Current Affairs 11th August 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Twitter in compliance with new IT Rules 

• The Centre told the Delhi High Court that Twitter was prima facie in compliance with the new Information Technology Rules by appointing a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Resident Grievance Officer (RGO) and Nodal Contact Person on permanent basis.
• Justice Rekha Palli, who was hearing a petition alleging non-compliance of IT Rules by the US-based microblogging site, sought an affidavit from the Centre to bring its stand on record within two weeks.

About new rules:

• Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person (NCP) and Resident Grievance Officer have been appointed in compliance with the law.
• The court stated that Twitter’s affidavit on its compliance with IT Rules was finally on record.
• Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Twitter, iterated that the company has appointed permanent officials for the posts of CCO, RGO and NCP.
• The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 seek to regulate dissemination and publication of content in cyberspace, including social media platforms, and were notified in February by the central government.

Finance Ministry unveiled Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 9,871 cr to 17 states

• The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has released 5th monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs. 9,871 crore to the States on 9th August, 2021.
• A total amount of Rs. 49,355 crore has been released to eligible States as Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant (PDRD) in the current financial year.
• State-wise details of the grant released this month and total amount of PDRD Grant released to the States in 2021-22 is annexed.
• The Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant is provided to the States under Article 275 of the Constitution.
• The grants are released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission in monthly installments to meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post devolution.

About the report:

• The Commission has recommended PDRD grants to 17 States during 2021-22.
• The eligibility of States to receive this grant and the quantum of grant was decided by the Commission based on the gap between assessment of revenue and expenditure of the State after taking into account the assessed devolution for the financial year 2021-22.
• The States recommended for PDRD Grant by the Fifteenth Finance Commission are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

SC seeks govt’s report against recommendations of National Task Force on Oxygen 

• The Supreme Court asked the Centre to submit the action taken report within two weeks on the recommendations of court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on allocation of oxygen to states and Union Territories amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The top court stated that since the NTF consists of senior doctors and experts from all over the country, it is imperative for the Centre to take steps to ensure that recommendations are duly implemented at the policy level to meet any exigencies in present and foreseeable future.

About NTF:

• A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks and listed it along with the suo motu matter on COVID preparedness.
• The top court noted that the final NTF report has been submitted and an interim report of the sub-committee on evaluation of oxygen requirement of national capital has been filed.

PM declared National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to make India self-sufficient in cooking oils, including palm oil

• As India’s import dependency on edible oil continues to rise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 11,000 crore National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to make India self-sufficient in cooking oils, including palm oil.
• Modi stated while addressing a virtual event on the occasion of release of an installment of PM-KISAN “The government will ensure that farmers get all the facilities, from quality seeds to technology under the mission”.
• Modi also mentioned while India has become self-sufficient in rice, wheat and sugar, it was not enough as the country is hugely dependent on imported edible oils.

About the mission:

• The Centre has already been running a National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm to boost oilseeds and palm oil production in India for the last few years with an aim to lower imports.
• The New Mission plans to increase oil palm cultivation to 1 million hectares by 2025-26 and 1.7-1.8 million hectares by 2029-30.
• At present, less than 0.5 million hectares is under Oil Palm cultivation in India domestically largely in Andhra Pradesh.
• The domestic palm oil production is targeted to rise by three times to 1.1 million hectares by 2025-26 under the Mission.

PM Modi to hosts industry on Partnership for Self-Reliance

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the industry of government and businesses working together for a self-reliant India at the annual meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• The theme ‘India at 75: government and business working together for Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
• Modi will be participating via video conferencing.
• Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and coordinating minister for economic policies Heng Swee Keat will address the event as a special international guest speaker.
• The theme of Modi’s address is the guiding principle for India now to steer its economy out of the devastating impact of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The government has in its FY22 union budget articulated a policy of calibrating its import policies and tariffs to encourage more value addition in the local economy and to discourage import of finished products.
• Also, global manufacturers are being encouraged to set up factories in India by way of production incentives.

First Internet Governance Forum of India held in New Delhi

• Shri Anil Kumar Jain, the CEO, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and the Chairman of Coordination Committee, India Internet Governance Forum 2021 (IGF), announced the launch of India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) -2021 at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi.
• IIGF- 2021 will be planned for three days, starting from 20th October, 2021.
• The theme of this year’s meeting is Inclusive Internet for Digital India.
• The Indian chapter of the United Nations based forum namely Internet Governance Forum has begun.

