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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 4 August 2023 : Headlines

❖ FICCI-EY Report:India Loses 1.5 Million lives in Road Crashes

❖ IMD launched Heat Index indicating the Feel like Temperature
❖ India Unveils Ayush Visa Category: For Foreign Nationals seeking Traditional Medicine
Treatment
❖ MoHFW sets deadline for Pharma MSMEs to Adopt Good Manufacturing Practices
❖ Ministry of Finance Launches Vivad Se Vishwas-2 Scheme To Settle Contractual Disputes
❖ ISLRTC and NIOS Signed an MoU to Promote ISL
❖ NHPC and ALIMCO Signed MoU for Providing Aids & Assistive Devices to Divyangjans
❖ AIIMS Signed MoU with IREDA for Solarization in AIIMS New Delhi Campus
❖ RBI approves Amalgamation of Navanirman Co-op Urban Bank with Rajadhani Co-op Urban
Bank
❖ Axis Bank Partners With Kiwi to Bolster ‘Credit on UPI’ on RuPay Credit Cards
❖ SIDBI collaborates with IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE.CO to Establish Accelerator Fund
❖ Karnataka Govt & IBC Signed MoU To Set Up Recyclable Lithium-Ion Battery Unit
❖ SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Intelsat’s G-37/H-4 Telecommunications satellite to Geostationary
Orbit
❖ Bharat Dynamics Limited Hands Over 1st ‘Radio Frequency Seeker of Akash’ to DRDO
❖ Marathi Poet & Lyricist Namdeo Dhondo Mahanor Passed Away At 81
❖ World Wide Web Day 2023- 1st August
❖ Earth Overshoot Day 2023- 2nd August

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
FICCI-EY Report:India Loses 1.5 Million lives in Road Crashes
According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) -EY a report titled ‘Road
Safety in India – Navigating through nuances‘, Road accidents claim around 1.5 million lives in India every
year. India accounts for 11% of all road crash deaths and tops the world in road crash deaths and injuries.

• The report was released by Tukuni Sahu, Minister for Transport, Water Resources & Commerce,
government of Odisha during the FICCI’s Conference on Role of Corporates in Road Safety and
Awards 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi on 18th July 2023.
Major finding of the report:
i.It states that in every 24 seconds, at least one person is lost due to a traffic accident worldwide.
• It also compares the lost lives of Indians with the size of the Estonian population.
ii.The report highlighted the World Health Organisation (WHO) finding, road crashes are the 8th leading cause
of death with more than 1.3 million deaths and 50 million serious injuries. It is the leading cause of death
amongst youth and kids aged 5 to 29 years.
iii.It suggested a 5 pillar approach to reduce road accidents – Road Safety Management, Safer Vehicles, Safer
Road Users, Post-Crash Response & Safer Driving Environment.
Brasilia Declaration:
i.India has signed the Brasilia Declaration in 2015, which seeks to reduce global road traffic fatalities and
injuries by half by 2030.
• This target was set under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
ii.The declaration was finalised at the Second Global High Level Conference on Road Safety, which took place in
Brazil on November 18th and 19th, 2015.
iii.It recommends the establishment and enforcement of regulations and measures that actively protect and
promote pedestrian safety and cycling mobility, such as sidewalks, bike paths and bike lanes, adequate lighting,
radars with cameras, signalling and road marking.
About EY:
EY, (formerly known as Ernst & Young) founded in 1989, is a multinational firm of professional services. It
provides audit, consulting, tax, business risk, technology and security risk services, and human capital services
worldwide.
Head Quarters – London, United Kingdom.
Global Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Carmine Di Sibio
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
President – Subhrakant Panda
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 1927

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IMD launched Heat Index indicating the Feel like Temperature
In July 2023, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched the Heat Index on an experimental
basis. This information was provided by the Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

What is heat index?

