Current Affairs August 02nd 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

1-7 August – World Breastfeeding Week

• World Breastfeeding Week or WBW is observed from August 1 to 7 every year.
• It was first started in 1992 to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and the baby.
• World Breastfeeding Week’s annual themes include healthcare systems, women and work, community support, ecology, economy, science, education, and human rights.
• Since 2016, World Breastfeeding Week is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.

Theme:

• World Breastfeeding Week theme for 2022 is “Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support”.
• The theme is aimed at encouraging breastfeeding as it is a very important thing and plays a very important role in the early development of a baby.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

The Lok Sabha has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill:

• The Lok Sabha has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill that seeks to prohibit athletes, support personnel, and other people from engaging in doping in sports.
• The bill provides a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory in sports.
• The Bill also proposes to establish the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports.
• The board will overtake the activities of NADA and issue directions to it.
• It will comprise a chairperson and two members, who will be appointed by the central government.
• The National Dope Testing Laboratory will be deemed to be the principal dope testing laboratory.
• The center may establish more National Dope Testing Laboratories as well.
• The bill will support the UNESCO international convention against doping in sports.
• The bill prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel, and other persons from getting involved in any doping activities.

PM has launched the ministry of power’s flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the ministry of power’s flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
• The scheme is aimed at improving the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of the power distribution companies (discoms).
• The scheme, with an outlay of over Rs 3.03 trillion in five years to FY26, will enable discoms to modernize and strengthen the distribution infrastructure and improve the reliability and quality of supply of power to end consumers.
• It also aims to reduce the AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses to pan-India levels of 12-15% and the ACS-ARR (average cost of supply-average revenue realized) gap to zero by 2024-25.
• REC and PFC have been nominated as nodal agencies for the scheme.
• RDSS mandates the compulsory installation of smart meters across the country.
• The Centre has set an ambitious target of installing 250 million smart meters by 2025.
• With this new scheme coming into force, all other previous schemes such as Integrated Power Development Scheme, Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, and Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) would stand subsumed.
• During the program, the Prime Minister also dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various green energy projects of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) worth over Rs 5,200 crore.
• The Prime Minister inaugurated the 100 Mega Watt-MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Project in Telangana and the 92 MW Kayamkulam Floating Solar Project in Kerala.
• Besides, Mr. Modi also laid the foundation stone of the 735 Mega Watt Nokh Solar Project in Rajasthan, the Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh, and Kawas Green Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas project in
• On this occasion, Mr. Modi launched the national solar rooftop portal, enabling online tracking of rooftop solar plants’ installation.

Two years of the launch of the National Education Policy 2020:

• To mark the completion of two years of the launch of National Education Policy 2020, the Union Home Minister recently launched a slew of initiatives related to education and skill development.
• At the event, the home minister stated that the promotion of regional languages is essential to unlocking the full potential of Indian talent.
• A NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.
• The first education policy came in 1968 on the recommendation of the Education Commission, headed by D S Kothari.
• The second education policy came in 1986, which was replaced by the third education policy – NEP 2020.
• The NEP 2020 was drafted based on the recommendations of a panel led by former ISRO chief Kasturirangan.
• The policy aims to transform India’s education system by 2040
• Overhauling the curriculum, easier Board exams, a reduction in the syllabus to retain core essentials, and thrust on experiential learning and critical thinking.
• “5+3+3+4” design (instead of 10+2 structure), which corresponds to the age groups 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle) and 14-18 (secondary).
• The launched initiatives are given below:
• 75 Bharateeya games in schools: Bharateeya games will be introduced in schools through the PT teachers.
• It will help in promoting traditional sports in schools.
• Kalashala initiative in 750 schools: It will promote and support local arts and introduce various art forms to school children through lecture demonstrations by visiting artists.
• IKS-MIC program for technology demonstration: It will promote the development of products and India’s traditional knowledge systems.
• Setting up of virtual labs: 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs will be established.
• Public Consultation Survey for NCF: Public Consultation survey in 23 languages will be conducted to seek input and suggestions for the development of the NCF.
• National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA): ECCE: This is to prepare an initial cadre of high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Teachers in Anganwadis.
• Vidya Amrit Portal: It is a Digital Project to scale up the micro-improvements taking place in school education in different parts of the country.

