SPOTLIGHT

Monthly Current Affairs

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RBI - NABARD - SEBI

SPOTLIGHT – AUGUST 2022
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NATIONAL NEWS
1. Union Shipping Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Minister of State for Shipping Shripad Naik
inaugurated the Chabahar Day conference in Mumbai.
• Participants – Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and
Afghanistan
• The port will also be part of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
network connecting India.
• INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving
freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
• INSTC was established in 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the
purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States.

2. Indian Railways is developing its own super-fast train by increasing the speed of the locally
made Vande Bharat Express in a phased way to match those running in European nations.
• The railways plans to increase the speed of the new version of the Vande Bharat Express
train to 180km per hour (kmph) this year from 160kmph.
• The train is expected to run at speeds of 220kmph by 2025 and subsequently faster at
260kmph, on par with the speed of most European highspeed trains.
• The above data was given by railways minister Ashwani Vaishnaw.

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3. IIT-Madras has commissioned the Nilekani Centre at AI4Bharat to advance Indian language
technology.
• The centre is funded through a grant of ₹36 crore from Nilekani Philanthropies.
• AI4Bharat was set up as an initiative of the institute to build open-source language AI for
Indian languages.

4. National Statistics Office (NSO) has released the ‘Working Paper on Compilation of
Labour Indicators of Minimum Set of Gender Indicators’ to develop methodology for
compiling three labour indicators.
• The proportion of employed people working part-time in 46-59 years age group at all India
level was more than 10% between 2017-20 while in the age group of above 60 years, the
proportion of employed persons working part-time was more than 15%.
• Employment Rate of Employed Worker living in a household with no child under age
three years, rose to 61.2% in FY20 from 58.37% in FY18 in the 26-49 years age group.
• The proportion of employed persons who are employer in the above 15 age group, has
been estimated at 1.91%, 2.17% and 2.02%, respectively for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-
20.

5. 1st All India District Legal Services Authority meet was held in Delhi.
• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju and Prime
Minister Modi attended the meet.

6. Union Government has set up a task force, under the chairmanship of Dr V K Paul, NITI
Aayog member (health), to monitor monkeypox situation in India.
• Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox
virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox.
• World Health Organization has also declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health
emergency.

7. Covid-19 vaccination platform Co-WIN will be repurposed for Universal Immunisation

Program as well as blood donation.
• Besides India, Guyana has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India to
use this platform for their vaccination program.
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• India and Guyana have signed an MOU for using the Co-WIN platform for vaccination
purpose by the latter.

8. The Central Govt has launched the National Solar Rooftop Portal to enable online tracking
of the process of installation of rooftop solar plants.
• The portal will track information starting from registering the applications to release of
subsidies in residential consumers’ bank accounts after installation and inspection of the
plant.

9. Ministry of Power launched the Power Sector’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme for
improving the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of Distribution Companies.
• Total Outlay – Rs 3,03,758 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26
• It is also proposed to provide 25 crore Smart Prepaid meters to consumers all over the
country.
• The estimated capacity under the national solar rooftop program is 4000 MW.
• Foundation stone of various green energy projects of NTPC worth over Rs 5200 crore were
laid.
o The programs are 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Project in Telangana and
the 92 MW Kayamkulam Floating Solar Project in Kerala, 735 MW Nokh Solar
Project in Rajasthan, Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh and Kawas Green
Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas project in Gujarat.
• The power generation capacity has increased to over 4 lakh MW at present, which is 1.85
lakh MW more than the demand.

10. Ministry of Textile has been linking major tourist destinations with the handicraft clusters and
infrastructure supports, as a part of “Linking Textile with Tourism” initiative.
• 8 craft villages have already been set up for overall development of villages.
• The villages are Raghurajpur (Odisha), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Vadaj (Gujarat), Naini
(Uttar Pradesh), Anegundi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Taj Ganj (Uttar
Pradesh), and Amer (Rajasthan).
• Craft Villages will promote handicrafts as a viable and remunerative livelihood option for
artisans in the clusters, thereby safeguarding the country's rich artisanal heritage.

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11. Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has launched the event to celebrate 8
years of MyGov in New Delhi.
• Responsible AI for Youth 2022 was also launched by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It
has been created by National E-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics & IT in
association with Intel India and Ministry of Education.
• The Program will be open to all school students studying in classes 8-12 across India to
foster a deeper understanding of AI-tech and encourage youngsters to become human-
centric designers.

12. Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful
Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 has been approved by Lok Sabha.
• The bill seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and also empowers the
Centre to freeze, seize or attach financial assets and economic resources of people
engaged in such activities.
• Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful
Activities) Act, passed in 2005, only banned manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

13. Parliament was informed that arsenic had been found in the groundwater in parts of 209
districts in 25 states and Union territories, while uranium has been discovered in parts of 152
districts across 18 states.
• Lead was found in parts of 176 districts in 21 states, iron in 491 districts in 29 states and
UTs, cadmium in parts of 29 districts in 11 states and chromium in 62 districts in 16 states.

14. Ministry of Culture is organizing “Tiranga Utsav” to celebrate the contributions of Pingali
Venkayya to the nation on the occasion of his 146th Birth Anniversary in New Delhi.
• Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter and the designer of India’s National Flag.

15. The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 was passed by Lok Sabha to amend the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The bill aims to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and expand the number of species protected by the
convention.

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• CITES is a convention that requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed specimens
through permits and regulate the possession of live animal specimens so it does not
threaten the survival of the species.
• The Bill provides for the central government to designate an authority which grants export
or import licences for the trading in specimens.

16. Ministry of Steel has constituted an Advisory Committee for Secondary Steel, under the
Chairmanship of Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia, to strengthen the
steel sector especially the secondary steel industry.

17. On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of National Education Policy 2020, Indian Knowledge
System (IKS) division, an innovative cell under Ministry of Education (MoE) at AICTE, New
Delhi organized an IKS Mela.
• 75 ‘Bhartiya Games’ will be introduced in schools under the Indian Knowledge Systems
(IKS) initiative.
o Games like Santhal katti, a version of gilli danda played by Odisha’s Santhal tribe,
mardani khel, a form of martial arts originating from Maharashtra, and yubi lapki, a
rugby-like game played with coconut in Manipur are in the list.
• Kalashala initiative has been launched in 750 schools for educating children about the
various art forms of India & help them discover the country’s rich cultural heritage.
• 32 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI), more than 3,000 Government Industrial Training
Institutes (ITI), 500 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) and nearly 300 Jan Shikshan
Sansthan (JSS) have partnered with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to
provide upward mobility to students and help them attain higher education.
• Nearly, 2000 Skill Hubs have been set up with more than 1.53 lakh candidates who have
been trained till date under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
• 750 virtual labs and 75 skilling e-labs will be set up for simulated learning. DIKSHA portal
is providing access to virtual labs to the students of classes 9-12.
• Vidya Amrit Portal has been launched to scale up the micro-improvements taking place in
the school education in different parts of the country, a Digital Project is being enabled.

18. Anna University in Tamil Nadu will establish an iTNT hub focusing on emerging technology
to strengthen research and development in the information technology sector.
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• It is India’s first emerging DeepTech Innovation Network.

19. Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur has released three
books published by Directorate of Publications Division.
• Three books -
o Moods, Moments and Memories - Former Presidents of India (1950-2017) A Visual
History
o First Citizen - Pictorial Record of President Ram Nath Kovind's Term
o Interpreting Geometries - Flooring of Rashtrapati Bhavan (book prepared by
Chandigarh College of Architecture)

20. National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme has
been formulated for cleaning of sewers and septic tank.
• The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Purpose - to achieve outcomes like zero fatalities in sanitation work in India, no sanitation
workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter and all Sewer and Septic tank
sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods
• Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari
Finance Development Corporation.
• The initial phase of the NAMASTE initiative will focus on 500 cities, in convergence with
the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

21. Ministry of Women and Child Development has released operational guidelines for
Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0.
• The Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) is the highest technical body for
planning, supervising and monitoring the effective implementation of Anganwadi Services
Scheme.
• The chairperson of the EPC is Secretary, Ministry of WCD (incumbent: Indevar Pandey)

22. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched the State University
Research Excellence (SERB-SURE) scheme.
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• Purpose - to augment the research capabilities in a structured way to create a robust

R&D ecosystem in state and private universities and colleges, including self-financed
institutions working within these universities.
• SERB-SURE scheme provides research support to active researchers belonging to state
and private universities and colleges, including self-financed institutions working within
these universities, across India, to undertake research and development in frontier areas of
science, engineering, and quantitative social science.

23. Lok Sabha has passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 for establishing
central universities in various states by amending the Central Universities Act of 2009.
• The Bill, introduced by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Lower House, seeks
to convert the Vadodara-based National Rail and Transportation Institute, a deemed
university to Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya which will be a central university.

24. Minister of Railway Ashwini Vaishnaw has dedicated the newly converted broad gauge
railway line between Badi Sadri and Mawli Junction in Udaipur district, Rajasthan.

25. National Health Authority (NHA) has partnered with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to
accredit and rate the Health Management Information System (HMIS) and Laboratory
Information Management System (LMIS) solutions.
• These solutions have been integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• The NABH will undertake the responsibility of accrediting and rating the ABDM-compliant
solutions on various parameters.

26. ISRO has launched a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), carrying two satellites, from
Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• First satellite – Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-02) with high configuration for high
resolution images.
• Second satellite – AzaadiSAT, a cubesat, comprising of 75 payloads, all developed by 750
young girl students from 75 rural government schools across India.
o IN-SPACeIND and SpaceKidz India have signed an MoU for ‘AzaadiSAT’.

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27. National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs and
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have launched Experiential Learning for
21st Century Programme for Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) principals and
teachers virtually.
• Partners - TATA Trusts, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Mahatma Gandhi
International School (MGIS)
• It is an online programme for educators i.e., teachers and principals to help them adapt
classroom learning to real-life experiences.

28. Central Government has set the target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2023 from the country.
• It was announced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr
Bharati Pravin Pawar.
• World Health Organisation (WHO) Neglected Tropical Diseases Road map has the target
set for Kala-azar elimination is 2030.
• Kala-azar is a disease caused by infection with leishmania parasites.

29. Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that the target of setting up
1.50 lakh Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB- HWC) will become
functional by December 2022.
• It was informed in the Rajya Sabha as a reply to a private member legislation namely the
Right to Health Bill, 2021.
• Out of the total target, 1,22,000 centres are already functional.

30. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has unveiled the digital version of the One
District-One Product (ODOP) gift catalogue during the Export Promotion Councils and
Industry Associations meeting at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

31. Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, has stressed on the completion of India-
Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway - and its extension to Cambodia - to boost connectivity
between the North-east India and South-East Asia.
• He also called for speeding up connectivity from the north east to Vietnam through
Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

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• He attended the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held at Phnom Penh in

Cambodia.

• Along with it, 12th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and 29th ASEAN Regional
Forum Ministerial Meeting were also held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• Jaishankar also visited the 12th century Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia.
• Karnataka’s Reva University has organised the India-ASEAN Summit 2022 at the
university’s campus in Bengaluru. Envoys from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos attended
the event.
• “Reimagining South Asia” book has been authored by Professor Dr Nagalakshmi M
Raman (head of the Amity Institute of International Studies).

32. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Philippines’ new President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (17th PM).

33. Central Govt has launched a common registration facility in 11 states and UTs to enable
homeless people, destitute, migrants and other eligible beneficiaries to apply for ration cards.
• ‘Common Registration Facility' (My Ration-My Right) aimed at helping States and UTs in
expeditiously identifying the eligible beneficiaries and issuing ration cards to such people so
that they can avail their legal entitlement under the NFSA.

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34. Ministry of Culture has launched the 'Badhe Chalo’ Movement under Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav to instil a deeper sense of patriotism among the youth.
• It is being held across 10 cities every day.

35. Union Power Ministry has released the 10th Integrated Rating of Power Distribution
Utilities.
• Total – 71 DISCOM companies were evaluated
• Parameters – financial sustainability, performance excellence and external environment
and their ability to sustain improvements year over year
• The Integrated Rating exercise has been carried out annually since 2012 to evaluate the
performance of utilities on the above-mentioned parameters.
• A total of 12 DISCOMS made it to A+ grade, including six State-run utilities from Gujarat
(4), Dadra & Nagar Haveli (1) and Haryana (1) and six private utilities from Gujarat (2),
Maharashtra (2), Uttar Pradesh (1) and West Bengal (1).

36. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode has launched a ‘Centre for Climate
Studies’ to focus on Climate Leadership, Internationalization and Management for policy
Advancement, Technology and Enterprise (CLIMATE).
• IIM-Kozhikode and Cochin Shipyard Ltd have signed an agreement to boost startups in
the Maritime Sector.

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• IIM Kozhikode and Cochin Shipyard's business incubator Laboratory for Innovation
Venturing and Entrepreneurship (LIVE) would help in their plans.

37. Union Govt is planning to launch a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to promote the
manufacturing of offshore wind turbines.
• India aims to achieve 30GW offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.
• National Offshore Wind Energy Policy was launched in 2015.
• India’s coastline is 7,600-km long. But, there is no offshore wind project.

38. International Telecommunication Union has organized the Regional Standardization

Forum for Asia and Oceania region in New Delhi.
• Organizer - Ministry of Communications
• Theme - “Regulatory and Policy aspects of Telecommunications/ICT”

39. Bills passed by the Lok Sabha –

• New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to rename the New
Delhi International Arbitration Centre as the India International Arbitration Centre.
• Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 – for establishing the carbon credit
markets and bring large residential buildings under the energy conservation regime.
o The Bill mandates the use of non-fossil sources, including green hydrogen, green
ammonia, biomass and ethanol, for energy and feedstock.
o The Bill amended the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 to enhance the scope of the
Energy Conservation Building Code, amend penalty provisions and increase
number of members in the governing council of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

40. Nepal government has allowed India's NHPC to study and develop two hydroelectric
projects that will have the combined potential of generating 1,200 megawatts of energy.
• The two plants are 750 MW West Seti Storage Hydropower Project and 450 MW Seti
River-6 Hydropower Project in Sudurpaschim province.

41. Cooperation minister Amit Shah has announced that over 300 cooperatives have been on-
boarded on the GeM portal as buyers and asked them to also register as suppliers to expand
their business.
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• In the first phase, cooperatives that have a turnover/ deposits of ₹100 crore are being on-
boarded.
• As many as 589 eligible co-operatives have been identified and out of that more than 300
have already been onboarded.
• Major cooperatives that have been onboarded so far include IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED,
Amul and Saraswat Co-op Bank.

42. Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, has unveiled two books at
the 'Vishwa Sadbhavana' event organised by the National Institute of Design (NID)
Foundation at Melbourne in Australia.
• 1st – “Heartfelt-The Legacy of Faith” book has been brought out by NID
• 2nd – “Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery”, a compilation brought out by famed Oncologist in
America Dr Bharat Barai

43. The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) till
31 March 2024.
• The continuation of the scheme based on the request of states and union territories up to
31 December 2024 will help in completion of already sanctioned houses.
• In December 2021, the cabinet had approved the extension of the rural housing scheme,
PMAY-Gramin (Rural) till March 2024.

44. International Solar Alliance (ISA), in partnership with the Cuban government, has floated a
tender for setting up a 1,150 MW solar project in Cuba.
• NTPC is the project management consultant for ISA for setting up the project.
• The project is part of Cuba’s plan to implement 2,100 MW of solar projects, reducing the
reliance on expensive and polluting diesel generators and increasing its green energy
portfolio. It also includes building of 150 MW/150 MWh of storage to support grid reliability.

45. IIT-Mandi has used AI-based multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) algorithms to
select sustainable waste water treatment and management systems from previously
existing techniques.

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46. Microsoft has partnered with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) and Capacity Building Commission (CBC) to help India’s civil servants develop their
digital skills.
• The partnership aims to enhance the functional computer literacy of nearly 2.5 million
civil servants.
• The training will be offered to job roles such as section officers, assistant section officers,
clerks and upper division clerks.

47. Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an Audio Visual Co-production Treaty between
India and Australia, which is aimed at facilitating joint production of films between the two
countries.
• India has, so far, signed 15 audio visual co-production treaties with other countries.

48. Election Commission of India would host a virtual meeting of the Asian Regional Forum
on the theme of “inclusive and accessible elections”.
• The forum is a precursor to the ‘Global Summit for Democracy’ to be hosted by the
National Electoral Institute of Mexico next month.

49. Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute gets first indigenously developed Surgical Robotic
System named SSI-Mantra, developed by SS Innovations.

50. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out the test-firing of
the Low Altitude Escape Motor (LEM) of Crew Escape System, from Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh.
• LEM is an milestone in the Gaganyaan project.
• The Crew Escape System (CES) takes away the Crew module of the Gaganyaan mission
in case of any eventuality and rescues the astronauts.
• ISRO has also launched its first ever virtual space museum named 'SPARK'.

51. Central government has set a target to raise the share of natural gas in the energy mix to
15%, from 6.3% currently, in 2030.

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52. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has identified 75 Municipal Corporations
named as “SMILE-75 Initiative” to implement “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals
for Livelihood and Enterprise” scheme.
• Under the SMILE-75 initiative, welfare measures for persons engaged in the act of begging
will be taken for their rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, awareness,
education, skill development, economic linkages and convergence with other Government
welfare programmes etc.
• Budget of the Smile Scheme – Rs 100 crores till 2025-26

53. Central Govt has announced that income-tax payers would not be allowed to enrol in the
Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
• APY, launched on June 1, 2015, provides old-age income security for the unorganized
sector workers in the form of a minimum assured pension (ranging from Rs 1,000-Rs
5,000/month), in proportion to individual contributions.
• Prior to this announcement, all Indian citizens between the age group of 18-40 years could
join APY.

54. Union Ministry of Heavy Industries has launched ‘Automated Online Data Transfer’ to
capture Domestic Value Addition (DVA) related critical data from the approved applicants of
the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the makers of automobile and auto
components.
• The PLI auto portal will receive critical data from PLI applicants Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) system.

55. India Meteorological Department (IMD), Japan govt, and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) have announced a new initiative to accelerate climate action in 10
States and Union Territories across the country.
• The initiative will support Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) to achieve net-
zero emissions and ensure climate-resilient development.
• It will be rolled out in partnership with the IMD at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

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• Japan has extended USD 5.16 million in climate grant to UNDP India for the project
under the Japan’s global support to 23 countries through UNDP’s ‘Climate Promise -
From Pledge to Impact’ programme for implementing NDCs.
• The project will be rolled out in the states and Union Territories of Bihar, Delhi-NCR,
Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and
Uttar Pradesh between 2022-23.

56. A total of 151 Districts (in 24 States) have already lifted fortified rice under Targeted Public
Distribution System (TPDS) in Phase II of Rice Fortification Programme.
• Phase-I covering ICDS and PM POSHAN had been implemented during 2021-22 and
nearly 17.51 LMT had been distributed in the States/UTs.
• Phase-II includes Phase I above plus all Aspirational Districts and High Burden
districts (total 291 districts) under Targeted Public Distribution System and Other Welfare
Schemes in all the States/UTs by March, 2023 with a total quantity of about 175 LMT of
fortified rice has to be distributed.
o Cumulative annual Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) manufacturing capacity which
was at 0.9 LMT (34 FRK Manufacturing) in August last year has gone up to 3.5 LMT
(153 FRK manufacturer) which is increased by four times.
• Fortification is the process of adding Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), containing FSSAI
prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) to normal Rice (Custom Milled
Rice) in the ratio of 1:100 (Mixing 1 Kg of FRK with 100 Kg custom milled rice).
• Fortified rice is nearly identical to traditional rice in aroma, taste, and texture. This process
is done in the rice mills at the time of milling of rice.

57. National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM), launched in 2021, has
achieved the target of imparting Intellectual Property (IP) awareness and basic training to 1
million students.
• Purpose – to create awareness about IP rights among the students of higher education
(classes 8 to 12) and inspire the students of college/Universities to innovate and protect
their creations
• The program is being implemented by the Intellectual Property Office, the Office of
Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
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• No. of participants (students/faculty) trained on IP = 10, 05, 272

• Educational institutes covered: 3,662
• Geographical coverage: 28 states and 7 Union Territories
• The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016 was launched with a clarion
call of “Creative India; Innovative India”.

58. Ministry of Cooperation and the National Federation of State Cooperative Banks
(NAFSCOB) have organized a one-day National Conference of Rural Cooperative Banks.

59. “DST StartUp Utsav” was organized at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi.
• India ranks globally 3rd in start-up ecosystem and also in terms of number of Unicorns. As
per the latest data, there are currently 105 unicorns, out of which 44 were born in 2021
and 19 in 2022.
• Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) program of
Department of Science and Technology to support R&D efforts in covid-19 direction.
• CAWACH supports innovations in the areas of diagnostics, devices, informatics including
bio-informatics & information management systems, any intervention for the control of
COVID-19 and/or start-up ideas to address/mitigate various challenges faced by country /
society due to severe impact of COVID-19.

60. India has added 11 more wetlands into the list of Ramsar sites, taking the total number of
wetlands in India to 75.
• Of the 11 new sites, four are in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two Jammu and Kashmir, and
one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Now, Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites at 14, followed by Uttar
Pradesh, which has 10.
• India became a signatory to the 1971 Ramsar Convention in 1982.
• COP 14 of Conference of Parties of Ramsar Convention was scheduled to take place in
Wuhan, China in 2021.
• New Ramsar sites -
1. Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary
Tamil
2. Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex

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3. Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary

4. Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary
1. Tampara Lake
Odisha 2. Hirakud Reservoir
3. Ansupa Lake
1. Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve
Jammu and Kashmir 2. Shallbugh Wetland Conservation
Reserve
Madhya Pradesh 1. Yashwant Sagar
Maharashtra 1. Thane Creek

• In this month only, 10 sites were added into the Ramsar Convention before these 11 sites.
Tamil Nadu • Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary
• Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve
• Vembannur Wetland Complex
• Vellode Bird Sanctuary
• Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
Goa • Nanda Lake
Karnataka • Ranganathituu BS
Madhya Pradesh • Sirpur wetland
Odisha • Satkosia Gorge

61. Union Minister Jitendra Singh has launched India's first saline water lantern named Roshini,
which uses sea water to power the LED lamps.
• The Minister launched the lantern during a visit to SAGAR ANVESHIKA, a coastal
research vessel operated and used by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).

62. India’s first 3D-printed cornea has been developed by LV Prasad Eye Institute-Hyderabad,
IIT-Hyderabad, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

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63. Border Roads Organization (BRO) has announced to develop the first-ever steel slag road
in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Slag is a by-product of smelting ores and used metals for producing steel.

64. Asia's largest Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant has now started commercial production in
Sangrur district of Punjab.
• The CBG is being supplied to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL).
• This plant has a total operational capacity of 33.23-tonne CBG per day.

65. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched 'Paalan 1000 - Journey of the First
1000 Days' campaign to encourage the cognitive developments of children in the first 2 years
of its life.
• India has significantly reduced child mortality since 2014 from 45 per 1000 live births to 35
per 1000 live births in 2019.

66. Central Government has unveiled Manthan platform to promote collaboration at scale
between industry and the scientific research and development ecosystem to help meet India’s
scientific missions and goals in alignment with the UN defined Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) charter.
• The platform is powered by National Stock Exchange of India (NSEIT).

67. National Health Authority (NHA) has announced fund allocation to States and Union
Territories for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) based on their
performance in recording data in the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Healthcare
Professionals Registry (HPR).
• Budget of ABDM - Rs 500 crores for over a period of 5 years (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26)
• 20% of these funds, i.e., Rs. 100 crores were earmarked as incentive-based funds.
• In accordance, NHA has defined the parameters for fund allocation as:
o Rs. 100 for each verified entries in HFR & HPR till 31st December 2022
o Rs. 50 for each verified entries in HFR & HPR between 1st January 2023 till 31st
March 2023
o No funds will be allocated for entries verified in HFR & HPR after 31st March 2023

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o States and UTs are at liberty to use these funds for deploying human resources full
time or part time for ABDM

68. India has contributed $4 lakh to four Voluntary Trust Funds as part of its commitment to
global promotion and protection of human rights and support for United Nations Human
Rights.

69. Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the start-up loan of Rs 1.15 crores to
M/s TGP Bioplastics Pvt Ltd., Maharashtra for commercialising compostable plastics to
eliminate the single use plastics.

70. Independence Day 2022 Highlights –

A) President’s Gallantry, Distinguished, and Meritorious Medals were given.
• Kirti Chakra 2022 award winners are Naik Devendra Pratap Singh, the soldier who
killed two terrorists, and BSF constables Sudip Sarkar and Paotinsat Guite (both
honoured posthumously).
• Shaurya Chakra was awarded to 8 Army personnel, including two posthumously. It was
also awarded to one personnel from Indian Navy.
• Total 107 gallantry awards have been given.
B) Wing Commander Deepika Misra, a pilot of the Indian Air Force, has become the first
woman to win the Vayu Sena medal.
C) Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD(D)),
an autonomous organisation under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, has released the
Indian National Anthem in Universal Design.
• Purpose – for the person-with-disabilities the Universal Design has audio/video
description for visually-impaired persons, and Indian Sign Language and Captions for
persons suffering from hearing disabilities
D) Panch Pran by PM Narendra Modi

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E) New Slogan by PM –
• Jai Kisan (given by former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri)
• Jai Jawan (given by former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri)
• Jai Vigyan (given by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee)
• Jai Anusandhan (given by former PM Narendra Modi)
F) Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launched ’75 Aam Aadmi Clinics’ (like the Mohalla Clinics
in Delhi).

71. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the special screening of Doordarshan's production
Swaraj: Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram Ki Samgra Gatha at Parliament House.

72. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has arrived in Thailand to attend the 9th India-
Thailand Joint Commission Meeting as both nations celebrates 75 years of establishment of
diplomatic relations.
• Organizer - India Thai Chamber of Commerce (ITCC)
• Ambassador of India to Thailand - Suchitra Durai
• MOUs signed between India and Thailand -
o An MOU was also signed between the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Ministry of
External Affairs, India and Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs
(DVIFA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand for cooperation.
o ICMR, India and Ministry of Public Health, Thailand signed an MOU for health
and medical cooperation.
o Prasar Bharati and Thai Public Broadcasting Service signed an MOU for
collaboration in broadcasting.

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73. A first-of-its kind database of arrested narcotics offenders named as “NIDAAN” has been
made operational for use by various central and State prosecution agencies tasked to enforce
anti-drugs laws in the country.
• NIDAAN – National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders
• Developer – Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
• It is a part of the narcotics coordination mechanism (NCORD) portal that was launched
by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Chandigarh during the national conference on
'Drug trafficking and national security'.
• NIDAAN platform sources its data from the ICJS (inter-operable criminal justice system)
and the e-Prisons (a cloud-based application) repository and it is planned to integrate it in
the future with the CCTNS (crime and criminal tracking network system).

74. Union Cabinet has approved the widening access of the Traditional Knowledge Digital
Library (TKDL) database to users, besides patent offices.
• The access to the TKDL database would be through a paid subscription model with a
phase-wise opening to national and international users.
• Purpose – to widespread the knowledge of Indian traditional systems
• It will inculcate thought and knowledge leadership through ‘Bharatiya Gnana Parampara’.

75. 10th edition of Asian Textiles Conference named as TEXCON was organized in New Delhi.
• Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted the National Technical Textiles Mission and
India’s thrust on developing the textile sector sustainably.

76. Indian Railways has operated India’s longest and heaviest freight train, with 295 loaded
wagons and 6 engines, named Super Vasuki.
• The test run of the 3.5-km-long freight train carrying more than 27,000 tonnes of coal was
conducted by South East Central Railway between Korba in Chhattisgarh and
Rajnandgaon near Nagpur.

77. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), along with the Department of Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has organised
‘Yamuna Par Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ event at the water sports club in New Delhi.
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• An MoU was also signed between the NMCG and the Sahakar Bharati to achieve the
vision of Arth Ganga.
• The ‘Arth Ganga’ initiative can be promoted through tourism.
• Director-General of NMCG – G Asok Kumar

78. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has released “Transforming India- Governance for
Atmanirbhar Bharat” & “Adhigam” books, and ISTM’s Journal on ‘Research on Training
and Governance’.
• Dr Jitendra Singh is the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &
Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel,
Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.

79. Union Ministry of Steel has extended the last date for receipt of applications under the
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Specialty Steel till 15 September, 2022.
• The application can be sent to the website https://plimos.meconlimited.co.in/.
• PLI Scheme for Specialty Steel is being implemented from FY 2023-24 to FY 2029-30 with
a budgetary outlay of ₹6,322 crore.
• The ministry had chosen 5 categories of specialty steel which have been chosen in the
PLI Scheme – including coated/plated steel products, high strength/wear resistant steel,
specialty rails, alloy steel products and steel wires, and electrical steel.

80. Central Government has announced that 500 cities across India have declared as ‘Safai Mitra
Surakshit Shehar’ to achieve adequacy in terms of institutional capacity, manpower and
equipment norms.

81. Transasia Bio-Medicals has developed India’s first indigenously-developed RT-PCR kit
for testing monkeypox in Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ).
• The kit was unveiled by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre Ajay Kumar Sood.

82. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 (17th edition) will be held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh in
January.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th Januray to mark the contribution of
the overseas Indian community in the development of India.
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• It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9th
January 1915.

83. Seven artefacts has been transferred back to India by Scotland as part of Scotland's "largest-
ever" repatriation of objects from a single collection.

84. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has launched the Phase-II of Grameen Udyami
Project in Ranchi to promote skill development and entrepreneurship amongst the tribal youth,
giving a boost to Skill India Mission.
• The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), in collaboration with Seva Bharti
and Yuva Vikas Society, is implementing the mission.
• A budget of Rs 85,000 crore has been sanctioned exclusively for tribal areas.
• Rural Tribal Technical Training Program (also known as the Grameen Udyami) is a one-of-
a-kind multiskilling project aims to train 450 tribal students in Madhya Pradesh and
Jharkhand.
• The initiative is being carried out in six states: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
• Skill development training is provided in 5 fields, which are electrical and solar energy,
agricultural mechanization, e-governance, plumbing, and two-wheeler repair and
maintenance.
• Grameen Udyami Yojana is implemented under Sansadiya Parisankul Yojana.
• Further, Scheduled Tribe organizations called for a 'Parliamentary ST Cluster
Development Project' has been initiated. Under this project, 49 clusters in 15 states of
India have been selected by 40 tribal MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

85. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the two-day National Security
Strategies (NSS) Conference 2022 in New Delhi.
• During the conference, Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the National Automated
Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), developed by National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB). This System will help in quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of
centralized finger print database.

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86. National Fisheries Development Board (NPFB) has conducted its 9th governing body
meeting in New Delhi, which is chaired by Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Rupala.
• On this occasion, Parshottam Rupala released a book on Super Success Stories from
Indian Fisheries.
• An online marketplace feature - 'Aqua Bazar' in “Matsya Setu” app - was also launched to
help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seed, feed and
medicines and services required for fish culture.
• Matsya Setu app was developed by ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture
(ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

87. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first truly indigenously developed
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus, developed by KPIT Technologies and CSIR in Pune.

88. A two-day National Conference on Women in Police was conducted in Shimla, Himachal
Pradesh.
• Organizers – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Bureau of Police Research and
Development (BPRD) in collaboration with Himachal Police

89. Technology Development Board, under Department of Science and Technology, has
provided a financial aid of Rs 3.29 crores to Multi Nano Sense Technologies Pvt Ltd,
Maharashtra for developing hydrogen sensors indigenously.
• India aims to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030.

90. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has unveiled the digital version of the One
District-One Product (ODOP) gift catalogue during the Export Promotion Councils and
Industry Associations meeting at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

91. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that India’s Bioeconomy will grow from $70 Billion
to $150 Billion by 2025.
• Startups, Industries, Academia and Research Bodies can create a Team Science Grant
together in a Public-Private Partnership mode to avail the grant of Rs 10-15 crore over a
period of two to three years for inter-disciplinary, high-quality research.

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92. India has nominated the dance form Garba to be inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural
heritage list.
• India was elected by UNESCO to serve on the distinguished Intergovernmental
Committee of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage in July.

93. National Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in

Panchayats through Thematic Approach on ‘Village with Self-Sufficient Infrastructure’ was
inaugurated by Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj.
• On the occasion, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil released the SDG’s Anthem and its Booklet
and launched a Prime App and the website of Punjab State Rural Livelihood Mission
(PSRLM).

94. India's first commercial space situational awareness observatory will be set up in the
Garhwal region of Uttarakhand by Digantara, a space sector start-up.
• Purpose - to track objects as small as 10 cm in size orbiting the earth
• The space situational awareness (SSA) observatory will help India track any activity in
space including that of space debris and military satellites hovering over the region.

95. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Ministry of External Affairs
have signed a headquarters agreement in New Delhi to provide the status of an 'Independent
and International Legal Entity' for CDRI.
• Director General, CDRI - Amit Prothi

96. Union External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has unveiled the bust of Mahatma
Gandhi at Asuncion, Paraguay.
• The stone statue was unveiled by Jaishankar, who is now on his first-ever official trip to
South America.
• Mr Jaishankar also inaugurated the newly opened Indian Embassy in Asuncion.
• India and Paraguay have completed 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic
relations. This was the first ever visit of an Indian Foreign Minister to Paraguay.

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97. Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 23rd meeting of the Central Zonal Council in
Bhopal.

98. 6th meeting of Australia India Education Council (AIEC) was organized at the Western
Sydney University (WSU).
• Union Minister for Education & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra
Pradhan and his Australian Counterpart Jason Clare co-chaired the meeting.
• The 7th meeting of the AIEC will be held in India next year.

99. Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh has inaugurated the Silk Mark Expo in
New Delhi.
• Organizer - Silk Mark Organisation of India under Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles

100. On the 75th Independence Day, beta version of the DigiYatra app was launched at the
Delhi Airport to help domestic flyers fly from two locations with the help of an e-gate boarding
system.
• ‘DigiYatra’ is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel Experience (BEST) based on Facial
Recognition Technology. It aims to provide a paperless and seamless travel experience to
the passengers.
• With this technology, passengers' entry would be automatically processed based on the
facial recognition system at all checkpoints including entry into the airport, security check
areas, aircraft boarding, etc.
• It has also been launched at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. In this
month, it will be rolled out at Varanasi airport as well.

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• By March 2023, this app will be launched in Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Delhi, and
Hyderabad.
• DigiYatra Foundation was established in 2019 as a joint venture between Airports
Authority of India (26% stake) and Bengaluru International Airport Ltd., Delhi International
Airport Limited, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, Mumbai International Airport
and Cochin International Airport Limited (74% stake combined).

101. Edelweiss General Insurance has partnered with the Union Health Ministry to help
create digital health IDs for all in the country.
• ’ABHA’ or the Ayushman Bharat Health Account is a 14-digit number that helps users
to share and access their health records digitally with registered healthcare providers.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing this
program under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

102. Supreme Court has constituted a three-member bench, headed by Justice D.Y.
Chandrachud, to rule on the matter pertaining to distribution of freebies to voters during
elections.

103. Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, (MoS) Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi paid an
official visit to Norway (16-18 August), Iceland (19-20 August) and Malta (21-23 August).
• An MOU was signed between RetinaRisk (health technology company in Iceland) and
Sankara Nethralaya (India) for collaborating on predictive eye screening of diabetes
patients.

104. Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers has announced the launch of the ‘One Nation-One
Fertilizer’ (ONOF) from October 2.
• As part of the initiative, crop nutrients – urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or muriate
of potash (MOP) – will be sold under a single brand name, ‘Bharat’ irrespective of the
manufacturing companies.
• The initiative will be implemented under the Centre’s fertilizer subsidy scheme, ‘Pradhan
Mantri Bharatiya Janurvarak Pariyojana’ (PM-BJP).

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105. 20th edition of Bio Asia will be hosted by the government of Telangana in Hyderabad
from February 24-26, 2023.
• Theme - “Advancing for ONE: Shaping the next generation of humanized healthcare”

106. RailTel, a CPSU of the Ministry of Railways and CloudExtel, a known Full Stack Network
as a Service (NaaS) Provider, have partnered to launch India's first Shared Radio Access
Network (RAN) solution for congested locations to enhance telecom users' experience.

107. The 3rd India-Mauritius Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) was held in New Delhi between
the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Ministry of Business,
Enterprises and Cooperatives (Mauritius) for cooperation in the field of MSMEs.
• Two MOUs were signed for cooperation between –
o SME Mauritius Ltd. and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII)-
o SME Mauritius Ltd. and National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(Ni-MSME), an institute under the Ministry of MSME

108. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched the ‘Azadi Quest’, a series of
online educational mobile games developed in collaboration with Zynga India.
• The information in the app has been curated by the Publications Division of the I&B
Ministry and the Indian Council of Historical Research.
• The Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector in India has the
potential to capture 5% ($40 billion) of the global market share by the year 2025, with an
annual growth of around 25-30%.

109. Central Government is planning a unified identity card for the Ayushman Bharat
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to eliminate wide variance in the design and
nomenclature of beneficiary cards across States and Union Territories.
• These will be co-branded cards, which would allot equal space to both PM-JAY and State-
specific logos.
• The name of the scheme would include the State scheme name along with AB PM-JAY.
• The NHA has also decided to provide full financial support for issuing the co-branded cards
to beneficiaries identified by the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) and State-
specific non-SECC beneficiaries.
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• As of August 2022, 31 out of 33 states have adopted the scheme.

110. Union minister Piyush Goyal has announced that the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti
National Master Plan will be integrated with the 1,000 geospatial maps for better planning of
the infrastructure.
• Gujarat-based Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics
(BISAG-N), which works to implement map-based Geospatial Information Systems (GIS),
has developed the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan.
• It was announced at an investors’ round-table conference organised by the National
Industrial Corridor Development Corporation and the Dholera Industrial City Development.

111. India and Tanzania have announced the creation of a task force to prepare a five-year
‘future road map’ for enhancing defence cooperation.
• Both countries will hold the next Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Tanzania.
• Tanzania has been invited to the ‘India-Africa Defence Dialogue’ and DefExpo which is
scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18 to 22.

112. ‘Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ was organised by the National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• During the event, many initiatives were launched under the Arth Ganga concept.
o Jalaj initiative was launched at 26 locations on Ganga basin main stem states. It
involves setting up of small shops or floating mobile centres to promote livelihood on
the banks of River Ganga.
o NMCG and Sahakar Bharati signed an MOU to achieve the vision of sustainable
and viable economic development by public participation.
o A tourism-related portal ImAvatar was launched to promote livelihood opportunities
along the Ganga basin by promoting Arth Ganga initiative through tourism.
o A new River Champ course on the Continuous Learning and Activity Portal
(CLAP) was launched.
• Projects worth more than Rs 30,000 crore have been sanctioned to clean Ganga and its
tributaries.

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113. Ministry of Labour & Employment has organised a two-day

National Labour Conference of Labour Ministers and Labour Secretaries of States/UTs
at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

114. The 8th Brazil-India Joint Commission Meeting (JCM), co-chaired by Mr Carlos Alberto
Franco França, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, and Dr S. Jaishankar, External Affairs
Minister (EAM) of India, was held in Brasilia.
• An MOU was signed between Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) and Prasar Bharati
to exchange their own contents produced to various platforms.

115. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met visiting US Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally
Adeyemo and discussed India's upcoming G-20 Presidency in 2023 and issues related to the
global financial sector.

116. The 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo 2022 has been organized by the MSME
Development Forum at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

117. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has amended the Right of Way rules,
2016 to ensure quick approvals for deploying telecom infrastructure.
• According to the amended rules, charges for laying aerial optical fibre will be capped at
₹1,000 per km and annual fees have been fixed at ₹300 for urban areas and ₹150 for rural
areas per street furniture, and ₹1,000 per pole to set up small cells.
• The approvals for developing telecom infrastructures such as the laying of fibre and tower
installations are obtained through the GatiShakti Sanchar portal (which was launched in
May 2022).

118. India-GABON Business Council was launched by the Indian Economic Trade
Organization and the Embassy of GABON to accelerate the trade relationships between both
countries.
• The council was launched on the National Day of Gabon (August 17, 2022).
• Gabon plans to have 100% clean energy by 2030.

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119. Bangladesh and India have signed two contracts for the construction of a new broad-
gauge line between Khulna-Darsana and conversion of metre gauge line into a dual-gauge
line between Parbatipur and Kaunia.
• Both of these rail lines are in Bangladesh.

120. 38th Meeting of Ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was
held in New Delhi.
• Both India and Bangladesh have finalised the text of MOU on interim water sharing of
Kushiyara River (a distributary river in Assam and Bangladesh).
• The Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was constituted in the year 1972 as
a bilateral mechanism to address issues of mutual interest on common / border /
transboundary rivers.
• India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, of which 7 rivers have been identified earlier for
developing the framework of water sharing agreements on priority.

121. Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TB division of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
organized a national conclave at the National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI), New Delhi
to disseminate the learnings of the 100-day Aashwasan Campaign under ‘Tribal TB
Initiative’.
• Tribal TB Initiative is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Central TB Division,
Ministry of Health, supported by USAID as technical partner and Piramal Swasthya as
implementing partner.
• The Aashwasan Campaign started in January this year for finding the active case of TB in
174 tribal districts of India, under the ambit of the Tribal TB Initiative.
• Now, 75 high-burden tribal districts have been selected for focused interventions in the
coming months.
• The three-pronged strategy for the 75 Districts –
o Generating demand for TB services by increasing awareness on TB.
o Improving the delivery of TB services by enhancing the TB testing and diagnosis
infrastructure.
o Decreasing the risk of transmission and decreasing the pool of infections through
active case-finding campaigns.

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122. Union Minister Jitendra Singh has launched a dedicated website

www.swachhsagar.org to boost the Coastal Cleaning Mission.
• The Minister also launched the Campaign Logo-Vasuki.

123. Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah, addressed the first convocation of
the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar.
• Three Centre of Excellences were inaugurated at the university during the convocation,
which are Centre of Excellence in DNA, Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security, and
the Centre of Excellence in Investigative and Forensic Psychology.

124. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), also known as the National Mission for
Financial Inclusion, has completed 8 years of successful implementation.
• More than 46.25 crore beneficiaries banked under PMJDY since inception, amounting to
over Rs 1,73,000 crore.
• 56% Jan Dhan account holders are women and 67% of Jan Dhan accounts are in rural and
semi-urban areas.

125. The world's largest religious monument – the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium – has
been inaugurated at Mayapur, West Bengal.
• Additionally, the religious building will have the largest dome in the world.
• The temple will be the headquarter of the International Society of Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON).

126. Indian Railway, along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), has launched a pan-
India operation known as Operation Yatri Suraksha to improve the security of passengers.
• Under this initiative, several steps are taken to provide round-the-clock security to
passengers.
• RPF is also implementing the Sewa Hi Sankalp initiative to keep passengers’ security
intact via drives, quick responses to queries, or by taking the help of technology and
utilising its many benefits.

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STATE NEWS
1. Punjab government has signed an agreement for becoming a member of the Global Network
called ‘Under2 Coalition’ to control global warming.
• ‘Under2 Coalition’ was launched during the UNFCCC-COP 21, in line with the Paris
Agreement, in 2015 to reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Now, Punjab has become a member of the largest network of 221 states of 43 countries.

2. Chhattisgarh has launched the Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath (tour on chariot) to create
awareness about the legal rights among women on the occasion of Hareli Tihaar Festival.

3. A school in Hyderabad has introduced the India’s first of its kind robot teacher named
Eagle for students.
• The robot is capable of teaching students of grades 5 to 11, in the classroom along with the
human teacher and also in a stand-alone mode.
• It was introduced by the Indus Trust, which runs a network of Indus International
Schools in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, and Belagavi.

4. Sanjeevini (Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Promotion Society — KSRLPS) and e-

commerce firm Meesho have signed an MOU for the empowerment of 2,500 self-help groups
(SHGs) in the state.
• Punyakoti Dattu Yojana (cow adoption scheme) was launched in Belagavi for taking care
of non-milch cattle and sick animals and other animals condemned by farmers, with the
cooperation of the public.
• The ‘Raitha Vidya Nidhi’ scholarship scheme was launched for the first time in the
country. The scheme has benefited about 8.50 lakh students from farmers’ families last
year and it would reach 9.80 lakh students this year.
• Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai commemorated the completion of one year of his
government.

5. Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) and Federation of

Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) have signed an MoU for organizing the
‘Make in Odisha Conclave 2022’ in Nov-Dec 2022.
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6. Assam govt has announced to give ₹18 extra to the beneficiaries of Orunodoi scheme for
August to buy a National Flag or two under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.
• Under the Orunodoi scheme, the Assam government has been transferring ₹1,000 as
monetary benefit to the bank accounts of economically weak women on the 10th of every
month.

7. Arunachal Pradesh government has signed a tripartite MOU with NITI Aayog and Reach to
Teach Foundation for a large-scale transformation in school education.
• The MoU is a three-year partnership (2022-25) for enhancing the learning outcome of
students across 3,000 plus government schools in the state thereby, by reaching out to
over two lakh children.

8. West Bengal has signed an MOU with Maharashtra government to prevent migration and
trafficking of women.

9. Assam government has launched Mission Bhumiputra initiative and portal for issuing
caste certificates to students digitally.

10. West Bengal has created seven new districts, taking the total number of districts in the state
to 30.

11. Aurangabad (Maharashtra) has become the first city to publish the “Environmental Insights
Explorer (EIE) data” from Google.
• Recently, the EIE dashboard for Aurangabad was launched by Google at a programme.
• Google has a feature called EIE, which helps cities measure the carbon emission sources,
conduct analysis and identify strategies to reduce emissions that help counter air pollution.

12. Haryana government has launched the Cheerag Scheme to provide free education to
Economically Weaker section (EWS) students (belonging to Government schools) in private
school.
• Cheerag Scheme stands for "Chief Minister Equal Education Relief, Assistance and
Grant".
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• The annual verified income of parents shall be less than Rs 1.8 lakh.

13. PM Narendra Modi is set to lay foundation stone to several projects of Shrimad Rajchandra
Mission, Dharampur in Gujarat.
• Shrimad Rajchandra Center of Excellence for Women would provide employment to
over 700 tribal women and provide a livelihood to thousands of others involved with the
project.
• Shrimad Rajchandra was a Jain poet, mystic, philosopher, scholar and reformer.

14. United Way Bengaluru (UWB), an NGO, has signed an MOU with the Women and Child
Development Department of the Karnataka govt for strengthening Anganwadi centres in
the state.

15. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement with Gujarat government to invest Rs
7,000 crores to set up an IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) Park in Vadodara.
• L&T has proposed the creation of 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities in
the coming five years.

16. Andhra Pradesh has signed an MOU with National Institute for Smart Governance for
developing an integrated land management system with advanced technology.

17. Arunachal Pradesh government has approved the naming of the under-construction Hollongi
greenfield airport near Itanagar as “Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar”.

18. Uttar Pradesh has launched ‘Panchamrut Yojana’ to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’
income through the introduction of cost-effective technical measures and promotion of co-
cropping method.
• The state govt has also increased the sugarcane support price by Rs 350 in the last
crushing season in advance, which included Rs 340 for normal and Rs 335 for species
declared unsuitable.

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19. Assam government has signed MOU with HCL, Walmart and Flipkart for various purposes,
including skilling the youths, exporting local products and creating talent for e-commerce
supply chain.
• With HCL Technologies, the MOU aims to provide skills and facilitate the employability of
class-12 passed youths.
• An MOU with Walmart Vriddhi aims at the development of MSMEs in terms of showcasing
and exporting their products.
• Flipkart will provide opportunities to youth of the state in the Flipkart Supply Chain
Operations Academy by training, certifying and creating a pool of e-commerce supply chain
talent.

20. Tamil Nadu Forest Department has established a first-of-its-kind Urban Animal Rescue
Centre at the Guindy National Park for helping injured and rescued wildlife for over a month
now.

21. Uttarakhand will develop a "Modi circuit" at the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

22. Delhi’s Municipal Council has launched the 'One Road-One Week' initiative to undertake
repair and maintenance work along footpaths, pavements and central verges.

23. Andhra Pradesh has announced to rename its Konaseema district as Dr BR Ambedkar
Konaseema.
• Now, the total number of districts in the state stands at 26.

24. Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao has launched the first-of-its-kind Nethanna Bima
scheme (insurance scheme for the weavers).
• This scheme will provide ₹5 lakh insurance cover to the weavers' families in case of the
unfortunate death of an eligible beneficiary.
• Telangana government has partnered with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India for
the scheme.
• The state department of handlooms and textiles is the nodal agency for its implementation.
• At present, 5% GST is levied on the handloom sector.

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25. PARVAZ is a market linkage scheme in Jammu and Kashmir for the shipment of
agriculture and horticulture perishables through air cargo.
• Jammu & Kashmir Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation
(JKHPMC) is the implementing agency of the scheme.
• Farmers get the price of their produce directly in their bank account with no intermediary in
between.
• Under the scheme, government will provide a subsidy of 25% on freight charges, in a bid
to carry perishable fruits through Air Cargo.

26. Jharkhand will celebrate Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav on August 9-10.

27. Indian Oil Corporation Limited will set up second-generation ethanol plant in the Panipat
Refinery and Petrochemical Complex (PRPC), Haryana.
• Biofuel production –
o 1st generation: obtained from sugar-starch crops (like sugar, corn) directly, which are
generally edible in nature
o 2nd generation: obtained from human food feedstock by-products or agricultural
waste or non-food feedstock
o 3rd generation: obtained from marine organisms such as algae
o 4th generation: obtained from genomically prepared microorganisms and genetically
engineered feedstock
• National Policy on Biofuels 2018 – focuses on second-generation biofuels.

28. Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena has laid the foundation stone for the city’s first
bamboo theme park titled “Baansera” on the Yamuna floodplain.

29. NLC India Ltd., a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Coal, has signed an MOU
with Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to develop 1,000 MW of solar
power projects in Assam.
• The MoU is for setting up a joint venture company with equity participation of 51% by NLCIL
and 49% by APDCL.

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30. Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha has inaugurated "UMEED Market Place" under
AVSAR Scheme of Airport Authority of India at Srinagar International airport.
• A similar Marketplace was also opened at Jammu Airport and both the outlets will exhibit
products of all 20 districts.
• An initiative will support local art and artisans of Self Help Groups of J&K Rural Livelihood
Mission, providing a platform to market local products directly to the customers.
• The products of Self Help Groups will be unveiled at the national market, strengthen the
local artisan community and provide sufficient promotional avenues for their products.

31. Uttar Pradesh government has signed an MoU with Flipkart to bring state's handicraft
products on the platform.
• The state government is also organizing camps to give subsidies on loans to weavers.
• The government is providing a subsidy of up to 20% on loans and up to 7% on interest.

32. Haryana has launched Cheerag scheme to offer “free education” to Economically Weaker
Section (EWS) students of government schools in “budget” private schools.

33. Odisha government has signed an MOU with National Institute of Ocean Technology for
protection of its coasts.
• National Institute of Ocean Technology, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is a premier
institute in the country specialising in the field of ocean engineering and coastline
protection.

34. 'Golden Joint' of the Chenab railway bridge was launched thereby inaugurating the world's
highest railway bridge.

35. IIT-Guwahati has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to
explore solutions to issues related to water, electricity, internet for the AICTE-affiliated
institutions in North East India.

