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LIC launches ‘Ananda’ mobile app
- Life Insurance Corporation of India has inaugurated the ‘Ananda’ mobile app for the Digital paperless solution for new business processes.
- The digital application is a tool for the onboarding process to get the life insurance policy through a paperless module with the help of the agent or intermediary.
- 1 September marks the LIC foundation day as LIC was established on 1 September 1956.
China eyes part of Montenegro’s territory
- Montenegro might be forced to cede part of its territory to Beijing as the country is staggering under USD 1 billion it owes to the Chinese government.
- The country had borrowed this amount in a bid to pay a Chinese contractor to build a highway allowing faster access to remote parts of the country,
- The USD 1 billion loan amount is nearly a fifth the size of Montenegro’s entire economy.
EU to convene a forum to discuss the resettlement of Afghans
- The European Union would convene a forum in September 2021 to discuss the “legal routes for resettlement” of at-risk Afghan nationals.
- It aims to provide sustainable solutions to those Afghans who are most vulnerable, particularly women and children.”
- The forum would also focus on resettling “human rights activists, journalists, and lawyers.
Madhya Pradesh govt to appoint Olympian Vivek Sagar as DSP
- Madhya Pradesh cabinet has decided to appoint Vivek Sagar Prasad, a member of the Olympic bronze medal-winning Indian Hockey Team as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
- Vivek Sagar Prasad is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for the Indian national team.
- In January 2018, he became the second-youngest player ever to debut for India at 17 years, 10 months, and 22 days.
Bihar govt to introduce ‘catch-up courses’ programme
- Bihar government has decided to introduce “catch-up” courses for flood-affected students in the state,
- The move would ensure that students are on track with their studies once the schools reopen.
- About 35.06 lakh hectares (37.24%) in Bihar state are flood-affected.
- 29 out of 38 districts are moderate to very high flood-affected.
India holds first formal meeting with Taliban
- India’s ambassador to Qatar held talks with a top Taliban leader on 31 August 2021, the first formal diplomatic engagement since the hardline Islamist group took over Afghanistan.
- The envoy, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s Political Office in Doha.
- The two sides discussed the safety of Indians left behind in Afghanistan.
Dale Steyn retires from all forms of cricket
- South African pacer Dale Steyn announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 31 Aug 21, bringing an end to his 17-year illustrious career.
- He featured in 93 tests, picking up 439 wickets, making him the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the longest format of the game.
- He also featured in 125 ODIs and 47 T20Is, picking up 196 wickets and 64 wickets respectively.
Mariyappan Thangavelu wins silver in High Jump
- Mariyappan Thangavelu won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in the Men’s High Jump T63 event.
- USA’s Sam Grewe won the gold medal with a best jump of 1.88m while India Sharad Kumar took the bronze in the event.
- Mariyappan and Grewe were involved in an intense battle for a gold medal after clearing the mark of 1.86m even as rain affected the conditions at the Olympic Stadium.
GDP estimates by NSO released
- The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter (April-June) Q1 of 2021-22.
- GDP at constant prices in Q1 of 2021-22 is estimated at ₹ 32.38 lakh crore, as against ₹ 26.95 lakh crore in Q1 of 2020-21, showing a growth of 20.1 percent as compared to a contraction of 24.4 percent in Q1 2020-21.
All-India CPI-IW released for July 2021
- The All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers has been released for July 2021.
- It increased by 0.90 per cent with respect to June 2021 compared to an increase of 1.20 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago.
- The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, compiles Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers every month.
Grant-in-aid released to Rural Local bodie
- The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has on 31 August 2021 released an amount of Rs.13,385.70 crore to 25 States for providing grants to the Rural Local Bodies.
- This Grant-in-aid is the 1st instalment of Tied grants of the year 2021-22.
- The grants have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.
Indian Navy signs contract with BEL for anti-drone system
- Indian Navy has signed a contract with Bharat Limited (BEL) for the supply of the indigenous comprehensive Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) with both hard-kill and soft kill capabilities.
- The NADS, developed by DRDO and manufactured by BEL, is the first indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
- BEL is a navratna defence public sector undertaking.
Index of Eight Core Industries released
- The Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for the month of July 2021.
