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PM Modi to address Investor Summit in Gujarat
- PM Narendra Modi will address Investor Summit in Gujarat on 13 August 2021 through video conferencing.
- The summit is being organized to invite investment for setting up vehicle scrapping infrastructure under the Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Program or the Vehicle Scrapping Policy.
- It is being organized by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the govt of Gujarat.
GSLV-F10 mission couldn’t be accomplished
- ISRO launched its earth observation satellite GISAT-1 on 12 August 2021.
- The satellite was launched onboard the GSLV-F10 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
- Performance of the first and second stages was normal.
- However, Cryogenic Upper Stage ignition did not happen due to technical anomaly.
- The mission couldn’t be accomplished as intended.
New book by journalist Jaideep Hardikar
- Journalist Jaideep Hardikar has authored a new book ”Ramrao: The Story of India’s Farm Crisis”.
- The book has been published by HarperCollins India.
- It aims to offer a peek into India’s ”unending farm crisis” through the biography of a farmer from Maharashtra’s infamous Vidarbha region.
- Jaideep Hardikar is one of India’s most experienced and seasoned journalists covering rural affairs.
54 school principals get the prestigious award
- The Prestigious “Change Maker Award For Digital Transformation & Holistic Learning” was presented to 54 school principals in India by Tech Avant-Garde (Microsoft’s Global Partner) in association with Microsoft and Rotary Club.
- 111 teachers were certified as Microsoft Innovator Educator Trainers at the Knowledge L’avenir Platform conducted by Tech Avant-Garde.
NCL collaborates with Madhya Pradesh
- Coal India arm NCL has collaborated with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to promote and boost the Singrauli eco-tourism circuit, giving thrust to mine tourism under sustainable development initiatives.
- The collaboration would facilitate the development of eco-mine tourism and eco-parks which will also generate employment and business opportunities for the locals.
Delhi government sign MoU with IB board
- The Delhi government has signed an agreement with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Board for the upcoming Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE).
- IB is an international education board to which some of the best schools across India and the world are affiliated.
- Schools affiliated with DBSE and their students would now get to experience international-level education.
Kerala announces Onam bonus for govt employees
- The Kerala government on 11 August 2021 announced a bonus of Rs 4,000 for government employees for the festival of Onam.
- The employees not eligible for the bonus would be given a special festival allowance of Rs 2,750.
- Besides, the employees can avail themselves of Onam advance of Rs 15,000 which should be repaid in five equal installments.
India lays a roadmap for the export of goods
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has laid down a roadmap for a targeted USD 1 trillion in exports of goods by 2028 and probable services exports of USD 700 billion within the same time.
- The Ministry has also undertaken a major drive to identify and push 31 commodities through 200 countries with a targeted USD 400 million exports by 2021.
Over 54 lakh SVs identified in 35 states, UTs
- Around 54.70 lakh street vendors (SV) have so far been identified in 35 states and Union Territories, the government informed Rajyasabha on 11 August 2021.
- Uttar Pradesh has a maximum of 9.87 lakh vendors.
- Under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the urban local bodies have to conduct a survey for the identification of street vendors.
Oracle Cloud gets MeitY empanelment
- Technology firm Oracle was empanelled by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as a cloud infrastructure solution provider.
- The empanelment will enable government entities to access benefits from Oracle Cloud infrastructure including reliable on-premises-equivalent performance, security controls, and maintain an active Disaster Recovery (DR) location.
Ladakh to host the first Himalayan film fest
- The union territory of Ladakh would be hosting the first edition of The Himalayan Film Festival 2021 (THFF) from Sep 24 to 28, 2021, in Leh capital city.
- The festival will be organized by Leh in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- The five-day festival also aims to showcase Ladakh as an attractive film destination.
4th advance production estimates of crops
- The Fourth Advance Estimate of production of major agricultural crops for 2020-21 has been released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at a record 308.65 million tonnes which is higher by 11.14 million tonnes than the production of foodgrain during 2019-20.
India ranks 122nd on Youth Development Index
- India is ranked 122nd on a new Global Youth Development Index measuring the condition of young people across 181 countries.
- The index was released by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on 10 August 2021.
- The top five risers from 2010 to 2018 were Afghanistan, India, Russia, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso.
- Singapore ranked topmost followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark.
International Youth Day: 12 August
- Every year, International Youth Day is observed on August 12.