36. Agasthiyarmalai Elephant Reserve has become the 5th elephant reserve of Tamil Nadu.
• There are 32 elephant reserves in India after this addition.
• Lemru Elephant Reserve in Chhattisgarh is missing from the picture given below.
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37. Rajasthan govt has signed an MOU with SJVN for developing renewable energy projects of
10,000 MW.
• This would require an investment in excess Rs 50,000 crores.
• With this latest addition, the total energy portfolio of the company has increased to 42,000
MW.
• SJVN aims to achieve 5000 MW by 2023, 25000 MW by 2030 & 50000 MW by 2040 in its
energy portfolio.

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38. Karnataka govt has been implementing the Raitha Vidya Nidhi scheme to provide
scholarship to the children of farmers, landless agricultural labourers, weavers,
fishermen, and taxi driver, for education.

39. Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang has launched Vatsalya Scheme for increasing the fertility
rate of women by providing them financial assistance of Rs 3 lakhs to undergo In-vitro
Fertilization (IVF) treatment.
• The state has also launched “Mobile Village Clinics” to deliver health services along the
outlying locations of the state.
• “Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana” was also launched to provide Rs 20,000 annually to all
unemployed mothers in the bank accounts.
• “Mukhyamantri Swasthya Suvidha Yojana” was launched to provide a health insurance
for MR/Ad-hoc /Contractual/Probationary Employees.

40. Rajasthan government has launched ‘Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana’ to provide
free coaching to students for competitive exams.
• Budget for the scheme has been set at over Rs 17 crores.
• Students from SC/ST/OBC/minority/EWS and specially-abled — whose family’s annual
income is Rs 8 lakh or less — are eligible to avail the benefits of this free coaching scheme.

41. Delhi govt has renamed 16 parks after the freedom fighters on the occasion of 75th
Independence Day.

42. Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan unveiled a 30-feet tall mural statue
of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

43. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu has launched pilot project drone service -'Medicine
from The Sky'.

44. Kerala govt has launched the “Lucky Bill” App, developed by Kerala Digital University, to
prevent GST evasion by companies.
• This app will offer exciting prizes to customers who upload bills of their purchase of goods
and services.
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45. Madhya Pradesh’s city Mandla, which is a tribal-dominated region, has become India’s
first fully ‘functionally literate’ district.

46. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the “Vidya Rath- School on Wheels”
project on the occasion of India's 76th Independence day at a function held at the premises of
Gauhati High Court.
• Purpose - to provide economically challenged underprivileged children access to
elementary education for a period of 10 months

47. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced ‘Make India No. 1’ mission to make the country
“number one” by focussing on health, education, agriculture, and employment.

48. The Bengaluru-based Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) has signed an MoU with the
Chhattisgarh government for setting up a regional testing laboratory in Raipur district for
transformers, energy meters, transformer oil, switch fuse unit and other electricity-related
equipment.
• Power companies will get a 20% rebate in the testing of equipment.

49. Goa has become the first state in the country to become 'Har Ghar Jal' certified state.
• Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has become first Har Ghar Jal certified Union
Territory.

50. Uttar Pradesh Defence and Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy-2022 has
been approved to attract more investments in the defence and aerospace manufacturing sector
in the state.
• The new policy provides for a capital subsidy of 7% or a maximum of Rs 500 crore in non-
Bundelkhand region and 10% or a maximum of Rs 500 crore in the Bundelkhand region of
the state.

51. Punjab and Haryana have agreed to name the Chandigarh International Airport after
Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

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52. Central government has planned to collaborate with the Arunachal Pradesh government to
develop a “district good governance portal” for monitoring the performance of each district
of the state on a monthly basis and help in benchmarking performance.
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the
Ministry of Personnel will develop the portal.
• Union Minister Jitendra Singh made the announcement during the two-day Regional
Conference on “Bringing Citizens and Government Closer through Administrative
Reforms” at Itanagar.

53. Himachal Pradesh will receive USD 96.3 million loan from the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) for providing safe drinking water and improve water supply and sanitation services
in the state.
• More than 90% of the state’s rural population have access to drinking water, but the water
supply infrastructure needs revamping, to result in efficient and improved service quality.

54. Rajasthan and Maharashtra State Legal Services Authorities have launched the Digital
Lok Adalat in their respective states as part of the third National Lok Adalat of 2022.
• Over 75 lakhs cases were registered on the Digital Lok Adalat in Rajasthan.
• Digital Lok Adalat is powered by AI and Blockchain.
• Both the Digital Lok Adalat were launched during the '18th All India Legal Services
Authorities' summit in July 2022.

55. For the first time, the Uttar Pradesh government is planning to build an education township
in the state to provide high-quality education to the youth and equip them with a variety of
professional skills in a single place.
• The education township will be developed on the idea of 'Single Entry, Multiple Exit'.
• Besides, it will provide accommodation and many other facilities to both students and
teachers.

56. Rajasthan govt has established the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Advanced Technologies to
offer joint global training and certification programs of IT majors, in IT/ITES arena leading
towards better employment opportunities.

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57. Jammu and Kashmir has launched the Village Defence Guards scheme.
• Under the scheme, the Village Defence Guards shall be charged with the responsibility of
protecting community installations and infrastructure facilities within the defined areas of
their village.
• Village Defence Guards would conduct night and day patrolling in a systematic manner.

58. UK government has signed an MOU with the Jharkhand to create a new scholarship
programme for the marginalized and under-represented communities from the state.
• The Chevening Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda (MGJSM) scholarship will offer full
financial support to five scholars from Jharkhand to pursue a one-year master’s in the UK.
• The Chevening MGJSM Scholarships will be offered annually from 2023.
• Separately, UK has also launched the Jharkhand module of the Climate Resilience
Information System and Planning (CRISP-M) tool for better management and planning
of the disaster resilience.
• The CRISP-M tool is a web and mobile phone-based geographic information system that
will support the planning, implementation and monitoring of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
scheme.
• It was developed as part of the UK Government’s Infrastructure for Climate Resilient
Growth programme in India.

59. Tamil Nadu government has signed five MOUs for an investment worth Rs 2,250 crore in
the footwear and leather sector.
• Chief Minister M K Stalin also unveiled the 'Tamil Nadu Footwear and Leather Products
Policy 2022'.
• The policy is aimed at attracting Rs 20,000 crore investment in the leather sector by 2025
and in creating employment opportunities to two lakh people.

60. Norway’s Climate Investment Fund has signed an agreement to acquire 49% stake in a 420
MW solar power plant named Thar Surya 1 in Rajasthan for Rs 280 crores approx.
• The plant has been developed by the Enel Green Power (an Italian company).

61. Kerala has launched an online monitoring system for medicines to keep track of availability
and distribution of medicines in government-run medical institutions in the state.
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62. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Amrita Hospital in Faridabad district of
Haryana.
• Prime Minister Modi will also visit Punjab and inaugurate the Homi Bhabha Cancer
Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur.

63. Tamil Nadu Credit Guarantee Scheme (TNCGS) and Tamil Nadu Trade Receivables
Discounting System (TN TReDS) have been launched for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs).
• The TNCGS will operate with the Credit Guarantee Trust for Micro and Small
Enterprises (CGTMSE) of the Central government and extend 90% guarantee for eligible
loans up to ₹40 lakh.
• For loans above ₹40 lakh and less than ₹2 crore, eligible loans will get 80% guarantee.
• The State government has made an allocation of ₹100 crore for this scheme.

64. Confederation of Indian Industry has signed an MoU with the Nagaland Government at the
Nagaland CSR & Investment Conclave 2022 - “Partnership for Strengthening Sustainable
Development” to collaborate and unleash the potential of entrepreneurial talents in Nagaland.
• As part of this agreement, CII would establish startup cohorts and conduct capacity-
building programmes for Nagaland Government officials, financial institutions & banks in
Nagaland, incubators, and academic innovation cells for engaging with startups.
• Indian Navy will partner with entrepreneurs and startups in Nagaland to provide support for
their innovation and indigenization initiatives.
• A Model Career Centre (MCC) will also be set up in Nagaland in partnership with the State
Government.
• CII organizes startup pitch sessions as part of the Nagaland CSR and Investment Summit
to connect startups with potential investors from across the country.

65. Jammu and Kashmir has become the first amongst States/UTs to establish an Atal
Tinkering Lab in partnership with the government think tank NITI Aayog on a 50:50 cost-
sharing basis.
• NITI Aayog is keen to replicate the J&K model of Atal Tinkering Lab to the rest of the
country.
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• NITI Aayog has established over 10,000 ATLs across the country so far for enabling over 3
Million+ students between Grade VI to Grade XII to acquire a problem-solving, tinkering and
innovative mindset.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) aims to establish 500 more labs in J&K schools in the next
few years to promote an innovative and creative mindset among J&K students.

66. Uttar Pradesh govt has launched the Parivar Kalyan Card (PKC) Scheme to establish a
comprehensive database of the state’s family units and identify beneficiaries for its various
schemes including employment, pensions, and housing benefits.
• The PKC will provide a unique 12-digit ID number for each family, and the initial collection
of data for families will be conducted through ration cards.
• These cards would help in preventing the leakages and duplication of beneficiaries in the
scheme.

67. Andhra Pradesh government has signed an MOU with the U.S.-based “Parley for the
Oceans” on plastic-waste management in Andhra Pradesh.

68. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched Mahila Nidhi scheme on Women's
Equality Day to help them sustain their livelihoods as well as start some small business
ventures for their economic betterment.
• 'Mahila Nidhi' will be established through Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Development Council.
• Rajasthan is the second state in the country after Telangana where 'Mahila Nidhi' scheme
has been started.
• This initiative has been aimed at strengthening women’s self-help groups by facilitating
financing from banks and increasing the income of women from poor households.

69. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Smriti Van memorial for people who died during the
devastating 2001 earthquake in the Kutch region of Gujarat.

70. Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has announced the extension of the Vidyanidhi scheme
to the children of agricultural labourers.
• Through this scheme, scholarships amounting to Rs 2500 to Rs 11000 will be provided to
the children of farmers who are pursuing higher education.
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• The amount of the scholarship will be transferred directly into the bank account of the
beneficiary through the direct benefit transfer method.
• The state is also establishing a textile park.

71. Maharashtra’s first “Divyang Park” will be established in Nagpur with the financial
assistance from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• The ministry has also organized a ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ under the ‘Rashtriya
Vayoshri Yojana’ and ‘Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/ Fitting of Aids
and Appliances’ schemes to distribute assistive aid to senior citizens and persons with
disabilities.

72. PM Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of development projects in Gujarat
during his two-day visit.
• Atal Bridge across Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad was inaugurated.
• Kachchh Branch Canal of the Sardar Sarovar Project was also inaugurated.
• Foundation stones for two new plants of Maruti Suzuki have been laid.
o Suzuki Motor Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing Facility at Hansalpur, Gujarat
o Maruti Suzuki vehicle manufacturing facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

1. The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) and the Malaysian Palm Oil
Council (MPOC) have signed an MOU to further cooperation between the two organisations to
promote the use of palm oil.

2. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala, has
launched the Minister’s dashboard for Animal Husbandry and Dairying in New Delhi.
• This dashboard will provide information about the
o Livestock Health and Disease Control Program (LHDCP)
o National Livestock Mission (NLM)
o Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
o National Program for Dairy Development Fund (NPDD)

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o Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)

o Supporting Dairy Co-operatives and Farmer Producer Organizations (SDCFPO)
o Dairy processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)

3. PM inaugurated the largest online herbarium database, the ‘Indian Virtual Herbarium’ web
portal to provide complete information on herbarium specimens about the floral diversity of
India and other countries stored in the cabinet of the herbarium building through online access.
• The portal (https://ivh.bsi.gov.in) has been developed by the Botanical Survey of India
under the framework of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Digital India’.
• At present, the digital herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India has four categories –
Cryptogam type specimens, Cryptogams general specimens, Phanerogam type specimens,
and Phanerogams general specimens.

4. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Fair and Remunerative
Price (FRP) of Rs 305 per quintal sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23 (October -
September).
• It is the highest ever FRP for sugarcane farmers.

5. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has laid foundation stone of Indo-Israel
Centre of Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh.

6. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, has
launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin
disease.
• Developers - National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) and Indian Veterinary
Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly, UP)
• Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly infectious viral disease that affects all breeds of cattle
and water buffalo. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies
and mosquitoes, or ticks. As of now, no specific treatment is available.

7. Union Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Shri Parshottam Rupala launched a
unique coffee table book titled ‘Fish & Seafood -a collection of 75 gourmet recipes’ under
the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
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8. According to the Coir Board’s data, coir exports have increased by 14.8% to reach ₹4,340.05
crores in 2021-2022, as compared to 2020-2021.
• In terms of quantity, exports grew 6.2% to 12.34 lakh tonnes against 11.63 lakh tonnes.
• Chairman of the Coir Board - D. Kuppuramu

9. Union Cabinet has approved interest subvention of 1.5% per year on short term agriculture
loan of up to Rs 3 lakh for 2022-23 to 2024-25.
• Applicability – Loans given by public and private sector banks, small finance banks,
regional rural banks, cooperative banks and computerised Primary Agriculture Credit
Societies
• Budgetary requirement for this subvention – Rs 34,856 crore

10. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare has released the 4th advance estimate of
major agricultural crops for the year 2021-22.
Crops Production
Total food grains 315.72 million tonnes
Rice 130.29 million tonnes (record)
Wheat 106.84 million tonnes
Nutri / Coarse Cereals 50.90 million tonnes
Maize 33.62 million tonnes (record)
Pulses 27.69 million tonnes (record)
Tur 4.34 million tonnes
Gram 13.75 million tonnes (record)
Oilseeds 37.70 million tonnes (record)
Groundnut 10.11 million tonnes
Soyabean 12.99 million tonnes
Rapeseed and Mustard 11.75 million tonnes (record)
Sugarcane 431.81 million tonnes (record)
Cotton 31.20 million bales (each of 170 kg)
Jute & Mesta 10.32 million bales (each of 180 kg)

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11. Jharkhand has become the first state in India to use the blockchain technology for seed
distribution, in collaboration with blockchain tech company named SettleMint.
• Purpose – for reducing pilferage and getting rid of spurious seeds that the farmers receive
under various government schemes including the seed exchange scheme

12. Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body under the Department of Science
and Technology, has extended support to M/s Fountainhead Agro farms Private Limited for
the ‘Advanced, Intensive, All Male Tilapia Aquaculture Project with Israeli Technology’.
• Out of the total project cost of Rs. 29.78 crores, TDB has already provided loan assistance
of Rs. 8.42 crores to the company.
• The company aims to set up a complete production line (from breeding to full fish) in
Mudhol (Karnataka).
• Objective – to produce 500 tons of Tilapia from the parent broodstock ‘Hermon’, which will
be imported from Nir David Fish Breeding Farm, Israel
• Aquaculture Production Technology Limited (APTIL), Israel has provided technology
for the cultivation to Fountainhead.

About Tilapia and Hermon –

• Tilapia is also known as aquatic chicken due to its quick growth and low maintenance
cultivation.
• It has emerged to be one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the
world.
• Tilapia is created from its parent Hermon.
• Hermon is a hybrid of two selected strains of Tilapia, namely Oreochromis Niloticus (Male)
and Oreochromis Aureus (Female).
• It is known for special characteristics such as high growth rate, resistance to low
temperature, light (attractive) colour, all hybrid fry progeny of males only, without the
conventional system of usage of hormones.

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13. Central govt has given the geographical indication (GI) tag to Bihar’s ‘Mithila Makhana’ to
help farmers get the maximum price for their produce.
• Mithila Makhana is also simply known as ‘makhan’. Its botanical name is ‘Euryale Ferox
Salisb’ and it is a special variety of aquatic fox nut.

14. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, laid the
foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli
(Uttar Pradesh).
• The climate of Chandauli district (the rice bowl of UP) is suitable for setting up the Centre
of Excellence for Vegetables.
• There are 9 agro-climatic zones in the State which are favourable for the cultivation of
various horticultural crops throughout the year.
• Already, the Israeli government has established 29 Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in 12
States. The villages around these CoEs will be turned into villages of excellence.
• India and Israel have announced to establish 150 Villages of Excellence in 12 States. Out
of which, 75 villages are being taken up in the first year to commemorate the 75th year of
India's independence.

15. Central govt has advised the Edible Oil Manufacturers/ Packers/ Importers to declare net
quantity on edible oil etc. in volume without temperature in addition to declaring the same in
weight.
• Department of Consumer Affairs has also advised them to correct their labelling of
declaring net quantity in the units of volume without mentioning temperature with the weight
of the product, within six months from the date of the direction issued i.e. up to January 15,
2023.

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16. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the “Millet Conclave 2022” on the
theme of “Making Many Millet Magnets – Making Millet Entrepreneurs”.
• Organizers – NABARD and University of Agricultural Sciences (Raichur, Karnataka)
• The finance minister announced providing financial support of Rs 25 crore to the
University of Agricultural Sciences through NABARD.
• “Millet Challenge” for start-ups under the Atal Innovation Mission was also announced
during the conclave. The University of Agricultural Sciences will be the field partner in
this mission.
• Purpose of the Challenge – to develop solutions to increase the profitability of the millet
farmers
• The winners of the challenge would receive seed funding of –
o Rs 1 crore – 3 winners each
o Rs 20 lakh – 15 selected candidates each
o Rs 10 lakh – 15 other selected candidates each

DEFENCE NEWS
1. Indian Air Force is set to retire one of its four remaining squadrons of ageing MiG-21 fighter
jets in September, with the other three scheduled to be phased out over the next three years
i.e., by 2025.
• The squadron being retired in two months is the Srinagar-based No. 51 squadron, which is
also known as “Sword Arms”.
• The IAF will induct different variants of Tejas light combat aircraft to replace the MiG-21s.

2. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has successfully delivered the indigenously
developed Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle-Medium (QRFV) to the Indian Army.
• Purpose – to boost border surveillance
• TASL has become India’s first private sector company to produce and deliver wheeled
armoured combat-ready vehicles for the Indian armed forces in April this year.

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3. Point 5140 at Dras in Kargil has been named as ‘Gun Hill’ to commemorate the victory of
Indian armed forces and pay tribute to the supreme sacrifice of the gunners in ‘Operation
Vijay’ (1999 Kargil war).

4. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has received the Letter of Intent from the Services for the
manufacture of 12 light utility helicopters (LUHs).

5. The 4th edition of India-Oman joint military exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ will be conducted by
the Armies at the Foreign Training Node of Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan from
August 1 to 13.

6. India’s Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, has met Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuck and other top civil and military leaders of Bhutan, for boosting strategic
ties.

7. 3rd edition of bilateral army exercise VINBAX 2022 will be conducted between India and
Vietnam on August 1-2 at Chandimandir Military Station, Chandigarh.
• Theme of the exercise - employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a
Medical Team under United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations

8. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Navy have signed an MoU to collaborate on
aviation research and development.

9. India and France Navy have conducted a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) in the North
Atlantic Ocean.
• Indian Navy’s guided-missile frigate INS Tarkash and French Fleet Tanker FNS Somme
participated in it.

10. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence, worth
around Rs 250 crores for the supply of nine Integrated ASW Complex (IAC) MOD ‘C’
Systems.
• IAC MOD ‘C’ is an Integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) system for all surface ships
of the Indian Navy.
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11. Airports Authority of India has awarded a contract to Russian Scientific and Production
Corporation ‘Radio technical Systems’ (RTS) for the delivery of instrument landing
system (ILS)-734 at 24 Indian airports.
• Under the contract, RTS will manufacture and deliver 34 ILS sets to modernise the airports.

12. Indigenously developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) were successfully
test-fired from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun by DRDO and Indian Army.
• ATGM was launched at KK Ranges with support of Armoured Corps Centre & School
(ACC&S) Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.

13. First all-women crew conducted an independent maritime reconnaissance and

surveillance mission in the north Arabian Sea onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft.
• The members belonged to Indian Naval Air Squadron 314.
• The aircraft was captained by Mission Commander Lt Commander Aanchal Sharma.
Other members of the crew are Lt Shivangi, Lt Apurva Gite, Lt Pooja Panda and Sub Lt
Pooja Shekhawat.
• INAS 314 is a frontline naval air squadron that operates the state-of-the-art Dornier 228
maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The squadron is commanded by Commander SK Goyal.

14. Indian Army has conducted the "Skylight" exercise for 5 days to test the operational
readiness of its space-based assets.
• The types of satellite communication terminals tested during the exercise included static
terminals, transportable vehicle-mounted terminals, man-portable and small form factor
man-pack terminals.

15. India and the US will hold the 18th edition of "Yudh Abhyas" in Auli, Uttarakhand.
• The last edition of the exercise took place in October 2021 in Alaska in the US.

16. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is working on an AI-driven multi-role, advanced and
long endurance drone for strategic missions in high-altitude areas including along the
frontiers with China.

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17. For the first time, a US-ship named USNS Charles Drew has arrived at L&T’s Kattupalli
shipyard for undertaking repairs and allied services.

18. Army Design Bureau (ADB) has signed an MOU with Drone Federation of India (DFI) to
develop high-impact drones for Indian soldiers.
• ADB and DFI will organize “Indian Army’s Him-Drone-a-thon” event, as part of their
collaboration.
• DFI is an industry body that has Asteria Aerospace, Quidich Innovation Labs,
AutoMicroUAS, Aarav Unmanned Systems and Indrones as its members.

19. 13th edition of the “Vajra Prahar” exercise of the Special Forces started at the Special
Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.

20. 4th India-Bangladesh Annual Defence Dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Secretary
Ajay Kumar and Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division (AFD) of Bangladesh Lt. Gen.
Waker-Uz-Zaman.
• Both countries need to work together to implement the $500 million line of credit
extended from India for defence items.

21. Indian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) have conducted the 'Udarashakti'
air exercise.
• Indian Air Force is participating in the air exercise with Su-30 MKI and C-17 aircraft while
the RMAF will be flying Su-30 MKM aircraft.

22. US, Indonesia and Australia have conducted Super Garuda Shield exercise on the Sumatra
island, Indonesia.
• A total of more than 5,000 personnel from the US, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and
Singapore are participating in this year's Super Garuda Shield exercises, making them the
largest since they began in 2009.
• United Kingdom, Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea and East Timor also sent observers to the exercises.

23. India has delivered Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to the navy of Sri Lanka.
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24. Indian Army has received the first lot of indigenously-developed equipment and systems.
• These include Future Infantry Soldier as a System (F-INSAS), new generation anti-
personnel mine named ‘Nipun’, rugged and automatic communication system, upgraded
sights system for tanks and advanced thermal imagers.
• Developers – Indian Army, DRDO, Defence PSUs, and private company

25. Indian Coast Guard has signed MOUs with eight banks to get customised banking
services for its personnel deployed across the country.
• Banks - IDFC First bank, ICICI, Axis, HDFC, Yes Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of
Baroda, and Kotak Mahindra Bank
• ICG has also signed MOUs with Byju’s, Edaura, and Drishti educational institutes for the
capacity building of its personnel.
• ICG D-G – VS Pathania

26. India and Vietnam armies have conducted the VINBAX 2022 in Chandimandir, Haryana.
• Theme - Employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team as
part of United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations

27. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed an MoU for establishing an office in Kuala
Lumpur in Malaysia for helping the latter in building defence capabilities.

28. India and Australia have conducted the Maritime Partnership exercise near Perth.
• INS Sumedha and HMAS Anzac (Australia) participated in the exercise.

29. To mark 75 years of India's Independence, the Indian Navy docked its warships across six
continents and hoisted the Tricolour to commemorate the occasion under Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav.
• INS Saryu – Singapore's Changi Naval Base
• INS Satpura – San Diego harbour, US
• INS Sumedha – Perth, Australia
• INS Tabar – Mombasa Port, Kenya
• INS Tarkash – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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• INS Chennai and INS Kochi – Muscat, Oman

30. Indian Air Force is participating in the Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin, Australia.
• Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial, multi-national exercise hosted by the Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF).
• The IAF contingent, led by Group Captain YPS Negi, comprises over 100 air warriors,
deployed with four Su-30 MKI fighter and two C-17 aircraft.

31. A first of its kind, Composite Indoor Shooting Range (CISR) was inaugurated at INS Karna
by the Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval
Command.
• The CISR is a state of the art, self-contained, 25 m, six lane, live firing range for all primary
and secondary weapons in the Navy.
• INS Karna is the first in the Navy and perhaps the only military unit in the country to set
up and use CISR presently.

32. DRDO and the Indian Navy successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed Vertical
Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range
(ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is meant for neutralising various aerial
threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets, and was last test-fired in June.

33. Indian Navy will use 100% indigenous 30 mm high explosive AK-630 guns fitted for
warships.
• The ammunition fitted for warships has been produced by a private company Solar
Group's Economic Explosives.
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34. Ministry of Defence has approved the use of three DRDO weapons – Guided Extended
Range Rocket Ammunition, Aerial Denial Munition Type I, and Infantry Combat Vehicle – by
the Indian Army.

35. Indian Coast Guard’s Dornier aircraft conducted the “SAREX-2022” exercise for
demonstrating ways of rescuing people from ships in emergency situations.
• Indian Coast Guard Chief - VS Pathania

36. Ministry of Defence has released a list of 780 weapon sub-systems which will come under
import ban in a phased manner between December 2023 and December 2028.
• These weapons will be produced indigenously.
• This is the third such list in nine months. So far, 2,700 items on these lists have been
indigenized.
• India’s military imports dropped 21% between 2012-16 and 2017-21.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
1. Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India have signed an MOU to boost
inter-island connectivity under RCS-Udan Scheme.
• Under the MOU, naval airfields at Shibpur (in Diglipur) in North Andaman and in Campbell
Bay will be utilized for civil operations to connect Port Blair directly to Diglipur and Campbell
Bay.

2. Indian Oil has signed an MoU with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for
transcontinental relocation of cheetah in its historical range in India at an event held in New
Delhi.
• This is a continuation of the MoU signed in July between the Indian government and
Republic of Namibia on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization on the
cheetah project.