- The combined ICI stood at 134.0 in July 2021, which increased by 9.4 per cent as compared to the Index of July 2020.
- ICI measures the combined and individual performance of production in eight core industries.
40th meeting of the NCR Planning Board held
- The 40th meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) was held on 31 August 2021 via Video Conferencing.
- The meeting was chaired by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs.
- The Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement for Stage Carriage & Contract Carriage was signed for seamless movement of passenger vehicles in the NCR at the meeting.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launches web portal
- The Union Minister for Home & Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the web portal for registration of units under the ‘New Central Sector Scheme’ for Industrial Development of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The web portal would attract investment of more than Rs.50,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir and would lead to the inclusive, all-around development of the Union Territory.
8th Meeting of Agri experts of BIMSTEC Countries held
- India hosted the 8th Meeting of Agriculture Experts of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Countries virtually on 31 August 2021.
- The BIMSTEC provides a unique link between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand coming together for cooperation in 14 key economic and social sectors of the economy.
PM to release a special commemorative coin
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi would release a special commemorative coin of ₹125 on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji on 1st September 2021.
- Swami Ji founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the “Hare Krishna movement”.
- ISKCON has translated Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta in 89 languages.
CSIR-CMERI develops Mechanized Scavenging System
- A Mechanized Scavenging System has been developed by CSIR-CMERI (Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute) which was initiated after intensive studies of the diverse nature of Indian Sewerage Systems and the manner of its chokes.
- This, CSIR-CMERI technology provides an in-situ option for Mechanized Scavenging as well as purification of Water.
Karnataka to formulate special health programmes
- Karnataka government would formulate a special program to focus on the health and education of children and women in the Raichur, Yadgir, and Kalaburagi districts of the state.
- These districts were identified as aspirational districts by National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and have severe problems of malnutrition among children and women.
Seven Union Ministers launches Yoga Break mobile app
- Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal, along with six Union Ministers, launched the Yoga Break (Y-Break) mobile application at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 1 Sep 2021.
- The 5-minute ‘Yoga Break Protocol’ consists of very useful Yoga practices devised to de-stress, refresh and re-focus on work to increase the productivity of individuals at the workplace.
World’s first plant-based air-purifier
- Urban Air Laboratory, a startup company has developed a living-plant based air purifier “Ubreathe Life” that amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces.
- It has been incubated at IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.
B Venkatraman is new IGCAR Director
- Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam on 31 August 2021 appointed B Venkatraman as its director with immediate effect.
- He succeeds Arun Kumar Bhaduri.
- Venkatraman was serving the Quality and Resource Management group as director (safety).
- Venkatraman is also a recipient of the DAE Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award 2007 for individual excellence.
South Korea bans Apple and Google payment app
- South Korean MPs passed a law banning Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants’ payment systems, effectively declaring their lucrative App Store and Play Store monopolies illegal.
- The Korean law dubbed as the “Anti-Google Law,” would offer users a choice of app payment providers, allowing them to bypass charges set by the store owner.
Nagaland plans to attain 100pc literacy by 2030
- The Nagaland government has made an ambitious plan of attaining 100 percent literacy by 2030 through strengthening anganwadi centers and early childhood education besides improving infrastructure.
- The current literacy rate of the North-eastern state is 79.55 percent.
- Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio earlier unveiled the Nagaland SDG Vision 2030 – Leaving no one behind.
PPK appointed Rajya Sabha secretary-general
- Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on 31 August 2021 appointed Dr. PPK Ramacharyulu, who is a secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2018, as the secretary-general.
- He joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in 1983 after serving in the Lok Sabha Secretariat for a year.
- He succeeds Desh Dipak Verma, who demitted office as secretary-general after serving the top post for four years.
Air pollution effect on life expectancy in India
- India’s air pollution levels have increased so much in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh that an average person is now losing an additional 2.5 to 2.9 years of life expectancy, according to a report by the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago University.
- The report says that north India breathes “pollution levels that are 10 times worse than those found anywhere else in the world”.
Indore: The first district to inoculate 100% eligible population
- Indore has become the first district in the entire country with a population of more than 10 lakh to inoculate 100% eligible population with the first dose of the Covid19 vaccine.