Over the age of 17 can now apply in advance to be enrolled in the voters’ list: ECI

• The Election Commission of India recently announced that those over the age of 17 can now apply in advance to be enrolled in the voters’ list.
• They do not have to wait until they reach the age of 18 on January 1 of each year.
• With this announcement, ECI has begun the process of incorporating the changes announced by the govt recently regarding electoral reforms.
• Persons entitled to vote in an election are those who are registered as voters under the provisions of the Indian Constitution and the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950.
• As per the Indian Constitution (under Article 326), all Indian citizens above the age of 18 years who have registered themselves as voters are eligible to vote.
• The new voters who complete 18 years on April 1, July 1, and October 1 of any given year, and not just January 1, will be eligible for enrolling as voters.
• Earlier, the revision of electoral rolls was done on January 1st.
• The Representation of the People Act allowed voter registration for those who have attained the age of 18 only once.
• Only those who have attained the age of 18 years as of January 1 of that year or before are eligible to be enrolled in the voters’ list.

PM has addressed the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi.
• The National Legal Services Authority organized the first-ever national-level meeting of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) at Vigyan Bhawan.
• The meeting considered the creation of an integrated process to bring about uniformity and synchronization in DLSA.
• There are 676 District Legal Services Authorities throughout the country.
• A District Judge is the head of the DLSAs and acts as chairman of the authority.
• Various legal aid and awareness programs are implemented by the National Legal Services Authority, through DLSA and State Legal Services Authorities.
• DLSAs also contribute to reducing the burden on the courts by regulating the Lok Adalats conducted by NALSA.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WHO Declares Monkeypox as a Global Public Health Emergency of International Concern

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
• The decision was justified, with cases in more than 70 countries, most of which are non-endemic, many with no clear epidemiological links and milder nonspecific clinical presentation.

About PHEIC :

• PHEIC is a formal declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of an extraordinary event that is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response.
• Under the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), states have a legal duty to respond promptly to a PHEIC.
• The declaration is publicized by an IHR Emergency Committee (EC) of international experts.
• Between 2009 and 2022, there were 7 PHEIC declarations ie :

1. 2009 H1N1 (or swine flu) pandemic
2. 2014 polio declaration
3. 2013–2016 outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa
4. 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
5. 2018–20 Kivu Ebola epidemic
6. Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
7. Ongoing 2022 monkeypox outbreak.

• The recommendations are temporary and require reviews every three months

About WHO :

• Established: 7 April 1948
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General : Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Parent Organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Kerala govt to launch online cab service ‘Kerala Savari’

• The Government of Kerala is set to launch its online taxi service called “Kerala Savari”.
• The new service would be launched at a function to be held at Kanakakunnu Palace on the beginning day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, which falls on August 17, 2022.

Aim :

• To ensure safe and dispute-free travel for the public at affordable rates prevailing in Kerala.
• The project will be implemented by the Motor Workers Welfare Board with the cooperation of the Planning Board, Legal Metrology, Transport, IT, and Police Departments. 
• Indian Telephone Industries, Palakkad, a public sector organization, provided technical assistance for the project.

About Kerala Savari :

• The online taxi hiring service is being rolled out by the Kerala Labor Department linking the existing auto-taxi networks in Kerala.
• Kerala Savari will charge only 8 percent service charge apart from the fixed rate in other parts of the country.
• The app is designed with utmost care in security standards.
• It has a panic button system that can be pressed in case of a car accident or any other type of danger.

About Kerala :

• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Tamil Nadu govt launches Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’for students of primary schools

• The Tamil Nadu government formally launched the first phase of the ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ at 1,545 government primary schools for the benefit of over 1.14 lakh children in Classes 1 to 5 during 2022-23.
• The TN government has allocated Rs 33.56 crore for this scheme.

About ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme :

• In its first phase, the scheme will be introduced in a few districts and remote villages through local government bodies, after which it will be extended throughout the state.
• The ingredients used for preparing breakfast should be approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Every student is to be provided a 150-500 gram breakfast with sambar with vegetables.
• A monitoring committee is also to be set up to periodically analyze the implementation of the scheme.

Note :

• Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to provide midday meals to government school students.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

BOB Financial Solutions launches mobile app ‘bob card’

• BOB Financial Solutions Limited has launched its credit card servicing mobile application, ‘bob card’.

Aim :

• To help customers with a one-stop solution to manage their Bank of Baroda credit card services.
• The app has been designed in collaboration with IBM.

About ‘bob card’ :

• bob card is a smart digital platform that offers a battery-saver dark-themed interface along with secured access with face ID, fingerprint lock & PIN, and a smart eye feature to ensure that card details of the customers remain private.
• It will help customers manage their card usage limit, redeem reward points instantly, convert high-value transactions into smart EMIs and pay credit card bills on time.
• Customers can download the app from the App Store (iOS users)/ Google Play Store (Android users), and start using it after linking it with their registered mobile number.
• The app is powered by intelligent workflows at the backend to deliver an engaging & secure user experience for the customers.”

About BOB Financial Solutions Ltd :

• Founded: 29 September 1994
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : Shailendra Singh
• BOB Financial Solutions is a non-banking financial company (NBFC) that is wholly owned by the Bank of Baroda (BoB).

RBI temporarily allows merchants & payment aggregators to save customer card credentials

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has temporarily permitted merchants or their payment aggregators (PAs) involved in the settlement of transactions where cardholders decide to enter the card details manually to save the Card-on-File (CoF) data for a maximum period of “Transaction Date + 4 days” or till the settlement date, whichever is earlier.
• This data shall be used only for the settlement of such transactions and must be purged.
• Now, the card issuer and the card network are allowed the aforementioned dispensation
• For carried out other post-transaction activities, acquiring banks can continue to store CoF data (customer card credentials) until January 31, 2023
• The RBI emphasized that there shall be no change in the effective date of implementation of the requirements relating to “Restriction on Storage of Actual Card Data (CoF) – all entities, except card issuers and card networks, shall purge the CoF data before October 1, 2022.
• With effect from October 1, 2022, no entity in the card transaction/payment chain, other than the card issuers and/or card networks, shall store CoF data, and any such data stored previously shall be purged.

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar

RBI imposes restrictions on 3 Urban cooperative banks

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on the withdrawal of funds, on three Urban cooperative banks (UCBs) namely

1. Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar, Maharashtra
2. The Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur, Maharashtra
3. Durga Co-operative Urban Bank, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

• The restrictions imposed on the three banks under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 the Reserve Bank would remain in force for 6 months and are subject to review.
• As part of the restrictions, these UCBs cannot grant loans, make any investment, incur any liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, or disburse or dispose of properties or assets.

Key Highlights :

• With the imposition of restrictions on Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar, depositors will not be able to withdraw funds from their accounts.
• Depositors of The Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur, can only withdraw up to Rs 10,000 from their accounts.
• The RBI has also imposed restrictions on customers of Durga Co-operative Urban Bank, Vijayawada can withdraw up to Rs 1.5 lakh from their deposits.
• The banks will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till their financial position improves.

Recent News :

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended a four-tier regulatory framework for urban cooperative banks (UCBs) based on the size of deposits and their area of operations.

About UCBs :

• The term Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) is not formally defined but refers to primary cooperative banks located in urban and semi-urban areas.
• Until 1996, these banks were allowed to lend money only for non-agricultural purposes.
• These banks were traditionally centered on communities and local workgroups as they essentially lent to small borrowers and businesses.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

HDFC to fully acquire venture capital arm HVCL by buying shares from SBI

• The Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) will acquire its venture capital subsidiary HDFC venture capital limited (HVCL) by buying out the State Bank of India’s 19.5 percent stake in the company.
• HDFC holds 80.50 percent equity share capital of HVCL and the remaining shares are held by the State Bank of India (SBI).
• On July 29, 2022, HDFC entered into a share purchase agreement (SPA) with SBI for the acquisition of 97,500 equity shares of HVCL representing 19.50 percent of its paid-up share equity capital, at a consideration of Rs 10 per share
• The acquisition is expected to be completed within 14 days from the date of execution of the SPA or by August 12, 2022.