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3. Ministry of MSME has signed two MoU with the Ministry of Tourism and the NSIC for the
sharing of Udyam data.
• On the occasion, the Digi Locker facility for Udyam Registration was also launched.
• Around 1 crore micro small and medium enterprises have registered on the Udyam portal
within a span of 25 months.

4. National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) have signed an MOU for developing entrepreneurial skills
among the youth and identifying other aspects for mutual collaboration.
• Through this partnership, the alliance will further enhance employment generation and
create sustainable livelihood opportunities, giving a major boost to nano and micro-
entrepreneurship advancement in the country.

5. Indian Navy has signed an MOU with the Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad
on data sharing and cooperation on Satellite based Naval Applications in Oceanology and
Meteorology.

6. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has signed an MoU with the Bangladesh Roads and
Highways Department in Dhaka for emergency ferrying of petroleum products to the north-
eastern states of India (like Tripura) through Bangladesh's territory.

7. IIT-Kanpur has signed an MOU with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to collaborate on
research and development (R&D), and manufacturing and supplying components, sub-
assemblies, and systems for India’s defence and aerospace sector.

8. NBCC Ltd has signed an MOU with the External Affairs Ministry to redevelop a housing
complex in central Delhi for Rs 175 crores.

9. Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have
signed an MOU for providing technical support to Ministry of Ayush for digitalisation of Ayush
Sector under the Ayush Grid project for a period of 3 years.
• This MoU is continuation of the earlier MoU which was signed in the year 2019.

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• ‘AYUSH Grid’ Project, as part of the Digital India Program, aims to leverage ‘Information
and Technology’ to transform operational efficiency, improve service delivery and enhance
quality of services.
• A High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC), chaired by Secretary of Ayush Ministry
(incumbent: Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha) and co-chaired by Secretary of MeitY Ministry
(incumbent: Alkesh Kumar Sharma), was constituted to provide advisory inputs on Ayush
Grid project.
• A working group was also constituted under the chairmanship of Sh. J. Satyanarayana
(Former Secretary MeitY & Chairman of UIDAI) with other experts from NITI Aayog, NHA,
MeitY etc.

10. Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an MOU between India and France to support the
International Transport Forum (ITF) activities on the Indian transport sector.
• Both nations will work to identify the technology solutions for decarbonisation of transport
sector in India.
• Signatories to the MOU – Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,
France and the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC),
India

11. Border Security Force (BSF) has signed an MOU with the Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to ensure the safety and security of booking data under its air
e-ticket service for the troops of India’s border guarding force.
• Director-General of BSF – Pankaj Kumar Singh
• BSF Motto – जीवन पय'(त कत'+य (meaning Life, Effort, Duty)

12. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has signed an MoU with
Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd. (49% owned by
Govt. of India and 51% owned by Govt. of Maharashtra).
• IREDA will offer technologies and financing facilities to MAHAPREIT for the Renewable
Energy projects to be implemented for state utilities, local bodies and the infrastructure of
Renewable Energy Parks.

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13. Akshaya Patra Foundation has signed an MOU with Nutrihub to introduce millets in mid-
day meals aka PM-POSHAN.
• The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been supplying nutritious food to students in 1,162
schools in and around Bengaluru and beyond.
• Nutrihub is the Incubation Program of ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR)
for encouraging research and development in the field of millets.
• 2023 – International Year of Millets (led by Indian govt)

14. Diversified agri-business firm Godrej Agrovet has signed MOU with Assam, Manipur and
Tripura governments for development and promotion of oil palm cultivation under the
National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
• Godrej Agrovet is the largest oil palm processor in India and works directly with farmers
for the entire crop cycle.
• As part of the MOUs, Godrej Agrovet will be allotted land across the three states for setting
up palm oil plantations in the region.
• In August 2021, the NMEO-OP was launched with a planned outlay of Rs 11,040 crore for
raising oil palm area to 10 lakh hectare by 2025-26 and 16.7 lakh hectare by 2029-30 with
special focus on North-East and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

15. India and Iran have signed an MOU for recognition of Certificates of Competency in
Unlimited Voyages to help seafarers from both the countries as per the provisions of
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch Keeping for
Seafarers (1978).

16. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) has signed an MOU with National
Health Authority (NHA) for providing a comprehensive medical package to transgender
persons under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.
• MoSJE will fund Rs 5 lakh insurance cover per transgender beneficiary per annum.

17. A tripartite agreement has been signed among National Highways Logistics Management
Limited (NHLML), Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Rail Vikas Nigam
Limited (RVNL).

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• Purpose - for developing of modern Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLP) under Bharatmala
Pariyojana across the country with an objective to centralize freight consolidation and
reduce logistics cost from 14% to less than 10% of GDP at par with International Standards.

18. Airports Authority of India (AAI) and LFV Air Navigation Services of Sweden have signed
an MOU to explore smart aviation solutions for developing sustainable aviation technology.

19. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has signed an MoU with M/s Bharat Heavy Electricals
Limited (BHEL) to jointly work in the field of infrastructure and project execution, in India and
abroad.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Scientists at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have
developed the world's most durable hydrogen fuel cell.

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers created stamp-sized stickers - a

wearable ultrasound medical device.
• The stamp-sized sticker can provide live, high-resolution internal ultrasound imaging for 48
hours.

3. SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO
foreign ministers with counterparts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan and with the Secretary General of the SCO.
• 2022 SCO Summit – Samarkand, Uzbekistan

4. United States and Japan have decided to launch a new joint international semiconductor
research hub to establish a secure source of the vital components.
• US House of Representatives has also passed the CHIPS and Science Bill to provide
assistance and subsidies worth USD 280 billion.
• CHIPS bill stands for “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors”.

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5. US space agency NASA has planned to launch two more mini helicopters to Mars to bring
back Martian rocks and soil samples to Earth.

6. China has launched the Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Inventory Satellite (TECIS 1) on
Long March 4B rocket.

7. South Korea has launched its first lunar orbiter named Danuri by Elon Musk’s aerospace
company SpaceX in December.
• Danuri – meaning “enjoy the Moon” – was carried on a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape
Canaveral in Florida by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX.
• South Korea has joined nine countries working on the Artemis project aimed at a lunar
landing mission by 2024.

8. China has launched a Reusable Experimental Satellite on a Long March 2F carrier rocket at
the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi Desert.

9. Russia has launched an Iranian satellite named Khayyam from Soyuz rocket launched from
Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

10. US President Joe Biden has signed the Chips and Science Act, 2022 to promote production
of microchips.
• The act facilitates the budget of around $52 billion for boosting semiconductor sector.

11. The Henipavirus - also known as ‘Langya’ henipavirus (LayV) - has infected people in China.
• It is another zoonotic virus.

12. China and Nepal have agreed to build the so-called Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional
Connectivity Network.

13. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is planning to submit a written proposal
to the UN to create a commission, with a tenure of 5 years, for promoting world peace.

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• The commission intends to include Pope Francis, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio

Guterres, and Indian PM Narendra Modi.

14. According to a new analysis of seismic data from NASA's Mars InSight mission, Martian
equator does not contain any ice.
• The finding describes the dry conditions in the top 300 metres of the subsurface beneath
the landing site near the Martian equator.
• The findings are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
• The InSight spacecraft landed near the Martian equator, in 2018. Its instruments included
a seismometer that measures vibrations caused by mars quakes and crashing meteorites.

15. 10th Moscow Conference on International Security was recently held.

• India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the conference virtually.

16. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has signed an MOU with South Korea for improving
public health tools in the developing world and advancing vaccines and treatments for
infectious diseases.

17. UK has become the first country to authorise a Covid-19 vaccine against the Omicron
variant, i.e., ‘Bivalent’ vaccine developed by Moderna.
• Moderna Inc. is an American biotechnology company.

18. USA has passed the Inflation Reduction Act, 2022 to control the unprecedented high
inflation. In July 2022, the inflation rate in US was 8.5%, in comparison to the 9.1% rate in June
2022.
• Retail inflation in United Kingdom has also increased to 10.1% in July 2022.

19. Russia is hosting Vostok (East) 2022 exercise (wargame) from August 30 to September 5.
• China, Belarus, Tajikistan, Mongolia are expected to participate.
• India is also likely to participate in this exercise. However, no confirmation has been given
by the Indian Army.

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20. Scotland has become the first country in the world to make period products free for all by
passing the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act, 2022.
• Purpose – to end “period poverty”
• Period poverty is when those on low incomes can't afford, or access, suitable period
products.

21. 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will be held in Halifax, Canada from
August 20 to 26.
• An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will attend the
conference.
• During the Conference, eight Workshops will be held on various subjects.
• Om Birla will participate as a panellist in Workshop ‘C’ titled “A People’s Parliament:
Accessibility through Innovation”.

22. Egypt has released a commemorative postage stamp to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic
relations with India that were established with Egypt’s recognition of the independence of
India in 1947.

23. India secured the third rank in medal tally at the 15th International Olympiad on
Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA).
• India held the third position jointly with Singapore with students winning three gold and two
silver medals.
• The 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2022 was held in
Kutaisi, Georgia, from 14 to 21 August, 2022.

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• Raghav Goyal won a special prize for the best solution to the most challenging theoretical
question.
• Iran is at the first position with 5 gold medals, and a guest team with 4 golds is at 2nd
position.
• International Astronomy Olympiad and Astrophysics is the highest level astronomy and
associated science competition for high school students from across the world.

24. Portugal is the fasted ageing country within the European Union region, according to a
study published by the Contemporary Portugal Database Pordata.

25. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a spectacular picture of the
planet Jupiter for the first time.
• Images of Jupiter’s stormy Great Red Spot, Ring, Aurora and Aurora at the North and
South Poles were not clearly visible in any photo taken to date.

26. Ulchi Freedom Shield is the joint military drills conducted by South Korea and USA
together.

27. SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the
SCO FMM with counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and
with the Secretary General of the SCO.

28. Germany has inaugurated a railway line powered entirely by hydrogen. It is the world’s first
all hydrogen railway line.
• A fleet of 14 trains has been provided by French industrial giant Alstom to the German
state Lower Saxony.

29. Africa has adopted a PEN-PLUS Strategy to boost access to the diagnosis, treatment and
care of severe Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).
• The strategy is aimed at bridging the access gap in the treatment and care of patients with
chronic and severe NCDs.

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REPORTS AND INDICES

1. Climate Policy Initiative (a climate think tank based in US) has released the ‘Landscape of
Green Finance in India’ report.
• As per the report, the tracked green finance in 2019-2020 was Rs 3.09 lakh crore per
annum, which is less than a fourth of India’s needs.
• India requires an approximate of Rs 162.5 lakh crore from 2015 to 2030, or roughly Rs11
lakh crore per year to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the
Paris Agreement.

2. UN Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy, and Finance report has been
released.
• In 2021, 84% of nearly $1 trillion of global investment in energy transition technologies was
deployed in China, India, Japan and the United States and in Europe.

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• World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that in 2022, 345 million people will be acutely
food insecure or at a high risk of food insecurity in 82 countries.
• The number of chronically undernourished people had already grown by about 150 million
since 2019, with up to 828 million people in 2021 affected by chronic hunger (long-term or
persistent inability to meet food consumption requirements).

3. International Labour Organization (ILO) has released the “Global Employment Trends for
Youth 2022” report.
• The total global number of unemployed youth is estimated to reach 73 million in 2022,
a slight improvement from 2021 (75 million), but still six million above the pre-pandemic
level of 2019.
• In India, the youth employment participation rate declined by 0.9 percentage points
over the first nine months of 2021 relative to its value in 2020, while it increased by 2
percentage points for adults over the same time period.
• India experienced severe working-hour and employment losses in 2020 and 2021.

4. Nature Index 2022 rankings has been released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS), China, followed by Harvard University (USA), Max Planck Society, Germany.
• India has a total of 260 universities and institutes in the list.
• India’s ranking –

• Each year, the Nature Index assesses the high-quality research papers published in 82
natural-science journals in the previous calendar year.

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5. US-based Health Effects Institute has released the “Air Quality and Health in Cities” report
to analyse the emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and
their impact on health in more than 7,000 cities around the world.
PM 2.5 Emissions NO 2 Emissions
• Top cities with PM2.5 emissions – • Top city with NO 2 emission –
Delhi (1st), Kolkata (2nd) Shanghai
• India is home to 18 of the 20 cities with • Indian cities did not feature in the top 20
the most severe increase in fine particle list of cities with highest NO 2
pollutants (PM2.5) from 2010 to 2019. emissions. The NO 2 is released from
motor vehicles, electric utilities, and
other industrial, commercial, and
residential sources.
• Average NO 2 levels for Delhi,
Kolkata and Mumbai ranged from 20-
30 µg/m3.
• In India, Nigeria, Peru, and • In 2019, the global average NO 2
Bangladesh, residents in cities are exposure was 15.5 µg/m3, but
exposed to PM2.5 levels that are exposure levels varied considerably
several-fold higher than the global across cities (ranging between 0 and
averages. 68.9 µg/m3).
• India and Indonesia have seen the • In 2019, 86% of the more than 7,000
most severe increase in PM2.5 cities exceeded this limit, impacting
pollution, whereas China has seen the about 2.6 billion people.
greatest improvements.
• WHO’s annual PM2.5 Air Quality • WHO’s standard for NO 2 emission is
Guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic set at 10 µg/m3 (µg/m3 refers to
metre (µg/m3) in 2019. microgram per cubic metre).

6. According to the Mercom India Research’s report, the solar capacity installations in the
country increased by 59% to record 7.2 gigawatt (GW) during first half of 2022.

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• In the first half of 2022, Rajasthan and Gujarat were the top states for large-scale solar,
accounting for 53% and 14% of installations, respectively, followed by Maharashtra with
9%.

7. According to a new study by Pew Research Center, the “son bias” is on the decline in India as
the average annual number of baby girls “missing” in the country fell from 4,80,000 in 2010
to 4,10,000 in 2019.
• The “missing” refers to how many more female births would have occurred during this time
if there were no female-selective abortions.

8. "Renewing wind growth to power the energy transition: India Wind Energy Market
Outlook 2026" report has been released by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and MEC
Intelligence (MEC+).
• India can add another 23.7 GW of capacity within the next five years.
• Wind power constituted 37.7% of total installed capacity, as of March 2022.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

1. Google Maps has introduced the street view service in 10 cities of India namely Bangalore,
Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Nasik, Vadodara and Ahmed Nagar.
• The service has been launched in association with two Hyderabad-based companies -
Genesys International and Tech Mahindra.

2. Kantar India’s annual Brand Footprint report has been released by London-based data
analytics and brand consulting company Kantar Group.
• Top FMCG brand in India – Parle, followed by Amul, Britannia, Clinic Plus, and Tata
Consumer products
• Parle has been ranked at the first position for a 10th year in a row.
• 7 of the top 10 brands are owned by homegrown companies.

3. Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd., in association with Policybazaar.com, has launched
‘OPD Add-on’ for customers to address their health & wellness needs.

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• This product can be added to the existing indemnity plans to provide unlimited medical
consultation at an affordable price.
• The OPD Add-on covers aims at solving customer problems by providing hassle-free
physical and virtual consultation.

4. Bandhan Bank has opened its first-ever currency chest in Deedargunj, Patna.
• RBI’s Committee on Currency Movement (CCM), chaired by Shri D.K. Mohanty, has
submitted its recommendations for ensuring the security of treasure in transit.

5. RBI has extended the timeline for payment aggregators to apply for license from September
30, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
• The minimum net worth criterion for payment aggregators should be of ₹15 crores by
March 31, 2021.
• The timeline of March 31, 2023 for achieving the net worth of ₹25 crores shall, however,
remain.

6. RBI has imposed restrictions on the following cooperative banks in view of their deteriorating
financial condition.
• Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank
• Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Sitapur
• Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar
• Durga Co-operative Urban Bank, Vijayawada
• The Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur

7. Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has entered into a share purchase
agreement (SPA) with State Bank of India (SBI) for acquiring 19.50% equity in HDFC
Venture Capital (HVCL).
• HDFC holds 80.50% of the paid-up equity share capital of HVCL, a subsidiary of the
corporation.

8. BOB Financial Solutions Limited has launched its credit card servicing mobile app,
‘bobcard’, in collaboration with US-based IBM, to give its customers a one-stop solution to
manage their Bank of Baroda credit card services.
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9. RBI has temporarily permitted merchants or their payment aggregators (PAs) involved in
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.
• For handling other post-transaction activities, acquiring banks can continue to store CoF
data (customer card credentials) until January 31, 2023.
• However, the Restriction on Storage of Actual Card Data (CoF) – all entities, except card
issuers and card networks, shall remove the CoF data before October 1, 2022.

10. NTPC has announced to blend the hydrogen with piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic
usage under its Kawas Gas blending project.
• This is first kind of project in the country which would blend hydrogen with PNG.
• Initially, 5% hydrogen of the total gas supply will be blended which will be gradually
increased to 20%.
• This will help NTPC in mitigating 200 kg of carbon generation every year.
• This blended fuel will be supplied at houses in Kawas, Hazira, Gujarat.

11. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a new facility for
pensioners to submit their digital life certificate via a 'face recognition facility'.

12. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s data, the growth of eight core
infrastructure sectors rose by 12.7% in June against 9.4% in the year-ago period.
• 8 core sectors - coal, cement, electricity, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, and natural
gas industries

13. India's fiscal deficit for April-June 2022 quarter stands at 3.52 trillion rupees, or 21.2% of
annual estimates.
• India will aim to narrow the fiscal gap to 6.4% of gross domestic product from 6.7% in the
last financial year.

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14. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s data, India received its highest ever
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of Rs 6,31,050 crore in the previous fiscal, i.e., FY
2021-22.

15. According to National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) data, Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) has witnessed over 6 billion transactions, worth Rs 10.62 trillion, in July
2022.
• This is highest ever volume since the launch of UPI in 2016.

16. RBI has released the financial inclusion index (FI-Index) to capture the extent of financial
inclusion across the country for March 2022.
• The score in FI-Index stands at 56.4 vis-vis 53.9 in March 2021.
• The FI-Index comprises of three broad parameters (weights indicated in brackets) viz.,
Access (35%), Usage (45%), and Quality (20%) with each of these consisting of various
dimensions, which are computed based on a number of indicators.
• The index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of
services, comprising in all 97 indicators.

17. HDFC Bank Parivartan has signed an MOU with the IISc-Bengaluru for construction of
Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital at IISc Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 107.76 crores.

18. SEBI has deferred the implementation of rules pertaining to nomination for mutual fund
holders till October 1.
• As per the new rules, the Asset Management Companies (AMCs) will have to provide an
option to the unit holder to submit either the nomination form or the declaration form for
opting out of nomination in physical or online mode as per the choice of the unit holder.

19. SEBI has released a framework for automated deactivation of trading and demat
accounts of investors in case of inadequate Know Your Client (KYC) details.
• The framework will come into effect from August 31.

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20. SEBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on BSE Ltd because BIL, a separate legal entity
and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSE Ltd, had acquired an 8% stake in Indus Water Institute
Ltd.

21. Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys, has been
inducted into International Financial Services Centres Authority's (IFSCA) Regulatory
Sandbox framework to pilot its blockchain-based trade finance solution.
• In the first phase, six leading banks - Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, HSBC, ICICI Bank, RBL
Bank and State Bank of India- are collaborating with Infosys Finacle in the regulatory
sandbox.

22. RBI has allowed Punjab National Bank to invest ₹500 crore in the upcoming ₹2,500 crore
rights issue of PNB Housing Finance.

23. Union Bank of India has launched Industry-first, dedicated, men-focused Committee
'EmpowerHim' as part of its flagship HR initiative 'Prerna'.
• The program aims to promote the employees' career trajectory and improve diversity in the
Bank by picking out and resolving individual as well as common existing challenges.
• Prerna is the HR Transformation initiative aimed at improving productivity through
digitalization of processes, employee centric interventions and learning revolution within the
Banking space.

24. SVC Co-operative Bank Ltd and SIDBI have partnered for empowering the MSMEs in India.

25. Tata Group is planning to spend Rs 3,000 crore on R&D by FY26 and set to roll out the 'First
in India' seating system for Vande Bharat Express trains from September 2022.

26. Bank of Baroda has divested up to 12.5% stake in the insurance arm IndiaFirst Life
Insurance Company through an offer for sale in the initial public offer (IPO) of the insurer or
any other mode.
• However, the bank's shareholding in the life insurance subsidiary will not fall below 51%.

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27. IndusInd Bank has partnered with Rupyy (a digital lending platform) to offer paperless loans
for used cars.

28. Insurance start-up InsuranceDekho has partnered with Future Generali India Insurance
Company to offer dog health cover.
• The pet insurance policy as of now has a starting premium of about ₹324 annually.

29. SEBI has restructured its Advisory Committee On Market Data, chaired by MS Sahoo
(Professor at National Law University, Delhi).
• Total members – 20
• New member – NSE’s new chairperson Ashishkumar Chauhan (replacing the former chair)

30. The goods and services tax (GST) e-invoicing will be mandatory for firms with a turnover of
over Rs 10 crores from October 1, down from the current threshold of Rs 20 crore to ensure
better compliance.

31. India is now home to over 75,000 DPIIT-recognized start-ups.

• Of the total recognized start-ups, 12% belongs to IT services, 9% to Healthcare & Life
Sciences, 5% to professional & commercial services, 7% to education, and 5% to
agriculture.

32. Kerala-based Federal Bank has become India’s first bank to list its Payment Gateway
platform on the TIN 2.0 platform of the Income Tax Department.
• This year, the TIN 2.0 platform went live on 1 July, and 'Payment Gateway' has been
enabled.
• TIN – Tax Information Network

33. American ride-hailing giant Uber has sold its entire 7.78% stake in domestic food-delivery
company Zomato to mop up Rs 3,088 crore ($390 million).

34. Amazon has partnered with Indian Railways for moving customer packages on 325 inter-city
routes.

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35. IRDAI has allowed insurers to buy more perpetual bonds issued by banks and permitted
insurers to participate in the public listing of high-yielding InvITs (Investment Trusts).
• The aggregate value of AT1 (additional tier one) bonds held in a particular bank, at any
point of time, shall not excess 10% of the total outstanding AT1 bonds of that particular
bank.
• IRDAI mentions that the public holding in the InvITs/REITs shall not be less than 30% of
total outstanding units of the InvIT/REIT at the time of investment.
• No insurer shall invest more than 20% of the outstanding of debt instruments in a single
InvIT/REIT.

36. Karnataka Bank has entered into a co-lending agreement with Yubi for co-lending via the
Yubi Co. Lend, India's co-lending platform.

37. AD Ports Group, the leading facilitator of global trade, logistics, and industry, has signed an
MOU with Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, India’s largest integrated ports and logistics company.
• Purpose - strategic joint investments in end-to-end logistics infrastructure and solutions,
which include rail, maritime services, port operations, digital services, an industrial zone
and the establishment of maritime academies in Tanzania.

38. Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has launched Max Life Smart Secure Easy Solution, a
comprehensive 3-in-1 protection solution offering benefits of life, critical illness & disability
and accidental cover.

39. Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has secured the world’s biggest
social loan at a $1.1 billion facility (around Rs 8,700 crore) to fund affordable residences.
• This is India's largest social financing issuance, the largest social loan globally, the first
social ECB loan out of India and the largest ECB loan deal from a Housing Finance
Company/private NBFC in India.

40. SEBI has formed an FPI Advisory Committee (FAC), chaired by former Chief Economic
Adviser KV Subramanian, to boost Foreign Portfolio Investors’ (FPI) investment in the country.
• Total strength – 15 (including chairman)

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41. RBI has enabled Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to accept inward cross-border
payments.
• Implication – Now, NRIs can pay the utility bills for their families in India via BBPS directly.

About BBPS –
• BBPS offers all recurring payments such as electricity, telecom, DTH, Gas, water bills,
insurance, loan repayments, education fees, FasTag recharge, municipal taxes, housing
society, subscription fees etc.
• The payment modes options at BBPS are cash, cards (credit, debit & prepaid), IMPS,
UPI, AEPS, internet banking & UPI, wallets.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has been authorized by the RBI as the
Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) for regulating the system.

42. RBI has announced that premature redemption under the Gold Monetisation Scheme will
be payable in rupees, while on maturity the depositor may choose to opt for physical gold.
• The Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) was launched in November 2015 to mobilise gold
held by households and institutions and facilitate its use for productive purposes, and in the
long run, reduce the country's reliance on imports of the yellow metal.
• As per the scheme, the Medium Term Government Deposit (MTGD) can be made for 5-7
years and Long Term Government Deposit (LTGD) for 12-15 years or for such a period
as may be decided by the Centre from time to time.

43. Google has launched "India ki Udaan" initiative to convey the tale of 75 years of India.
• Google has also announced its popular Doodle4Google contest for 2022 on the theme of
"In the next 25 years, my India will..." for the students of Classes 1-10.
• Prize - Rs 5 lakh college scholarship, a Rs 2 lakh technology package for their school or
non-profit organisation, a recognition of achievement, Google hardware and fun Google
collectibles.
• The winner’s artwork will be displayed on Doodle4Google on November 14 (Children’s Day
in India).

44. RBI’s monetary policy committee August 2022 –

• GDP for 2022-23 – 7.2%
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• Policy Rates –

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation – 6.7%

45. Dhanlaxmi Bank has partnered with New Street Technologies (fintech company) for lending
operations management and technology services.
• As part of the partnership, New Street Technologies will provide the bank technical support
on digital onboarding and serve as a business correspondent in microlending.

46. RBI has announced to bring the Credit Information Companies (CIC) under the ambit of
Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme w.e.f., September 1, 2022.
• This initiative will provide grievance redressal services to the customers of CICs as well.