- Bhuvneshwar city has covered its population with both doses.
- Municipal Corporation Indore was made the nodal agency in the entire campaign to vaccine all in the district.
VP Naidu launches Khadi India Quiz Contest
- Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu launched the Khadi India Quiz Contest organized by Khadi and Village Industries Commission as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.
- It took over the work of the former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Paris 2024 proposes para-sport representation in emojis
- The Paris 2024 Organising Committee submitted an official proposal to the Unicode Consortium requesting the addition of 4 Para sports activities emojis to this now-universal language.
- The committee would organize the subsequent Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- The initiative is also supported by the Worldwide Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the French Nationwide Paralympic Committee (CNPSF).
EAM to visit three Central European countries
- External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is set to pay an official visit to Slovenia, Croatia, and Denmark from September 2-5, 2021.
- This visit would provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in India’s bilateral ties with Central Europe, and strengthening multifaceted relationships with the EU.
- Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Himachal Pradesh: 1st dose vaccinated state
- Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to administer the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 100 percent of its adult population.
- Till 31 August 2021, 51.45 percent of India’s adult population has been vaccinated with at least one dose and 15.34 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
Sri Lanka receives USD 787 million SDR from IMF
- Sri Lanka has received USD 787 million from the IMF’s special drawing rights (SDR) allocation.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) distributed a total SDR allocation of equivalent to USD 650 billion among its member countries in proportion to their existing quotas in the IMF.
- Sri Lanka also received USD 150 million from Bangladesh Central Bank as a currency swap arrangement.
Sabarna Roy bags Times Excellence Award 2021
- Literary fiction author Sabarna Roy has been honored with the prestigious Times Excellence Award 2021.
- Times Excellence Awards have been created to identify, encourage and provide recognition to young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators who have been game-changers in a true sense.
- Viraj Kohli, an entrepreneur on a social mission, has also been presented with the Award.
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
- International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is marked every year on August 30 to honor and pay tribute to people who have faced enforced disappearances.
- Global organizations UN and Amnesty International observe this day to raise awareness about how enforced disappearance is a crime and should not be used as a tool to deal with situations of conflict.
Goa CM launches a scheme
- Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the ‘Save Water to Get Free Water’ scheme on 31 August 2021.
- Under the scheme, households in the state would not be charged for water consumption up to 16,000 liters.
- Goa would also become the first state in the country to supply water free of cost to its citizens.
President’s colour to be awarded to Naval Aviation
- President Ram Nath Kovind would award the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at a ceremonial parade at INS Hansa in Goa on September 6, 2021.
- During the occasion, a Special Day Cover would be released by the Postal Department.
- The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation.
Smriti Irani inaugurates Poshan 2.0
- Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on 31 August 2021 inaugurated Poshan 2.0 and urged all aspirational districts of the country to make a commitment to establish a Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden).
- The nutrition month is being started from 1 September 2021 for the protection of Severe Actual Malnourished (SAM) children.
All-India House Price Index slows to 2% in Q1
- The growth in all-India House Price Index (HPI) slowed to 2 percent in the first quarter this fiscal 2021-22 against 2.8 percent in the year-ago period, according to RBI data released on 31 August 2021.
- The Reserve Bank releases a quarterly house price index (HPI) based on transaction-level data received from housing registration authorities in ten major cities.
Avi Mitta appointed as Honorary Secretary-General of DCM
- Delphic Council of Maharashtra has recently appointed its new Honorary Secretary General Avi Mittal, the CEO of Golden Ace Ventures.
- Avi Mittal is also the chairperson for BRICS chamber of commerce and industry young leaders and is a philanthropist.
- The Delphic Games are often regarded as the twin sister of the Olympic Games and are focused on Arts and Culture instead of sports.
PayU acquires BillDesk for $4.7 bn
- Prosus-backed fintech firm PayU has acquired India’s earliest payment gateway BillDesk in an all-cash transaction of $4.7 billion.
- It would be the largest acquisition in India’s digital payments space.
- In the past, PayU India had snapped up payments technology company CitrusPay in 2016 for $160 million.
- It then acquired digital credit platform Paysense in 2020 for $185 million..