CURRENT AFFAIRS - 2021 [1]

AMBITION LAW INSTITUTE

Current Affairs
August, 2021

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

• In An Ideal World – Kunal Basu (Novelist)
• The Earthspinner- Anuradha Roy
• Leopard Diaries – the Rosette in India – Sanjay Gubbi (Wild Biologist)
• My Own Mazagon – Captain Ramesh Babu
• A Different Route to Success : It Could Be Yours – Ramesh Narayan
• Balakot Air Strike: How India Avenged Pulwama – Navy veteran Manan
• The Year That Wasn’t – The Diary of a 14-Year-Old – Brisha Jain.
• Nehru, Tibet and China – Avtar Singh Bhasin
• Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID – Ritu Menon
• A Begum and A Rani – Rudrangshu Mukherjee
• The Biography of a Failed Venture – Prashant Desai
• A Death in Shonagachhi : A Novel – Rijula Das
• Operation Khukri – Major General Rajpal Punia& Ms Damini
• Mission Domination: An Unfinished Quest – Boria Majumdar & Kushan Sarkar
• Battlefield – Vishram Bedekar

OBITUARIES:
• Man Kaur – World Masters gold medal winner
• Fakir Alamgir – Bangladesh Folk Singer
• Shankar Subramaniam Narayan– Two-times Olympian, India’s goalkeeper
• Padma Sachdev – Padma Shri awardee and noted author
• Anupam Shyam – Veteran actor
• Chinmoy Chatterjee – India-international footballer
• S. Banarji – Kerala sculptor, cartoonist
• Mike Hendrick – Former England Cricketer
• Balaji Tambe – Ayurvedacharya
• Gerd Müller – German Football Legend
• Maki Kaji – Creator of Sudoku puzzle
• M. Nambiar -athletics coach ( P.T. Usha)

IMPORTANT DAYS:
1 August
National Mountain Climbing Day
Yorkshire Day
3 August
Narali Purnima
4 August
Friendship Day
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U.S. Coast Guard Day

6 August-Hiroshima Day
7 August
International Beer Day
National Handloom Day
8 August-Quit India Movement
9 August
Nagasaki Day
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
12 August
Janmashtami
International Youth Day
World Elephant Day
13 August
International Lefthanders Day
World Organ Donation Day
14 August -Youm-e-Azadi (Pakistan Independence Day)
15 August
Indian Independence Day
National Mourning Day (Bangladesh)
16 August-Bennington Battle Day
17 August-Indonesian Independence Day
19 August
World Photography Day
World Humanitarian Day
20 August
World Mosquito Day
Sadbhavana Divas
Indian AkshayUrja Day
22 August
Rakshabandhan
23 August
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism
26 August-Women’s Equality Day
29 August-National Sports Day