About HDFC :

• Founded: 1977
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Deepak Parekh
• Vice Chairman & CEO: Keki Mistry
• Managing Director: Renu Sud Karnad

About HVCL :

• Incorporated: October 2004.
• HVCL is an investment manager of HDFC Property Fund.
• Post the proposed acquisition of shares, HVCL would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

India and Egypt signed MoU to build a green hydrogen factory:

• India and Egypt signed MoU to build a green hydrogen factory worth $8 billion.
• An Indian Company has signed MoU with Egypt to build a green hydrogen factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
• As per the MoU, Indian ReNew Power Private Limited will build a factory to produce 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year.
• This factory will be built with investments worth $8 billion.
• ReNew Power is India’s largest renewable energy company in terms of operational capacity.
• It is based in Gurgaon, Haryana. Sumant Sinha is its CEO.
• Green hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water and using electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

WhatsApp launched a user-safety campaign through a music video titled ‘Scam Se Bacho’:

• Messaging app WhatsApp launched a user-safety campaign through a music video titled ‘Scam Se Bacho’, in line with its focus on communicating its core safety principles to payments on WhatsApp to help keep users safe while making digital payments.
• Payments on WhatsApp allow users to send and receive money from their contacts via Unified Payment Interface (UPI) as easily as a WhatsApp message.
• The ‘Scam Se Bacho’ music video is a parody rendition of the popular song, ‘Dekh Ke Chalo’, wherein the lyrics demonstrate real-life situations in which individuals could be susceptible to scams and reinforce the message of staying safe and exercising caution while making digital payments.

The fiscal deficit reached 21% during the April-June quarter:

• The Centre’s fiscal deficit reached 21% during the April-June quarter of the current fiscal.
• The fiscal deficit stood at 18 percent during the corresponding period of last fiscal.
• However, The fiscal deficit is not likely to breach the Budget Estimate of 6.4 percent.
• Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said the government would stick to its projected target of Budget FY 2023.
• As per Ind-Ra, the fiscal deficit in FY23 will be in the range of 6.2-6.4 percent of GDP.
• According to Controller General of Accounts (CGA) data, the center received around ₹96-lakh crore and incurred an expenditure of ₹9.47-lakh crore during three months.
• This resulted in a fiscal deficit of over ₹51-lakh crore.
• A fiscal deficit is a difference between expenditure and income.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

IAMAI released a report titled ‘Internet in India’:

• Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) released a report titled ‘Internet in India’.
• According to a report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), 346 million Indians use online transactions.
• The number of people using online transactions in India is greater than the US population involved in digital transactions, which is around 331 million.
• As per the report, the online transaction in the past two years has increased by 51% from 230 million in 2019.
• The report states that the number of male internet users is more than female users in both rural and urban areas.
• Social media, entertainment, and communications are the top activities on the internet in India.
• Text and email are the most popular means of communication.
• India will have more than 900 million internet users by
• Currently, there are a total of 692 million active internet users in India.
• ‘Internet in India’ report is based on the ICUBE 2021 study and is the oldest and most comprehensive survey of internet usage in India.
• It is jointly prepared by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR.

India’s core sector output registered double-digit growth for the second straight month in June at 12.7 %:

• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 12.7% as compared to the Index of June 2021.
• Eight core sectors’ output growth declined to 12.7% in June from 18.1% in May.
• All sectors except crude oil registered an increase in production.
• Crude oil output dropped 1.7% from a year ago period.
• The eight core industries have a weightage of 40.27 percent in the index of industrial production (IIP).
• Eight core industries are Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

IAF to phase out the remaining 4 Mig 21 squadrons by 2025

• The Indian Air Force(IAF) has set to phase out four Mig-21 fighter squadrons by
• The IAF also plans to start the phasing out of the three squadrons of Mig-29 fighter jets in the next five years.
• India is also working on a USD 5 billion project to develop a 5th-generation medium-weight deep penetration fighter jet to significantly bolster its air power capability.