47. Intellecap and Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF) have launched the National Carbon
Finance Platform for creating awareness among the smallholder farmers about sustainable
agro-forestry, climate smart agriculture and other activities.
• The platform will help in leveraging climate/carbon finance for sustainable agricultural
practices that can result in carbon sequestration and mitigation.
• The platform will provide finances for enhancing technical capacity to design and
implement high-quality carbon projects at scale.
• The global voluntary carbon market is expected to be worth $200 billion by 2050.

48. Union Bank of India has launched Uni-Verse-Metaverse Virtual Lounge & Open Banking
Sandbox environment.

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• The bank has also set “RACE” as its aim for 2022.

49. Indian Bank has signed an MoU with SRM University, Andhra Pradesh to provide loans of
up to Rs 50 crores to startups incubated by Hatchlab Research Centre (an incubator) of the
University.
• The funding will be given under the IND-Spring Board initiative of the Indian Bank.

50. HDFC Bank has raised up to $300 million in NRE (Non Resident External Account) deposits
by offering up to 50 basis points more than the prevailing rates.
• The Middle East led the list of new NRI depositors.

51. American Express has launched a cross-border payments platform for small to medium-
sized businesses called Global Pay.
• It will act as a digital solution for US businesses to secure domestic and international B2B
payments.
• Global Pay is open to eligible American Express Small Business Card Members in the U.S.

52. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, has operated its first flight from
Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

53. National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has offered '.(Dot) IN' and '.(Dot) भारत' domains
registration at Rs 75 for one year under its 'Har Ghar Digital, Har Jeevan Digital' campaign.
• The campaign is dedicated to the India’s 75th Independence Day and the campaign offer
will be available till 20th of this month.

54. Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications and London-headquartered global

communications platform OneWeb have signed an MOU for merger.
• Eutelsat will own 100% of OneWeb, excluding the UK Government’s special share.
• OneWeb shareholders would get 230 million newly issued shares of Eutelsat representing
50% of the enlarged share capital.
• This merger will create a leading company in the satellite connectivity sector.

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55. RBI has allowed the non-financial institutions and non-regulated entities to own more than
40% stake in IDBI Bank.
• Central government currently owns 45.48% in IDBI Bank, while LIC holds a 49.24% stake.
These entities are seeking to sell their stake in the bank.

56. Axis Bank has become the first Indian bank to launch Axis Receivables Suite (ARS)-an
innovative Cash Management solution that simplifies Receivables reconciliation, accelerates
cash flow, enhances the client experience and reduces the cost of doing business.
• ARS is an end-to-end proposition, along with a mobile app to automate the reconciliation of
receivables against sales invoices raised by clients.

57. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has decided to stop
accepting payment of subscriptions /contributions by using credit cards as a mode of
payment in the National Pension System (NPS) Tier-II account.
• The scheme is structured into two tiers:
o Tier-I account: This is the non-withdrawable permanent retirement account into
which the regular contributions made by the subscriber are credited and invested as
per the portfolio/fund manager chosen of the subscriber.
o Tier-II account: This is a voluntary withdrawable account which is allowed only
when there is an active Tier I account in the name of the subscriber. The withdrawals
are permitted from this account as per the needs of the subscriber as and when
required.
• At the superannuation, the beneficiaries can withdraw 60% of their accumulated portfolio in
lump sum and annuitize 40% of it. If the amount is less than or up to Rs 2 lakh, the
beneficiaries can withdraw the 100% amount in lump sum.

58. According to Worldline’s India Digital Payments Report Q1 2022”, India witnessed 9.36
billion UPI transactions worth Rs 10.25 trillion in the first quarter (January-March 2022) period.

59. RBI has announced that small finance banks which have completed 2 years of operations
and have a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crores can deal in foreign exchange.
• Also, the profit in the preceding two years and net NPAs should not be more than 6% in
the previous four quarters.
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60. IDFC FIRST Bank and LetsVenture have signed an MOU to work together for boosting the
startup ecosystem.
• LetsVenture is India's leading early-stage platform for investors and founders of startups.
• The MOU was signed during the LetsVenture's flagship event, 'LetsIgnite', for startups and
founders in Bengaluru.
• IDFC FIRST Bank offers customized solutions to startups under its FIRST WINGS
program.

61. Oravel Stays Ltd, which operates hospitality unicorn Oyo, has acquired holiday home
operator Bornholmske Feriehuse (based in Denmark) for an undisclosed sum to further
expand its footprint in Europe.

62. Microsoft has become the first big tech firm to join Open Network for Digital Commerce
(ONDC).
• India’s e-commerce sector is projected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 19.24% to $111.40 billion by 2025 from $46.20 billion in 2020.
• MD and CEO of ONDC – T. Koshy

63. Crypto trading platform CoinSwitch has launched Web3 Discovery Fund to incubate and
invest in early-stage blockchain startups.
• The venture arm will invest in and incubate early-stage startups building blockchain
solutions for the web3.

64. HDFC Bank has partnered with M1xchange (a Trade receivables Discounting System
(TReDs) platform, promoted by Mynd Solutions Pvt Ltd) to make a debut in the TReDs sector.
• This partnership will bring in high liquidity to buyer corporates and MSMEs at competitive
interest rates.
• RBI regulates M1xchange and other such platforms under the Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007.

65. State of Bank of India (SBI) is the first Indian bank to frame a policy to fund makers of lab-
grown diamonds.
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• SBI's Diamond Bourse branch in Mumbai Bandra Kurla Complex and the Commercial
branch in Surat have been identified for the business.

66. ONDC has signed an MOU with SIDBI for coordination to bring MSMEs on the ONDC platform
and accelerate their participation in e-commerce.

67. One97 Communications (the parent entity of digital payments firm Paytm) has partnered with
Piramal Capital and Housing Finance to expand its merchant loan business to small towns
and villages.
• Now, the loans provided by Piramal will be available on Paytm’s platform.
• Loan disbursement is a key source of revenue for Paytm.
• Payment banks receive a 'differentiated' bank license from the RBI and hence, they cannot
lend or issue credit cards. Payment banks cannot accept time deposits or NRI deposits.

68. In 2021, RBI had constituted Working Group on Digital Lending, under the chairmanship of
Jayant Kumar Dash.
• RBI has adopted the recommendations of the committee.

Recommendations –
• Digital lenders have been classified into 3 categories –
o Entities regulated by RBI and permitted to carry out lending business
o Entities authorized to carry out lending as per other statutory/regulatory provisions
but not regulated by RBI
o Entities not regulated or authorised
• Scope of recommendations – RBI’s Regulated Entities (REs) and the Lending Service
Providers (LSPs) engaged by them

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69. Central govt has released two instalments of tax devolution totalling Rs 1.16 lakh crore to
states.
• Currently, 41% of taxes collected by the Centre is devolved in 14 instalments among
states during a fiscal year.

70. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has consolidated its position on top of the market
share list, with 68.57% market share in July 2022 from 65.42% at the end of June.
• SBI Life has the second highest share in the market above 7%.

71. Life Insurance Corp. of India (LIC) has sold 2% shares in automaker Mahindra & Mahindra
for about ₹2,222.49 crore.
• After the sale, the LIC holding in the passenger cars and utility vehicles company
decreased from 8.430 % to 6.421%.

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72. JSW Neo Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy, will acquire a portfolio of 1,753
MW of renewable energy generation capacity from Mytrah Energy (India) for ₹10,530 crores
approx.

73. Yes Bank has partnered with Treasury Tech solutions provider IBSFINtech to develop
technology framework in the corporate digital solutions space.

74. Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched Kotak Crème - a lifestyle focused salary account - to
offer an upgraded experience to its customers working in MNCs, retails, law firms, unicorns
etc.

75. UNCTAD in its policy paper titled “All that glitters is not gold: The high cost of leaving
cryptocurrencies unregulated” mentions that 7.3% population in India owns digital
currency.
• Ukraine topped the list with 12.7%, followed by Russia (11.9%), Venezuela (10.3%),
Singapore (9.4%), Kenya (8.5%), U.S. (8.3%) and India (7.3%).

76. US-based Citi Group has agreed to provide a $125 million for providing credit to Airtel
Africa.

77. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has disallowed the use of Letters of Comfort (LoC), which may
impact loans worth Rs 35,000 crores.
• LoC is a letter issued by a parent company which tells a bank that they know the loan is
availed by one of their subsidiaries. The letter states that the parent company "supports"
the subsidiary in the process, and they will lend their hand wherever required.
• It is generally issued by foreign companies that have their branches and subsidiaries in
India.

78. Navi Mutual Fund has launched of Navi Nifty India Manufacturing Index Fund - India’s
first open-ended index fund - to track the performance of manufacturers among the top 300
companies in India.
• It is Navi’s sixth fund for this year.

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79. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of “Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd,
Pune”.

80. RBI has asked banks, non-banking financial institutions, and other regulated entities to ensure
that they and their loan recovery agents do not harass people.
• Applicability - all commercial, regional and rural, small finance banks, and non-banking
financial companies including housing finance companies, All-India financial institutions
(including Exim Bank, NABARD, SIDBI etc.), all primary urban cooperative banks, state
cooperative banks and district central cooperative banks and asset reconstruction
companies
• The circular does not apply to microfinance loans, and payments banks.

81. India's retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 6.71% in July
2022 compared with 7.01% in June 2022.

82. National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Program
Implementation, has released the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) at 12.3% in June 2022
against 19.6% in May this year.
• Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012.

83. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has announced to invest Rs 665 crores to buy a
9.99% stake in Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company.
• The health insurance company is a 51:49 joint venture between Aditya Birla Capital and
Momentum Metropolitan Strategic Investments, a subsidiary of South African-based
Momentum Metropolitan.

84. BYD India, EV manufacturer, has signed an MOU with the HDFC Bank for providing a stock
financing solution to its pan India dealer network.
• BYD has four industries including auto, electronics, new energy and rail transit.
• HDFC Bank has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2032.

85. State Bank of India (SBI) has launched Utsav Deposit- Fixed Deposit scheme at 6.1%
interest with a tenor of 1000 days.
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86. Bank of Baroda has launched the Bank of Baroda Tiranga Deposit Scheme (an FD
scheme) at an interest rate of 6% for a tenor of 444 and 555 days.
• This is a special term deposit product which offers higher interest rates on retail deposits
below Rs 2 crore.

87. Karnataka Bank has launched KBL Amrit Samriddhi (a new Fixed Deposit Scheme) for a
tenure of 75 weeks (525 days) at an interest rate of 6.10% per annum.

88. Yes Bank and SellerApp, a seller-centric intelligence platform, have partnered to encourage
the latter’s clients to adopt Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC).

89. Wholesale price-based inflation eased to a five-month low of 13.93% in July 2022 on easing
prices of food articles and manufactured products.

90. State Bank of India (SBI) has launched its first "state-of-the-art" dedicated branch for
start-ups at Bengaluru to facilitate and support them.

91. Tiger Global-backed fintech unicorn Razorpay has agreed to buy a controlling stake in
payment solutions startup Ezetap Mobile Solutions for $126 million (₹1,000 crore) in a cash-
and-stock deal.

92. Adani Logistics Ltd (ALL), a unit of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, has signed
a definitive agreement to acquire an inland container depot (ICD) from Navkar Corporation
Ltd in Gujarat for ₹835 crore.

93. Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of 20% stake in IIFL
Home Finance by Platinum Jasmine Trust, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi
Investment Authority, for Rs 2200 crores.

94. Amitabh Chaudhry of Axis Bank is the highest paid MD and CEO among bankers in fiscal
2022, with a salary of Rs 7.63 crores.

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• Sumant Kathpalia, MD and CEO, Indusind Bank was the second-highest paid MD &
CEO, with Rs 7.3 crore remuneration in FY22.

95. Axis Bank has signed an MoU with Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide “Ultima
Salary Package”, a best-in-class salary account with exclusive benefits & features to all the
FCI’s employees.
• The Bank aims to offer holistic banking services to the employees of the Public Sector
Undertakings (PSU) sector.

96. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has introduced two new tenures of retail fixed deposits (below
₹2 crore) — 75-weeks (525 days) and 75 months, both carrying the highest rate of 7.5%.
• Ujjivan has increased the interest rate on 990 Days (Platina) FD from 7.20% to 7.50%.
Senior citizens will get an interest of 8.25% (0.75% extra).
• Platina FD’s (a non-callable FD) deposit range is Rs 15 lakh to Rs 2 crores.
• Callable FD’s allow premature withdrawal whereas non-callable does not allow withdrawal
before the maturity date. Therefore, the interest rate and deposit amount of non-callable FD
is higher than the callable FDs.

97. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has signed an agreement with global petroleum
giant ExxonMobil for deep-water exploration in the east and west coasts of India.
• The collaboration areas focus on the Krishna Godavari and Cauvery basins in the
eastern offshore and the Kutch-Mumbai region in the western offshore.

98. Zomato-Backed Shiprocket has become the 106th Unicorn of India.

99. Chennai-based drone startup Garuda Aerospace has partnered with Harare Institute of
Technology and Nyangani Virtual University to offer drones-as-a-service to the
agriculture sector in Zimbabwe.
• This is Garuda’s second global venture and the first in Africa.
• In June, Garuda announced that it is setting up a drone factory in Malaysia in
collaboration with HiiLSE Drones, a Malaysian drone company.

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100. ReNew Power has partnered with 12 international lenders led by Rabobank (based in
Netherland) to collect $1 billion for its hybrid round-the-clock (RTC) battery-enabled project.
• The project will include wind and solar farms set up across Karnataka, Rajasthan, and
Maharashtra.
• ReNew has also signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy
Corp. of India (SECI) for this project.
• ReNew has a gross total portfolio of 12.8 GW of renewable energy projects across India.

101. Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, has collected a record

Rs 1.5 lakh crore from the sale of 5G spectrum.
• Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio was the biggest purchaser, lapping up spectrum worth Rs
88,078 crore.
• Sunil Mittal’s Airtel that bought spectrum worth Rs 43,084 crore - the second highest.

102. In April 2022, RBI has released its final guidelines for microfinance institutions (MFIs)
that will be applicable to all entities (banks, small finance banks and NBFC-MFIs) engaged in
this sector.
• New definition of microfinance loan – A ‘collateral-free’ loan granted to a household
with an annual household income of up to Rs 3 lakh.
• The interest rate on the microfinance loan will be approved by the board of the issuing
agency, as against the set ceiling earlier.
• No pre-payment penalty. In case of delayed payment, penalty should be levied only on the
overdue amount.
• Now, there will be no consideration of the end-use of the loan taken by households. Earlier,
the borrowers were required to spend 50% of their loan amount on increasing their income
generation capacity.
• Eligibility criteria for getting NBFC-MFI license -
o An NBFC-MFI needs to give 75% of its total loans as microfinance loans and rest
25% can be given to companies or other borrowers. Earlier, the limit was 85%.
o The net-owned fund requirements for NBFC-MFIs are –
§ Rs 5 crores (Rs 2 cr. In N-E region) in 31 March, 2022
§ Rs 7 crores (Rs 5 cr. In N-E region) in 31 March, 2025
§ Rs 10 crores in 31 March, 2027
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• All lending agencies shall provide the credit information and household income of the
borrower to the Credit Information Companies.
• RBI has removed the cap on the number of microfinance borrowers to which a single entity
can lend. Rather, a new requirement has been introduced.
• All entities cannot lend beyond the loan repayment obligation of a household, which is
capped at 50% of monthly income.

103. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs under the Department of Revenue has raised
the thresholds for prosecutions and arrests under the Customs Act to ₹50 lakh from ₹20 lakh
for smuggling and illegal imports of goods in baggage, and from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore for
cases involving commercial fraud.

104. Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd. (HLFL) has approved the company’s merger with NXT
Digital Ltd.
• Ashok Leyland (ALL) is the parent company of Hinduja NBFC.

105. Promoter BRDN Investment Management, formerly Standard Life Investments, has
divested its 5.58% stake in HDFC Asset Management Company (AMC) for Rs 2,300 crore
approx.

106. Industry leader Ratan Tata has launched Goodfellows, a senior companionship start-up
that provides companionship services to senior citizens.
• The start-up will now be operational in Mumbai with Pune, Chennai and Bangalore as the
next target cities.
• The startup is designed to pair senior citizens with young graduates to form meaningful
friendships. It provides all the services that a grandkid would do.

107. Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched the ‘IOB Rupay Select Card’, a special variant
of debit cards that can be used for domestic and international payments.
• The card is designed to cater to high net-worth individual (HNI) customers with add on
freebies in various facilities including airport lounges, gyms, spa and clubs.

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108. Paytm has partnered with Samsung stores to provide Paytm payment services, including
the Paytm Post-paid services on the stores across India.
• Paytm will provide credit limit of up to Rs 60,000 per month through its post-paid. It will also
give customers an option to avail personal loan of up to Rs 2 lakh through financial
institution partners of Paytm.

109. Edelweiss Mutual Fund will launch India’s first gold and silver fund scheme. It will be
called as Edelweiss Gold and Silver ETF Fund of Fund (FoF).
• India’s first gold fund, Nippon India ETF Gold BeES, was launched in March 2007, while
silver-based mutual funds were first introduced in January 2022. ICICI Prudential Silver
ETF was the first silver-based fund in India.
• The fund’s managers for the scheme are Bhavesh Jain and Bharat Lahoti.
• The scheme will invest in units of gold and silver ETFs managed by other fund houses or
Edelweiss.

110. Mirae Asset Mutual Fund has launched two new funds based on electric vehicles and
artificial intelligence.
• The funds are Mirae Asset Global Electric & Autonomous Vehicles ETFs Fund of Fund and
Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF Fund of Fund.
• Both the funds will be managed by Siddharth Srivastava, Head – ETF Products, Mirae
Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt Ltd.
• CEO of Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt Ltd – Swarup Mohanty

111. Jammu & Kashmir Grameen Bank and NABARD have signed an MOU for promotion and
financing of 700 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) in the UT.
• During the last financial year, both entities have successfully financed 500 JLGs.
• According to RBI, a Joint Liability Group (JLG) is an informal group comprising of 4-10
individuals coming together for the purpose of availing bank loan on individual basis or
through group mechanism against mutual guarantee.
• Generally, the members of a JLG would engage in a similar or different types of economic
activity.

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112. Aegon Life Insurance has launched #PlayForOurHeroes campaign that uses a game
called ‘The Game of Life’ on the company website — to spread awareness about the
importance of life insurance.
• The company will donate amount earned through this campaign to the Armed Forces Flag
Day Fund (AFFDF).

113. RBI has cancelled the licence of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank in Karnataka.

114. SEBI has allowed the Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) and Venture Capital Funds
(VCF) to invest in overseas companies.
• Earlier, the AIFs and VCFs could only invest in overseas companies which have an Indian
connection.
• Now, investment can be made in any country, which is either a signatory to the Multilateral
Memorandum of Understanding of International Organization of Security
Commission (IOSCO) or a signatory to the bilateral MOU with SEBI.
• No investment can be made in an FATF’s recognized country.

115. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has organized the
first-ever hackathon named Bima Manthan 2022, with the theme of 'Innovation in
Insurance'.
• Purpose – to develop technology-driven innovative solutions for automated death claim
settlement, curtail miss-selling, and other areas of the insurance ecosystem, with an aim to
protect the interest of policyholders

116. Ashok Leyland has launched India’s first AC double-decker electric bus named
‘Switch EiV 22’ in Mumbai.
• It will be operated by Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) from September.

117. Central Govt has increased the windfall profit tax on export of diesel and cut the tax on
domestic crude oil.
• The windfall profit tax on the export of diesel is increased to Rs 7 per litre from Rs 5 a litre
and Rs 2 a litre tax on ATF exports.

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• The tax on domestically produced crude oil has been reduced to Rs 13,000 per tonne from
Rs 17,750.

118. Central Bank of India has signed a bancassurance agreement with lncred Financial
Services and Protium Finance to offer loans to MSME Borrowers at competitive rates.

119. Central Bank of India, the only public sector lender under the RBI’s prompt corrective
action (PCA) framework, is expected to exit from this list due to an improvement in its
financial health.

120. IRDAI has announced to rename its Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGMS),
launched in 2011, as Bima Bharosa.
• The system will be revamped to make complaint redressal more efficient with the option of
customers filing their complaints in regional languages.

121. RBI has released the data on the remittance flows conducted during the first quarter of
FY23 under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• The outward flows were $6.04 billion.
• International travel contributed $2.92 billion of the $6.04 billion remitted under LRS in
Q1FY23, contributing almost 48% of the money remitted under the LRS scheme.

122. SEBI has joined the Account Aggregator Framework of RBI to allow customers to share
information about their mutual fund and stock holdings with financial service providers.
• Under the framework, Financial Information Providers (FIPs) in the securities market, like
depositories will provide financial information related to securities markets to the
customers and consented Financial Information Users (FIUs) through any of the account
aggregators registered with the RBI.
• Account aggregator is an RBI-regulated NBFC that facilitates the collection of the financial
information pertaining to a customer from financial information providers on the basis of the
consent of the customer.

123. NHPC has signed an initial pact with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to set up a large
capacity solar equipment manufacturing facility.
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124. Muthoot Finance (NBFC) has launched ‘Milligram Reward Programme’ for their
customers- wherein transactions with the Muthoot Group will be rewarded with at least a
milligram gold.
• For the first time in India, a customer reward program is run in 24 carat gold under this
program.
• Customers can participate in this two-year long programme. The program will be applicable
for 30 plus services offered by the company.
• MD of Muthoot Finance - George Alexander Muthoot

125. HDFC has opened its first all-women branch with four women bankers in north Kerala
region in Kozhikode.

126. Google has dedicated a special doodle to Indian physicist and meteorologist Anna
Mani to mark her 104th birth anniversary.
• Anna Mani is remembered as the “Weather Woman of India”.
• She played a crucial role in the field of meteorological instrumentation. She made many
valuable contributions in the field of Physics and Meteorology.
• Anna Mani took birth in a Syrian Christian family in Kerala on 23 August 1918.

127. Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd has formed a joint venture with its parent company Indian
Oil Corp (IOC) and others to build a 9 MMTPA refinery at a cost of $3.95 billion in Tamil
Nadu.

128. BrightChamps Tech Pvt Ltd, which offers new age online courses such as programming,
artificial intelligence, design thinking, and financial literacy, has bought Singapore-based live
learning platform Schola for $15 million in a cash-and-stock deal.
• It is the company’s first overseas acquisition since its inception.

129. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the government will approach the
capital market next month to raise funds for four road projects through infrastructure
investment trusts (InvITs).
• There will be an investment limit of ₹10 lakh for retail investors.
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130. Gautam Adani’s AMG Media Networks has acquired a 29% stake in broadcaster NDTV
Ltd for Rs 493 crores and launched an open offer to acquire an additional 26% from
shareholders.

131. Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a new facility of overdraft against fixed
deposits on the unified mobile banking application PNB One.
• PNB also launched a pre-qualified credit card facility (consisting of an insurance plan) for
its accountholders.
• Customers will be able to apply through PNB One, website or Internet Banking Service
(IBS) for this service. PNB will be offering this service under two platforms -- RuPay and
Visa.

132. Non-life insurer Universal Sompo General Insurance has partnered with Chennai-based
Repco Home Finance Ltd for providing an insurance cover for the home loans.
• It provides security to home financier’s customers by insuring their home loans in the event
of an unfortunate event during the repayment term of the loan.

133. Fintech platform KreditBee has partnered with API banking solutions company Cashfree
Payments to offer customers an option to convert their online purchases into EMIs at the time
of checkout itself for non-credit card holders.

134. BASIX Social Enterprise Group has launched BASIX Farmers’ Market (BFM), an
AgriTech platform, in partnership with Mastercard to integrate farmers into the digital
economy.

135. RBI has lifted restrictions on the global card network American Express and allowed it to
onboard customers.
• On 23 April 2021, RBI announced that American Express Banking Corp. cannot onboard
new domestic customers from May.

136. Avaada Group has signed an initial pact to invest ₹40,000 crore in a green ammonia
project in Rajasthan.
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137. Global escrow banking solution provider, Castler has partnered with Yes Bank to offer
digital escrow services for the bank’s customers.

138. HDFC Bank has launched a new campaign called “Vigil Aunty” to motivate citizens all
around the nation to adopt secure banking practices.
• This will go along with the bank’s “Mooh Band Rakho” campaign.

139. TVS Motor has acquired 48.27% stake in Narain Karthikeyan's Startup DriveX for Rs 85
crores.

140. Bharti Airtel promoter Bharti Telecom has announced to buy a 3.33% stake in Airtel from
Singtel for 2.25 billion Singapore dollars or about Rs 12,895 crores in 90 days' time.

141. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has announced that the
trail commission to Points of Presence (PoPs) for D-Remit Contributions of the associated
Subscribers shall be @ 0.20% of the contribution amount (Minimum ₹15 and Maximum
₹10,000).

142. BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda
(BoB), and the Indian Army have launched a co-branded RuPay credit card named Yoddha
for the Indian Army personnel, in partnership with National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI).
• The Yoddha co-branded credit card will be equipped with contactless features and will be
offered on the RuPay platform.

143. Tata Neu, the ‘super app’ of the Tata Group, has partnered with HDFC Bank for launching
Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card and Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card.
• Each of the two variants of the card will be available on both RuPay and Visa networks.

144. According to PGA Labs (a business research company) data, SBI is the top market player
in debit cards market with 30% market share.
• HDFC Bank has the maximum share in the credit card market.
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145. RBI has barred customers of Thodupuzha Urban Co-operative Bank, Kerala, from
withdrawing funds as part of several restrictions imposed on the bank due to its deteriorating
financial condition.

146. AirAsia India has become the first airline in India to adopt a data-driven training program
using CAE Rise™.

147. India's largest private sector lender HDFC Bank will acquire 9.94% stake in Go Digit Life
Insurance.

148. RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.33 crore on Spandana Sphoorty Financial
Limited, Hyderabad for non-compliance with certain provisions of the “Non-Banking
Financial Company - Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit
taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016”.

149. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has collaborated with TP
Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG), a subsidiary of Tata Power, to launch 1,000 green energy
enterprises across the country.
• The initiative is aimed at promoting sustainable entrepreneurship models and empowering
rural entrepreneurs.
• ‘Sustainable is Attainable’ program of Tata Power and ‘Empowering MSMEs’ campaign
of SIDBI are the driving forces behind this partnership.
• The entrepreneurs shortlisted under the initiative will have to complete a capacity-building
activity organised by TPRMG to receive Go REsponsive, ENterprise incentive (GREENi)
from SIDBI.

150. HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a private sector general insurance company,
has launched 'All Things EV' – India’s first one-stop-solution portal for electric vehicles (EV).

151. State Bank of India (SBI) will operate the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in
Bangladesh for two more years.

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152. Essar Group has announced a USD 2.4 billion (Rs 19,000 crore) deal to sell its ports
business to Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel Ltd.
• The deal also envisages a 50-50 Joint Venture partnership, for building a 4 MTPA LNG
terminal at Hazira, Gujarat, between Essar and ArcelorMittal.

153. Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOC) has announced to invest ₹2 trillion to achieve the net-zero
carbon emission target by 2046.
• IOC’s chairman and managing director Shrikant Madhav Vaidya made this announcement
at the 63rd annual general meeting of the company.

154. Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd has signed an agreement with the Ministry
of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to identify investment opportunities in the Middle
East nation.
• Samvardhana Motherson is an India-based manufacturer and global supplier of
automotive components.

155. Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp will set up a new global research and development (R&D)
company in India.
• The new company, a wholly-owned unit of Suzuki Japan, would help Suzuki strengthen its
R&D competitiveness and capabilities not only for India but also for global markets.

156. Axis Bank has decided to roll out campaigns along with the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd to
promote its Kochi1 card amongst metro commuters.
• This would help daily commuters save considerably more with discounted metro fares.

157. India has provided $1 million to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat in Dhaka to increase its
operational budget.

158. National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has signed an
agreement with ICICI Bank for the development of financial accounting software and mobile
application.

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• The MoU provides for the development of financial accounting software for NMDFC and
State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs), loan accounting software for receiving and
processing of loan applications and accounting of repayments from beneficiaries.
• ICICI Bank will design, develop and deploy the application for NMDFC, and provide source
code and executable database information among others.

159. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has provided
insurers with more flexibility in paying commissions by linking limits to the overall portfolio and
company management expenses.
• The utmost commission sanctioned for non-life products has been pegged at 20% of the
gross written premium in India in that financial year.

160. Tata Steel has signed an MOU with the Punjab govt for setting up a greenfield steel plant
in Ludhiana.
• The plant will have a capacity of 0.75 million tonnes per annum (MnTPA) for long products
with a scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF).

161. ICICI Bank has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to
launch a range of credit cards on RuPay network.
• To begin with, the ‘ICICI Bank Coral RuPay Credit Card’ is available in the Coral variant
of the Bank’s Gemstone series, which will be followed by Rubyx and Sapphiro variants
soon.
• It is a contactless card.

162. PGIM India Mutual Fund has launched a new investor education and awareness
website named as MoneyAndMe (https://moneyandme.pgimindiamf.com/).
• The company also announced the launch of a consumer awareness campaign – 'Aapka
Happiness Planned' to promote the MoneyAndMe website.

163. According to a report by Benori Knowledge (a research and analytics company), India has
become the 10th largest life insurer globally, surpassing China and UK.
• The life insurance penetration rate in India has grown to 3.2% in December 2021, at par
with the global average of 3.3%.
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164. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has signed an MoU with the PayXpert
(payments solutions provider) for launching UPI and Rupay payment solutions in the UK.
• NIPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

165. Private equity giant KKR has launched its third infrastructure investment trust (InvIT)
named as Highways Infrastructure Trust (HIT), in addition to Virescent Renewable Energy
Trust and India Grid Trust, an energy transmissions InvIT.

166. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio have partnered for integrating
WhatsApp and JioMart.

GDP FORECASTS
1. Nomura has reduced India’s retail inflation forecast to 6.7% in 2022.
• For 2022-23, India’s GDP will be 7% and for 2023-24, it will be 5.5%.

APPOINTMENTS
1. Ravi Kishan Takkar, former MD & CEO of UCO Bank, has been appointed as an Additional
Director (Independent) on the Board of Directors of LIC Housing Finance Ltd.
• Chair of LIC – MR Kumar
• MD & CEO of LIC Housing Finance Ltd. – Shri Y Viswanatha Gowd

2. Sanjay Arora has been appointed as the new Delhi Police Commissioner.

3. Pranay Kumar Verma has been appointed as India's next High Commissioner to
Bangladesh.
• He is currently serving as India's Ambassador to Vietnam.

4. Paytm’s parent One97 Communications has appointed Nakul Jain as the CEO of Paytm
Payments Services Ltd (PPSL).
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5. Vodafone Idea Limited - also known as Vi - has appointed Akshay Moondra as its new CEO.
• Ravinder Takkar, former MD and CEO of Vi, will take over as the new chairman of Vi.

6. Auguste Tano Kouamé (a national of Côte d'Ivoire) has been appointed as the country
director for India by the World Bank.

7. Suresh N. Patel has been appointed as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.

8. Jagdeep Dhankhar (of National Democratic Alliance) has been elected as the 16th Vice
President of India.

9. Justice Ranjit Vasantrao More has been appointed as the chairman of Central
Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

10. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba was given one-year extension in service by the government.
This is his second extension on the post.

11. Inderjit Camotra has been appointed as the MD and CEO of Unity Small Finance Bank.

12. Senior electrochemical scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has become the first woman
director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• Known for her work in the field of lithium ion batteries, Kalaiselvi is at present director of the
CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu.

13. Viswanathan Anand has been elected as the vice president of FIDE (International Chess
Federation) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Arkady Dvorkovich (from Russia) has been re-elected as President of FIDE.

14. Papua New Guinea has elected James Marape as its Prime Minister for a second term.

15. Former India pace bowler Manoj Prabhakar has taken over as head coach of Nepal’s cricket
team.
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16. Nitish Kumar (from Janata Dal (United) party) has taken oath as the CM of Bihar for the 8th
time in a row.
• Tejashwi Yadav (from Rashtriya Janata Dal) was appointed as the Deputy CM.

17. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit has been appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India.
• He will take oath on Aug 27 and will have a term till November 8.
• Present age of retirement of CJI is 65 years. On the other hand, judges of the 25 high
courts retire at 62.
• Part V of Indian Constitution (from Article 124 to Article 147) mentions the provisions for
constitution and functioning of the Supreme Court.
• Article 126 details about the appointment of CJI.

18. Central govt has reappointed four independent directors on RBI’s Board for another four
years. The members are -
• S. Gurumurthy (RSS ideologue)
• Satish K. Marathe (cooperative movement veteran)
• Revathy Iyer
• Sachin Chaturvedi

19. Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Rios of Argentina has been appointed as the Head of
Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in
India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
• UNMOGIP emerged from UN Security Council Resolution 39 of January 1948 that set up
the UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).

20. Cricketer Rishabh Pant was appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand by Chief
Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

21. Central government has appointed J&K IAS officer Shah Faesal as Deputy Secretary in the
Tourism Ministry.

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22. Ashish Kumar Chauhan has been appointed as the MD and CEO of National Stock
Exchange.

23. William Samoei Arap Ruto has been elected as the next President of Kenya.

24. Bajaj Electricals has appointed Anuj Poddar as its MD and CEO.

25. Central govt has appointed Rajkiran Rai G as the MD of National Bank for Financing
Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) for nearly five years.
• NaBFID, National Housing Bank, NABARD, Exim Bank, and SIDBI are the five All-India
Financial Institutions in India.

26. Centre has extended the tenure of Drug Controller General of India VG Somani by three
months.

27. Airtel has reappointed Gopal Vittal as its MD and CEO for 5 years.

28. Mastercard has appointed Lakshay Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and
Chirag Shetty as its brand ambassadors.
• All of them are badminton players.

29. The tenure of Dr V G Somani as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been
extended by three months.

30. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was given an extension for a year.

31. Odisha cadre IAS officer Rajesh Verma has been appointed as the secretary to President
Droupadi Murmu.
• Verma is currently serving as the secretary of the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

32. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Alkesh Kumar Sharma (Secretary to
the Union Department of Electronics and Information Technology) on to its new Internet
Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel.
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• Sharma is among the panel of 10 distinguished experts on digital governance.

• Maria Reesa, Nobel Prize-winning journalist and Vint Cerf, a global pioneer and recognised
as one of ‘the fathers of the Internet’ have also been nominated on the panel.
• IGF Leadership Panel also has 5 ex-officio members on board, including Amandeep Singh
Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology. The members have been appointed
for a two-year term during the 2022–23 IGF cycles.

33. Central govt has given an extension to Meenesh Shah as the chairman of the Anand-
headquartered National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for a period of another 6 months.

34. Credit Suisse Group AG has appointed Dixit Joshi as chief financial officer (CFO).

35. Revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary in the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

36. Vikram K. Doraiswami has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the
United Kingdom.
• Presently, he is the High Commissioner of India to the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

37. Pet-care brand Heads Up For Tails has appointed Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon as its first
brand ambassador.
• Founder of Heads Up For Tails - Rashi Narang

38. IDFC Limited has appointed Mahendra N Shah as the company's managing director (MD),
with effect from October 1, 2022.

39. SBICAP Securities, a unit of SBI Capital Markets, has appointed Deepak Kumar Lalla as the
MD and CEO.

40. DreamSetGo, India's first premium sports experiences and travel platform, has announced
Sourav Ganguly as its first brand ambassador.

41. DRDO has appointed distinguished scientist, Dr Samir V Kamat, as its new chairman.
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• He has also been appointed as the Secretary of

• Kamat is currently the Director-General of Naval Systems & Materials (NS&M).

42. Former Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian has been appointed as the Executive
Director for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a period of 3 years, starting
from November 2022.

43. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Ananth Narayan
Gopalakrishnan (Professor at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research) as a whole-
time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of 3 years.

44. Mukesh Ambani has appointed Akash Ambani as the Chairperson of Jio, Isha Ambani as
Chairperson of Reliance Retail, and Anant Ambani as Chairperson of New Energy.

IMPORTANT DAYS
1. July 24 - National Thermal Engineer Day
2. July 27 - CRPF Raising Day (84th edition)
• CRPF’s Motto - Nation First - Follow Me
3. July 28 - Earth Overshoot Day
• Formula to calculate the Earth Overshoot Day = Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological
Footprint) x 365
4. July 30 –
• World Day against Trafficking in Persons; Theme - “Use and Abuse of Technology”
• International Day of Friendship; Theme - Sharing the human spirit through friendship
5. August 1 –
• Muslim Women’s Rights Day
• World Lung Cancer Day
6. August 1 to 7 - World Breastfeeding Week; Theme - Step up for Breastfeeding
7. August 6 – Hiroshima Day (77th anniversary)
8. August 7 –
• National Handloom Day (8th edition)

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• National Javelin Day

9. August 9 –
• Nagasaki Day
• International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples / World Tribal Day; Theme - The role
of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge
10. August 10 -
• World Biofuel Day
• World Lion Day
11. August 12 –
• World Elephant Day
• International Youth Day; Theme – Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating A World for All
Ages
• World Sanskrit Day
12. August 13 –
• World Organ Donation Day
• International Lefthanders Day
13. August 14 – Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (celebrated by University Grants
Commission)
14. August 15 –
• 150th Birth Anniversary of Shri Aurobindo
• National Mourning Day in Bangladesh
15. August 16 – Parsi New year or Navroz
16. August 19 –
• World Photography Day; Theme - Pandemic Lockdown through the lens
• World Humanitarian Day; Theme - 'It takes a village'
17. August 20 –
• Sadhbhawana Diwas (birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi)
• World Mosquito Day; Theme - 'Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden
and save lives'
18. August 21 –
• International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
• World Senior Citizen’s Day

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19. August 22 – International Day for Victims of Acts of Violence based on Religion or Belief
20. August 23 – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
21. August 23- September 1 – World Water Week; Theme – Seeing the Unseen: The Value of
Water
22. August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
23. August 29 –
• National Sports Day (birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand)
• International Day against Nuclear Tests
24. August 30 - National Small Industry Day

AWARDS
1. Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, has conferred the
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Awards to the banks and states for their contribution in
effective implementation of the AIF scheme.
• AIF scheme was launched in 2020 to develop post-harvest management infrastructure and
community farming assets.
• Under the scheme, a loan of up to Rs 2 crores is given at an interest subvention of 3%.
• To effectively disburse loans under the AIF scheme, NOBOL (Nationwide One Branch
One Loan) Campaign was organized from 15th July to 14th Aug 2022. The campaign aims
to disburse Rs 4000 crores during its tenure.
Categories Winners – Banks
Best Performing Banks 1. State Bank of India
2. Punjab National Bank
3. Bank of India
Valuable Contribution by Banks 1. Bank of Baroda
2. Central Bank of India
3. Canara Bank
4. Kotak Mahindra Bank
Target Achievers 1. Punjab National Bank
2. Canara Bank
3. HDFC Bank
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4. Bank of Maharashtra
5. Punjab & Sind Bank
6. Karnataka Bank
Best Performing Regional Rural Banks 1. Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank
2. Madhyanchal Gramin Bank
3. Maharashtra Gramin Bank
4. Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin
Bank

Categories Winners – Banks

Best Performing State Madhya Pradesh
Best Performer in sanction of PACS Andhra Pradesh
Applications
Best Performer in Faster Disposal of PACS Karnataka
Applications
Rising State under AIF Rajasthan

• NABARD Consultancy Services, the Knowledge Partner for this Scheme, was honoured
for the laudable contribution in carrying forward the Scheme.
• 13,700 projects, costing investment of around Rs.17,500 crore with a sanction of Rs 10,131
crore loans, have been sanctioned as of July 30, 2022.
• On an average 30 agriculture infrastructure projects per day are being sanctioned
under the scheme all over the country.

2. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has presented the prestigious President’s Colours to the
Tamil Nadu police in recognition of the State police’s commendable service and many
achievements.

3. UNESCO has added a 106-year-old astronomical observatory at Langat Singh College in

Bihar’s Muzaffarpur on its list of important endangered heritage observatories of the world.

4. Sargam Koushal (from J&K) has won the Mrs India World (beauty pageant) 2022-23.

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5. Fortune’s Global 500 list for 2022 –

• Top – Walmart, followed by Amazon
• India’s top-ranked company – LIC (98th rank), Reliance Industries (104th rank)

6. French government has announced to confer the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite
(Knight of the Order of the Merit), on Kannan Sundaram for his contribution to the
publishing collaboration between India and France.
• Sundaram is the publisher of Kalachuvadu.

7. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has been conferred with the 'dPal rNgam Duston' award -
- the highest civilian honour of Ladakh -- for his immense contribution to humanity,
especially towards the union territory.
• The award was conferred by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.

8. Ahmedabad University’s Prof. Ramadhar Singh has become the first Indian psychologist
to feature on the US Heritage Wall of Fame for his extraordinary contributions to social
psychology and management.
• The recognition was given by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)
in the United States.
• Singh is the Professor in the Amrut Mody School of Management of the Ahmedabad
University.

9. All India Football Federation (AIFF) has given awards for 2021-22 season –
• AIFF Men’s ‘Footballer-of-the-Year’ - National captain Sunil Chhetri (for a 7th time)
• AIFF Women’s ‘Footballer-of-the-Year’ - Manisha Kalyan
• ‘Best Referee-of-the-Year’ - Crystal John
• ‘Best Assistant Referee-of-the-Year’ - Ujjal Halder

10. Aarya Walvekar, an Indian-American teenager from Virginia, has been crowned Miss India
USA 2022.

11. Sangeetha Abhayan, a Kerala-based entrepreneur, won the World Women Entrepreneurs’
Award, instituted by the Junior Chamber International Hong Kong (JCIHK).
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• Reason - for the performance of eweworld.com -her handloom and handicrafts start-up- in
tune with the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs)

12. Canadian scholar, Jeffrey Armstrong, has been awarded the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) Distinguished Indologist for 2021.
• Reason - in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the study/teaching/research in
India’s philosophy, thought, history, art, culture, Indian languages, literature, civilisation,
society, etc.
• India’s consul-general Manish gave this award at a ceremony in Vancouver.

13. Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor will be conferred with
France’s highest civilian award named as Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
• The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of
Honour), instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award given by
the French Republic for outstanding contribution to the recipient’s field of expertise,
regardless of their nationality.

14. Renowned Bangladeshi architect, researcher and educator Marina Tabassum has become
the first person from the global south and first south Asian to win the prestigious Lisbon
Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award.
• The award is given by the Lisbon Architecture Triennale jury.

15. Muthoot Finance has won the ‘best growth performance award’ at Dun & Bradstreet’s
22nd edition of ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ corporate awards.
• Theme for 2022 awards – “ESG: The only way for sustainable and responsible growth”
• The list recognises private and public sector Indian enterprises across 60 sectors, based on
their income, net profit, net worth and other financial parameters.

16. Razorpay, India's leading full-stack Payments and Banking Platform for Businesses, has
become the first Indian company to be named in the 2022 Forbes Cloud 100 List at 49th
position.
• It is a definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world.
• This is the second time for Razorpay to feature in this list.
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17. The south London home of Dadabhai Naoroji (Indian freedom fighter and Britain’s first
Indian parliamentarian) has been honoured with a commemorative Blue Plaque.
• The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honours the historic
significance of particular buildings across London.
• Naoroji is often referred to as the “grand old man of India”.
• The plaque reads as “Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here”.

18. 2022 Forbes Asia Best Under A Billion list has been released.
• India is at the 4th position with 24 companies in this list.
• Taiwan is at the 1st position, followed by Japan, and South Korea.

19. Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi has presented the
Coal Minister Awards, 2021-22 in various categories.
Categories Winners
Safety category 1. Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited (MCL)
2. Central Coalfields Limited (CCL)
Production & Productivity 1. Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited (MCL)
Sustainability 1. Western Coalfields Limited (WCL)
Quality 1. Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited (MCL)
ERP (Enterprise resource planning) 1. Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL)
Implementation

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• Coal India Ltd.’s subsidiaries in India –

• As of 11th Aug, 2022, CIL’s production stood at 224 million ton (MT), representing a strong
growth of 24%.

20. Ministry of Corporate Affairs has announced the winners of National CSR Awards 2020.
• 20 award winners and 17 Honourable Mentions are there across the three categories.
• The categories of the awards are Corporate Awards for Excellence in CSR, CSR Awards
for CSR in Aspirational Districts / Difficult Terrains, and CSR Awards for contribution in
National Priority Areas.

21. 2022 Liberty Medal will be awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Liberty Medal is an annual award administered by the National Constitution Centre
(NCC) of the United States to recognize leadership in the pursuit of freedom.

22. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the 2022 UNESCO Peace
Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees.
• The honour, which is officially called Félix Houphouët-Boigny UNESCO Peace Prize, is
named after the first president of Ivory Coast.

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23. 2022 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced.

Category
Public Service-Journalism
Fiction- Books, Drama & Music
Drama- Books, Drama & Music
Music- Books, Drama & Music
Winners
The Washington Post
The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and
Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the
History of a Very Famous Family, by Joshua
Cohen
Fat Ham, by James Ijames
Voiceless Mass, by Raven Chacon

SPORTS
1. England has defeated Germany to win the UEFA Women's European Championship at
Wembley Stadium in London.

2. Formula One champion Max Verstappen has won the Hungarian Grand Prix.

3. Norway’s Casper Ruud has won the Swiss Open Tennis Tournament 2022 held in Gstaad,
Switzerland.

4. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep
Singh Puri inaugurated the fourth ONGC Para Games in Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New
Delhi.
• 275 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) – employees of eight central oil and gas public
enterprises - are participating in the games.
• The games started in 2017 with the help of the Paralympic Committee of India for ONGC
PwD employees.

5. India has won the SAFF U-20 Championship at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar after
defeating Bangladesh.
• South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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6. Mastercard has become the title sponsor for all matches of Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI).

7. Chess prodigy V Pranav became India’s 75th Grandmaster by winning Limpedea Open in
Baia Mare, Romania.

8. 2022 Citi Open (aka Washington Open) was held at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Centre,
Washington DC, USA.
• The tournament is played outdoor on hard court.
• Men’s Singles (ATP 500) winner – Nick Kyrgios (Australia)
• Women’s Singles (WTA 250) winner – Liudmila Samsonova (Russia)

9. India has defeated West Indies by 88 runs in the fifth and final T20 International to win the
five-match series 4-1 at Lauderhill in Florida, United States.

10. Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, UK –

• Top – Australia (total -178; Gold- 67)
• India – 4th rank (total – 61; Gold- 22; Silver- 16; Bronze- 23)
• Gold medallists –
i. PV Sindhu (women’s singles ii. Lakshay Sen (men’s singles
badminton) badminton)
iii. Mirabai Chanu (women’s iv. Achinta Sheuli (men’s weightlifting)
weightlifting)
v. Bajrang Punia (wrestlers) vi. Deepak Punia (wrestlers)
vii. Sakshi Malik (wrestlers) viii. Nikhat Zareen (boxing)
ix. Eldhose Paul (men’s triple jump) x. Vinesh Phogat (wrestler)
xi. Ravi Dahiya (boxing) xii. Amit Panghal (boxing)
xiii. Nitu Ghanghas (boxing) xiv. Naveen (freestyle wrestling)
xv. Jeremy Lalrinnunga (weightlifting) xvi. Indian women’s team in Lawn Bowls
Women’s Fours competition

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11. 44th Chess Olympiad has concluded in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Mamallapuram,
Chennai.
• Gold – Uzbekistan
• Silver – Armenia
• Bronze – India (won 2 bronze medals)

12. Serena Williams (from US) has announced her retirement from tennis.
• She has won 23 grand slam singles titles.

13. International Cricket Council (ICC) has awarded Associate Membership Status to
Cambodia and Uzbekistan from Asia, and Cote D'Ivoire from Africa, taking ICC's total
members to 108 countries, including 96 Associates.
• It was announced during the ongoing ICC Annual Conference in Birmingham.

14. Indian fencer Bhavani Devi (from Tamil Nadu) won the gold medal in the women’s senior
individual sabre category at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships 2022 in London
by defeating Australian fencer Veronika Vasileva.
• The Indian fencer is ranked at 42nd in the world.

15. Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz Chess India Tournament 2022 will be held in Kolkata from
November 29 to December 4.
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• For the first time, the tournament will introduce a women’s edition, with equal total prize
money for both the open & women’s editions.

16. Commonwealth Games long jump silver medallist, M. Sreeshankar, was sixth at the Wanda
Diamond League Athletics Meeting in Monaco.
• Cuban Maykel Masso has won the title.

17. Former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard has become the first cricketer to play 600 T20
matches.

18. Real Madrid has won the UEFA Super Cup (football) by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt.

19. Meghalaya will host the 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022, which will be held from
October 30 to November 6, 2022.
• Athletes from all eight northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura — will be competing

20. Pooja Ojha has become the first Indian to win the silver medal in the 2022 ICF Canoe
Sprint World Championships in Halifax, Canada.
• This is the first-ever medal for India in the World Championships of para-canoe.

21. 2022 National Bank Open Tennis Tournament (Canada) – Men’s Singles: Pablo Carreño
Busta (Spain); Women’s Singles: Simona Halep (Romania)

22. For the first time, All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been suspended by FIFA due to
“third-party interference”.
• India will not host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. India will also not be able to
participate in AFC Asian Cup 2023 (Philippines) and any other football championship.
• AIFF joined FIFA in 1948.
• AIFF was created in 1937.

23. Ireland all-rounder cricketer Kevin O'Brien has announced retirement.

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24. Delhi High Court had appointed Committee of Administrators (COA), comprising former
Supreme Court judge Justice Anil R. Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y.
Quraishi, and former Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup, to take over the
day-to-day affairs of the Indian Olympic Association.
• Now, the Supreme Court has ordered to maintain the status quo. Therefore, the COA will
not be able to take over the affairs of IOA.

25. 131st edition of Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, is being hosted by Kolkata,
Guwahati, and Imphal from 16 Aug-8 Sept.

26. Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 will be hosted by India.

27. Ranji Trophy-winning coach Chandrakant Pandit will be the new head coach of Kolkata
Knight Riders.

28. Four Indian wrestlers, Abhishek Dhaka (57kg), Sujeet Kumar (65kg), Mulayam Yadav (70kg)
and Niraj (97kg), bagged bronze medals in men’s freestyle competitions at the World under-
20 wrestling championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

29. The Maharashtra government has decided to allow those participating in dahi-handi to be
eligible for government jobs under the 5% sports quota.

30. Manisha Kalyan has become the first Indian to play in UEFA Women’s Champions League
for Apollon Ladies FC.
• She is a substitute for Marilena Georgious.
• Apollon Ladies are Women’s Club champions of Cyprus.

31. Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk has won his world heavyweight title by defeating Anthony
Joshua.

32. The 15th edition of the Asia Cricket Cup will start in the UAE.

33. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) has won the FTX Crypto Cup in Miami, Florida, USA.
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• In this championship, India’s GM R Praggnanandhaa (aged 17) has defeated Magnus

Carlsen in a match.
• This was the third time in just six months when Praggnanandhaa has defeated Carlsen.
• Praggnanandhaa finished the tournament as the runner-up to the championship.

34. Indian has won the bronze medal in the 14th Asian men’s (under-18) volleyball
championship in Tehran, Iran by defeating South Korea.
• Japan won the gold after defeating Iran.
• The Indian U-18 team has qualified for the FIVB World U-19 Men’s Volleyball
Championship in Poland and Slovenia from 26 August to 11 September 2022.