About the forum:

• It’s an Internet Governance policy discussion platform to bring representatives together from various groups, considering all at par to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.
• This mode of engagement is referred to as the multi-stakeholder model of Internet Governance, which has been the key feature for the Internet’s success.
• The Multi Stakeholder concept is well adopted by IGF (Internet Governance Forum) under United Nations and by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China unveils new terminal at Lhasa Airport in Tibet

• China has opened a newly constructed terminal – stated to be the biggest in Tibet – at the provincial capital Lhasa, further expanding the transport infrastructure in the strategic Himalayan region and helping it emerge as a global logistics hub for South Asia.
• Lhasa Gonggar Airport opened its newly constructed Terminal 3 for operations, marking a significant milestone in the remote region’s rapid infrastructure development that could significantly boost passenger and cargo transport.
• The airport expansion project was carried out at a cost of USD 603 million, adding that the move would help the region become a global logistics hub for South Asia.
• Tibet has five airports including at Nyingchi, Shigatse and Ngari located close to the Indian and Nepal borders.

About China:

• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing
• Currency: Renminbi

India nods foreign nationals to get Covid-19 vaccine through CoWIN

• India started the Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16, 2021; in the first phase, all healthcare workers were eligible to take the shot that was later extended to frontline workers on February 2.
• Gradually, the facility was extended to citizens above 60 and those above 45 years who suffered from 20-specified co-morbidities. 
• Foreign nationals residing in India are now eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccination in India.
• “In a landmark initiative to ensure safety from Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to get registered on CoWin portal to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
• They can use their passport as identity document for the purpose of registration on CoWin portal.
• Once they are registered on this portal, they will get a slot for vaccination”.

UNICEF India and Facebook collaborate to make a safer online world for children

• Facebook stated it was launching a one-year joint initiative with UNICEF India on ending violence against children with a special focus on online safety.
• The company informed the partnership seeks to create a safe environment for children online as well as offline, and that it aims to improve the ‘resilience’ and ‘capacity’ of children to access the digital world safely, increase awareness on violence against children and its impact on children, families, and communities, as well as increase skills of communities and frontline workers to better prevent and respond to violence.
• The partnership will include a nation-wide social media awareness campaign and capacity building for 100,000 school children on online safety, digital literacy, and psychosocial support.

About UNICEF:

• UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
• The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories.
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: Henrietta H. Fore
• President: Tore Hattrem

IPCC publishes report titled ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’  

• On Aug 09, 2021, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report titled “Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis”.
• In that report Indian Ocean was warming at a rate higher than other oceans.

About the Report : 

• The report provides the latest assessment of scientific knowledge about the warming of the planet and projections for future warming, and assesses its impacts on the climate system.
• According to the report, warming of Indian ocean will result in a rise in sea levels causing more frequent and severe coastal flooding across low-level areas.
• In addition to that the report predicts India will suffer more frequent and intense heat waves as well as increased precipitation in the remaining decades of the 21st century.
• The report provides five scenarios for the carbon emissions, it is
• The world will cross the 5-degree threshold in the 2030s sooner than in previous predictions.
• It will also see temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

About IPCC :

• Headquarters location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founder: Bert Bolin
• Leader: Hoesung Lee
• IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations (UN).
• It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Gujarat CM introduces eNagar mobile application and portal

• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has launched eNagar mobile application and portal.
• The eNagar covers 10 modules with 52 services including property tax, professional tax, water & drainage, Complaints and grievance redressal, building permission, fire and emergency services.
• Gujarat Urban Development Mission has been appointed as a nodal agency for eNagar project.
• Total 170 locations including 162 municipalities and 8 Municipal Corporations are covered under the eNagar project.

About Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
• National Parks: Gir National Park, Velavadar National Park, Marine National Park, Vansda National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Kakori Train Conspiracy now renamed to Kakori Train Action

• The Uttar Pradesh government has renamed a landmark freedom movement event as Kakori Train Action while paying tributes to the revolutionaries who were hanged for robbing a train at Kakori to buy weapons in 1925.
• The new name was used in official communications to refer to the event, usually described as the ‘Kakori train robbery’ or the ‘Kakori train conspiracy’.
• UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel attended a programme held on the anniversary of the event at Kakori-based Kakori Shaheed Smarak on the outskirts of Lucknow.
• Family members of the freedom fighters were honoured on this occasion, and an art exhibition was also held.
• A government official stated it was derogatory to describe the robbery that was a part of the freedom movement as “conspiracy”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

SIDBI launches ‘Digital Prayaas’ app 

• In order to facilitate loans to aspiring entrepreneurs from the bottom of the pyramid, many of whom are new to the bank (NTB), Small Industries Development Bank of India, the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has launched the programme ‘Digital Prayaas’ an App based end to end digital lending tool platform resulting in loan sanction accorded by the end of the day.
• Further, to cater to the aspiring youths in the urban area, SIDBI has also tied up with a major aggregator viz., BigBasket, to on board its delivery partners across the country and provide loans at an affordable interest rate for purchase of environment friendly e-Bikes and e-Vans.