The heat index measures how hot it feels by considering both the air temperature and relative humidity. It
offers guidance for regions in India, indicating the apparent temperature/feel like temperature to show the
potential discomfort for people caused by weather conditions, along with the day’s minimum and maximum
temperatures.
Aim:
To provide information on the effect of humidity on high temperatures
Colour codes used for Experimental Heat Index are as follows:
• Green: – Experimental heat Index less than 35 degree C
• Yellow: – Experimental heat Index in the range 36-45 degree C
• Orange: – Experimental heat Index in the range 46-55 degree C
• Red: – Experimental heat Index greater than 55 degree C
Key Points:
i.The heat index in India is calculated similarly to the National Weather Service, and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States (US)
ii.It offers guidance on taking extra precautions to minimize discomfort.
iii.IMD uses temperature and humidity data at 2:30 pm to calculate the heat index and forecasts the maximum
temperature at that time.
iv.A heatwave is declared if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least
40 degree C or more and is 4.5 degrees above normal for the day for Plains and at least 30 degree C or more for
Hilly regions.
• A severe heatwave is declared when the temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees
above normal.
• A heat wave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to human body when exposed.
About India Meteorological Department (IMD):
Director General– Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– 1875

India Unveils Ayush Visa Category: For Foreign Nationals seeking Traditional Medicine
Treatment
On August 2, 2023, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced a new Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals for
treatment under Ayush systems/Indian systems of medicine like therapeutic care, wellness and Yoga.
• With this, a new chapter i.e. chapter 11A – Ayush Visa has been incorporated after Chapter 11 –
Medical visa of the Visa Manual, which deals with treatment under the Indian systems of medicine

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 and accordingly necessary amendments has been made in various chapters of the Visa Manual,
2019.

• AYUSH is an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
Key Points:
i.The Ayush Visa aims to attract foreigners who wish to undergo Ayush therapy, wellness, and Yoga in India.
ii.The introduction of this visa aligns with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s announcement at the at Global
Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in April 2022.
iii.This will boost Medical Value Travel in India, and also stregthen the vision of making Indian traditional
medicine a global phenomenon.
iv.Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) are collaborating to develop a one
stop Heal in India portal to promote India as a global Medical tourism destination.
• Ministry of AYUSH is promoting Ayush system of treatment national and globally. Recently, it signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC),
Ministry of Tourism, GoI for the promotion of Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and other
traditional systems of medicine.
v.As per the report ‘The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID’ by the Global Wellness Institute
(GWI), the Global Wellness economy will grow at 9.9% annually.
• Ayush based healthcare & Wellness economy is estimated to grow to $70 billion by 2025.

MoHFW sets deadline for Pharma MSMEs to Adopt Good Manufacturing Practices
On August 2, 2023, the Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
has made it mandatory for all Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) drugmakers/pharma
companies with an annual turnover of over Rs 250 crore to adopt Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
within six months starting August 1, 2023.

• Companies with a turnover of less than Rs 250 crore can complete the process in 1 year.
• The adoption will be made by implementing the revised Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
1940. It should be noted that World Health Organisation (WHO)-GMP standards are now a part of
the revised Schedule M.

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 • Drugmakers, who fails to follow the timeline, will be penalized.
Reason behind this implementation:
This decision has been taken for the proper implementation of the Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
1940 which has not been implemented accurately by the majority of the drugmakers.
Background:
Officials inspecting 162 units and 14 public testing labs discovered significant issues like poor documentation,
lack of validation, infrastructural deficiencies, unqualified employees, and faulty design. This resulted in a
review of the current Schedule M’s principles and GMP concepts to align with global standards. The Drug
Technical Advisory Committee also recommended this to improve documentation, failure investigation, and
technical expertise for better compliance.
Key Changes:
The major changes that will happen with the introduction of a revised Schedule M to support upgradation of
the units are:
• Introduction of Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS)
• Quality Risk Management (QRM)
• Product Quality Review (PQR)
• Qualification and validation of equipment, change control management, self-inspection and quality
audit team, suppliers audit and approval, stability studies as per recommended climate condition,
validation of GMP related computerised system, specific requirements for manufacturing of
hazardous products, biological products, radiopharmaceutical and phytopharmaceuticals.
What is Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940?
It regulates GMP and quality management systems followed by pharmaceutical manufacturing units, including
specific requirements pertaining to premises, plant and equipment.
About GMP:
GMP are mandatory standards which build and bring quality into product by way of control on materials,
methods, machines, processes, personnel and facility or environment etc. These were first incorporated in
Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 in 1988, and were last amended in 2018.
Key Points:
i.There are around 10,500 manufacturing units in the country, of which around 8,500 fall under micro, small
and medium level enterprises, or MSMEs.
ii.India is a major exporter of medicines to Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) which require GMP
certification from the World Health Organisation (WHO)
What is WHO GMP certification?
WHO GMP certfications is for the quality of pharmaceutical products moving in international commerce. The
guidelines for the same were endorsed by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1997.
• It ensures that medicinal products are consistently produced and controlled to the quality
standards.
• WHO-GMP certification is valid for three years.
• It violation will result in cancellation of licence and monetary penalty.
Recent Related News:
i.On 8th June 2023, The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria (the Global Fund) signed a new and
revised Strategic Framework for Collaboration.
ii.On 27th June 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Council for Harmonisation of
Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) announced a collaboration to increase
the registry and sharing of regulatory information on medical products across the world.

