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 Current Affairs Weekly PDF – August – 2nd Week (18 – 24)
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Cabinet Approvals on August 16, 2023
Union Cabinet Chaired by the Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modi has approved the following
proposals:
• CCEA approves seven multi-tracking
projects of Indian Railways with an outlay
of Rs 32,500 crore..
• The Union Cabinet has approved the
‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ to benefit
individuals skilled in traditional
craftsmanship/artisan works.
• The Union Cabinet also approved
extension of Digital India project with an
outlay of Rs 14,903 crore.
• The Central Government has approved Rs
20,000 crore project for the construction
of five Fleet Support Vessels (FSVs) for
Indian Navy (IN). These will be
manufactured by the Visakhapatnam (AP)-
based Hindustan Shipyards Limited (HSL).
• The Union Cabinet approved the bus
scheme ‘PM-eBus Sewa’ for augmenting
city bus operation by 10,000 e-buses
(electric buses) on Public Private
Partnership (PPP) model.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the
signing and ratification of the Mutual
Recognition Arrangement (MRA) between
the Central Board of Indirect taxes and
Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue,
Government of India, and the Department
of Home Affairs, Australian Border
Force, Australian Government.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the MoU
on Cooperation in Sports between the
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS),
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India; and the Department of Health and
Aged Care of the Government of Australia.
• The Union Cabinet has also given its
approval for the MoU between India and
Suriname on Cooperation in the field of
health and medicine or medical product
regulation…Click here for more detail….
Tamil Nadu to Set Up India's First UAS
Testing Centre in Kanchipuram
Tamil Nadu (TN) is set to establish India’s first
Common Testing Centre for Unmanned Aerial
Systems (UAS) (drones) under the Defence
Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS). The centre
will be established at a cost of Rs 45 crore over an
area of 2.3 acres at the State Industries Promotion
Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT)
Industrial Park, Vallam Vadagal near
Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district, TN.
✓ It would be established by the Tamil Nadu
Industrial Development Corporation
(TIDCO), which is the nodal agency for
implementing the Tamil Nadu Defence
Industrial Corridor (TNDIC).
DGCA Forms A 4-Member Committee to
Ensure Gender Equality in Civil Aviation
Sector
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a
Civil aviation regulator has set up a 4-member
committee which includes R P Kashyap, Director
(Training); Survita Saxena, Director (Operations);
Pavan Malviya, Deputy Director (Administration);
and Kavita Singh, Deputy Director (Aircraft
Engineering Directorate), to provide suggestions
for achieving gender equality in the aviation sector
in India.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 4
 ✓ The committee is expected to formulate
guidelines for DGCA to share with aviation
stakeholders, ensuring gender equality in
the industry.
Nehru Memorial Museum Has Been
Renamed as The Prime Ministers’ Museum
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML)
has officially been renamed as the Prime
Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society
with effective from August 14, 2023.It is located
within the Teen Murti House complex at New
Delhi, Delhi.This institution operates
independently under the India Ministry of Culture.
✓ The decision to change the name was
taken in June 2023 in a meeting of the
NMML Society. It was chaired by Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the vice
president of the society.
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Unveiled
'A-HELP' Programme in Gujarat
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry
and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala has unveiled
the 'A-HELP' (Accredited Agent for Health and
Extension of Livestock Production)
programme under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,
along with an Infertility Camp in Gujarat.The
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying,
Government of India, is spearheading these
initiatives as part of the Pashudhan Jagrati
Abhiyaan under Inclusive Development.
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✓ The 'A-HELP' program is designed to
empower women through their
participation as skilled agents, making
substantial contributions to disease
control, artificial insemination as part of
the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), animal
tagging, and livestock insurance.
MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma
Launches The ‘Graphene-Aurora Program’
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
(MeitY) Secretary Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma
launched the ‘Graphene-Aurora program’ at a
function in Maker Village Kochi, Kerala.The
program aims to bridge the gap between research
& development and its commercialization, using
the India Innovation Centre Graphene (IICG)
centers in Kochi.
✓ The program has been allocated a total
budget of Rs 94.85 Crore, with significant
participation from industry partners,
including Carborundum Pvt Limited.
President Droupadi Murmu visit West
Bengal - August 2023
During her visit to West Bengal, President
Droupadi Murmu launched the 'My Bengal,
Addiction Free Bengal' Campaign as part of the
'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', organized by
Brahma Kumaris at Raj Bhavan, Kolkata.
Additionally, she inaugurated the Indian Naval Ship
(INS) Vindhyagiri, the sixth vessel of the Indian
Navy's Project 17A.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 5
India Signs MoU with Trinidad and Tobago
for Sharing ‘India Stack’
India and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) signed a MoU
on sharing of ‘India Stack‘, a collection of open
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and
Digital Public Goods(DPGs) that aim to facilitate
identity, data, and payment services on a large
scale.