NEWS:
• India has held the first officially confirmed meeting with the Taliban. It was conducted between Indian
Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal and Sher Mohammed Stanekzai, head of the Political Office of the
Taliban based in Doha.
• India’s MariyappanThangavelu won the silver medal while Sharad Kumar brought home the bronze in
men’s high jump (T63).
• Nine new judges, including three women, were administered oath of office as judges of the Supreme Court,
taking its strength to 33.
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• World’s highest motorable road at 18,600 ft inaugurated in Ladakh. The road stretch passing through the
Kela Pass at 18,600 feet will be the world’s highest motorable way.
• South African fast bowling great Dale Steyn today announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. In his
17-year career, which saw him play in 93 Tests, 125 ODIs and 47 T20Is for the South Africans. Steyn had
retired from Test cricket in 2019.
Shooter AvaniLekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal as she topped the
podium in women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing (SH1) event at the Tokyo Paralympics.
• Discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya clinched a silver medal in the men’s F56 event in the Paralympics.
• India’s Devendra Jhajharia won silver and Sundar Singh Gurjar took bronze in men’s javelin (F46) event at
Tokyo Paralympics.
• India’s SumitAntil won the gold medal in the men’s javelin (F64) with a world record throw of 68.55m.
National Sports Day is celebrated today on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
• Indian table tennis player Bhavina Patel wins silver medal in her maiden Paralympic Games after going
down 0-3 to world number one Chinese paddler Ying Zhou in the women’s singles class 4 final in Tokyo.
• India’s Nishad Kumar clinched the silver medal in the men’s high jump (T46/47) category at the ongoing
Tokyo Paralympics.
At least 60 Afghans and 13 US troops were killed and hundreds were injured as two suicide bombers and
gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to the Kabul airport.
• Bhavina Patel scripted history by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to secure a medal in the
Paralympics after she entered the semi-finals with a win over world number 5 BorislavaPericRankovic of
Serbia in the women’s singles Class 4 event.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated India’s first smog tower at Connaught Place in Delhi.
• The 2020 Summer Paralympics Paralympics starts from today in Tokyo.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai flagged off admissions under the National Education Policy
(NEP) 2020 in undergraduate colleges across Karnataka, making the state the first in India to implement the
NEP.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh died today in New Delhi due to sepsis and multi-organ
failure. He was 89.
Malaysia’s king appointed Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister today, replacing Muhyiddin Yassin, who
stepped down this week after losing his parliamentary majority.
• India’s Manika Batra and SathiyanGnanasekaran won the mixed doubles title at the WTT Contender event
in Budapest, Hungary.
• India’s drug regulator today approved Zydus Cadila’s three-dose COVID-19 DNA vaccine for emergency
use in adults and children aged 12 years and above. It is the 1st Covid Vaccine For Children Above 12
Approved In India.
• The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Haiti over the weekend has risen to 1,419, while the
number of injured people has grown to 6,000.
• The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team won a bronze to clinch the country’s fifth medal in the history of World
Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had developed an advanced Chaff technology
to safeguard the fighter aircraft of the Air Force against hostile radar threats.
• Taliban have taken control of the capital city of Kabul after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled the
country and sought asylum in Tajikistan.
• The Union Government has decided to observe 14th August every year as the day to commemorate their
sacrifice.
• India celebrates 75th Independence Day today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hoisted the national
flag and address the nation from the Red Fort in New Delhi.
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• Famous German footballer Gerd Muller has died at the age of 75. Widely regarded as one of the greatest
goal scorers of all-time, Mueller scored 68 goals in 62 international matches for West Germany and also won
the World Cup in 1974.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the much-awaited Vehicle Scrappage Policy.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has approved 144 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces, police and paramilitary
personnel on the eve of Independence Day. These include one Ashok Chakra, one Kirti Chakra, 15 Shaurya
Chakras, four Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 116 Sena Medals (Gallantry), five Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry)
and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
• Thol and Wadhwana from Gujarat and Sultanpur and Bhindawas from Haryana have been recognised as
wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The number of Ramsar sites in India is
now 46.
• India’s cleanest city Indore now been declared the first “water plus” city of India under the Swachh Survekshan
2021.
• ISRO’s second mission of the year to place an earth observation satellite by a GSLV rocket could not be
accomplished fully due to performance anomaly in the cryogenic stage of the rocket.
• Chelsea defeated Villarreal 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to win the UEFA Super Cup in Belfast.
• India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra has moved up 14 places to the World No. 2 in the latest World Athletics
Men’s Javelin Rankings.
• A study on mixing Covishield and Covaxin, the two main vaccines used in India’s COVID-19 vaccination
programme, has been given the go-ahead by the Drugs Controller General Of India (DCGI).
• The Rajya Sabha has passed a key Constitutional amendment bill that proposes to restore the power of
states and Union Territories to make their own OBC lists for the purpose of reservation in jobs and educational
institutes. The bill was already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
• Argentina forward Lionel Messi who had left Barcelona after 21 years last week, has signed a two-year
contract with Paris Saint-Germain football club.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a UN Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate via video
conferencing today. This is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister would be presiding over a meeting of
the UN Security Council.
• International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2021 observed today.
• Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony took place today. Wrestler Bajrang Punia led the Indian contingent
out during the parade of athletes during the closing ceremony of Tokyo 2020. India won a total of 7 medals
in this Olympics. India ended up surpassing their previous best tally at an Olympics of six medals, which the
contingent achieved at the 2012 London Olympics. United States finished the Games with 113 medals, the
most amongst all nations.
• For the first time, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police has inducted two women officers in combat. Two women,
Prakriti and Diksha, joined the ITBP as combatised officers after completing their training at the academy in
Mussoorie.
• England pacer James Anderson overtake former India spinner Anil Kumble to become the third-highest
wicket-taker in Test cricket. The 39-year-old took his tally in Tests to 621 wickets ahead of Kumble’s 619.
He is behind first-placed Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and second-placed Shane Warne (708).
• India’s Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event with a throw of 87.58m in his
second attempt. This is the first ever Olympic Gold for India in the history of Athletics. This is also the
second individual Gold in Olympics after Abhinav Bindra won in 2008.
• US pharmaceutical Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency use
approval in India.
• Wrestler Bajrang Punia won bronze after defeating Kazakhstan’s DauletNiyazbekov in men’s 65kg freestyle
match in Tokyo Olympics.
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• National Handloom Day is observed today.

