National News

Tiranga Rally

• Union Coal, Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy has launched the Tiranga Rally in Hyderabad and announced the commencement of the Independence Day celebrations.

About National Flag

State Special

UPSIDA

• THE UTTAR Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) approved the Trans Ganga Hitech City infrastructure project and Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation has been appointed as the nodal agency for this project.
• Construction of a new four-lane bridge over the Ganga that will span approximately 1.8 km, connecting Kanpur to Trans Ganga City, has been approved.

Uttar Pradesh International Trade Exhibition

• Uttar Pradesh will organise the second edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Exhibition from September 25 to 29 at the India Exhibition Mart in Greater Noida.
• Theme: “Unique Platform of Sourcing.”

8 Didis from UP at Red Fort on 15th August

• The Government of India has invited three Lakhpati didis and five drone didis of Uttar Pradesh to the program to be held at Red Fort in Delhi on 15th August.

Target of GER in UP

• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to target a rise in the gross enrolment ratio (GER) from currently 25% to over 50% in 10 years.

About Uttar Pradesh

 Guard of Honour to Organ Donors by MP

• In Madhya Pradesh, to encourage organ donation from brain death patients, organ donors will be given state honour (Guard of Honour). This scheme will be implemented from September.

About Madhya Pradesh

International News

Addu Reclamation Project and Addu Shore Protection Project

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar inaugurated the Addu Reclamation Project and Addu Shore Protection Project in Maldives.
• India has invested around 220 million US dollars in Addu, which will provide a fair idea of the importance that India attaches to regional development in Maldives.

About Maldives

Paul Kagame

• Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was sworn in for his fourth term after securing over 99 per cent of the vote.

About Rwanda

New building of Nepal Bhasha Parishad

• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri inaugurated a new building of Nepal Bhasha Parishad, built under India's post-earthquake reconstruction grant.

About Nepal

St Martin's Island

• Reports claimed Sheikh Hasina alleged the US was eyeing St Martin's Island in Bangladesh to build military base.

About St Martin's Island

Science and Tech

NEOWISE

• Nasa’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) has concluded its mission.
• The telescope, which began as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), captured its final image of the Fornax constellation in Southern California.

About NASA

Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice Varieties

• Biotechnologists at New Delhi-based Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGU) have discovered wide variation in nitrogen use efficiency among popular rice varieties in India.
• This knowledge can be used to develop newer varieties that use less nitrogen and are high yielding.

Related Facts

Art and Culture

Geoglyphs and Petroglyphs in Ratnagiri

• The Maharashtra government has declared geoglyphs and petroglyphs in Ratnagiri as protected monuments under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. Dating back to the Mesolithic era, these artworks depict various animals.

Additional info.

 Annual Shree Machail Yatra 2024

• In Jammu and Kashmir, the Annual Shree Machail Yatra 2024 in Kishtwar district has seen a remarkable turnout, with over 1 lakh pilgrims participating in the revered pilgrimage.

Major Festivals in Jammu and Kashmir

Sports

First-ever Global Women’s Kabaddi League

• The first-ever Global Women’s Kabaddi League Officially named as Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League (GPKL), Organised by the Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA) in partnership with World Kabaddi, will take place in Haryana, featuring female athletes from over 15 countries.

Paris Olympics 2024

• Lyon Marand of France won 4 gold medals in swimming.
• Paris Olympics 2024 comes to an end with the glittering closing ceremony at Stade de France.
• The 2028 Summer Olympics are set to be held in Los Angeles.
• Baseball and softball will be making their Olympic return in Los Angeles, with new sports flag football, cricket, lacrosse and squash.

Medal Tally

7th Heroes International Taekwondo Championship in Bangkok

• Taekwondo players from Sikkim, Sanjay Subba, Anita Subba, and Jitendra Limbu are representing India at the 7th Heroes International Taekwondo Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.

Defence

LCA Mark 2 and AMCA

• According to defence officials, India's indigenous fighter aircraft program, 4.5 generation plus LCA Mark 2 fighter jets are slated to commence flights by March 2026 and the mass production of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation fighter, is anticipated to start by 2035.

Major Indigenously Developed Weapons of India

Important Days

World Elephant Day

• World Elephant Day is an annual international event held on August 12 to promote the conservation and protection of elephants worldwide.
• Theme:  “Personifying prehistoric beauty, theological relevance, and environmental importance”.

Related Facts

Awards and Honours

Shah Rukh Khan

• Superstar Shah Rukh Khan received the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera award-Locarno Tourism, or career leopard, for his contribution to cinema.

Person in News

Queenie Halegua

• Queenie Halegua, the last woman from the Paradesi Jew (white Jews of European origin) community in Kochi, died at the age of 89.

Vikram Sarabhai

• The Birth Anniversary of Vikram Sarabhai is celebrated on August 12.

About Vikram Sarabhai

Lieutenant General Abhijit S Pendharkar

• Lieutenant General Abhijit S Pendharkar assumed command of the Indian Army’s elite Spear Corps.

Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar

• Rani Mukherjee and Karan Johar are set to deliver a keynote address at the Australian Parliament House on August 13, ahead of the 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) starting August 15.