National News

‘Impact With Youth Conclave 2024’

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the ‘Impact With Youth Conclave 2024’, held in Ahmedabad.
• The event was jointly organised by United Nations India, UNICEF, UNICEF YuWaah, and Elixir Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Major Initiatives related to Youth

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has organised a mass pledge-taking ceremony against drug abuse under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) across the country.
• The theme of this year is “Viksit Bharat ka Mantra, Bharat ho Nashe se Swatantra”. 
• More than 11 crore people have become part of NMBA so far.

About NMBA

National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024

• The 9th edition of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 has been released by the union Ministry of Education (MoE).
• This year, three new categories have been added to the rankings —- Open Universities, Skill Universities and state-funded public universities.
• NIRF rankings were launched in 2015 with the first such report being released in 2016 with just four categories.

Top Ranked Institutions and their Categories

‘Amrit Gyan Kosh’ Portal and ‘Faculty Development portal’

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched ‘Amrit Gyan Kosh’ Portal and ‘Faculty Development portal’ under Mission Karmayogi at the Civil Service Training Institutions Convention at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

About Mission Karmayogi

One India-One Ticket

• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) have collaborated to launch the ‘One India-One Ticket’ initiative to enhance the travel experience for passengers on Indian Railways and Namo Bharat Trains.
• It will allow passengers to book Namo Bharat tickets through the IRCTC platform with flexible cancellation and payment.

Additional Info:

Capacity building of 1000 Maldives Civil Services Officers

• India and Maldives have renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for capacity building of one thousand Maldives civil services officers during the period 2024-2029.

About Maldives

PM-Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana

• The Government has issued operational guidelines for the implementation of Model Solar Village under PM-Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana.
• The scheme emphasises creating one Model Solar Village per district across the country, providing 1 crore rupees per selected Model Solar Village.
• Under this scheme, a village must be a revenue village with a population size above 5,000 or 2,000 for special category states.

Related Facts

State Special

MP: first state to give money to buy sanitary napkins

• Madhya Pradesh (MP) has become the first state in the country to give money to girl students to buy  sanitary napkins, an amount of three hundred rupees has been transferred in each girl student’s account for one year.
• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan announced the inclusion of Rani Durgavati in the curriculum of government schools of the state.

 MP increased honorarium for elected representatives of urban bodies

• The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a 20% increase in the honorarium for elected public representatives of all urban bodies.

About Madhya Pradesh

Drone Didi, IT Saksham Yojana, and Contractor Saksham Yojana

• The Chief Minister of Haryana launched Drone Didi, IT Saksham Yojana, and Contractor Saksham Yojana on the occasion of International Youth Day.

Har Ghar-Har Grihini Yojana

• Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini launched an online portal in the name of Har Ghar-Har Grihini Yojana, to provide domestic gas cylinders for Rs 500 to about 50 lakh Antyodaya families. Consumers can take 12 cylinders in a year.

About Haryana

Institutional Capacity Building Project by Maharashtra

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has launched the Institutional Capacity Building Project, to implement a district-led development plan.
• The project was launched during the Governing Body Meeting of Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), held in Mumbai.

About Maharashtra

Gautam Budh Nagar Commissionerate

• The Gautam Budh Nagar commissionerate in Uttar Pradesh has become the first in the state to receive ISO 9001:2015 certification.

About Uttar Pradesh

Places in News

Indrani Bridge, Sikkim

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has successfully reconstructed the 300-foot Bailey Suspension Bridge, known as the Indrani Bridge, over the Teesta River at Singtam in Sikkim under Project Swastik, reconnecting the northern region of the state to the rest of India.

About BRO

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine

• Russia and Ukraine accused each other of starting a fire at the dormant Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine but both sides reported no sign of elevated radiation.

 Economy

Findings of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

• Retail inflation for July 2024 eased to nearly 5 years low of  3.54% on a year-on-year basis.
• Data on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) says, India’s IIP records a growth of 4.2% in June 2024.

Additional Info.

Goods Exports

• According to a report, the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) expects the Country’s Goods Exports to grow by 4.2% to 111.7 Billion in the July-September quarter of the Current Financial Year.

About EXIM

Women and Men in India 2023

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 25th publication titled “Women and Men in India 2023”.
• By 2036, the population of India is expected to reach 152.2 Crore, with a slightly improved female percentage of 48.8% as compared to 48.5 percent in 2011.

28th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) organised the 28th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (CoCSSO) at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi.

FRBM Act

• As per the CAG report of state financial audit of Goa for the year ended in March 2023, the state has achieved majority of targets under Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM Act) 2003.

About FRBM Act

AUKUS

• Australia has signed a deal with the US and UK to exchange nuclear material and secrets, advancing its plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

About AUKUS

FCRA licence to Abhinav Bindra Foundation

• The Union home ministry has granted Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA) licence to Abhinav Bindra Foundation, registered in Mohali, for five years. The registration will allow the organisation to receive foreign grants.

Gross Direct Tax Collections

• According to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the Indian government’s gross direct tax collections for the fiscal year 2024-25 have seen a significant increase, rising by 24% year-on-year to Rs.8.13 lakh crore.

Additional Info.

Hindenburg-Adani Case

• BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad in a press conference claimed that George Soros was behind the Hindenburg report to destabilise the Indian economy.

About Hindenburg

Science and Technology

Anti-diabetic herb on Gaya’s Brahmayoni Hill

• Researchers have identified Gymnema Sylvestre, commonly known as Gurmar, an anti-diabetic herb on Brahmayoni Hill in Gaya, Bihar.

NASA’s Mars InSight lander

• According to a study of NASA’s Mars InSight lander, there is evidence of liquid water far below the surface of Mars.

About Mars

Xerogel

• Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) have developed a porous composite xerogel dressing incorporating Silica Nanoparticles and calcium, that can help blood clot rapidly and provide relief for uncontrolled haemorrhage.

About Haemorrhage

Transparent conducting interface between two insulating materials

• Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) in Mohali, have created for the first time, a transparent conducting interface between two insulating materials with room-temperature spin polarised electron gas, making it possible to fabricate transparent devices with efficient spin currents.

 Defence

EX-MITRA SHAKTI

• The 10th edition of India- Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI commenced, at Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka. The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 12th to 25th August 2024.

About Sri Lanka

Sports

Big Cricket League

• The Big Cricket League (BCL), a franchise-based T20 event, has joined hands with the national broadcaster Prasar Bharati . The inaugural edition of BCL will be held in September 2024 in Lucknow.

About Prasar Bharati

Awards and Honours

Malini Awasthi

• Popular folk singer Padmashree Malini Awasthi was awarded the Vishwa Rang Bhasha Samman 2024 at the International Conference Vishwarang 2024 in Mauritius for the development of language.

 Person in News

Vinay Mohan Kwatra

• Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has taken charge as Indian ambassador to the US.

 Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh

• Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh has taken over as managing director in charge of State Bank of India's (SBI) risk compliance and stressed assets resolution group (SARG) departments.

About SBI

Dhriti Gupta

• Dhriti Gupta of Raipur, Chhattisgarh has achieved a new feat by getting selected in the US Army.

Important Days

International Wolf Day

• International Wolf Day is observed on August 13th, to create awareness about the importance of Wolves to maintain ecological balance.