• Xiaomi has beaten both Samsung and Apple to emerge as the number one smartphone vendor in the world
during June 2021.
• Louis Vuitton chairman Bernard Arnault has surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the world’s
richest person, according to Forbes real-time billionaires list.
• The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honour of India, has been renamed Major Dhyan
Chand Khel Ratna Award, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today.
• India and China have undertaken disengagement from Gogra area of Eastern Ladakh following an agreement
at the 12th round of Corps Commander talks.
• The Indian men’s hockey team beats Germany 5-4 to win Olympic men’s hockey medal after 41 years. The
last time India had won a medal in hockey was at the 1980 Moscow Games where they got the gold.
• Wrestler Ravi Dahiya wins the silver medal after losing the wrestling freestyle 57kg final against ROC’s
ZavurUguev.
• Parliament has passed the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining
Areas Bill, 2021. The Bill provides for the constitution of a Commission for better co-ordination, research,
identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in the NCR and adjoining areas.
• Parliament has passed the Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021. The Bill allows the central government to
prohibit strikes, lock-outs, and lay-offs in units engaged in essential defence services.
• Thailand has banned sunscreens containing chemicals that damage coral from all of its marine national
parks.
• The Border Roads Organisation has constructed the world’s highest road in eastern Ladakh at Umlingla
Pass at an altitude of 19,300 feet. It betters previous record of a road in Bolivia at 18,953 ft.
• India’s LovlinaBorgohain wins the bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics after losing her semi-final bout in
women’s welterweight (64-69kg) boxing to BusenazSurmeneli of Turkey. Borgohain became the third Indian
boxer after Vijender Singh and MC Mary Kom to win a medal at the Olympic Games.
• Indian wrestler, Ravi Dahiya defeated NurislamSanayev of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals of the men’s
Freestyle 57kg wrestling and assured the country of a medal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched e-RUPI, an electronic voucher-based digital payment solution.
e-RUPI is a person-specific and purpose-specific payment system that will ensure that the benefits reach its
intended beneficiaries in a targeted and leak-proof manner.
• Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, has become the first city in India to have vaccinated 100 per cent
of its population against Covid-19.
• India ended their 49-year wait at the Olympics on Sunday by reaching the men’s hockey semi-final after a
comprehensive 3-1 win over Great Britain in their quarterfinal at Tokyo 2020.
• Johnson & Johnson has withdrawn its proposal seeking approval of its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine in India.
• The Indian women’s hockey team scripted history by qualifying for the Olympic Games semifinals for the
first time, beating three-time champions Australia by a solitary goal.
• Kamalpreet Kaur finished sixth in the women’s discus throw final in Tokyo Olympics with a best attempt of
63.70.
Bing Jiao of China to win the women’s singles bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics. With this win, Sindhu
became the first Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals.
• Australia swimmer Emma McKeon becomes the first female to win seven medals at single Olympics. She
won her seventh medal in Tokyo, a feat no other female swimmer has ever achieved at a single Olympics.
• The European Space Agency launched the world’s first commercial fully re-programmable satellite, Eutelsat
Quantum from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
• India has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the month of August.
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• Alexander Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets to seal themen’s singles title at the Tokyo
Olympics and win Germany’s first tennis gold since 1992.
• Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins the Olympic gold in the men’s 100m with 9.80 second

