National

Namo Drone Didis

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Sashakt Nari - Viksit Bharat programme and witness agricultural drone demonstrations conducted by Namo Drone Didis in New Delhi.
• Namo Drone Didi is an ambitious program announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leapfrog women in rural India to fly drones and catapult them into empowerment and social change by providing livelihood options.

MSME-Technology Centre

• Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Narayan Rane will lay the foundation stone of the MSME-Technology Centre in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg.
• This technology centre will focus on sectors like general engineering and food processing.

 Economy

India signs TEPA with EFTA

• India signed a significant trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprising Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland, committing to a $100 billion investment over 15 years.
• The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) aims to increase foreign direct investment in India and generate one million direct jobs.
• Among EFTA countries, Switzerland is the largest trading partner of India followed by Norway.

Defence

Exercise Cutlass Express – 24

• INS Tir, the lead ship of First Training Squadron (1TS) participated in Exercise Cutlass Express - 24 (CE – 24) held at Port Victoria, Seychelles.
• The exercise was inaugurated by the President of Seychelles in attendance of dignitaries from India, USA and African countries.

 Sports

French Open badminton tournament

• Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have clinched their second French Open Men's doubles Badminton title.

World Boxing Qualification Tournament

• Indian pugilist Nishant Dev defeated Christos Karaitis of Greece in the pre-quarterfinals in the men’s 71kg weight category at the first World Boxing Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy.

ICC Rankings

• India, currently leading the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, has now ascended to the top position in the ICC rankings across all three formats of the game.

Awards & Honours

Oscar Awards

• Biographical thriller Oppenheimer has won best picture award including best actor for Cillian Murphy and best director for Christopher Nolan.
• Emma Stone has bagged the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things.

 Person in News

Nitin Chandrakant Desai

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), during the Oscars ceremony, paid tribute to Indian art director and production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai who passed away on August 2, 2023.

Asif Ali Zardari

• Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari took oath as Pakistan's 14th President.
• Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to the 68-year-old Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace.

Justice (retd) Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar

• Former Supreme Court judge, Justice (retd) Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar was administered the oath of office as the Chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal by President Droupadi Murmu.

Environment & Ecology

Gamini gives birth to five cubs

• Female cheetah Gamini, brought from South Africa, has given birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park. This takes the tally of the Indian-born cubs to 13.
• In February 2023, 12 cheetahs were brought to the park from South Africa. Gamini is part of the group brought from South Africa.

Fruit Fly

• Scientists have genetically modified ‘sexual’ fruit fly to reproduce asexually.

Miscellaneous

Second-Largest Producer of Mobile Phones

• India now stands as the world’s second-largest producer of mobile phones at the end of the decade 2014-2024.
• Only three percent of the total mobile phones sold in India are now imported.

IORA day

• Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry celebrated the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) day at the iconic Galle Face green in Colombo.
• Sri Lanka holds the chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association until 2025 while India holds the vice chair.
• India will assume chairmanship of the association in 2025.

NLC India Limited signs MOU with Rajasthan Govt

• NLC India Limited signed MoU with the Government of Rajasthan for formation of joint venture to set up 125 MW Lignite Based Power Plant and 1000 MW Solar Power Plant.

CIL and RRVUNL sign MoU

• Coal India Limited (CIL) signed MoU with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) for exploration and execution of 4,100 MW capacity power projects.
• The proposed electricity generation would be through a mix of coal fired thermal power plant, solar projects, pump storage plant and wind projects.

Government Homoeopathic College

• North India’s first Government Homoeopathic College, centrally funded at a cost of Rs.80 Crore will come up in Jasrota area of district Kathua in J&K.