- In 1999, the United Nations decided to commemorate International Youth Day every year on Aug 12.
- It was based on a recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon to the UN General Assembly.
- The theme for 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
Malayalam actress Saranya Sasi passes away
- Popular Malayalam film and television actor Saranya Sasi passed away in August 2021.
- Her work includes films like Chhota Mumbai, Thalappavu, Bombay March 12 and TV soaps like Kootukari, Avakashikal, Harichandanam, Malakhamar, and Rahasyam.
- She started her career in 2006 in Sooryodayam, a serial directed by Balanchandra Menon which was aired on Doordarshan.
National Public Procurement Conclave
- The 5th edition of the National Public Procurement Conclave (NPPC) was held on 9-10 August 2021.
- It was organized by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
- It was held on the theme “Technology enabled Government Procurement – Towards Efficiency, Transparency, and Inclusiveness”.
Stafanie & Sakib named ICC Player of the Month
- Captain of the West Indies women squad Stafanie Taylor was voted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July 2021.
- She led her team to win the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan in July.
- From the Bangladesh camp, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2021 for his performance across all three formats of the game.
India invited to Afghanistan meet
- India has been invited to a meeting of regional countries on Afghanistan in Doha.
- It will see the participation of countries like Turkey and Indonesia as well.
- The invite was extended during the visit of Qatari Special Envoy for Counter-Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Mutlaq Al Qahtani.
- The Regional Conference on Afghanistan will take place on August 12, 2021.
China, Russia conduct joint military drills
- Russia and China launched the biggest joint military exercise in China’s north-central Ningxia region on 9 August 2021 involving 10,000 ground troops and Air Forces of the two countries.
- Russia’s Su-30SM fighter aircraft was part of the Sibu/Cooperation-2021 military exercise.
- The opening ceremony involved China’s J-11 fighter jets, J-16 multirole fighter jets, JH-7A fighter bombers, etc.
Govt to monetise Rs 6 lakh crore infra assets
- The government is finalizing Rs 6 lakh crore worth infrastructure assets, including national highways and power grid pipelines, which would be monetized.
- This was announced by Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey.
- An asset monetization dashboard will also be created for tracking the progress and to provide visibility to investors.
WHO partners with Facebook and Praekelt.org
- WHO is working with Facebook and Praekelt.org to provide covid-19 information to the world’s most vulnerable people through Discover and Free Basics mobile web and app in a mobile-friendly format.
- This initiative enables underserved communities to access life-saving covid-19 health information through participating operators in more than 55 countries.
Dream Sports launches mega $250 mn fund
- Dream Sports has made an initial allocation of $250 million for its corporate venture capital and acquisitions arm, Dream Capital to invest in sports, gaming, and fitness-tech startups.
- Dream Sports also owns fantasy gaming platform Dream11.
- Dream Capital has already started deploying its corpus, investing across eight companies including – e-sports platform, SoStronk.
Gajendra Singh joins oil regulator PNGRB
- Former director for marketing in gas utility GAIL India Ltd Gajendra Singh has been appointed as a member of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), which is a downstream oil regulator.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed Singh and GAIL Director (Finance) Anjani Kumar Tiwari as members in the PNGRB.
40,000-year-old frozen lion cub found
- Researchers from the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm have come across a 40,000-years-old frozen mummy of an extinct cave lion cub.
- It is the best-preserved ice age animal ever found.
- Named Sparta, she was found alongside another male cub (named Boris) who was just 50 feet away, in 2018.
- The species of cave lions are actually close to the African lions of the modern day.
RBL Bank selects AWS to drive AI capability
- RBL Bank has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI)-based banking solutions and drive digital transformation at the bank.
- RBL Bank is building on its analytics practice and investing in AI capabilities to implement various use cases across multiple segments, including risk, customer service, etc.
World Elephant Day: 12 August
- World Elephant Day is celebrated every year on August 12.
- Initiated by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark in 2011, the first international Elephant Day was celebrated on August 12, 2012.
- The main aim of World Elephant Day is to make people aware of better treatment of captive elephants and against their illegal poaching and trade for ivory.
KreditBee launches a new age card
- KreditBee, one of India’s leading digital lending platforms, has entered into the card segment with the launch of ‘KreditBee Card’.
- It has partnered with RuPay and RBL Bank for the launch of this product.
- KreditBee Card is a credit-line backed prepaid card for the end consumer, where the amount is loaded into the KreditBee card account once the user sends a purchase or drawdown request.