STATE NEWS:
TAMIL NADU:
• The Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) in Tamil Nadu launched a new high-tech and low sound weapon
called TriCa (Trichy Carbine)
• Launched MakkalaiThediMaruthuvam scheme – Healthcare services at people doorstep
KARNATAKA:
• 1st state to issue order implementing National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.
• 1st state to provide 1% reservation for the transgender in each category of general, SC, ST & OBC
• US-based Ohmium International started India’s 1st green hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturing unit at
Bengaluru
UTTARAKHAND:
• Launched the first-of-its-kind earthquake early warning mobile application Uttarakhand Bhookamp
• Vandana Katariya (Indian women’s hockey team player) – brand ambassador of the state’s Department of
Women Empowerment and Child.
• India’s highest herbal park at Mana village in the Chamoli district
WEST BENGAL:
• Received 4 SKOCH awards for its schemes under the Ease of Doing Business initiative.
KERALA:
• India’s 1st Heart Failure Biobank starts at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology
(SCTIMST)
• Launched COVID-19 Death Information Portal- developed by eHealth Kerala
• India’s 1st Drone Forensic Lab and Research Center.
MEGHALAYA:
• Meghalaya State Investment Promotion (MSIP) &Invet India – MoU – to promote the trade and industries.
ANDHRA PRADESH:
• Bank of Baroda & AP govt – MoU to finance Fish Andhra Scheme
HARYANA:
• MoU with Walmart Vriddhi and Haqdarshak – create a pathway for Indian MSMEs’ products to move to
the international markets
• Haryana Police – 1st position in India under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS)
GUJARAT:
• Launched eNagar mobile application and portal.
JHARKHAND:
• ADB (Asian Development Bank) – $ 112 mn loan to finance Urban Water Supply Infrastructure Projects in
4 towns
UTTAR PRADESH:
• Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) & UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) – MoU to
establish a manufacturing unit in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor
NAGALAND:
• Won 7 National Awards under Van Dhan Yojana Scheme CHHATTISGARH – 1st state to recognise Forest
Resource Rights in Urban Region.
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PUNJAB:
• Launched B to provide skill development to unemployed youths.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Shehroze Kashif (19 yrs old Pakistani climber) – youngest person in the world to reach the summit of K2,
the second-highest peak in the
• European Space Agency (ESA) launched ‘Eutelsat Quantum’ – 1st commercial reprogrammable satellite
• India & World Bank sign $250 mn project in India for a long-term dam safety program and improving the
safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India.
• Germany became the 5th country to sign the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement
• India & Bangladesh – MoU – disaster management, resilience and mitigation on a priority
• The Indian Navy & UAE Navy conducted the bilateral naval exercise ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’-coast of Abu
Dhabi.
• 36th edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) held between Indian Navy & Indonesian Navy – Indian
Ocean region
• UN General Assembly (UNGA) created Permanent Forum of People of African Descent – to address
Challenges of Racism
• World’s 1st fossil-free steel manufactured in Sweden – using Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology
(HYBRIT)
• Bangladesh and Canada joined the Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) – an initiative of
India launched by PM Modi at UN Climate Action Summit
• South Africa – 1st country in the world to grant patent to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) System- DABUS
(Device For Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience)
• India & Saudi Arabia – conduct their 1st naval exercise Al-Mohed Al-Hindi
• World Health Organization (WHO) created a new advisory group named – the International Scientific
Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens or
• World’s tallest observation wheel ‘Ain Dubai’ – Dubai, UAE
• 5th India-Kazakhstan Joint training exercise KAZIND-21

APPOINTMENTS:
• Vice Admiral SN Ghormade – Vice Chief of Naval Staff
• Deepak Das – New Controller General of Accounts (CGA)
• NikolPashinyan -re-appointed as the PM of Armenia
• Ebrahim Raisi – President of Iran
• Guido Bellido – PM of Peru
• MS Dhoni – 1st brand ambassador of HomeLane
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas – chairperson of Jio MAMI Film Festival
• Dr Dhriti Banerjee – director of the Zoological Survey of
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas – global brand ambassador of Italian brand Bvlgari
• Mini Ipe – MD of LIC
• Rajkummar Rao – 1st brand ambassador of Cashify
• Shanti Lal Jain – MD &CEO of Indian Bank
• V M Kanade (retired Justice) – Lokayukta in Mumbai
• John Abraham –Brand Ambassador of MotoGP- Eurosport India
• Prakash Chandra – Non-Executive Chairman of RBL Bank
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• Anthony Heredia- CEO of BOI AXA Investment Managers