About MiG-21 :

• MiG-21 is India’s longest-serving fighter aircraft & the aircraft has had a very poor safety record of late.
• Designed by the erstwhile Soviet Union’s Mikoyan Gurevich Design Bureau.
• The first fleet of the Mig variant was inducted into the IAF in 1963 and India procured over 700 Mig-variants in the subsequent decades.

Key Highlights :

• The Srinagar-based No 51 squadron will be number-plated on September 30.
• The number plating refers to the retirement of a squadron that generally comprises 17-20 aircraft.
• The squadron, also known as ‘Swordarms’

Background :

• In February 2021, the Defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the procurement of 83 Tejas fighter aircraft to help the IAF replace its aging fighter fleet.
• The IAF is also in the process of procuring 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).

Note :

• Currently, the IAF has around 70 Mig-21 aircraft and 50 Mig-29 variants.

About IAF :

• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

Point 5140 at Dras named Gun Hill to mark India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War

• To commemorate the victory of the Indian Armed Forces(IAF) and pay tribute to the supreme sacrifice of the Gunners in “Operation Vijay”,   Point 5140 at Dras in the Kargil sector has been christened as Gun Hill.
• On behalf of the Regiment of Artillery, a wreath was laid by Lieutenant General TK Chawla, Director General of Artillery at Kargil War Memorial, Dras, along with veteran gunners who had participated in the operation.
• Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding, Fire & Fury Corps also laid a wreath on the solemn occasion.
• The ceremony was conducted in the presence of Veterans from all Artillery Regiments, which got the honor title “KARGIL” in Operation Vijay.

About Point 5140 :

• Point 5140 was the highest enemy-occupied post in the Tololing complex.
• A company of 13 JAK RIF (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) moved towards Point 5140, a strongly fortified position held in strength by the enemy with a large number of automatic weapons.
• Captain Vikram Batra led from the front and assaulted enemy positions on Point 5140.
• In this operation Lt Col Y K Joshi, Capt SS Jamwal, Nk Dev Parkash & Rfn Mehar Singh were awarded Vir Chakra.
• Since 1999, India has observed Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 to commemorate its victory over Pakistan in the Kargil conflict.

Tata Advanced Systems delivered indigenously developed combat vehicles to the Indian Army

• Tata group’s Aerospace and Defence Arm, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has successfully delivered the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle-Medium (QRFV) to the Indian Army to bolster the operational capabilities of the IAF.
• The combat vehicle will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Army in future conflicts and war-like scenarios.

About QRFV :

• QRFV offers a STANAG level 4 protection against up to 14kg and 21kg of explosives.
• The vehicle can carry 14 people, including the commander and driver, i.e. 2 tons.
• The turbodiesel engine develops 240hp.
• The vehicle is fitted with run-flat tires.

Note :

• Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) became India’s first private sector company to produce and deliver wheeled armoured combat-ready vehicles for the IAF.

Background :

• In April 2021, Former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane inducted the first set of QRFV along with Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV), Ultra Long Range Observation System developed by TASL, and Monocoque Hull Multi-Role Mine-Protected Armoured Vehicle developed by Bharat Forge.
• Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV) has been developed by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) along with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
• Tata Advanced Systems’ flagship product, WhAP 8×8 (Wheeled Armoured Platform) is India’s first Amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle (Wheeled), designed for optimized survivability, all-terrain performance, and increased lethality.

Additional Info :

• The center has reduced the expenditure on defense procurement from foreign sources from 46 percent of the overall expenditure to 36 percent in the last four years (2018-19 to 2021-22) to encourage the production of indigenous defense equipment.