About the App:

• The Digital Prayaas App is set to digitize the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process and the process of e-signing and e-stamping of various documents.
• The on boarding of borrowers including e-KYC and Sanction based on the credit score and analytics based on the algorithms shall get done on an end-to-end basis digitally.

Union Bank provide Rs 30 crore loans to support MSMEs   

• Amid the pandemic, as many businesses were forced to shut down, Union Bank of India is providing various financial schemes to micro, small and medium enterprises to provide support so they can re-establish themselves.
• The bank has given immense support to industries and businesses by sanctioning substantial Covid-19 relief loans. 
• It will discuss The present situation of the various businesses in the district including rice mills, spinning mills, weaving mills, cold storages, oil mills, stone crushing units of MSMEs.

About UBI:

• Union Bank of India is an Indian government-owned bank under the ownership of Ministry of Finance with 120+ million customers and a total business of US$106 billion.
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Rajkiran Rai G.

RBI to levy penalty Rs 10,000 per ATM on ATMs that run out of cash from October 1

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks and white label automated teller machine (ATM) operators to put in place a robust system that will allow them to monitor the availability of cash in ATMs and ensure timely replenishment to avoid cash-out situations.
• The central bank has introduced a ‘scheme of penalty for non-replenishment of ATMs’, effective October 1, 2021, wherein banks and white label ATM operators will be penalised, in the event of cash-outs beyond the permissible time limit.

About the penalty:

• According to the scheme, a penalty of Rs 10,000 per ATM will be levied in the event of a cash-out situation for more than 10 hours in a month.
• “In the case of white label ATMs, the penalty would be charged to the bank which is meeting the cash requirement of that particular white label ATM.
• The bank, may, at its discretion, recover the penalty from the white label ATM operator”.

RBI increases limit for collateral free loans to SHG to Rs 20 lakhs

• The Reserve Bank of India notified the enhancement of collateral free loans to self-help groups (SHGs) from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• The DAY-NRLM is the flagship programme of Government of India for promoting poverty reduction through building strong institutions of the poor, particularly women, and enabling these institutions to access a range of financial services and livelihoods.

About the loan:

• DAY-NRLM adopts a demand driven approach, enabling the states to formulate their own state-specific poverty reduction action plans.
• For loans to SHGs up to Rs 10 lakh, no collateral and no margin will be charged.
• Also, no lien should be marked against savings bank account of SHGs and no deposits should be insisted upon while sanctioning loans.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Union Govt to appointed three commissions to reform higher education sector

• The Union government unveiled the draft of a bill to replace higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) with a Higher Education Commission.
• The new commission to be established through an Act will not have grant-making authority, will promote reduced inspection system and will focus more on quality outcome at universities and colleges.
• Human resource development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar, who claimed this is a key education reform.
• Its board will have senior bureaucrats from the ministries of HRD, skills and entrepreneurship, and science and technology, in a way ending the monopoly of HRD ministry in regulating higher education.

RBI appointed Neeraj Chopra for banking fraud awareness campaign

• A public awarenesscampaign is being run by the Reserve Bank of India to warn people of digital banking frauds. 
• The RBIhas roped in Neeraj Chopra, Olympic gold medalist for this campaign.
• Neeraj Chopra, stated, “RBI says not to share your OTP, CVV, ATM Pin with anyone, change your online banking passwords and pins from time to time and if you lose your ATM card, credit card then block it immediately”.
• After winning the country a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Neeraj Chopra was warmly welcomed at the airport in Delhi.
• He brought home the first Olympic gold in athletics.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

GIFT City and India Insurtech Association signed an ink pact 

• India Insurtech Association (IIA), a not-for-profit body promoting tech-driven insurance ecosystems in India inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Financial Services Centre at GIFT City, (GIFT-IFSC) to collaborate on building thought leadership in the field of insurance and promoting GIFT City for Indian and foreign insurance companies.
• To raise awareness about GIFT IFSC, the collaboration will organize events, information series, seminars, and conferences.
• The two institutions will also research regulatory sandbox projects for GIFT IFSC, which will benefit insurtech start-ups, re-insurance businesses, politicians, service providers, and individuals.

