external members nominated by central government.
5. On 7th August 2022, 7th Governing Council meeting was held at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in New Delhi. It was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was the first in-person meeting of the council since July 2019.
6. International Telecommunication Union's Regional Standardization Forum for Asia and Oceania region was inaugurated by Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan, in New Delhi. This forum started from 8th August 2022. It is being hosted by Ministry of Communications, under the theme - "Regulatory and Policy aspects of Telecommunications".
7. Government of Jammu & Kashmir launched the "PARVAZ Market Linkage Scheme" recently. This is an innovative Market Linkage scheme, having tremendous potential to uplift the economic conditions of farmers across Jammu and Kashmir. The PARVAZ scheme was launched with the aim of creating market linkage support for shipment of Agriculture & Horticulture perishables from Jammu and Kashmir.
8. Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was put in the Lok Sabha on 3rd August 2022 and was passed on 8th August. It seeks to amend the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. It promotes energy efficiency and conservation. The Bill seeks to regulate the energy consumption by equipment, buildings, appliances and industries.
9. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India proposed to allow Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to process cross-border inbound bill payments. This will help the Non-resident Indians (NRIs) who face challenges in paying utility bills in India. If proposal is accepted, it will benefit the NRIs.
10. Recently, member of NITI Aayog V. K. Saraswat suggested the government to focus on setting up small modular reactors (SMRs). This move will help in meeting India's energy needs and replace the thermal power plants. Small modular reactors will help in meeting requirements in distributed manner.
11. The 2nd-Generation Ethanol Plant is set to be commissioned on 10th August 2022 in Haryana on the occasion of World Biofuel Day. This plant is aimed at tackling the problem of stubble burning in Haryana and adjoining region. It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in virtual mode.
12. Recently, Microsoft joined the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) of the government, with the objective of introducing social e-commerce in Indian market. Microsoft is the first big technology company to tie up with government for ONDC platform.
13. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently inked between 'Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)' and 'Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)', to increase the participation of small and medium-sized businesses in e-commerce, by bringing them on the ONDC network.
14. Indian Government has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Microsoft to collaboratively launch training programme for civil servants. Under the programme, Microsoft will give training to over 2.5 million civil servants in India for using the Microsoft digital tools.
15. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released regulatory framework for digital lending, in a bid to mitigate the concerns related to credit delivery through digital lending methods. RBI has specifically mentioned that, lending business can only be done by entities that are regulated by RBI or those allowed under the law.
16. Former Chief Economic Adviser of India K. Subramaniam was recently appointed as the Executive Director of India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He will replace Surjit S. Bhalla, who was appointed as India's executive director on the board of the IMF in 2019.
17. The 'Golden Joint' of Chenab Railway bridge was inaugurated on 13th August 2022. It was decked with the National flag to celebrate the "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". It is the highest railway bridge in the world. It is located in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
18. On 16th August 2022, State Bank of India (SBI) launched the first "state-of-the-art" dedicated branch for start-ups to extend support and facilitate them. This branch is located in Koramangala, Bengaluru. It was launched by chairman of SBI Dinesh Khara. Its next branch will be opened in Gurugram while third in Hyderabad.
19. Rajkiran Rai G has been appointed as managing director (MD) for five years. Appointment has been done by Centre and Board of National Bank for Financing Infrastructure & Development (NaBFID). His name was recommended by Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB). On 8th August 2022 Rajkiran Rai G took charge as MD of Development finance institutions (DFI).
20. In a significant development to revolutionize agriculture in the country Jharkhand government and global blockchain technology company, SettleMint jointly announced the successful launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.
21. To protect the interests of fish farmers and to benefit them from new technologies Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the Online Market Place feature "Aqua Bazar" in the "MatsyaSetu" mobile app. Both app was developed by the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, with the funding support of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
22. The road, railway and shipping ministries recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLP). The agreement was signed under Bharatmala Pariyojana. The agreement was signed between RVNL (Rail Vikas Nigam Limited), IWAI(Inland Waterways Authority of India) and NHLML (National Highways Logistics Management Limited).
Science & Technology
1. Scientists from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed world's most durable Hydrogen Fuel Cell. However, this hydrogen fuel is more cost cost-effective and make ways for wider application of green energy in chasing carbon-neutral world.
2. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a postage stamp-sized device. This device can create live, high-resolution images. This device can be affixed to the skin and is capable of transmitting images continuously for 48 hours.
3. DeepMind Technologies, an Alphabet-owned AI research company, has developed an artificial intelligence tool called "AlphaFold". This tool predicts and publishes the structures of all proteins, which is the building blocks of life. Thus, this tool unlocks the most influential databases for biological research.