About TASL :

• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• Chairman : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
• TASL is Indian aerospace, defense, military engineering & construction, and technology company.
• It is a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, a holding company for the Tata Group.

About the Indian Army :

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India

• Chief of the Army Staff: General Manoj Pande

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Bindyarani Devi won India a fourth medal in weightlifting: Commonwealth Games 2022

• Bindyarani Devi won India a fourth medal at the Commonwealth Games weightlifting arena in Birmingham, bagging a silver medal in the Women’s 55 kg weight class.
• The 23-year-old created a Games record by lifting 116kg in the clean and jerk after a personal best of 86kg in the snatch section, totaling 202 kg.
• The gold medal expectedly went to Nigeria’s Adijat Adenike Olarinoye, who lifted 203kg (92kg+111kg).
• She also smashed the Games record in snatch and total effort.

Winners in the Commonwealth Games 2022:

Mirabai Chanu claims India’s first gold medal:

• Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (49kg) went on a record-smashing spree, claiming four of them in a power-packed performance, to claim India’s first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
• She obliterated the Games record in clean and jerk as well as total lift.
• The former world champion ended with a total lift of 201kg (88kg+113kg), which is far from her personal best.
• She equaled her national record lift of 88kg in the snatch section.
• Mauritian weightlifter Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranaivosoa 172kg (76kg+96kg) won the silver.
• With this Chanu added a third CWG medal to her kitty, having won silver and gold in the Glasgow and Gold Coast editions respectively.

Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 61 kg category:

• Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 61 kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
• Gururaja had won a silver in the 56kg weight class at the 2018 Games on Gold Coast. At Birmingham, he won bronze with a total lift of 269kg.
• He made the best attempt of 118kg in the snatch round and 151kg in the clean and jerk round.

“Games Wide Open” as the slogan for both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games: IOC

• With two years to go from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, organizers have revealed “Ouvrons Grand Les Jeux”, meaning “Games Wide Open”, as the shared slogan for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• It is an invitation to the world to come and experience new emotions together.
• Paris will host the Summer Olympics for the third time in 2024, which also marks the centenary of the last Paris Games in 1924.
• The French capital was also the host city of the second edition of the modern Olympic Games, in 1900.
• The Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11 and athletes will compete in a total of 32 sports encompassing 329 events, and among these sports, ‘Breaking’ will make its Olympic debut.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

The new book titled ” JOURNEY OF A NATION: 75 YEARS OF INDIAN ECONOMY ” authored by Sanjaya Baru

• A new book titled “The Journey of a Nation: 75 Years of Indian Economy: Re-emerge, Reinvest, Re-engage” authored by Sanjaya Baru and published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd.
• As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, it is important to recall that as a democratic republic, it has been able to overcome the burden of colonialism and emerge as the world’s third-largest economy.
• Sanjaya Baru, economist, and political analyst trace the nature of this transformation, introducing the ideas and events that have shaped economic policy, transforming a feudal, agrarian economy into a modern, industrial and services-based one.
• 75 Years of Indian Economy is a part of the series Journey of a Nation.
• The book starts with a reference to British historian Angus Maddison and his book The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective (2001), which estimated that in 1700, China and India together accounted for half of the world’s national income and that, by 1950, their combined share was down to less than 10 percent.
• This book is written for a general audience that wishes to be informed about the nature of India’s economic transformation over the past 75 years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Renowned Bengali Singer Nirmala Mishra passes away

• Popular Bengali and Odia singer, Nirmala Mishra, passed away at the age of 81 in Kolkata.

About  Nirmala Mishra :

• Nirmala Mishra sang various songs in Bengali, Odia, and Assamese films.
• Her popular songs are Eamon Ekta Jhinuk’, ‘Bolo to arshi’, ‘Kagojer phul bole’, ‘Eai banglar mati tea’, and ‘Ami to Tomar’.
• Her Odia film songs like ‘Nida bhara raati Madhu jhara janha’ and ‘Mo mana Beena ra taare’ were iconic.