35. Team MRF Tyres’ Efren Llarena and Sara Fernandez have won the 2022 FIA European
Rally Championship.
• It is the first FIA ERC title for MRF Tyres.

36. Kajaria Ceramics is the title sponsor for the three-match ODI series between India and
Zimbabwe, known as the Kajaria Cup.
• Shubman Gill has broken Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year old record after he scoring his
maiden international century against Zimbabwe in the third ODI against Zimbabwe.

37. India’s Arjun Erigaisi has won the Abu Dhabi Masters 2022.

38. Neeraj Chopra has become the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet in Lausanne,
Switzerland.
• Now, he has qualified for the third Diamond League Final.
• Chopra has also qualified for the world athletics championships 2023, to be held in
Budapest, Hungary.

39. India will host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as FIFA has lifted its ban on India.
• This 7th edition will be held in Kalinga Stadium (Bhuvneshwar), Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium (Goa), and DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai).

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40. BWF World Championships 2022 in Tokyo – Men’s Singles – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark);
Women’s Singles - Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

41. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has won the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.

42. Linthoi Chanambam has won the gold medal at the world cadet judo championships 2022
in the women’s -57kg category in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.
• The teenager from Manipur is the first Indian to win gold in the world judo championships
in any category.

43. The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be organized by the Philippines, Japan, and
Indonesia.

MISCELLANEOUS
1. “Riding the De(mon)” book has been authored by Murali Raghavan.

2. “The Light We Carry” book has been authored by Michelle Obama.

3. “Journey of A Nation: 75 Years of Indian Economy” book has been authored by Sanjaya
Baru.

4. Bill Russell (American basketball player) has passed away.

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5. Cryptojacking is a type of cybercrime that involves the unauthorized use of people's devices
(computers, smartphones, tablets, or even servers) by cybercriminals to mine for
cryptocurrency.

6. Noted Bengali and Odia singer Nirmala Mishra has passed away.

7. Former Philippine President Fidel Valdez Ramos has passed away.

8. DeepMind Technologies, an Alphabet-owned AI research company, has developed an

artificial intelligence tool called “AlphaFold”.

9. T Mohandas Pai, founder of Kannada daily 'Udayavani', has passes away.

10. Tata Power, in association with Ela Foundation, has released the 4th book in a series on
'Amphibians of the Northern Western Ghats', a photographic guide to all 52 species of
amphibians in Gujarat, Diu, Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Maharashtra and Goa.

11. “The Dolphin and the Shark: Lessons in Entrepreneurship” book has been authored by
Namita Thapar.

12. “Do Different: The Untold Dhoni” book has been released by Joy Bhattacharya and Amit
Sinha.

13. “Through The Rear View Mirror” book is the autobiography of KRA Narasiah (author and
historian).

14. “How China Sees India and the World” book has been authored by Shyam Saran.

15. Zoological Survey of India has released the “Field Guide, Birds of India” book.

16. “Rusty Skies and Golden Winds” book has been authored by Sannidhya Sharma (aged
11).
• Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, S&T, Personnel & Public Grievances, Jitendra
Singh has launched the book.

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17. David McCullough (American author and historian) has passed away.

18. Marathi actor Pradeep Patwardhan has passed away.

19. Former South African international umpire Rudi Koertzen has passed away.

20. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has released a book named “Fauna of Thattekad Bird
Sanctuary”.
• Thattekad Bird Sanctuary is located in Kerala.
• ZSI has also signed an MOU with University of Calicut and Dr Gafoor Memorial MES
Mampad College in Kerala for sharing knowledge.

21. “Bravo Yadav” book has been authored by Deepak Singh. The book is based on Journey of
Honorary Captain Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav (India's Youngest Param Vir Chakra
Recipient).
• He is famous for fighting the Kargil War of 1999.

22. P V Kamaraj (former athlete) has passed away.

23. Shabdansh, a collection of Home Minister Amit Shah’s speeches edited by Shiwanand
Dwivedi, has been released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• Dwivedi has also authored a biography of the Home Minister, titled as “Amit Shah and the
March of BJP”, along with Anirban Ganguly.

24. Fox News host Uma Pemmaraju (an Indian-American journalist) has passed away.

25. Former national champion V.M. Ranjeet has won bronze medal in the ITF Seniors World
Championship in Lisbon, Portugal.

26. National award-winning singer Shivamogga Subbanna has passed away.

• He was the first Kannadiga to win National Award for playback singing.

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27. “Putin: His Life and Times” book has been authored by Philip Short.

28. Bharat Biotech is developing the BBV154 intranasal covid vaccine – India’s first intranasal
vaccine for Covid-19.

29. Former BCCI secretary and ICC director Amitabh Chaudhary has passed away.

30. Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, has launched “India's Vaccine Growth Story”
book authored by Sajjan Singh Yadav (Additional Secretary in Expenditure Department of the
Ministry).
• Sitharaman said nearly 60% of all the vaccines used in the world are produced in India.

31. German film director Wolfgang Petersen, who made films such as Das Boot, Air Force One
and Outbreak, has passed away.

32. “Bibi: My Story” is the memoir of former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

• Memoir are autobiographical in nature.

33. Narayan (Malayali novelist) has passed away.

• Kocharethi is his most famous work.

34. Scientists from Israel have created world's first synthetic embryo outside the womb using
stem cells cultured in a petri dish.
• The study was published in the journal Cell.

35. “Madam Sir: The Story of Bihar's First Lady IPS Officer” book has been authored by
Manjari Jaruhar.

36. “Men Of Steel – Military Leadership of India”, a compilation of essays, has been brought out
by Ajay Kumar Singh and Yash Mor.

37. “Indians at Herod's Gate: A Jerusalem Tale” book has been authored by Navtej Sarna.

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38. Senior Congress leader and former Jharkhand and Assam governor Syed Sibte Razi has
passed away.

39. Former India Football Team Captain Samar 'Badru' Banerjee has passed away.

40. “Emilie and Subhas: A True Love Story” book has been authored by Krishna Bose.
• The book details about Emilie Schenkl (an Austrian), the wife of Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose.

41. 'Sing, Dance and Pray' - biography of ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada, has been released
by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
• The book has been authored by Dr Hindol Sengupta.

42. Former Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi passed away.

43. Veteran filmmaker Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala has passed away.

44. A new infection dubbed as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has been detected in India mostly
among children younger than five.
• The ‘tomato flu’ is caused by Coxsackie virus A 16.
• The “non-life-threatening” virus was first identified in Kollam district of Kerala in May.

45. “Lies Our Mothers Told Us: The Indian Woman's Burden” book has been authored by
Nilanjana Bhowmick.

46. “Gambling on Development” book has been authored by Stefan Dercon.

47. “A New India: Selected Writings 2014–19” book has been authored by Arun Jaitley.
• The book has been released by Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

48. Researchers at the IIT-Guwahati have developed an ultrasound-assisted fermentation

method to produce a safe sugar replacement called “Xylitol” from bagasse, which is the
residue left after crushing sugarcane.
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49. Tropical cyclone Ma-on battered the Philippines.

50. The famous Tamil director Mani Nagaraj has died. He is famous for his film “Pencil”.

51. “India’s Economy From Nehru To Modi: A Brief History” book has been authored by
Pulapre Balakrishna.

QUESTIONS
Q.1) What is the approximate outlay of Power [c] France and Netherlands
Sector’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme [d] Australia and France
for 2021-22 to 2025-26? [e] Philippines and India
[a] Rs 3 lakh crore
[b] Rs 4 lakh crore Q.5) How many UPI transactions were recorded
[c] Rs 6 lakh crore in July 2022?
[d] Rs 5 lakh crore [a] 11 billion
[e] Rs 2.5 lakh crore [b] 6 billion
[c] 19 billion
Q.2) Which of the following has been chosen as [d] 7 billion
the craft village under the “Linking Textile with [e] 8 billion
Tourism” initiative?
[a] Vadaj Q.6) What is the score of RBI’s financial inclusion
[b] Raghurajpur index as of March 2022?
[c] Anegundi [a] 60.4
[d] Naini [b] 77.2
[e] All of the Above [c] 84.5
[d] 56.4
Q.3) Which state has signed a tripartite MOU with [e] 45.6
NITI Aayog and Reach to Teach Foundation for a
large-scale transformation in school education? Q.7) When is the Muslim Women’s Rights Day
[a] Arunachal Pradesh observed?
[b] Kerala [a] August 2
[c] Tripura [b] August 5
[d] Assam [c] August 6
[e] Gujarat [d] August 1
[e] August 7
Q.4) Which countries have collaborated to create
an international semiconductor research hub to Q.8) Which state’s police has received
establish a secure source of the vital President’s Colours in recognition of its
components? commendable service and many achievements?
[a] USA and Japan [a] Tamil Nadu
[b] UK and Germany [b] Kerala
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[c] Uttar Pradesh [d] Mechanization of Sewage cleaning

[d] Maharashtra [e] Rehabilitation of Transgenders, Beggars, and
[e] Telangana Orphaned Children

Q.9) Which team has won the UEFA Women's Q.14) Which state has launched Mission
European Championship? Bhumiputra initiative and portal for issuing caste
[a] England certificates to students digitally?
[b] Portuguese [a] Assam
[c] Spain [b] West Bengal
[d] France [c] Gujarat
[e] Germany [d] Jharkhand
[e] Chhattisgarh
Q.10) Which company is supporting the
Responsible AI for Youth 2022 campaign? Q.15) Recently, PM inaugurated the largest
[a] KPMG online herbarium database, the ‘Indian Virtual
[b] Intel India Herbarium’ web portal to provide complete
[c] IMB information on herbarium specimens about the
[d] Infosys floral diversity of India and other countries stored
[e] Tech Mahindra in the cabinet of the herbarium building through
online access. In how many categories is the
Q.11) Which university has announced to herbarium divided at present?
establish an iTNT hub on emerging technology to [a] Four
strengthen research and development in the [b] Twelve
information technology sector? [c] Three
[a] Indira Gandhi National Open University [d] Five
[b] Anna University [e] Seven
[c] Jawaharlal Nehru University
[d] Savitribai Phule Pune University Q.16) With which company has National Tiger
[e] University of Allahabad Conservation Authority (NTCA) signed an MOU
for transcontinental relocation of cheetah in its
Q.12) Union Minister of Information and historical range in India at an event held in New
Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur has recently Delhi?
released three books published by Directorate of [a] Indian Oil
Publications Division. Which college has prepared [b] Reliance
the Interpreting Geometries book out of the three [c] World Wildlife Fund
books? [d] Tata Trusts
[a] School of Planning and Architecture [e] ONGC
[b] Vastu Kala Academy College of Architecture
[c] Chandigarh College of Architecture Q.17) Which bank has launched the industry-first,
[d] Sushant School of Art and Architecture dedicated, men-focused Committee
[e] MBS School of Planning and Architecture 'EmpowerHim'?
[a] Bank of Baroda
Q.13) Which of the following is the objective of [b] Karnataka Bank
NAMASTE scheme? [c] City Union Bank
[a] Promoting tourism in Indian villages [d] DBS
[b] Saving the Architectural Heritage of India [e] Union Bank of India
[c] Rehabilitation of Drug Addicted Youth
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Q.18) What is the mandatory turnover

requirement for companies to fill e-invoices w.e.f., Q.23) Recently, Central Government has set the
October 1? target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2023 from the
[a] Rs 10 crores country. By which year will WHO eliminate this
[b] Rs 25 crores disease?
[c] Rs 40 crores [a] 2025
[d] Rs 20 crores [b] 2027
[e] Rs 30 crores [c] 2030
[d] 2032
Q.19) Recently, UNESCO has added a 106-year- [e] 2026
old astronomical observatory at Langat Singh
College. Where is the observatory located? Q.24) How many Ayushman Bharat - Health and
[a] Muzaffarpur Wellness Centres (AB- HWC) are operational in
[b] Bhagalpur India?
[c] Arwal [a] 1.22 lakhs
[d] Begusarai [b] 1.03 lakhs
[e] Buxar [c] 88,000
[d] 2.03 lakhs
Q.20) Who is the author of “Do Different: The [e] 90,000
Untold Dhoni”?
[a] Joy Bhattacharya Q.25) Which edition of "Yudh Abhyas" will be held
[b] Amit Sinha in Uttarakhand?
[c] Namita Thapar [a] 23rd
[d] Both A and B [b] 18th
[e] Both B and C [c] 22nd
[d] 20th
Q.21) Which company has collaborated with [e] 19th
ISRO for the ‘AzaadiSAT’?
[a] Dhruva Space Q.26) With which Ministry has Ministry of MSME
[b] SatSure signed an MOU for the sharing of Udyam data?
[c] Pixxel [a] Ministry of Tourism
[d] Agnikul Cosmos [b] Ministry of Finance
[e] SpaceKidz [c] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[d] Ministry of Education
Q.22) National Education Society for Tribal [e] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Students (NESTS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs and
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Q.27) Danuri is the first lunar orbiter of which
have launched Experiential Learning for 21st country?
Century Programme for Eklavya Model [a] South Korea
Residential School (EMRS) principals and [b] Saudi Arabia
teachers virtually. Which company is a partner in [c] Kuwait
this program? [d] Qatar
[a] Tata Trusts [e] Philippines
[b] Smile Foundation
[c] Bharti Foundation Q.28) Who heads the SEBI’s FPI Advisory
[d] Sammaan Foundation Committee (FAC)?
[e] Make A Difference [a] Prashant Ranjan
pg. 2
[Type here]

[b] Pankaj Kumar Devrani [e] 2009

[c] R. N. Bharti
[d] KV Subramanian Q.34) For the first time, a US-ship named USNS
[e] Sanjay Singh Charles Drew has arrived at Kattupalli shipyard
for undertaking repairs and allied services. Which
Q.29) What is the current reverse repo rate (as of Indian company is responsible for undertaking the
August 2022)? repair work?
[a] 3.35% [a] GRSE
[b] 4.09% [b] L&T
[c] 3.24% [c] GSL
[d] 4.15% [d] MDL
[e] 5.08% [e] CSL

Q.30) Who has been appointed as the chairman Q.35) What is the name of the new initiative
of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)? launched by Google for commemorating the 75th
[a] OM Prakash anniversary of India’s independence?
[b] Ranjit Vasantrao More [a] Azadi ka Amrit
[c] Surendra Kumar [b] India ki Udaan
[d] Uttank Joshi [c] Atulaya Bharat
[e] Pranav Prakash [d] Bharat Ke Swarnim 75 Varsh
[e] Swarnim Kaal
Q.31) Which institute has launched the ‘Centre for
Climate Studies’ to focus on Climate Leadership, Q.36) Which bank has partnered with New Street
Internationalization and Management for policy Technologies (fintech company) for lending
Advancement, Technology and Enterprise operations management and technology services
(CLIMATE)? for micro-lending?
[a] IIM-Kozhikode [a] Bandhan Bank
[b] IIM-Lucknow [b] DCB Bank
[c] IIM-Bangalore [c] Dhanlaxmi Bank
[d] IIM-Kolkata [d] Federal Bank
[e] IIM-Ahmedabad [e] Axis Bank

Q.32) Which state has the highest number of Q.37) RBI has announced to bring the Credit
discoms in the top 10 list of Integrated Rating of Information Companies (CIC) under the ambit of
Power Distribution Utilities? Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.
[a] Maharashtra When will this initiative be applicable?
[b] Gujarat [a] September 1, 2022
[c] Tamil Nadu [b] October 1, 2022
[d] West Bengal [c] January 1, 2023
[e] Kerala [d] March 31, 2023
[e] April 1, 2023
Q.33) When was the National Offshore Wind
Energy Policy launched? Q.38) Who has been appointed as the MD and
[a] 2015 CEO of Unity Small Finance Bank?
[b] 2017 [a] Radha Sridharan
[c] 2011 [b] Inderjit Camotra
[d] 2010 [c] Mahesh Kumar Sharma
pg. 3
[Type here]

[d] D K Rai
[e] Mayank Tewari Q.43) Which bank has launched Uni-Verse-
Metaverse Virtual Lounge & Open Banking
Q.39) Who has become the first woman director Sandbox environment?
general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial [a] UBI
Research? [b] SBI
[a] Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi [c] KVB
[b] Rajeshwari Chatterjee [d] PNB
[c] Kamala Sohonie [e] CUB
[d] N. Kalaiselvi
[e] Aditi Pant Q.44) Which bank has signed an MoU with SRM
University, Andhra Pradesh to provide loans of up
Q.40) Who is the author of “How China Sees to Rs 50 crores to startups incubated by Hatchlab
India and the World” book? Research Centre (an incubator) of the University?
[a] Rajesh Ranjan [a] Bank of Baroda
[b] R Sreenivas [b] Indian Bank
[c] Somnath Ghosh [c] Canara Bank
[d] Shyam Saran [d] Karnataka Bank
[e] Rasika Chaube [e] Bank of Maharashtra

Q.41) Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao has Q.45) Which company has launched a cross-
launched the first-of-its-kind Nethanna Bima border payments platform for small to medium-
scheme (insurance scheme for the weavers). For sized businesses called Global Pay?
this scheme, the state government has partnered [a] Mastercard
with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India. [b] Liink
What is the maximum sum assured in this [c] Electroneum
scheme? [d] Amex
[a] Rs 10 lakhs [e] NatWest
[b] Rs 7 lakhs
[c] Rs 4 lakhs Q.46) Who has been elected as the vice
[d] Rs 5 lakhs president of FIDE (International Chess
[e] Rs 2 lakhs Federation)?
[a] Magnus Carlsen
Q.42) _____ is a market linkage scheme in [b] Ding Liren
Jammu and Kashmir for the shipment of [c] Viswanathan Anand
agriculture and horticulture perishables through [d] Alireza Firouzja
air cargo. Under the scheme, government will [e] Wesley So
provide a subsidy of 25% on freight charges, in a
bid to carry perishable fruits through Air Cargo. Q.47) Which company has become the title
Farmers get the price of their produce directly in sponsor for all matches of Board of Control for
their bank account with no intermediary in Cricket in India?
between. Identify the name of the scheme. [a] Vivo
[a] Hunnar [b] Oppo
[b] Parvaz [c] Paytm
[c] Hareli [d] Mastercard
[d] Basera [e] Byju’s
[e] Aahar
pg. 4
[Type here]

Q.48) Who has become the 75th Grandmaster of [e] Gujarat

India?
[a] Muthaiah AL Q.54) Khayyam is the satellite of which country?
[b] V Pranav [a] Iran
[c] Harshavardhan G B [b] Saudi Arabia
[d] N Sudhakar Babu [c] UAE
[e] Bitan Banerjee [d] Qatar
[e] Kazakhstan
Q.49) Who has won the men’s singles at the 2022
Citi Open? Q.55) Which of the following statement(s) is/are
[a] Ken Rosewall correct with respect to the National Pension
[b] Nick Kyrgios Scheme?
[c] John McEnroe i. There are two types of accounts in
[d] Jimmy Connors National Pension Scheme.
[e] Ivan Lendl ii. At the superannuation, the beneficiaries
can withdraw 60% of their accumulated
Q.50) Nikhat Zareen has won the gold medal at portfolio in lump sum and annuitize 40% of
the Commonwealth Games 2022. Which sport it.
does she belong to? iii. If the amount is less than or up to Rs 2
[a] Boxing lakh, the beneficiaries can withdraw the
[b] Weightlifting 100% amount in lump sum.
[c] Archery [a] Only I and II
[d] Wrestler [b] Only III
[e] Hockey [c] Only II and III
[d] All are correct
Q.51) Where will India develop Seti River-6 [e] None are correct
Hydropower Project?
[a] Bhutan Q.56) What is the minimum net worth requirement
[b] Nigeria for small finance banks to enter into the foreign
[c] Nepal exchange market?
[d] Sri Lanka [a] Rs 250 crores
[e] Maldives [b] Rs 100 crores
[c] Rs 375 crores
Q.52) Where will Indian Oil Corporation Limited [d] Rs 500 crores
set up second-generation ethanol plant? [e] Rs 450 crores
[a] Madhya Pradesh
[b] Gujarat Q.57) Which bank has signed an MOU with
[c] Haryana LetsVenture to work together for boosting the
[d] Uttar Pradesh startup ecosystem?
[e] Madhya Pradesh [a] IDFC FIRST Bank
[b] Federal Bank
Q.53) Where will the Indo-Israel Centre of [c] HDFC Bank
Excellence for Vegetables be developed? [d] IDBI Bank
[a] Uttar Pradesh [e] Karnataka Bank
[b] Karnataka
[c] Maharashtra Q.58) Prof. Ramadhar Singh has become the first
[d] Kerala Indian psychologist to feature on the US Heritage
pg. 5
[Type here]

Wall of Fame for his extraordinary contributions to Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and
social psychology and management. In which Enterprise” scheme?
university does he teach? [a] 101
[a] Ahmedabad University [b] 92
[b] University of Kota [c] 67
[c] Jadavpur University [d] 75
[d] Savitribai Phule Pune University [e] 43
[e] University of Madras
Q.64) In which of the following schemes has the
Q.59) Who is the author of “Rusty Skies and Ministry of Finance barred income taxpayers from
Golden Winds” book? participating?
[a] Sannidhya Sharma [a] Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha Yojana
[b] Krishnendra Pratap Singh [b] Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
[c] Radha Sridharan [c] Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
[d] Dinesh Kumar [d] Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
[e] Naveen Kumar Jain [e] Atal Pension Yojana

Q.60) Which company has launched Web3 Q.65) Which state/UT has launched "UMEED
Discovery Fund to incubate and invest in early- Market Place" under AVSAR Scheme of Airport
stage blockchain startups? Authority of India?
[a] Binance [a] J&K
[b] CoinSwitch [b] Delhi
[c] Kraken [c] Uttar Pradesh
[d] Gemini [d] Punjab
[e] Coinbase [e] Puducherry

Q.61) Recently, Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Q.66) Which IIT has signed an MOU with Bharat
Institute has got first indigenously developed Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to collaborate on
Surgical Robotic System. What is the name of the research and development (R&D), and
robot? manufacturing and supplying components, sub-
[a] Mantra assemblies, and systems for India’s defence and
[b] Charaka aerospace sector?
[c] Chikitsak [a] IIT-Kanpur
[d] Chetna [b] IIT-Madras
[e] Saras [c] IIT-Delhi
[d] IIT-Kharagpur
Q.62) What is the name of ISRO’s first ever virtual [e] IIT-Roorkee
space museum?
[a] Spark Q.67) Which country is planning to submit a
[b] Netra written proposal to the UN to create a commission
[c] Shine on world peace, consisting of Pope Francis, the
[d] Swalamban UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and
[e] Gagan Indian PM Narendra Modi as its members?
[a] Brazil
Q.63) How many municipal corporations have [b] Argentine
been selected in the “SMILE: Support for [c] Columbia
[d] Mexico
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[Type here]

[e] Guyana Q.73) Where is Asia's largest Compressed

Biogas (CBG) plant located?
Q.68) What percentage of Indian population holds [a] Rajasthan
digital currency according to the UNCTAD? [b] Chhattisgarh
[a] 7.3% [c] West Bengal
[b] 4.5% [d] Punjab
[c] 6.5% [e] Jharkhand
[d] 4.4%
[e] 3.7% Q.74) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
launched 'Paalan 1000 - Journey of the First 1000
Q.69) Recently, Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Days' campaign to encourage the cognitive
Rios has been appointed as the Head of Mission developments of children in the first 2 years of its
and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations life. What is the child mortality rate in India,
Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan according to the Ministry of Health, in 2019?
(UNMOGIP). Which country does Rios belong to? [a] 35 per 1000 live births
[a] Argentine [b] 40 per 1000 live births
[b] Chile [c] 55 per 1000 live births
[c] Bolivia [d] 22 per 1000 live births
[d] Brazil [e] 19 per 1000 live births
[e] Ecuador
Q.75) What is the name of the NSEIT’s new
Q.70) Who has been awarded the Indian Council platform that has been launched for facilitating
for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Distinguished industry and scientific collaboration for SDG?
Indologist for 2021? [a] Manthan
[a] Eduardo Teixeira [b] Swarnim
[b] Jeffrey Armstrong [c] Nishkriya
[c] Ritabrata Munshi [d] Karma
[d] Hoàng Hiệp Phạm [e] Prakriti
[e] Neena Gupta
Q.76) How much amount has been earmarked for
Q.71) Which IIT has partnered with LV Prasad distributing among states/UTs (on the basis of
Eye Institute for India’s first 3D-printed cornea? their performance) under the Ayushman Bharat
[a] IIT-Roorkee Digital Mission (ABDM)?
[b] IIT-Bombay [a] Rs 80 crores
[c] IIT-Ropar [b] Rs 100 crores
[d] IIT-Hyderabad [c] Rs 200 crores
[e] IIT-Delhi [d] Rs 350 crores
[e] Rs 50 crores
Q.72) Where will BRO develop its first-ever steel
slag road? Q.77) Where is the Agasthiyarmalai Elephant
[a] Arunachal Pradesh Reserve located?
[b] Uttarakhand [a] Tamil Nadu
[c] Uttar Pradesh [b] Telangana
[d] Meghalaya [c] Kerala
[e] Himachal Pradesh [d] Karnataka
[e] Odisha