• Mansukh Mandaviya – chairperson of the Board of Stop TB partnership
• Muhammad Mokhber- 1st Vice President of Iran.
• Kamlesh Kumar Pant- chairman of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
• Hakainde Hichilema – President of Zambia
• Abhay Kumar Singh – joint secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation
• MirabaiChanu (Olympian) – brand ambassador of Amway India
• Olympian Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh (PR Sreejesh) – brand ambassador of adventure tourism in
Kerala.
• Ismail Sabri Yaakob – Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Amit Banerjee – CMD of BEML
• Nakul Chopra – CEO of BARC India
• Sandeep Bakhshi – MD & CEO of ICICI Bank.
• Aliaq Bhatt- Brand Ambassador of Samsung India
• Leander Paes (Tennis Player) – Ambassador of Sporjo (India’s fastest growing sports edtechstartup)

AWARDS AND HONOURS:

• Cyrus Poonawalla – Lokmanya Tilak National Award for 2021
• DBS -global winner for Most Innovative in Digital Banking by Financial Times publication, in its 2021
Innovation in Digital Banking
• Jagdish Bhagwati and C Rangarajan (Economists) – Prof CR Rao Centenary Gold Medal (CGM).
• Ajay Dilawri (Indian origin Entrepreneur) – Order of British Columbia in Canada
• Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan – Brunel Medal by the London-based Institution of Civil
Engineers (ICE).
• Sai Life Science Ltd (Hydrabad) – Golden Peacock National Training Award 2021–pharmaceutical category
• Telengana Govt – NASSCOM’s AI Gamechanger Award 2021 for implementing Crowd Monitoring using
AI scheme
• Maharashtra Govt announced Rajiv Gandhi Award for IT sector
• Mohammad Azam – National Youth Award
• Olympian Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh (PR Sreejesh)- brand ambassador of adventure tourism in Kerala
• Sahitya Akademi Award – Odia :Yashodhara Mishra
• Sahitya Akademi Award – Malayalam: Omcherry N N Pillai
• Anurag Basu – best director in Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2021

RANKS AND REPORTS:

• COVID-19 Innovation report 2021 (by Startup Blink)- India ranked 32nd in Finding Innovative Solution to
combat Covid-19. US tops
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6) Climate Change UN
reported Code Red warning.
• Safe Cities Index 2021 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) –Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark
tops
• New Global Youth Development Index – India 122nd Singapore tops
• Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi – world’s top 50 best airports in the 2021 Skytrax
World Airport
• 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index – India 2nd
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• Hurun Global 500 Most Valuable Companies list 2021. Apple tops
• Global Manufacturing Risk Index – India 2nd .
• Global DeFi (Decentralised Finance) Adoption Index : India 6th. US tops.

TOKYO 2020 SUMMER PARALYMPICS:

• Avani Lekhara (Rajasthan) – Gold medal in Shooting (1st Indian women to win gold medal at
Paralympic) SumitAntil – Gold medal in Javelin throw
• Devendra Jhajharia – Silver in Javelin throw
• Sundar Singh Gurjar– Bronze in Javelin throw
• Bhavinaben Patel – Silver medal in class 4 Table Tennis

MISCELLANEOUS:
• IsuruUdana – (Srilanka bowling all-rounder) retires from international cricket
• Esteban Ocon (Alpine-Renault – France) – won Hungarian GP 2021
• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur Launches Paralympic Theme Song titled “Kar
De Kamaal Tu”
• Unmukt Chand (World Cup winning U19 India captain) – announced his retirement from cricket in India
• Harshit Raja (Pune, Maharashtra) – 69th Grandmaster of India in Chess.
• Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan’s Wicketkeeper –Batsman)- new World Record for most runs scored in T20
International cricket in a year
• Jan- Krzysztof Duda (Poland) – won FIDE (International Chess Federation) World Cup 2021.
• Indian Bank & Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) – MoU- as one of the banking partners of the Paralympic
Games
• RaunakSadhwani (young Indian Grandmaster) won 2021 Spilimbergo Open Chess Tournament
• Max Verstappen – Belgium Grand prix 2021

IMPORTANT FACTS DEFENCE:

• NSA Ajit Doval commissioned the offshore patrol vessel Sajag that hasbeen built by Goa Shipyard Limited
for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh has been given the additional charge of the Director General of the National
Investigation Agency (NIA).
• The Department of Defense of the USA has joined hands with Gandhinagar- based National Forensic
Sciences University (NFSU) to find and recover the remains of over 400 personnel who had gone missing in
India during World War II.
• The Surya Kiran aerobatic display team of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has enthralled crowds across
the country with their hair-raising manoeuvres with their aircraft in red and white, has just completed 25
years.
• The Ministry of Defence on 3rd June, signed a contract with Mahindra Telephonics to procure 11 airport
surveillance radars for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. The procurement, at a cost of
Rs 323.47 crore, will be made under the ‘Buy and Make’ category.
• The ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ on 7th June, reached the world’s highest railway bridge over Chenab in Reasi
district of J&K. The victory flame was lit by PM Modi from the eternal flame of the National War Memorial
in Delhi on December 16, 2020 in memory of India’s victory in the 1971 war and is traversing across the
nation to observe the 50th anniversary of the victory.
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• The Indian and Thai navies on 9th June kicked off a three-day coordinated patrol in the Andaman Sea. The
Indian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel INS Saryu and Thai ship Krabi along with Dornier maritime patrol
aircraft from both navies are participating in the 31st edition of the India-Thailand coordinated patrol (CORPAT).
• The Defence Minister approved the policy on archiving, declassification and compilation of histories of wars
and operations by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). According to the policy, records should ordinarily be
declassified in 25 years.
• The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has held that a soldier injured during World War-II as part of British
Indian Army would be entitled to war injury pension on a par with those injured in the post-Independence
wars. The Lucknow bench of the tribunal passed these orders after the Union government had denied this
pension to a veteran who had been injured in Italy in 1944 during the WW-II.
• China, Pakistan and India have 350, 165 and 156 nuclear warheads respectively as of January this year,
according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Report also said Russia and the US
together possess over 90 percent of the estimated 13,080 global nuclear weapons.
• The Defence Minister has approved the budgetary support of ¹ 498.8 crore to Innovations for Defence
Excellence (iDEX) - Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next 5 years. Innovations for Defence
Excellence (iDEX) was launched by the Government of India in 2018.
• The Indian Army has bought 17 flat bottomed boats, the majority of them to be deployed at the Pangong Tso
in eastern Ladakh for rapid deployment of troops in case of contingencies. The 35-foot-long boats currently
are not fitted with any weapons, but can be equipped with light weapons according to any future requirement.
• The GoI has approved the corporatisation of the British-era Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) located in
Kolkata, which has 41 factories, into seven new fully government-owned corporate entities on the lines of
Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU).
• The Indian Army has successfully conducted trial runs of military trains loaded with vehicles and equipment
on the dedicated freight corridor. It ferried heavy equipment from New Rewari station in Haryana to New
Phulera in Rajasthan.
• Indian Naval Ship Trikand, participated in the maiden IN – EUNAVFOR Joint Naval Exercise in the Gulf of
Aden. A total of five warships from four navies participated in the exercise on 18th and 19th June 2021
coordinated by European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR).
• 4 enhanced range version of 122mm rockets were test fired. These rockets have been developed for Army
applications and can destroy targets up to 40 km. This enhanced rocket system would replace the existing
122mm Grad rockets.
• 25 enhanced Pinaka rockets were test fired in quick succession against targets at different ranges on June
24 and 25, 2021. The enhanced range version of the Pinaka rocket system can destroy targets at distances
up to 45 kms.
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) retained Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ also known as ‘increased monitoring
list’ for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing.
• Indian Navy has adopted a comprehensive ‘Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR)’
for synergising the aim of ‘Blue Water Operations with a Green Footprint’.
• INS KULISH (P63) and Japan’s JS KASHIMA (TV3508) and JS SETOYUKI (TV3518) participated in a
joint naval exercise at the Indian Ocean to realize “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) at the Indian Ocean.
• The subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ was test-fired off the Odisha coast. The 1500km range Nirbhay
missile is designed and developed by the DRDO. The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads upto
200 kg.
• INS Tabar to participate in Russian Navy Day celebrations, joint exercises with friendly navies of Africa
and Europe. The ship is also scheduled to participate in bilateral exercises like Ex Konkan with the Royal
Navy, Ex Varuna with French Navy and Ex Indra with Russian Federation Navy.
• INS Tabar, a Talwar-class stealth Frigate built for the Indian Navy in Russia, will participate in the Russian