4. South Korea launched its maiden spacecraft to the moon, joining the race with other countries, on 4th August 2022. The South Korean lunar orbiter will inspect the future landing spots. It was launched on SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle. It will arrive in December 2022.
5. On 5th August 2022, Indian Navy inked a MoU with ISRO's Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad for data sharing and cooperation on Satellite based Naval Applications in Meteorology and Oceanology. This move will help to keep India's defence in line with rapid development in Satellite Data retrieval and applications and will strengthen the collaboration.
6. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its smallest commercial rocket 'Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)' carrying 'AzaadiSAT', on 7th August 2022. It will be launched to unfurl the Tricolour in space, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
7. Union Government of India has set the target to eliminate Kala-azar from country by 2023. According to Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar (Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare), out of 633 Kala-azar endemic blocks, 625 blocks have successfully eliminated the kala-azar in 2021. India's target is way ahead than World Health Organisation (WHO)'s target of eliminating the disease by 2030.
8. Another zoonotic virus, Langya, was recently discovered in China, after deadly coronavirus was detected in 2019. It is a type of Henipavirus, and is also called as Langya Henipavirus or LayV. It was detected in Shandong and Henan provinces in China and has infected 35 people so far.
9. Bharat Biotech recently sought approval for its intranasal Covid vaccine candidate, BBV154, as two-dose vaccine as well as booster dose. It submitted data from Phase 3 clinical trials of BBV154 to seek approval. The heterologous booster infers that, third or subsequent dose of the vaccine is not similar to its primary dose.
10. In Arunachal Pradesh, "Medicine from the Sky Project" was unveiled successfully on 15th August 2022. First flight of drone service was carried from Seppa to Chayang Tajo in East Kameng district. This project is inspired from the Prime Minister's vision of transforming India into world's drone hub.
11. In order to steer the collaboration between industry and research institutes in implementing technology-based social impact innovations and solutions in India, government launched the "Manthan Platform" on 16th August 2022.
12. In a first event, researchers successfully developed the 3D-printed artificial cornea from human donor corneal tissue. Artificial cornea was transplanted into a rabbit eye. This project was undertaken by researchers from L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad in association with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.
13. The Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone recently launched the first indigenously manufactured RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox. With the help of this kit, infection can be detected quickly. This kit was developed by Transasia-Erba Biomedicals and was launched by Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser of the Center.
14. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari recently launched India's first AC double-decker electric bus named 'Switch EiV 22' developed by Ashok Leyland in Mumbai. The bus can gain a 100 km of range with just a 45 min charge, while a full charge takes 80 minutes and has a Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt (NMC) battery that comes with an 8 year warranty.
15. NASA is in full preparation to send its astronauts to moon again. Ths US space agency is currently focusing on the launch of its Artemis I rocket which is scheduled to be launched on 29th August 2022. This rocket is moved to the launch pad for final preparation.
16. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh recently launched India's first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune. This bus has zero emissions compared to a diesel bus plying on long distance routes which usually emits 100 tonnes of CO2 annually.
17. India's first commercial space observatory will be set up in the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. Digantara, a startup started in the field of space, will build this laboratory. This observatory will monitor the 10 cm size of microscopic particles moving in the space around the Earth. This space situational awareness observatory will help in monitoring space waste and military satellites hovering in space around the Earth.
18. To bring to the fore the story of the heroes of the Indian freedom struggle, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur recently launched 'Azadi Quest', a series of online educational mobile games developed in association with Zynga India.
19. Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an ultrasound-assisted fermentation method to produce a safe sugar replacement called "Xylitol" from bagasse, which is the residue left after crushing sugarcane.
Government Schemes
1. Recently, the Employee's Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), inaugurated the "Face Authentication Scheme for Pensioners". The scheme will allow more than 73 lakh pensioners to submit digital life certificate, by using the face authentication technology from anywhere.
2. Government has been linking major tourist destinations with the handicraft clusters and infrastructure supports, as a part of "Linking Textile with Tourism" initiative. With respect to this, 8 craft villages have already been set up for overall development of villages. In these villages craft promotion and tourism are being taken forward.
3. Recently, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) released operational guidelines to implement 'Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0' scheme. Central government has approved the scheme for implementation during 2021 - 22 to 2025 - 26, that is; the period of 15th Finance Commission.
4. On 1st August 2022, Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 'Mission Bhumiputra'. Under the mission, digitalised caste certificates will be issued to students, in a simplified and digital way. It will be implemented by Departments of Tribal Affairs (Plain) and Social Justice Empowerment.
5. Haryana Government recently launched the Haryana Cheerag Scheme. Under the scheme, government will provide free education to Economically Weaker section (EWS) students of Government schools in private school. Cheerag Scheme stands for, "Chief Minister Equal Education Relief, Assistance and Grant".