OneWeb secures $300 mn from Hanwha Systems
- OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company has secured a $300 million equity investment by Hanwha Systems – a South Korean technology and manufacturing company.
- This brings OneWeb’s total equity investment since November 2020 to $2.7 bn with no debt issuance.
- The investment is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.
Birthday of Chola king to be celebrated
- Tamil Nadu government will celebrate King Rajendra Chola’s birth anniversary, which falls on Aadi Thiruvathirai, from the year 2022.
- King Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola and ruler of the Chola Empire 1000 years ago.
- Sri Brihadeeswarar temple, built by Rajendra Chola in Gangaikonda Cholapuram 1000 years ago, is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
Delhi Airport among top-50 best airports
- Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has emerged among the world’s top-50 best airports in the 2021 Skytrax World Airport Award ranking.
- It is for the third consecutive year that Delhi IGI has been crowned the best airport in India.
- Additionally, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru have found a rank in the world’s 100 best airports.
Water molecules discovered on Moon surface
- ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has detected water molecules on the moon surface.
- There was widespread lunar hydration and unambiguous detection of OH and H2O signatures on the moon between 29 degrees north and 62 degrees north latitude.
- The findings were published in Current Science Journal.
- The formation of hydroxyl or water molecules occurs due to a process called space weathering.
Bungus Awaam Mela inaugurated
- Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Bungus Awaam Mela on 11 August 2021 at Bungus valley in the Kupwara district.
- It is a part of the celebrations of the 75th year of Independence.
- To make the Bungus valley environmentally sustainable he directed the Forests and Tourism Dept to chart out viable eco-tourism plan for the region.
Indore: First water plus city of the country
- Indore, the country’s cleanest city, has now been declared the first water plus city of India under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.
- According to the guidelines of Water Plus Protocol of Swachh Survekshan, 1,746 public and 5,624 domestic sewer outfalls in 25 small and big nullahs were tapped by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).
- 147 special types of urinals were also constructed in the city.
130th edition of Durand Cup to held in Sept
- 130th edition of the Durand Cup Football Tournament is scheduled to be held at Kolkata from the 5th of September to the 3rd of October 2021.
- 16 teams from across the country, including four from the Services will participate in the tournament.
- Durand Cup is the world’s third oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament.
- It was first held in 1888, at Dagshai, Himachal Pradesh.
Afghanistan replaces its Army Chief
- Afghanistan has replaced its Army Chief as Taliban militants continue to make rapid advances.
- The insurgents have now taken control of nine of the 34 provincial capitals.
- The removal of the country’s Army Chief, General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, was confirmed on 11 August 2021.
- He has been replaced by Gen. Hibatullah Alizai.
National Youth Awards conferred
- Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur conferred the National Youth Awards 2017-18 and 2018-19 in New Delhi on 12 August 2021.
- Total 22 National Youth awards were given in individual and organizations categories.
- The award comprises a medal, a certificate, and a cash prize of 1 lakh rupees to an individual and a cash prize of 3 lakh rupees to the organization.
General Insurance Business Amendment Bill
- Parliament has passed the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021.
- The Bill seeks to amend the General Insurance Business ( Nationalisation) Act, 1972.
- It removes the mandatory provision of 51% shareholding of the central govt in General Insurance Corporation of India, National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance companies.
National Commission for Homeopathy Bill passed
- Parliament has passed the National Commission for Homeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- The National Commission for Homeopathy Bill proposes to amend the National Commission for Homeopathy Act, 2020.
- While the second bill proposes to amend the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020.
Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill passed
- Parliament has passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- The Bill allow states and Union Territories to prepare their own list of OBC.
- The bill proposes to amend Article 342A to state that the power of the President is to specify the socially and educationally backward classes in the Central List for the purposes of the Central Government.
‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti se Samvad’ held
- PM Narendra Modi participated in the ‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti se Samvad’ on 12 August 2021 through video conferencing.
- He interacted with women Self Help Group (SHG) members or community resource persons promoted under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
- He also released capitalization support funds to the tune of Rs 1625 crore to over 4 lakh SHGs.
7th IBSA Academic Forum inaugurated
- Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh inaugurated the two-day-long 7th IBSA Academic Forum on 12 August 2021.
- It is being hosted by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, RIS.
- IBSA is a unique Forum that brings together India, Brazil, and South Africa, three large democracies, and major economies.