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About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment– 1948

Ministry of Finance Launches Vivad Se Vishwas-2 Scheme To Settle Contractual Disputes

On 2nd August 2023, the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance (MOF), launched the scheme, Vivad
se Vishwas II – (Contractual Disputes), to settle the pending contractual disputes of government and
government undertakings.

• The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala
Sitharaman.
The scheme aims to promote ease of doing business and will cover disputes up to September 30, 2022, clear the
backlog of litigation, and also resolves the government’s contractual disputes with private parties.
Key points:
i.The deadline for submitting claims under the scheme is 31st
October 2023
ii.Application for settlement are to be made by the
contractors through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
portal.
iii.The Scheme is valid from 15 July to 31 October 2023.
Eligibility Criteria:
i.The scheme is applicable to domestic contractual disputes
involving the Government of India or organizations under its
control.
ii.Disputes with arbitral awards issued up to 31st January
2023 and court awards passed up to 30th April 2023 are
eligible for settlement.
iii.Eligible claims shall be processed only through GeM. For
non-GeM contracts of Ministry of Railways, contractors may
register their claims on IREPS (www.ireps.gov.in).
Settlement Offers:
i.Contractors will be offered settlement amounts based on the net amount awarded or upheld by the court.
ii.For court awards passed on or before 30th April 2023, the settlement amount can go up to 85% of the net
amount.
iii.For arbitral awards passed on or before 31st January 2023, the settlement amount can go up to 65% of the
net amount awarded

ISLRTC and NIOS Signed an MoU to Promote ISL

On 29th July 2023, Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) signed a Memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to promote Indian Sign Language (ISL)

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and collaborate on standardization and development of quality learning resources during the 3rd year of
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 celebrations and 2nd Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sangam at India Trade
Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi.
• Under the MoU, ISLRTC and NIOS have planned to work on designing and developing a process of
review of learning content in ISL, and developing a smooth strategy for examination and evaluation
of deaf and hard of hearing.
The expertise and resources of ISLRTC will be deployed for the standardization process of ISL in selected areas.
Note: NIOS introduced ISL as a language subject at the secondary level in 2021. ISLRTC has contributed by
developing the processes for the examination and evaluation of children with hearing impairment.

NHPC and ALIMCO Signed MoU for Providing Aids & Assistive Devices to Divyangjans
On 1st August 2023, the National Hydroelectric Power Commission (NHPC) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) functioning
under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities,Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment(MSJE) to provide aids and assistive devices to 1000 Divyangjans (Persons with Disabilities) in
close proximity to NHPC projects in states in the north and north east.
• The MoU was signed under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the NHPC at the
NHPC Corporate Office, Faridabad, Haryana.
The agreement was signed by the NHPC Deputy General Manager (HR), CSR & SD, NHPC, and the General
Manager-Marketing, ALIMCO.

AIIMS Signed MoU with IREDA for Solarization in AIIMS New Delhi Campus
On 1st August 2023, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi (Delhi) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate the
technical assessment for the solarisation of the AIIMS, New Delhi campus.
• The MoU was signed by Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), IREDA, and Dr. M
Srinivas, Director of AIIMS at the AIIMS New Delhi Campus.
The partnership helps AIIMS institute to reduce its electricity expenditure while minimizing its carbon
footprint with the help of IREDA.
Key points:
i.AIIMS has installed a 9 Kilowatt Rooftop Solar plant at its New Delhi campus.
ii.Under the MoU, IREDA will undertake a techno-commercial assessment of the AIIMS campus which includes
creating financial models, conducting pre-feasibility studies, preparing a detailed project report (DPR),
assisting in the analysis of technical and commercial aspects related to project development, finalizing
commercial and contracting arrangements, and defining performance indicators, etc.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI approves Amalgamation of Navanirman Co-op Urban Bank with Rajadhani Co-op Urban
Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of The Navanirman Co-operative
Urban Bank Ltd., Hyderabad, Telangana with Rajadhani Co-op. Urban Bank Ltd., Hyderabad, Telangana. The
Scheme of Amalgamation is with effect from August 3rd, 2023.
• The Navanirman Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd branch (Hyderabad, Telangana) will function as a
branch of the Rajadhani Co-op. Urban Bank Ltd (Hyderabad, Telangana) with effect from August 03,
2023.