6. Science and Engineering Research Board's - State University Research Excellence (SERB-SURE) scheme was recently launched to increase the research capabilities in a structured way, in a bid to create a powerful R&D ecosystem in state as well as private universities & colleges. Scheme would also cater to self-financed institutions operational within these universities.
7. Experiential Learning for 21st Century Programme was recently launched for Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) Principals and Teachers, in virtual mode. It was launched by CBSE, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ESTS in association with TATA trusts, TISS and MGIS.
8. Ministry of Culture has launched "India ki Udaan" initiative in association with Google. This initiative seeks to celebrate unwavering & undying spirit of India and its achievements in last 75 years. India ki Udaan Initiative was launched as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
9. On 10th August, Union Cabinet extended the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) till December, 2024. This scheme was launched for the period of 2015 - 2022. The scheme was launched in June 2015 with the aim of providing pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in urban areas.
10. Under the Smile-75 initiative, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has marked 75 Municipal Corporations for comprehensive rehabilitation of person practicing the act of bagging. This initiative has been started as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
11. Nethanna Bima Scheme was launched recently by Chief Minister of Telangana K. Chandrashekhar Rao, on the occasion of National Handloom Day. This scheme has been launched for the welfare of weavers. Nathanna Bima Scheme is one-of-its-kind insurance cover scheme, that will benefit around 80,000 weavers families.
12. According to the Union government, it has distributed around 6.83 lakh tonnes of fortified rice as a part of Public Distribution System (PDS) in second phase of "Fortified Rice Scheme". Government had set aim in 2021, to distribute fortified rice through government schemes by 2024.
13. Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Ayush Grid Project. As a part of MoU, MeitY will provide technical support to Ministry of Ayush to digitise Ayush Sector, for a period of 3 years.
14. In financial year 2022 - 23, Government of Rajasthan has planned to devote more than Rs. 17 crore to provide "Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana". Under this scheme, free coaching is provided to students for competitive exams. Budget outlay for this financial year is higher as compared to Rs. 3.5 crore in 2021 - 22.
15. On 16th August 2022, 'Paalan 1000 National Campaign was set in motion'. It was launched by Bharati Pravin Pawar (Union Minister of State for Health) in virtual mode. On the occasion, a parenting application was also unveiled, that primarily focuses on children's development in first two years.
16. According to Government data, 500 cities across India have declared themselves as 'Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar'. All the cities have achieved sufficiency in terms of institutional capacity, equipment norms and manpower as provided by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the Har Ghar Jal Utsav, which is being organised in Goa, on 19th August 2022. Har Ghar Jal Utsav is being held under Jal Jeevan Mission. On this occasion, QR code payment system for water bills will also be inaugurated.
18. NAMASTE Scheme was launched jointly by "Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment" and "Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs". It is a Central Sector Scheme. The scheme seeks to provide safety and dignity to sanitation workers across urban India by erecting an enabling ecosystem to recognize sanitation workers a significant contributor in maintenance and operation of sanitation infrastructure.
19. To promote skill development and entrepreneurship among tribal youth and to promote Skill India Mission, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society recently launched Phase II of Grameen Udyami project in Ranchi (Jharkhand).
20. The National Health Authority (NHA) and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for providing holistic health services to transgender persons under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
21. Recently, Foreign Secretary Dr. Ausaf Sayeed informed that the new age e-chip passport is likely to be launched by the end of the year 2022 or by the first week of January 2023. In this passport the details of the applicant will be kept digitally in the chip which will be embedded in the passport booklet. It will provide security upgrade of Indian passport and enable machine reading.
22. The Health Ministry had recently informed that soon the Ayushman card will be co-branded with the state logo and name of state-specific health schemes as well as the flagship health scheme of the Centre. This step has been taken by the government to reduce the confusion among the citizens so that they know exactly which schemes are applicable for them.
23. Recently, Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan will now be linked to geospatial maps to prevent unnecessary cost escalation. This linking will help in developing future infrastructure in a planned manner, curbing cost escalation and saving taxpayers money, besides enhancing India's cost competitiveness.
24. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had talked about issuing 'UP Parivar Kalyan Card' soon for all the families of the state. Under this, the benefits of various welfare schemes running in the state can be availed. This will also help those families who are deprived of the schemes due to any reason.
25. Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti unveiled a new initiative named 'Arth Ganga' under the Namami Gange program with an aim to boost economic activities along the banks of river Ganga. Under Arth Ganga, the government is working at six levels.
26. Environment Ministry has recently notified Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 for eco-friendly disposal of defective batteries. These rules will replace the Battery (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001. These regulations cover all types of batteries such as electric vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries and industrial batteries.
27. Recently 75 high burden tribal districts have been selected by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to become TB free in the coming months. For 75 such districts, a three-pronged strategy is presented.