Awards & Honors :

• The West Bengal government has conferred on her ‘Sangeet Samman’, ‘Sangeet Mahasamman’, and ‘Bangabhibhushan’ awards for her contribution to Bengali music.
• She was a recipient of the Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das Award as an honor for her lifetime contribution to Odia music.

Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos Passes away

• Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos Passed away at the age of 94.

About Fidel Ramos :

• Fidel Valdez Ramos is popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos.
• Born on March 18, 1928, in Pangasinan province, north of Manila, Philippines.
• He was the 12th president of the Republic of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998.
• Ramos was the first Protestant president in the Catholic-majority country.
• During his tenure, the Philippines was recognized as a budding “tiger economy”.
• He served first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and later as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991
• He was from a military background, and become the chief of the Philippine Constabulary and then Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the time of President Ferdinand E Marcos Sr
• He was the only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure who rose from the second lieutenant up to commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Daily CA on August 2:

• World Breastfeeding Week or WBW is observed from August 1 to 7 every year.
• The Lok Sabha has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill that seeks to prohibit athletes, support personnel, and other people from engaging in doping in sports.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the ministry of power’s flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
• To mark the completion of two years of the launch of National Education Policy 2020, the Union Home Minister recently launched a slew of initiatives related to education and skill development.
• The Election Commission of India recently announced that those over the age of 17 can now apply in advance to be enrolled in the voters’ list.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi.
• India and Egypt signed MoU to build a green hydrogen factory worth $8 billion.
• Messaging app WhatsApp launched a user-safety campaign through a music video titled ‘Scam Se Bacho’, in line with its focus on communicating its core safety principles to payments on WhatsApp to help keep users safe while making digital payments.
• The Centre’s fiscal deficit reached 21% during the April-June quarter of the current fiscal.
• Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) released a report titled ‘Internet in India’.
• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 12.7% as compared to the Index of June 2021.
• Bindyarani Devi won India a fourth medal at the Commonwealth Games weightlifting arena in Birmingham, bagging a silver medal in the Women’s 55 kg weight class.
• Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (49kg) went on a record-smashing spree, claiming four of them in a power-packed performance, to claim India’s first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
• Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 61 kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
• With two years to go from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, organizers have revealed “Ouvrons Grand Les Jeux”, meaning “Games Wide Open”, as the shared slogan for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• A new book titled “The Journey of a Nation: 75 Years of Indian Economy: Re-emerge, Reinvest, Re-engage” authored by Sanjaya Baru and published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
• The Government of Kerala is set to launch its online taxi service called “Kerala Savari”.
• The Tamil Nadu government formally launched the first phase of the ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ at 1,545 government primary schools for the benefit of over 1.14 lakh children in Classes 1 to 5 during 2022-23.
• BOB Financial Solutions Limited has launched its credit card servicing mobile application, ‘bob card’.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has temporarily permitted merchants or their payment aggregators (PAs) involved in the settlement of transactions where cardholders decide to enter the card details manually to save the Card-on-File (CoF) data for a maximum period of “Transaction Date + 4 days” or till the settlement date, whichever is earlier.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on the withdrawal of funds, on three Urban cooperative banks (UCBs) namely Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar, Maharashtra, the Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur, Maharashtra, Durga Co-operative Urban Bank, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
• The Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) will acquire its venture capital subsidiary HDFC venture capital limited (HVCL) by buying out the State Bank of India’s 19.5 percent stake in the company.
• The Indian Air Force(IAF) has set to phase out four Mig-21 fighter squadrons by 2025.
• To commemorate the victory of the Indian Armed Forces(IAF) and pay tribute to the supreme sacrifice of the Gunners in “Operation Vijay”,   Point 5140 at Dras in the Kargil sector has been christened as Gun Hill.
• Tata group’s Aerospace and Defence Arm, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has successfully delivered the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle-Medium (QRFV) to the Indian Army to bolster the operational capabilities of the IAF.
• Popular Bengali and Odia singer, Nirmala Mishra, passed away at the age of 81 in Kolkata.
• Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos Passed away at the age of 94.