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 • The Scheme has been sanctioned in the exercise of the powers conferred under Sub-Section (4) of
Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Key Points:
i.Banking Regulation Act, 1949 an Act that provides a framework for regulating the banks of India.
ii.The Act was originally passed as the Banking Companies Act 1949 and came into force on 16th March 1949.
iii.This Act gives RBI the power to control the banks in India. It did not apply to Jammu and Kashmir until
1956.
iv.The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on June 26, 2020. The Ordinance
seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – J. Swaminathan, T. Rabi Sankar, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Dr. M.D. Patra
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in– 1st April 1935

Axis Bank Partners With Kiwi to Bolster ‘Credit on UPI’ on RuPay Credit Cards
On 2nd August 2023, Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank in collaboration with National
Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), partnered for the first time with Kiwi, the revolutionary credit on Unified
Payment Interface (UPI) platform to launch the Axis KWIK virtual credit card that offers credit card rewards
along with the convenience of UPI’s fast and secure payment for seamless online and offline transactions.

• This functionality enables users to conduct merchant payments within the Kiwi app utilising
their credit cards through UPI, resulting in a virtualized payment encounter that eliminates the
necessity for physical cards.
• The partnership offers a complete “Credit on UPI” platform on the RuPay network.
Axis KWIK virtual credit card
i.The virtual credit card extends the advantage of receiving two edge rewards for every Rs. 200 spent.
ii.The Users are entitled to a 1% cashback on scan and pay transactions (when utilising the credit card on UPI),
along with the benefit of having the usual 1% fuel surcharge at petrol pumps waived for card payments.
Reserve Bank of India(RBI)’s proposal:
• In the month of June 2023, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a significant proposal to link
credit cards with UPI platforms, with an initial focus on Rupay cards.

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 • The fusion of UPI with credit cards could potentially ignite a significant surge in credit card
utilisation in India.
About Axis Bank Limited:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 1993
About Gokiwi Tech Private Limited
Co-founders – Siddharth Mehta, Mohit Bedi and Anup Agrawal
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

SIDBI collaborates with IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE.CO to Establish Accelerator Fund

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), partnered with the Centre for Innovation, Incubation
and Entrepreneurship (CIIE.CO), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Gujarat (IIM-A)’s startup
incubator and investor, to set up a SIDBI Accelerator Fund, at IIMA’s CIIE.CO.

• The objective of establishing the Accelerator Fund is to provide support and extend seed investment
to early-stage enterprises, especially for deep technologies start-ups in India.
• This collaboration is a part of SIDBI’s “India of Tomorrow” initiative, which intends to strengthen
India’s developmental and funding ecosystem for early-stage start-ups.
Key People:
S Ramann, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of SIDBI; Prof. Chitra Singla, and Prof. Ankur Sinha from IIM
Ahmedabad; S P Singh, Chief General Manager (CGM) of SIDBI, and Kunal Upadhyay, co-founder of CIIE.CO,
among others were attended the event.
Funding:
i.SIDBI and IIMA’s CIIE.CO jointly established the fund
with a total corpus of Rs.40 crore.
ii.SIDBI is contributing Rs.20 crore to the fund and
CIIE.CO is contributing the remaining Rs.20 crore.
Key Points:
i.Through this collaboartion, SIDBI aims to enable seed
funding to start-ups in exchange for equity and promote
deep technologies and science-led innovation.
ii.The primary focus is to support start-ups with new and
meritorious ideas, and technologies needed for India’s
2047 goal of becoming Self-reliant (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
as well as a dominant player in high-quality/high-entry
barrier products/ services.
iii.CIIE.CO’s investments span a broad range of sectors,
with a key focus on three thematic areas: deep tech,
digitisation, and climate tech.