28. Recently, the central government's ambitious scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has completed eight years. The main objective of this scheme was to include the poor section of the country in the main banking system. Under this scheme more than 46 crore bank accounts have been opened in 8 years. It has deposits of Rs. 1.74 lakh crore.
Awards & Honours
1. Recently, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. K. Stalin received the "President's colour to Tamil Nadu Police" at an event held at Rajarathinam Stadium in Chennai. President's colour was given by Vice-President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu. Tamil Nadu Police has become one among few law enforcement agencies in India to receive the "President's colour".
2. Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has been appointed as the "first woman director general of CSIR" (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research). She is the senior electrochemical scientist and has been appointed for two years. Kalaiselvi will succeed Shekhar Mande, who retired in April 2022.
3. Highest civilian honour of Ladakh "dPal rNgam Duston" was recently conferred to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. He was honoured for his contribution towards humanity. It was the 6th dPal rNgam Duston Award. Award was conferred to Dalai Lama by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
4. French Government's highest civilian award "Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur" was presented to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. This honour is being conferred to him, because he delivered speech in French in 2021. His speech left the officials of the embassy, consulates, military attaches and Alliance Francaise surprised.
5. On the occasion of Independence Day 2022, 1082 police personnel received the "Police Medals". Among them, 347 personnel received the Police Medal for Gallantry, 87 received Police Medal for Distinguished Service while, 648 personnel received Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
6. On 15th August 2022, President Droupadi Murmu approved around 107 gallantry awards for the armed forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). It comprises of 3 Kirti Chakras and 13 Shaurya Chakras. Apart from that, 81 Sena Medals, 1 Nao Sena Medal and 2 Bar to Sena medals were also announced.
7. On 23rd August, Google dedicated a doodle to Anna Mani, India's first female physics scientist. She was a physicist as well as a meteorologist. She has a special contribution related to research in the field of meteorology and energy. Anna Mani was born on 23rd August 1918 in the former state of Travancore (present-day Kerala). She is popularly known as the Weather Woman of India.
8. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the 2022 UNESCO Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees. All jury members, including jury chairman and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, were impressed by Merkel's courageous decision to welcome more than 1.2 million refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea in 2015.
9. Bangladesh born painter and story writer Fahmida Azim has been selected for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize. Currently, she is working for Insider, an American online magazine. Fahmida is honored for an illustrated report entitled "How I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp" along with her winning team members Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams and Insider's Walt Hickey in New York.
10. Sameer V. Kamat, Director General, Naval Systems and Materials Division of DRDO, was recently appointed as the new Chairman of DRDO. Kamat will continue in this post till the age of 60 years or till further orders. The same, the current secretary G. Satheesh Reddy was appointed Scientific Advisor to the Defense Minister.
11. Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra recently won the Lausanne Diamond League with a best throw of 89.08 m. He became the first Indian to win the Diamond League meeting title. Before Chopra, discus thrower Vikas Gowda is the only Indian to finish in the top three in the Diamond League.
Sports
1. India's lawn bowls women's fours team won gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, creating history by winning India's first ever medal in lawn bowls event. The team of lawn bowls comprised of skipper Rupa Rani Tirkey, Pinki, Lovely Choubey and Nayanmoni Saikia. They won the title after beating 2018 silver medallists South Africa with a 17-10 victory.
2. On the 9th day of Commonwealth Games 2022, India won a total of 14 medals, including 4 gold medals to Ravi Dahiya, Naveen Kumar, Vinesh Phogat and Bhavina Patel; 3 silver medals and 7 bronze medals. So far, it was the best day for India the CWG.
3. The Commonwealth Games 2022 were held from 28th July to 8th August 2022, in which India has been ranked at 4th place, in terms of medals. India bagged a total of 61 medals, comprising of 22 Gold, 16 Silver and 23 Bronze. This was India's 4th best performance at the CWG with respect to winning gold medals.
4. Iconic Tennis Star, Serena Williams announced her retirement on 9th August 2022. She will say goodbye to tennis after US Open, which is scheduled to take place from 29th August to 11th September 2022. She announced her retirement as she wants to focus on her family life.
5. Like Kho-Kho and Kabaddi, Dahi Handi has now been given the status of a game in Maharashtra. It will be considered as a type of adventure sports. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told in the Vidhan Sabha that Govindas who join Dahi Handi will be given benefits of government schemes, 5 percent reservation in government jobs.
6. 16 year old R. Praggnanandhaa, India's young grandmaster, defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen for the third time this year. He defeated Carlsen 4-2 in the final round of the FTX Crypto Cup. Despite the victory over Carlsen, he finished second in the final table. Carlsen won the title by scoring the most points.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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