About the GIFT city:

• Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is an Under-construction business district near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India.
• The purpose of setting up the GIFT City is to develop a world class smart city that becomes a global financial hub with the development of an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
• GIFT City is central business hub with state-of-the-art infrastructure and a first of its kind development in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

India, Saudi Arabia To Carry Out First-Ever Naval Exercise Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021

• On Aug 09, 2021, India and Saudi Arabia are all set to conduct their first-ever naval exercise Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021
• INS Kochi, the flagship destroyer of the Indian Western Naval Fleet, arrived at Port Al-Jubail
• The warship reached to Saudi Arabia after carrying out a naval exercise with the UAE Navy off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

About the Exercise :

• The exercise is taking place amid rising tension in the Gulf region after a drone attack on a merchant tanker off Oman killed a British national and a Romanian citizen.
• The UK and the US pointed fingers at Iran for the attack on MV Mercer Street, operated by an Israeli-owned firm.
• In December 2020, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia in a first-ever visit by a head of the Indian Army to the two important Gulf countries.

About INS Kochi :

• INS Kochi is the second ship of Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers.
• It was built for Indian Navy under the code name Project 15A.
• The ship was constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and commissioned to Indian Navy service in September 2015.

ITBP Inducts Two Women Officers In Combat for first time      

• For the first time, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) inducted two women officers Prakriti and Diksha who have been commissioned as combatised officers.
• They are posted as Assistant Commandants in ITBP battalions, after completing their training at the ITBP Academy in Mussoorie.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and ITBP director general S S Deswal inducted the two women officers as Assistant Commandants, the entry-level officer rank in the paramilitary.
• During the event, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force released the first-ever book on its history titled ”History of ITBP’‘

About ITBP :

• Founded: 24 October 1962
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Minister Responsible : Amit Shah
• Director General : Surjeet Singh Deswal
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India’s primary border patrol organization for its border with China‘s Tibet Autonomous Region.
• It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of India.
• The ITBP started the appointment of women combat officers as company commanders through UPSC/CAPF exams in 2016.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO To Launch Its Most Advanced Geo-Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 on August 12      

• On Aug 12, 2021, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its most advanced geo-imaging satellite, the Earth observation satellite (EOS) – GISAT-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• Isro’s GSLV-F10 rocket will put the Gisat-1, codenamed EOS-3, into the geo-orbit.
• The GISAT-1 will be the country’s first sky eye or earth observation satellite to be placed in geo-stationary orbit.

About GISAT-1 :

• Gisat-1 will be placed 36,000 km above the Earth in the geostationary orbit.
• The 2,268 kg GISAT-1 would provide a real-time image of a large area of the region of interest at frequent intervals.
• It will also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events, and any short-term events.
• The Satellite will allow better monitoring of the subcontinent, including its borders with Pakistan and China, by imaging the country 4-5 times a day.

About ISRO :

• Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan

About SDSC :

• Founded: 1 October 1971
• Director: Arumugam Rajarajan

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

Global Youth Development Index : India Ranks 122nd among 181 countries  

• On Aug 10, 2021, a new Global Youth Development Index was released by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
• According to that index India is ranked 122nd measuring the condition of young people across 181 countries.
• Singapore was ranked first in this index, followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark respectively.
• Meanwhile, the countries with the least development of youth include Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger.
• The top five improvers from 2010 to 2018 were Afghanistan, India, Russia, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso, with an average score increase of 74 percent.

About the Global Youth Development Index :

• The index ranks countries between 00 (lowest) and 1.00 (highest) according to the developments in youth education, employment, health, equality and inclusion, peace and security, and political and civic participation.
• The 2020 Global Youth Development Index reveals that the conditions of young people have improved around the world by 3.1 per cent between 2010 and 2018.
• Overall, the index shows advances in youth’s participation in peace processes and their education, employment, inclusion and health care since 2010.
• It looks at 27 indicators including literacy and voting to showcase the state of the world’s 1.8 billion people between the ages of 15 and 29.
• In that Index Sweden was first in education, Luxembourg was first in inequality and inclusion, Indonesia was first in political and civic participation, and Singapore was first in employment, health, and peace and security.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

A New Book Titled How The Earth Got Its Beauty launched by Sudha Murty

• Popular children’s author Sudha Murty launches a new book titled How The Earth Got Its Beauty.
• The book is published by Penguin Random House imprint Puffin, has illustrations by Priyanka Pachpande.