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 • CIIE.CO has been recognised as a Center of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology
under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI).
SIDBI Anchors Vivriti’s Rs 700 crore AIF fund for Micro-Enterprises with BBB and Lower Ratings
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has participated as an anchor investor in the Promising
Lenders Fund (PLF) managed by Vivriti Asset Management Private Limited (VAM), a part of Chennai (Tamil
Nadu)-based Vivriti Group, with an aggregate target corpus of Rs. 700 crore in two tranches.
• The fund was co-conceptualised by SIDBI and Vivriti to provide debt capital to microenterprises and
build bond markets for issuers rated BBB and lower categories.
• The PLF is predicted to benefit over 8,000 micro-enterprises and 80,000 women entrepreneurs.
Note: BBB is a moderate level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or
monetary union.
Phases of the fund:
Phase 1:
• In March 2022, the first phase of the fund (PLF-I) was launched with a fund size of Rs.300 crore. The
fund reached its full investment capacity by October 2022.
• The fund has made 18 investments in 16 Microfinance institutions (MFIs)/Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFC)s and Fintechs rated in BBB and lower categories.
• As of June 2023, contributors have already received approximately over 25% of their initial capital.
Note: It provided crucial capital to 8,500 microenterprises and supported over 43,000 women entrepreneurs.
Phase 2:
• The second phase of the fund (PLF-II) launched in March 2023, with a target fund size of Rs.400
crore.
• It is expected to announce a final close by December 2023.
• PLF-II aims to make 20–25 investments in (MFIs) /NBFCs and Fintechs rated in below BBB or lower
category.
• This will enable the fund to extend financial support to an estimated 4,000 microenterprises and
empower 40,000 women entrepreneurs.
Note: Presently, the initiative benefits lower-rated MIFs/NBFCs and Fintechs and provides them opportunities
to tap debt funds under Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) route.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
SIDBI set up on 2nd April 1990 under an Act of the Indian Parliament.It is under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Finance, GoI.It is the Principal Financial Institution for the Promotion, Financing, and Development
of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME)
CMD– Sivasubramanian Ramann
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Karnataka Govt & IBC Signed MoU To Set Up Recyclable Lithium-Ion Battery Unit
On 1st August 2023, the Karnataka government and the United States (US)-based International Battery
Company (IBC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a recyclable Lithium-ion battery
manufacturing unit with an investment of Rs 8,000 crores (USD 1 Billion) in Karnataka.
• The MoU was signed and exchanged by Venkatesh Valluri IBC President, IBC India Pvt. Ltd., and
Dr Selvakumar, Principal Secretary for the Department of Commerce and Industries.
This will be 2nd Lithium-ion manufacturing facility in Karnataka. it is expected to be established on a 100-acre
land at the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) at Devanahalli in the Bengaluru Rural district.

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 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Intelsat’s G-37/H-4 Telecommunications satellite to Geostationary
Orbit
On 3rd August 2023, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) launched the Intelsat Galaxy
37/Horizons-4 (G-37/H-4), satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) to provide advanced television
broadcasting services over North America. The satellite was launched aboard Falcon 9 rocket from Space
Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States of America
(USA).