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Q.78) Which state has launched the Vatsalya Q.83) What is the name of India’s longest and
Scheme for increasing the fertility rate of women heaviest freight train?
by providing them financial assistance of Rs 3 [a] Garuda
lakhs to undergo In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) [b] Vasuki
treatment? [c] Gajur
[a] Sikkim [d] Jatayu
[b] Meghalaya [e] Pushpak
[c] Tripura
[d] Assam Q.84) Which state has launched the “Lucky Bill”
[e] Arunachal Pradesh App to prevent GST evasion by companies?
[a] Kerala
Q.79) Which state has launched the [b] Tamil Nadu
‘Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana’ to [c] Telangana
provide free coaching to students for competitive [d] Andhra Pradesh
exams? [e] Maharashtra
[a] Madhya Pradesh
[b] Chhattisgarh Q.85) Which has become India’s first fully
[c] Rajasthan ‘functionally literate’ district?
[d] Jharkhand [a] Kachchh
[e] Uttar Pradesh [b] Anantapur
[c] Mahbubnagar
Q.80) Which bank has launched Utsav Deposit- [d] Mandla
Fixed Deposit scheme at 6.1% interest with a [e] Kurnool
tenor of 1000 days?
[a] Bank of Baroda Q.86) Which state has launched the “Vidya Rath-
[b] State Bank of India School on Wheels” project?
[c] Punjab National Bank [a] Tripura
[d] Bank of Maharashtra [b] West Bengal
[e] City Union Bank [c] Assam
[d] Nagaland
Q.81) What is the name of the database created [e] Odisha
by NCB for arrested narcotics offenders?
[a] Nivaran Q.87) How much is the budgetary obligation on
[b] Nidaan the exchequer for providing interest subvention of
[c] Nivriti 1.5% per year on short term agriculture loan of up
[d] Nished to Rs 3 lakh?
[e] Nishkarsh [a] Rs 53,455 crore
[b] Rs 23,678 crore
Q.82) Which edition of Asian Textiles Conference- [c] Rs 89,650 crore
TEXCON was organized in New Delhi? [d] Rs 34,856 crore
[a] 12th [e] Rs 90,230 crore
[b] 10th
[c] 8th Q8.8) What is the total food grain production
[d] 5th forecast, as per the 4th advance estimate of
[e] 17th major agricultural crops for the year 2021-22?
[a] 413.65 million tonnes
[b] 170.01 million tonnes
pg. 8
[Type here]

[c] 230.90 million tonnes [c] 15th

[d] 315.72 million tonnes [d] 19th
[e] 340.56 million tonnes [e] 30th

Q.89) Which bank is offering “Ultima Salary Q.94) In how many states is the Grameen Udyami
Package” to the employees of Food Corporation Project operational, as of August 2022?
of India (FCI)? [a] Six
[a] Axis Bank [b] Eight
[b] ICICI Bank [c] Seven
[c] Bank of Baroda [d] Ten
[d] Bank of India [e] Twelve
[e] Indian Bank
Q.95) Which has become the first state in India to
Q.90) Recently, Chennai-based drone startup use the blockchain technology for seed
Garuda Aerospace has partnered with Harare distribution, in collaboration with blockchain tech
Institute of Technology and Nyangani Virtual company named SettleMint?
University to offer drones-as-a-service to the [a] Jharkhand
agriculture sector. Which country does the latter [b] Madhya Pradesh
belong to? [c] Telangana
[a] Malaysia [d] Tamil Nadu
[b] Argentine [e] Maharashtra
[c] Brazil
[d] Thailand Q.96) With which educational institutions has
[e] Zimbabwe Indian Coast Guard signed an MOU for the
capacity building of its personnel?
Q.91) Till which time has Production Linked [a] Byju’s
Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Specialty Steel been [b] Drishti
extended? [c] Edaura
[a] 15 September 2022 [d] Only A and B
[b] 31 October 2022 [e] Only A, B, and C
[c] 1 April 2023
[d] 31 March 2023 Q.97) With which country has India signed an
[e] 1 December 2022 MOU for International Transport Forum (ITF)
activities?
Q.92) Which company has developed India’s first [a] Netherlands
indigenously developed RT-PCR kit for testing [b] Denmark
monkeypox? [c] France
[a] ARA Healthcare Limited [d] United Kingdom
[b] Amrita Therapeutics Limited [e] Belgium
[c] Transasia Bio-Medicals
[d] B.V. Patel PERD Centre Q.98) Who is the Director-General of Border
[e] Life Care Innovations Pvt. Ltd Security Force?
[a] Amarendra Tiwari
Q.93) Which edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas [b] S.B. Naithani
be organized in 2023? [c] Mayank Tewari
[a] 17th [d] Nivedita Shukla Verma
[b] 20th [e] Pankaj Kumar Singh
pg. 9
[Type here]

collaboration with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

Q.99) Which country has become the first country and Bureau of Police Research and Development
in the world to make period products free for all (BPRD)?
by passing the Period Products (Free Provision) [a] Andhra Pradesh
(Scotland) Act, 2022? [b] Himachal Pradesh
[a] Finland [c] Gujarat
[b] Scotland [d] Odisha
[c] Sweden [e] Uttar Pradesh
[d] Denmark
[e] Germany Q.105) Recently, Technology Development Board
(TDB), a statutory body under the Department of
Q.100) Which industrialist has launched Science and Technology, has extended support
Goodfellows, a senior companionship start-up to M/s Fountainhead Agro farms Private Limited
that provides companionship services to senior for the ‘Advanced, Intensive, All Male Tilapia
citizens? Aquaculture Project with Israeli Technology’.
[a] Gautam Adani Where is the company planning to set up its
[b] Mukesh Ambani production facility?
[c] Azim Premji [a] Maharashtra
[d] Ratan Tata [b] Andhra Pradesh
[e] Gopichand Hinduja [c] Odisha
[d] Karnataka
Q.101) Where is the National Security Strategies [e] Telangana
(NSS) Conference 2022 organized?
[a] Shimla Q.106) Which country hosted the Exercise Pitch
[b] Gandhinagar Black 2022?
[c] Bangalore [a] USA
[d] New Delhi [b] UK
[e] Ahmedabad [c] Japan
[d] Australia
Q.102) What is the name of the online [e] Brazil
marketplace feature in the “Matsya Setu” app?
[a] Matsya Bazaar Q.107) Which has become the first in the Navy
[b] Marine Mandi and perhaps the only military unit in the country to
[c] Aqua Mandi set up and use Composite Indoor Shooting
[d] Aqua Bazaar Range (CISR)?
[e] Matsya Haat [a] INS Viraat
[b] INS Chakra
Q.103) Which company has developed India’s [c] INS Karna
first truly indigenously Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus? [d] INS Vela
[a] Maruti Suzuki [e] INS Kursura
[b] Bajaj Auto
[c] KPIT Q.108) How much solar capacity installation has
[d] Force Motors been made by India in the first half of 2022?
[e] Eicher Motors [a] 7.2 gigawatt
[b] 4.6 gigawatt
Q.104) Which state’s police organized the [c] 8.9 gigawatt
National Conference on Women in Police, in [d] 10.2 gigawatt
pg. 10
[Type here]

[e] 5.4 gigawatt [a] Buenos Aires

[b] La Paz Sucre
Q.109) Who has been appointed as the secretary [c] Asuncion
to President Droupadi Murmu? [d] Brasilia
[a] Krishnendra Pratap Singh [e] Santiago
[b] Rajesh Verma
[c] Ajay Bhatt Q.115) Which edition of the Australia India
[d] Muthuthevar Kannan Education Council meeting was held recently?
[e] Nivedita Shukla Verma [a] 2nd
[b] 7th
Q.110) Who is the author of “Emilie and Subhas: [c] 5th
A True Love Story” book? [d] 10th
[a] Krishna Bose [e] 6th
[b] Mahesh Bose
[c] Radha Bose Q.116) Which state will receive USD 96.3 million
[d] Pankaj Bose loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for
[e] Dinesh Bose providing safe drinking water and improve water
supply and sanitation services in the state?
Q.111) Which of the following folk dances is [a] Tripura
nominated by India for inclusion in the UNESCO's [b] Himachal Pradesh
intangible cultural heritage list? [c] Maharashtra
[a] Garba [d] Assam
[b] Dappu [e] Uttarakhand
[c] Dhimsa
[d] Bihu Q.117) Which states are operating the Digital Lok
[e] Natpuja Adalat?
[a] Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal
Q.112) Where will India's first commercial space [b] Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh
situational awareness observatory be set up? [c] Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
[a] Uttarakhand [d] Rajasthan and Maharashtra
[b] Ladakh [e] Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh
[c] Kerala
[d] Sikkim Q.118) Which state is planning to build an
[e] Rajasthan education township in the state to provide high-
quality education to the youth and equip them
Q.113) Who is the Director-General of Coalition with a variety of professional skills in a single
for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)? place?
[a] Amit Prothi [a] Maharashtra
[b] D.K Rai [b] Uttar Pradesh
[c] Vedveer Arya [c] Kerala
[d] Sanjay Kumar [d] Gujarat
[e] Rajesh Sharma [e] Delhi

Q.114) Recently, Union External Affairs Minister
Dr S. Jaishankar has unveiled the bust of
Mahatma Gandhi in South America. Where was
this bust unveiled?
Q.119) Recently, Rajasthan govt has established
the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Advanced
Technologies. Identify the correct information in
relation to the centre.
pg. 11
[Type here]

[a] It will provide training and certification (iii) The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm
programs for IT majors (NMEO-OP) aims at raising oil palm area to 10
[b] It will enable incubation of IT startups lakh hectare by 2025-26 and 16.7 lakh hectare by
[c] It will facilitate research and development in AI 2029-30
and blockchain (iv) The scheme lays a special emphasis on the
[d] It will provide scholarship to students for North-East and the Andaman and Nicobar
entering in IITs Islands.
[e] It will facilitate government, industry, and [a] Only I and II
academia collaboration for new age technology [b] Only I, II, and III
[c] Only II, III, and IV
Q.120) Recently, Central govt has given the [d] Only I, III, and IV
geographical indication (GI) tag to Bihar’s ‘Mithila [e] Only I, II, and IV
Makhana’ to help farmers get the maximum price
for their produce. What is the English name of Q.123) With which country has India signed an
Makhana? MOU for recognition of Certificates of
[a] Hazelnuts Competency in Unlimited Voyages to help
[b] Macadamias seafarers from both the countries as per the
[c] Pecans provisions of International Convention on
[d] Pine nuts Standards of Training, Certification and Watch
[e] Fox nuts Keeping for Seafarers (1978)?
[a] Iran
Q.121) Akshaya Patra Foundation has signed an [b] Bangladesh
MOU with Nutrihub to introduce millets in mid-day [c] Brazil
meals aka PM-POSHAN. Nutrihub is the [d] Argentine
Incubation Program of ICAR-Indian Institute of [e] Bolivia
Millets Research (IIMR) for encouraging research
and development in the field of millets. Where is Q.124) In August 2022, India has secured the
the IIMR located? third rank in medal tally at the 15th International
[a] Hyderabad Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA),
[b] Chennai which was held in Georgia. Which country is
[c] Kochi sharing this rank with India?
[d] Bengaluru [a] Singapore
[e] Mysuru [b] Malaysia
[c] South Africa
Q.122) In August 2022, diversified agri-business [d] South Korea
firm Godrej Agrovet has signed MOUs with [e] Philippines
Assam, Manipur and Tripura governments for
development and promotion of oil palm cultivation Q.125) Which countries conduct the Ulchi
under the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Freedom Shield - joint military drills?
Palm (NMEO-OP). Identify the correct statement [a] Japan and Singapore
in relation to the NMEO-OP? [b] Pakistan and China
(i) The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm [c] UK and Spain
(NMEO-OP) was launched in 2021. [d] Bangladesh and Myanmar
(ii) The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm [e] USA and South Korea
(NMEO-OP) has been allocated a corpus of Rs
10,040 crore Q.126) Which NBFC has launched the industry’s
first ‘Milligram Reward Programme’ in India?
pg. 12
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[a] Tata Capital Financial Services [b] Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
[b] Power Finance Corporation [c] Chennai International Airport
[c] Bajaj Finance Limited [d] Cochin International Airport
[d] Muthoot Finance [e] Indira Gandhi International Airport
[e] HDB Finance Services
Q.132) Which insurance company has partnered
Q.127) Where has HDFC opened its first all- with the Union Health Ministry to help create
women branch? digital health IDs for all in the country?
[a] Kozhikode [a] Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd.
[b] Mumbai [b] Edelweiss General Insurance Co. Ltd
[c] New Delhi [c] Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd
[d] Pune [d] Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Company Ltd.
[e] Ahmedabad [e] Future Generali India Insurance Co. Ltd

Q.128) Who is known as the “Weather Woman of Q.133) Who heads the Supreme Court’s
India”? Committee on the distribution of freebies to voters
[a] Janaki Ammal during elections?
[b] Anna Mani [a] Sanjay Kishan Kaul
[c] Asima Chatterjee [b] S. Abdul Nazeer
[d] Aditi Pant [c] Indira Banerjee
[e] Darshan Ranganathan [d] D.Y. Chandrachud
[e] Hemant Gupta
Q.129) IRDAI has announced to rename its
Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGMS), Q.134) Which state/UT is implementing the
as Bima Bharosa. The system will be revamped Village Defence Guards scheme?
to make complaint redressal more efficient with [a] Jharkhand
the option of customers filing their complaints in [b] Assam
regional languages. When was the IGMS system [c] West Bengal
launched? [d] Jammu and Kashmir
[a] 2011 [e] Madhya Pradesh
[b] 2016
[c] 2013 Q.135) Which state has signed an MOU with UK
[d] 2017 government for implementing the Chevening
[e] 2010 Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda scholarship?
[a] Jharkhand
Q.130) Who has been nominated on the new [b] Assam
Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership [c] Tripura
Panel from India? [d] Manipur
[a] Rabindra Kumar Karna [e] Nagaland
[b] Alkesh Kumar Sharma
[c] Vijay Prasad Singh Q.136) Which state has launched an online
[d] G. Venkatesh monitoring system for medicines to keep track of
[e] Nivedita Bajpai availability and distribution of medicines in
government-run medical institutions?
Q.131) Which airport has launched the beta [a] Delhi
version of the DigiYatra app? [b] Kerala
[a] Goa International Airport [c] Uttar Pradesh
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[d] Andhra Pradesh [a] PM Kisan

[e] West Bengal [b] PM KUSUM
[c] PKVY
Q.137) Which country has recently inaugurated a [d] PM BJP
railway line powered entirely by hydrogen? [e] PM KSY
[a] Denmark
[b] Japan Q.142) Where will the 20th edition of Bio Asia be
[c] Netherland organized?
[d] Belgium [a] Delhi
[e] Germany [b] Kochi
[c] Bengaluru
Q.138) Which bank has launched a new [d] Hyderabad
campaign called “Vigil Aunty” to motivate citizens [e] Gandhinagar
all around the nation to adopt secure banking
practices? Q.143) Which state has recently launched the
[a] HDFC Bank Credit Guarantee Scheme on the lines of Credit
[b] State Bank of India Guarantee Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises
[c] Bank of Baroda (CGTMSE)?
[d] Bank of India [a] Uttar Pradesh
[e] Central Bank of India [b] Maharashtra
[c] Kerala
Q.139) Which bank has partnered with the Global [d] Tamil Nadu
escrow banking solution provider, Castler to offer [e] Maharashtra
digital escrow services for the bank’s customers?
[a] Axis Bank Q.144) Which state has signed an MOU with
[b] ICICI Bank Confederation of Indian Industry for establishing
[c] City Union Bank startup cohorts and conduct capacity-building
[d] Yes Bank programmes to collaborate and unleash the
[e] HDFC Bank potential of entrepreneurial talents?
[a] Telangana
Q.140) Who has been appointed as the brand [b] Karnataka
ambassador of the Pet-care brand Heads Up For [c] Odisha
Tails? [d] Assam
[a] Deepika Padukone [e] Nagaland
[b] Jhanvi Kapoor
[c] Sara Ali Khan Q.145) Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers
[d] Kartik Aryan Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, laid the
[e] Kriti Sanon foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Centre of
Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli (Uttar
Q.141) Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers has Pradesh). The climate of Chandauli district, which
announced the launch of the ‘One Nation-One is known as the rice bowl of UP, is suitable for
Fertilizer’ (ONOF) from October 2. As part of the setting up the Center of Excellence for
initiative, crop nutrients – urea, di-ammonium Vegetables. How many agro-climatic zones are
phosphate (DAP) or muriate of potash (MOP) – present in the state?
will be sold under a single brand name, ‘Bharat’ [a] 11
irrespective of the manufacturing companies. [b] 9
Under which scheme is this initiative launched? [c] 16
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[d] 15
[e] 23 Q.151) Which of the following is the world's
largest religious monument?
Q.146) Recently, Airports Authority of India (AAI) [a] Devils Tower
and LFV Air Navigation Services have signed an [b] Benalmádena Stupa
MOU to explore smart aviation solutions for [c] Chartres Cathedral
developing sustainable aviation technology. [d] Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
Which country does the latter belong to? [e] Valle dei Templi
[a] Denmark
[b] Germany Q.152) Name the operation launched by the
[c] Bulgaria Indian Railways to ensure the security of the
[d] Romania passengers.
[e] Sweden [a] Operation Seva Hi Sankalp
[b] Operation Yatri Suraksha
Q.147) What is the name of the new initiative [c] Operation Yatri Seva
launched by BOB Financial Solutions Limited [d] Operation Sahyatri
(BFSL) and Indian Army for offering credit card to [e] Operation Sudrid
the Army personnel?
[a] Yoddha Q.153) Which state is implementing the
[b] Veer Vidyanidhi scheme?
[c] Karmi [a] Karnataka
[d] Shaurya [b] Maharashtra
[e] Digvijaya [c] Uttar Pradesh
[d] Tripura
Q.148) How much stake will HDFC acquire in the [e] Assam
Go Digit Life Insurance?
[a] 8.13% Q.154) Where is Maharashtra’s first “Divyang
[b] 9.94% Park” being developed?
[c] 7.65% [a] Raigad
[d] 7.87% [b] Nagpur
[e] 9.87% [c] Pune
[d] Amravati
Q.149) Which company has launched 'All Things [e] Solapur
EV' – India’s first one-stop-solution portal for
electric vehicles? Q.155) On which river is the Atal Bridge being
[a] IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company developed in Gujarat?
[b] Kotak General Insurance Company [a] Narmada
[c] HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company [b] Sabarmati
[d] Oriental General Insurance Company [c] Dudhi
[e] SBI General Insurance Company [d] Tapi
[e] Sabarmati
Q.150) Who is the new chairman of DRDO?
[a] Samir V Kamat Q.156) Which university has collaborated with the
[b] Ajay Bhatt Atal Innovation Mission for “Millet Challenge” for
[c] Radha Sridharan start-ups?
[d] Mahesh Kumar Sharma [a] Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University
[e] Muthuthevar Kannan [b] University of Agricultural Sciences
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[c] Tamil Nadu Agricultural University [e] EMDI Institute of Media and Communication
[d] Punjab Agricultural University
[e] G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Q.161) Which state has signed an agreement for
Technology becoming a member of the Global Network called
‘Under2 Coalition’ to control global warming?
Q.157) Which bank has partnered with the [a] Punjab
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to [b] Assam
launch a range of credit cards on RuPay [c] Odisha
network? [d] Kerala
[a] HDFC Bank [e] Haryana
[b] State Bank of India
[c] ICICI Bank Q.162) What is the name of India’s first ever
[d] Axis Bank teaching robot?
[e] Punjab National Bank [a] Eagle
[b] Sapir
Q.158) NPCI International Payments Limited [c] Whorf
(NIPL) has signed an MoU with the PayXpert [d] Passion
(payments solutions provider) for [e] Hyenas
internationalising UPI and Rupay payment
solutions. In which country will PayXpert launch Q.163) Recently, Sanjeevini and e-commerce firm
these services? Meesho have signed an MOU for the
[a] UAE empowerment of 2,500 self-help groups (SHGs).
[b] UK Sanjeevini is Rural Livelihood Promotion Society
[c] Saudi Arabia of which state?
[d] Kuwait [a] Gujarat
[e] Bahrain [b] Odisha
[c] Karnataka
Q.159) Which company has launched a new [d] Andhra Pradesh
investor education and awareness website [e] Assam
named as MoneyAndMe?
[a] Axis Asset Management Company Q.164) Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal
[b] Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam
[c] PGIM India Mutual Fund Rupala, has launched the Minister’s dashboard
[d] Baroda Asset Management India Ltd for Animal Husbandry and Dairying in New Delhi.
[e] BNP Paribas Asset Management India Pvt Ltd Which of the following scheme will not be covered
on the dashboard?
Q.160) The Appointments Committee of Cabinet [a] Livestock Health and Disease Control Program
(ACC) has appointed Ananth Narayan [b] National Livestock Mission
Gopalakrishnan as a whole-time member of the [c] National Horticulture Mission
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) [d] Rashtriya Gokul Mission
for a period of 3 years. Gopalakrishnan is [e] National Program for Dairy Development Fund
currently the professor at ______?
[a] Institute of Health Management Research Q.165) Which is India’s topmost FMCG brand as
[b] SP Jain Institute of Management and per the Kantar India’s annual Brand Footprint?
Research [a] Parle
[c] Asia Pacific Institute of Management [b] Amul
[d] Xavier School of Management [c] Britannia
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[d] Clinic Plus [e] Union Bank of India

[e] Tata Consumer
Q.171) When was the National Intellectual
Q.166) Who is the editor of “Modi@20: Dreams Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) launched?
Meet Delivery” compilation? [a] 2021
[a] Bharat Barai [b] 2020
[b] Rasika Chaube [c] 2019
[c] Geeta Chhabra [d] 2022
[d] Rajesh Sharma [e] 2015
[e] Sanjay Kumar
Q.172) Where was the “DST StartUp Utsav”
Q.167) Which company has partnered with the organized?
Ministry of Skill Development and [a] NDMC Convention Centre
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Capacity Building [b] JNU Convention Center
Commission (CBC) to help India’s civil servants [c] India International Convention and Expo
develop their digital skills? Center
[a] Adobe [d] Dr Ambedkar International Centre
[b] IBM [e] India Conference Center
[c] Infosys
[d] Tata Consultancy Systems Q.173) Where is the Ansupa Lake located?
[e] Microsoft [a] Odisha
[b] Tamil Nadu
Q.168) Which country will host the ‘Global [c] Telangana
Summit for Democracy’? [d] Andhra Pradesh
[a] Brazil [e] Maharashtra
[b] Mexico
[c] Ireland Q.174) Which state has launched Cheerag
[d] Poland scheme to offer “free education” to Economically
[e] Belgium Weaker Section (EWS) students of government
schools in “budget” private schools?
Q.169) Which of the following entities have [a] Uttar Pradesh
developed the indigenous vaccine Lumpi- [b] Haryana
ProVacInd to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin [c] Odisha
disease? [d] Punjab
[a] National Equine Research Centre [e] Maharashtra
[b] College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
[c] Birsa Agricultural University Q.175) With which country has Indian Air Force
[d] Junagadh Agricultural University conducted the 'Udarashakti' air exercise?
[e] National Research Centre on Mithun [a] Maldives
[b] Malaysia
Q.170) Which has become first Indian bank to [c] Madagascar
frame a policy to fund makers of lab-grown [d] Mauritius
diamonds? [e] Mauritania
[a] Punjab National Bank
[b] State Bank of India Q.176) Which state has signed an MOU with the
[c] Bank of Baroda U.S.-based “Parley for the Oceans” on plastic-
[d] City Union Bank waste management?
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[a] Maharashtra [a] Israel

[b] Andhra Pradesh [b] UAE
[c] Telangana [c] Qatar
[d] Tamil Nadu [d] Kuwait
[e] Odisha [e] Saudi Arabia

Q.177) Which state has launched Mahila Nidhi Q.179) Which international automobile company
scheme on Women's Equality Day to help them has announced setting up a new global research
sustain their livelihoods as well as start some and development (R&D) company in India?
small business ventures for their economic [a] Honda Cars
betterment? [b] BMW India
[a] Odisha [c] Kia Motors
[b] Rajasthan [d] Volkswagen
[c] West Bengal [e] Suzuki Motor
[d] Tamil Nadu
[e] Telangana Q.180) Who is the author of “India’s Economy
From Nehru To Modi: A Brief History” book?
Q.178) With which country has India-based [a] Radha Sridharan
manufacturer and global supplier of automotive [b] Pulapre Balakrishna
components, Samvardhana Motherson [c] Muthuthevar Kannan
International Ltd, partnered to identify investment [d] Pankaj Agarwal
opportunities in the Middle East nation? [e] Mayank Tewari

1 A 51 C 101 D 151 D
2 E 52 C 102 D 152 B
3 A 53 A 103 C 153 A
4 A 54 A 104 B 154 B
5 B 55 D 105 D 155 E
6 D 56 D 106 D 156 B
7 D 57 A 107 C 157 C
8 A 58 A 108 A 158 B
9 A 59 A 109 B 159 C
10 B 60 B 110 A 160 B
11 B 61 A 111 A 161 A
12 C 62 A 112 A 162 A
13 D 63 D 113 A 163 C
14 A 64 E 114 C 164 C
15 A 65 A 115 E 165 A
16 A 66 A 116 B 166 A
17 E 67 D 117 D 167 E
18 A 68 A 118 B 168 B

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19 A 69 A 119 A 169 A
20 D 70 B 120 E 170 B
21 E 71 D 121 A 171 A
22 A 72 A 122 D 172 D
23 C 73 D 123 A 173 A
24 A 74 A 124 A 174 B
25 B 75 A 125 E 175 B
26 A 76 B 126 D 176 B
27 A 77 A 127 A 177 B
28 D 78 A 128 B 178 E
29 A 79 C 129 A 179 E
30 B 80 B 130 B 180 B
31 A 81 B 131 E
32 B 82 B 132 B
33 A 83 B 133 D
34 B 84 A 134 D
35 B 85 D 135 A
36 C 86 C 136 B
37 A 87 D 137 E
38 B 88 D 138 A
39 D 89 A 139 D
40 D 90 E 140 E
41 D 91 A 141 D
42 B 92 C 142 D
43 A 93 A 143 D
44 B 94 A 144 E
45 D 95 A 145 B
46 C 96 E 146 E
47 D 97 C 147 A
48 B 98 E 148 B
49 B 99 B 149 C
50 A 100 D 150 A

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