About Sudha Murty :

• Sudha Murty is a credible writer in both English and Kannada.
• She is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation.
• She is the wife of the co-founder of Infosys, R. Narayana Murthy.

Awards & Honours :

• She was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for social work by the Government of India in 2006 & in the same year she also received the K. Narayana’s Award for Literature.
• Also She received the Attimabbe Award from the government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature in 2011.
• Recently in 2019 IIT Kanpur awarded her Honorary Degree (Honoris Causa) of Doctor of Science.
• She has also received 7 honorary doctorates from several universities in the country.

Author Anuradha Roy’s new novel  ‘The Earthspinner’ will release September 2021

• Award-winning author Anuradha Roy’s new novel titled  ‘The Earthspinner’ will be released on September 03, 2021.
• The book will be Published by Hachette India.

About the Book :

• In that book, Roy delves into the “life and mind of Elango the potter, who must navigate complicated and impossible love, the dedication of a beloved pet, his own passion for creativity and a world turned upside down by the petty violence that characterises the present day
• This novel is about themes of creativity, the freedom to live and love which in our country are constrained by community, religion, state harassment.
• This novel is about the two people struggling to free themselves of such shackles to create a happier world.

About Anuradha Roy :

• Anuradha Roy is an Indian novelist, journalist and editor.

Other Novels :

• An Atlas of Impossible Longing (2008)
• The Folded Earth (2011- won the Economist Crossword Prize)
• Sleeping on Jupiter (2015- DSC Prize for Fiction 2016 )
• All the Lives We Never Lived (2018-won the Tata Book of the Year Award for Fiction )
• In 2020, She was awarded, International Dublin Literary Award 2020.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

AFI decides 7th August to be named “Javelin Throw Day” to honour Neeraj Chopra.

• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) decided to name August 7 as ‘Javelin Throw Day’ in India to honour Neeraj Chopra’s first historic Olympic gold.
• It is an attempt to attract more youth towards the sport 
• The javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won  the gold medal in men’s javelin throw at a distance of 58m in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on August 7.
• This is India’s first-ever gold medal in athletics in the history of the Olympics.
• The 23-year-old Neeraj is India’s second individual Olympic gold medallist after Abhinav Bindra

About AFI :

• Founded: 1946
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• President: Adille J Sumariwalla
• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is the apex body for Athletics in India, and is responsible for conducting Competitions in the country.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Commodore Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao passes away

• On Aug 09, 2021, War hero Commodore Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao passed away.
• He was 94.

About Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao :

• Born in Madurai in November 1926.
• Commodore Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao was an Indian Navy officer, & he is notable for his participation in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
• He was the commander of two Arnala-class anti-submarine corvettes INS Kiltan and INS Katchall which were part of the task group that attacked Karachi Harbour during ‘Operation Trident’ on December 4, 1971.
• He led a small task group of the Western Fleet and launched the offensive off the coast of Karachi as part of Operation Cactus Lily.

Note :

• December 4 is Observed as Navy Day.

Awards & Honours :

• He was awarded India’s second highest military decoration Maha Vir Chakra for his outstanding contributions during Operation Trident.
• Also he was a recipient of the Veer Seva Medal

Daily CA On Aug 11 :