• The Satellite was manufactured by Maxar Technologies Inc., a Space technology Company in the US.
• It was the 52nd Orbital launch for SpaceX in 2023 and the 6th launch for this particular Falcon 9
first-stage booster, which landed successfully on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ drone ship
stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Note: It previously launched SpaceX’s Crew-5 astronauts, the US Space Force’s Global Positioning System
(GPS)III-6 Satellite, Inmarsat I6-F2, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Commercial
Resupply Services (CRS)-28 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), and one Starlink mission.
Testing Phase:
i.The satellite’s initial testing phase will occur over Hawaii (USA) at approximately 148 degrees west, after
which it will reposition itself to 127 degrees west, situating it west of Seattle (USA).
ii.The testing process aims to ensure the reliability and performance of the satellite before it enters service,
which is expected to be in early October 2023.
• After about 3 weeks of testing and maneuvers into a Geostationary orbit at about 35,500 kilometres
above the equator.
Key Points:
i.The payload inside the rocket is the G-37/(H-4) communications satellite that will be jointly operated by
Intelsat and JSAT International.
Note:
• Intelsat, S.A., is a leading provider of communication satellite services in the USA.
• JSAT International inc., a wholly-owned US subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, the largest
Japanese satellite operator with more than 17 satellites.
ii.The G-37/(H-4), destined for GTO is part of Intelsat’s “comprehensive Galaxy fleet refresh plan”, to bolster
the C-band and Ku-band frequencies, respectively.
iii.The G-37/(H-4) satellite, weighing 5 metric tonnes, is equipped with 4 deployable antenna reflectors for C-
band and Ku-band transmissions.
iv.The G-37 C-band payload will provide North American capacity for television media and telecommunication
network customers.
v.The H-4 Ku-band payload will provide continuity for our mobility, network, and US government customers
and is jointly owned by Intelsat and JSAT International.
• It also helps free up the path of the airwaves for 5G wireless communications service.

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vi.The Falcon 9 upper stage placed the G-37 Satellite into a supersynchronous transfer, conserving the
satellite’s onboard fuel which will be used to circularise and lower the orbit.
vii.The second stage exhausted its remaining propellant supplies to reach the best possible orbit before
releasing the satellite about 32 minutes after launch.
Note: The Satellite is projected to remain operational for at least 18 years.

Bharat Dynamics Limited Hands Over 1st ‘Radio Frequency Seeker of Akash’ to DRDO
On 2nd August 2023, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has handed over the first Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker of
the Akash Next Generation(Akash-NG) Missile to the Defence Research and Development Organization
(DRDO).

• The 1st RF Seeker was handed over by Commodore A Madhavarao (Retired), Chairman and
Managing Director of BDL to Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence Research &
Development and Chairman DRDO.
About Seeker:
i.Seeker is a crucial and technologically advanced subsystem used in the terminal phase of Surface-to-Air
Missiles and Air-to-Air Missiles for target tracking.
ii.The RF Seeker has been designed by DRDO’s Research
Centre
Imarat,Vigyanakancha,Hyderabad, Telangana and
produced by BDL at its state-of-the-art Seeker Facility
Centre set up at BDL, Kanchanbagh Unit,Hyderabad.
iii.This achievement marks a significant advancement in
India’s defence capabilities and underlines the country’s
determination to becoming “Atma Nirbhar” in critical
Defence Technologies.
About Akash Next Generation(Akash-NG) Missile:
i.Akash-NG Missile is the short-range mobile surface-to-
air missile system (SRSAM) developed by DRDO.
ii.It has an Operation range of 4.5 km to 25 kmand can
travel up to 2.5 times the speed of sound (2.5 Mach)
About Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL):
BDL is a miniratna I Central Public Sector Enterprises
(CPSE) under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India to be the manufacturing base for guided missile
systems and allied equipment for the Indian Armed Forces.
Chairman and Managing Director – Retired Commodore A Madhavarao
Established – 1970
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana

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 OBITUARY
Marathi Poet & Lyricist Namdeo Dhondo Mahanor Passed Away
On 3rd August 2023, Marathi poet and lyricist Namdeo Dhondo Mahanor, popularly known as Na
Dho Mahanor, passed away at the age of 81 in Pune, Maharashtra.

• He was born on 16th September 1942, in Palaskheda village, Aurangabad (now called
Sambahajinagar), Maharashtra. Apart from writing, he had a passion in agriculture.
• Mahanor was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) in 1978.
Notable works:
i.Jagala Prem Arpave, Ganga Wahu De Nirmal, Divelaganichi Vel, Ranatalya Kavita, Wahi, and Pavsali Kavita
were just some of the popular poems and songs he composed.
ii.He prose includes short stories like Gapsap and Village Stories in addition to novels like Gandhari.
iii.He also wrote songs for Marathi movies like Ek Hota Vidushak, Jait Re Jait, Sarja and also published a
collection of folk songs, Songs of Palasroad.
Awards & Honors:
i.He was honored with the Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian honor of India, in 1991 for his
contribution in the field of literature.
ii.He was also given the Sahitya Akademi Award for his contribution to Marathi poetry in 2000.
iii.He received the Krishi Bhushan in 1985, World Film Festival Lyricist Jeevan Gaurav Award in 2015,
the Vanashree for his work in the watershed environment, and the Krishiratna Gold Medal for Meritorious
Achievement in Agriculture.
iv.The government of Maharashtra recognized Mahanor’s literary contributions, honoring him with
the Gadima Prize.