Navy Day celebrations from 22 to 27 July.
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• Indian Navy’s indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette INS Kiltan on 28th June carried out a
military drill with a South Korean vessel in the East China Sea.
• On the Government of Sri Lanka request Indian Navy’s Hydrographic Survey ship INS Sarvekshak is
carrying out extensive underwater survey around MV Xpress Pearl which sank earlier in June 2021.
• Nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni-P (Prime), an advanced version of the ‘Agni-1’ missile, was successfully
test-fired by the DRDO. The ‘Agni-P’ is a short-range surface to surface missile that will have a range of
1000 km to 1500 km.
• Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari will be the new Vice Chief of Indian Air Force succeeding Air Marshal
Harjit Singh Arora.
• The first production lot of 12 Short Span Bridging System (SSBS)-10 m, designed and developed by Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been inducted into Indian Army.
• India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives participated in a virtual trilateral tabletop exercise “TTX-2021”. The 2 day
exercise focused on maritime crimes like curbing narcotics and assistance in maritime search and rescue in
the region.
• Indian Navy has received the 10th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the US-based aerospace
company Boeing. P-8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft, and
a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the US Navy.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar, the Navy’s Russian-built Talwar class frigate, has just concluded a two-day
naval exercise, “Maritime Partnership Exercise”, with the French Navy in the Bay of Biscay on July 15 and
16.
• DRDO successfully flight-tested the New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG). The Akash-NG weapon
system is a surface-to-air missile that can strike targets at a distance of around 60 km and fly at a speed of
up to Mach 2.5.
• DRDO successfully flight-tested indigenously developed third-generation Man-Portable Anti Tank Guided
Missile (MPATGM) for its minimum range.
• Russia has successfully test-fired new S-500 air defence missile systems. It has a maximum firing range
of 600km.
• The US, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan will create a new Quad group to promote the Afghan peace
process, stability and trade in the region.
• Ordnance Factory of Tiruchirappalli handed over the locally assembled 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control
Gun (SRCG) system to the Navy & Coast Guard for enhanced surveillance. The first batch consisted of 25
weapons. The SRCG is fitted with a 12.7 mm M2 NATO standard heavy machine gun.
• The 36th edition of CORPAT between India and Indonesia was held on 30 and 31 July 2021, in the Indian
Ocean region. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel, took part.
• The India-China LAC guarding the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force (ITBP) commissioned its first two
women officers in combat after they completed their training in Mussoorie. The two women officers —
Prakriti & Diksha — will be posted as company commanders.
• India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant on 8th August 2021 successfully completed a five-day
maiden sea voyage. INS Vikrant’s construction started in 2009 and has more than 76 percent indigenous
content. India currently has only one aircraft carrier: INS Vikramaditya.
• Parliament has passed the Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021. The Bill allows the central government to
prohibit strikes, lock-outs, and lay-offs in units engaged in essential defence services.
• The Border Roads Organisation has constructed the world’s highest road in eastern Ladakh at Umlingla
Pass at an altitude of 19,300 feet.
• India and UAE have commenced first-ever naval combat exercise titled as Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021 exercise.
• Indian Navy and UAE Navy conducted bilateral naval exercise titled as ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ off the coast
of Abu Dhabi.
CURRENT AFFAIRS - 2021 [12]

• The Indian Navy participated in the U.S. Navy-led 20th Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT)
military exercise in Singapore. SEACAT was held for the first time in 2002.
• DRDO has successfully test-fired medium-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay with a Made-in-India
Manik turbofan engine. Nirbhay is India’s first Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM). It can use
both conventional and nuclear weapons of 200 to 300 kilograms.
• Recently, India and Saudi Arabia started their first-ever Naval joint exercise called the Al-Mohed Al-Hindi
Exercise. The decision on this Bilateral exercise was taken in the Riyadh Summit held in 2019. INS Kochi
participated in the exercise.
• Indian Naval Ship Tabar has participated at Portsmouth, England to undertake the annual bilateral drill titled
as ‘Exercise Konkan 2021’ between Indian Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy. It is being held every year since
2004.
• Major General Rajpal Punia& Ms DaminiPunia authored a book “OPERATION KHUKRI”. The book
highlights the Indian Army’s successful rescue mission in Sierra Leone as part of the United Nations.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had developed an advanced Chaff technology
to safeguard the fighter aircraft of the Air Force against hostile radar threats.
• The Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract worth ¹ 1,349.95 crore to Mahindra Defence Systems for
manufacturing of Integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare Defence Suite (IADS) for modern warships of the
Indian Navy.

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