• The Centre told the Delhi High Court that Twitter was prima facie in compliance with the new Information Technology Rules by appointing a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Resident Grievance Officer (RGO) and Nodal Contact Person on permanent basis.
• The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has released 5th monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs. 9,871 crore to the States on 9th August, 2021.
• The Supreme Court asked the Centre to submit the action taken report within two weeks on the recommendations of court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on allocation of oxygen to states and Union Territories amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As India’s import dependency on edible oil continues to rise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 11,000 crore National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to make India self-sufficient in cooking oils, including palm oil.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the industry of government and businesses working together for a self-reliant India at the annual meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• Shri Anil Kumar Jain, the CEO, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and the Chairman of Coordination Committee, India Internet Governance Forum 2021 (IGF), announced the launch of India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) -2021 at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi.
• China has opened a newly constructed terminal – stated to be the biggest in Tibet – at the provincial capital Lhasa, further expanding the transport infrastructure in the strategic Himalayan region and helping it emerge as a global logistics hub for South Asia.
• India started the Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16, 2021; in the first phase, all healthcare workers were eligible to take the shot that was later extended to frontline workers on February 2.
• Facebook stated it was launching a one-year joint initiative with UNICEF India on ending violence against children with a special focus on online safety.
• On Aug 09, 2021, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report titled “Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis”.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has launched eNagar mobile application and portal.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has renamed a landmark freedom movement event as Kakori Train Action while paying tributes to the revolutionaries who were hanged for robbing a train at Kakori to buy weapons in 1925.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched ‘Digital Prayaas‘, an App based end to end digital lending platform.
• Amid the pandemic, as many businesses were forced to shut down, Union Bank of India is providing Rs 30 crore loans for various financial schemes to micro, small and medium enterprises to provide support so they can re-establish themselves.
• RBI to levy penalty Rs 10,000 per ATM on ATMs that run out of cash from October 1
• The Reserve Bank of India notified the enhancement of collateral free loans to self-help groups (SHGs) from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• The Union government unveiled the draft of a bill to replace higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) with a Higher Education Commission.
• A public awarenesscampaign is being run by the Reserve Bank of India to warn people of digital banking frauds & the RBI has roped in Neeraj Chopra, Olympic gold medalist for this campaign.
• India Insurtech Association (IIA), a not-for-profit body promoting tech-driven insurance ecosystems in India inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Financial Services Centre at GIFT City, (GIFT-IFSC) to collaborate on building thought leadership in the field of insurance and promoting GIFT City for Indian and foreign insurance companies.
• On Aug 09, 2021, India and Saudi Arabia are all set to conduct their first-ever naval exercise Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021
• For the first time, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) inducted two women officers Prakriti and Diksha who have been commissioned as combatised officers.
• On Aug 12, 2021, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its most advanced geo-imaging satellite, the Earth observation satellite (EOS) – GISAT-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• On Aug 10, 2021, a new Global Youth Development Index was released by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, According to that index India is ranked 122nd measuring the condition of young people across 181 countries.
• Popular children’s author Sudha Murty launches a new book titled How The Earth Got Its Beauty & the book is published by Penguin Random House imprint Puffin, has illustrations by Priyanka Pachpande.
• Award-winning author Anuradha Roy’s new novel titled  ‘The Earthspinner’ will be released on September 03, 2021 & the book will be Published by Hachette India.
• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) decided to name August 7 as ‘Javelin Throw Day’ in India to honour Neeraj Chopra’s first historic Olympic gold.
• On Aug 09, 2021, War hero Commodore Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao passed away.

Daily CA On Aug 10 :

• Nagasaki Day is observed on 9 August & In 2021, the world is observing the 76th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing.
• Globally every year on August 10 World Lion Day is observed, to raise awareness about lions and to mobilise support for their protection and conservation.
• The World Biofuel Day is observed every year on August 10, to raise awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector.
• Karnataka has become the first state in the country to issue the order with regard to the implementation of National Education Policy-2020.
• The Central Government has given a three-year extension to Rekha Sharma ( 57-year-old ) as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women.
• Home interiors brand HomeLane has appointed Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an equity partner and brand ambassador with a 3 year strategic partnership.
• Asian Development Bank has approved a USD 300 million loan as additional financing for the ongoing Maharashtra Rural Connectivity Improvement Project that is upgrading rural roads and connecting remote areas with markets.
• On Aug 06, 2021, The Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju attended the eighth meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) On virtually.
• On Aug 09, 2021, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi becoming the first India PM chaired the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate via video conferencing & the Theme of the debate : ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that  101-member contingent of the Indian Army will participate in International Army Games 2021
• Indian Space Research Organization is set to launch a INS-2B Bhutanese satellite in December 2021.
• Veteran Bollywood actress, Shabana Azmi has launched the book titled “The Year That Wasn’t – The Diary of a 14-Year-Old” & the book was written by a 14-year-old girl, Brisha Jain & the book has been published by Vitasta Publishing Pvt Ltd.
• Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s marathon at 2020 Tokyo Olympics claiming a one-two in sweltering conditions in Japan’s northern city of Sapporo.
• England’s James Anderson Becomes Third Highest Wicket-Taker in Test Cricket.
• Cartoonist, sculptor and folk singer P.S. Banarji passed away.