IMPORTANT DAYS
World Wide Web Day 2023- 1st August
World Wide Web Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st August to commemorate the introduction of
the World Wide Web (WWW) and its impact on the world.
What is WWW?
i.WWW, also known as Web, is a collection of websites or web pages stored in web servers and connected to
local computers through the internet.
ii.These websites contain text pages, digital images, audios, videos, etc.
iii.Users can access the content of these sites from any part of the world over the internet

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Background:
i.Tim Berners-Lee a British computer scientist, developed the WWW on 1 August 1989, which marked the
beginning of the Internet, at the CERN center (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) located in
Geneva, Switzerland, as a way for him to interact with co-workers via hyperlinks.
ii.The world’s first website went live on 6th August 1991 which was hosted on Berners-Lee’s NeXT computer.

Earth Overshoot Day 2023- 2nd August

Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a
given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

• Earth Overshoot Day 2023 falls on 2nd August. This means that humanity currently uses 75% more
than what the planet’s ecosystems can regenerate.
i.Earth Overshoot Day 2022 was observed on 28th July.
ii.The first Earth Overshoot Day was calculated on 25th December 1971.
Note: The date is getting earlier every year as we are over-utilizing the resources every year.
Overshoot: When the combined deficit exceeds what the planet can provide, human society is considered to be
in overshoot.
History
The concept of Earth Overshoot Day was first conceived by Andrew Simms of the United Kingdom(UK) think
tank New Economics Foundation, which partnered with Global Footprint Network in 2006 to launch the first
global Earth Overshoot Day campaign.
• Simms started the idea behind Earth Overshoot Day to understand the rate at which we are
consuming our natural resources and how long we can sustain them.
World Wide Fund(WWF), the world’s largest conservation organization, has participated in Earth Overshoot
Day since 2007.
Calculation of Earth Overshoot Day:
i.Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research
organization that uses United Nations(UN) data to calculate the supply and demand for ecological categories.

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ii.Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources
Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and
multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year:
Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day.
Click here for Research report on estimation of Earth Overshoot Day 2023.
Click here for the data published by Global Footprint Network
Country Overshoot Days
A country’s overshoot day is the date on which Earth Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed the
resource like the people of a particular country.
• Countries’ overshoot dates are calculated with Global Footprint Network’s National Footprint and
Biocapacity Accounts, which are updated annually.
Click here to view the Country Overshoot Days 2023
2023- Earth Overshoot Day:
Earth Overshoot Day 2023 will be marked together with the Republic of Slovenia.
• Slovenia adopted an Ecological Footprint reduction target and collaborates with organizations like
Global Footprint Network to achieve the overshoot which is a threat to Slovenia’s long-term success.
Measures to push Earth Overshoot Day back:
i.Increasing global low-carbon electricity sources from 39% to 75% would move it by 26 days
ii.Halving food waste would gain 13 days
iii.Tree intercropping would earn an extra 2.1 days
iv.Policies like 15-minute cities, a four-day work week will gain 11 days
v.Using public and green transport will earn 13 days.
About Global Footprint Network:
Chief executive officer (CEO)- Steven Tebbe
Headquarters- California, US
Established- 2003

Aspirant Queries
Aspirant: Does Affairscloud covers all the Current affairs topics
related to examinations?
Affairscloud: We Guaranteed All the Important topics related to
examination are covered in Our Daily CA content and Daily CA
Quizzes.
Aspirant: Why is there a delayal in news?
Affairscloud: As some of the major news sites doesn't provide the
required data on the exact day, we take extra time for important
data to be presented to the aspirants on the examination basis to
ensure nothing is missed.

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Example: In 'Important Days' topics the International
Organisations publish their reports and Rankings in the evenings, to
make sure every data is covered, we delay the topics to the next day

Candidates appearing for Competitive Exams. Kindly Share the

General Awareness questions, which asked in their respective
exams to “gaanalysis.ac@gmail.com”

GA Questions Asked in Exams

• Affairscloud’s Self Analysis for General Awareness Section

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