✓ Under this MoU, Both India and T&T have
agreed to collaborate in the areas of digital
transformation by means of capacity
building, training programmes, exchange of
best practices, exchange of public officials
and experts, and development of pilot or
demo solutions, among others.
CWC Chairman Kushvinder Vohra launches
FloodWatch App for Real-Time Flood
Forecasts
Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman of the Central Water
Commission (CWC), launched FloodWatch, a
mobile application to provide real-time flood
information and forecasts for up to 7 days to the
general public by using mobile phones.
✓ This initiative is an innovative solution to
enhance flood information dissemination
and preparedness.
✓ FloodWatch, developed by the CWC, is a
user-friendly app which offers both
readable and audio broadcast.
IAF To Host Mega Multilateral Air Exercise
‘Tarang Shakti’ in Mid-2024
The Indian Air Force (IAF), the air arm of the Indian
Armed Forces, is set to host a mega multilateral
military exercise in mid of 2024. It was initially
scheduled for October-November 2023.The
exercise, named Tarang Shakti, is scheduled to be
the largest air exercise ever conducted in India and
will be its 1st edition.
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President Droupadi Murmu Has Given
Approval to Three More Bills in August 2023
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has given
her assent to the following bills during the
Monsoon Session, 2023 of Parliament:
✓ The Indian Institutes of Management
(Amendment) Act, 2023 :- It amends the
Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Act,
2017.The Bill classifies the National
Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE),
Mumbai in Maharashtra as IIM,
Mumbai.Hence, NITIE is India’s proposed
21st IIM.
✓ National Dental Commission Act, 2023:-
It repeals the Dentists Act, 1948. It seeks
to regulate the profession of dentistry in
India by promoting affordable and high-
quality oral healthcare availability.
✓ Offshore Areas Mineral (Development
and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023:-
It amends Offshore Areas Mineral
(Development and Regulation) Act, 2002
(‘OAMDR Act’), to introduce crucial
reforms in India’s offshore mining
sector…Click here for full complete
detail….
India’s First 3D-Printed Post Office Building
Inaugurated in Bengaluru
Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for
Railways, Communications, Electronics &
Information Technology, inaugurated India’s first
three-dimensional (3D) Printed Post Office
located in Bengaluru’s Cambridge Layout,
Karnataka.
✓ The new post office was created using 3D
Concrete Printing Technology by Larsen
and Toubro (L&T) Construction.
✓ The technology had been approved by the
Building Materials and Technology
Promotion Council (BMTPC) and the
structural design of the post office was
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 6
 validated by Indian Institute of Technology
Madras(IIT-M) .
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
releases ‘State of School Education in Rural
India’ report
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of
Education released India's first “State of School
(Elementary) Education in Rural India” report during the
Transforming Rural India (TRI)’s India Rural Colloquy
2023 (IRC) held in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi,
Delhi.
✓ The report revealed that a total of 78% of
parents of girls and 82% of parents of boys
wanted to educate their children to graduation
and above.
✓ The report aims to provide data along with the
right analytics and insights to stimulate the
development of rural India.
First WHO Traditional Medicine Global
Summit under G20 Summit Held In Gujarat
The First World Health Organization (WHO)
Traditional Medicine Global Summit held between
August 17 and 18 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat alongside
the Group 20(G20) health ministerial meeting which
concluded on August 19, 2023.India holds the G20
presidency in 2023.
✓ The summit also witnessed the 1st Joint
Finance and Health Ministerial meeting under
the Indian Presidency.
✓ First World Health Organization (WHO)
Traditional Medicine Global Summit was
chaired by Ms.Nirmala Sitharaman the Union
Finance Minister and Health and Family
Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
✓ The summit was hosted together by WHO and
the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
✓ Theme of Summit: "Towards Health and Well-
being for All.”
✓ The World Bank launched a report titled
"Digital-in-Health: Unlocking the Value for
Everyone."
✓ Govt launches Global Initiative on Digital
Health-WHO Managed Network to support
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the implementation of the Global Strategy
on Digital Health 2020–2025.
Ministry of Home Affairs Renews FCRA
Licence of ORF for 5 Years
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a Delhi-
based foreign policy think tank, has received a five-year
renewal of its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
(FCRA) license from the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA). The renewed license is valid from October 1,
2023, to September 20, 2028.
NBRI Namoh 108: MoST Minister Dr Jitendra
Singh unveils new variety of Lotus flower
developed by CSIR-NBRI
On August 19, 2023, Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh, Ministry of
Science & Technology (MoST), unveiled “NBRI Namoh
108”, a unique variety of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) with
108 petals, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
✓ NBRI Namoh 108 was developed by Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research- National
Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI),
Lucknow(UP)-based institute of national
importance which engaged in research in the
classical botanical disciplines.
Highlights of 4th G20 DEWG & G20 DIA
Summit held in Bengaluru
The 4th and the Final meeting of the G20 (Group of
Twenty) Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG),
organized by Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) as a part of the India’s G20
Presidency, was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from
August 16-17, 2023.
✓ It was formally opened by the Chair of G20
DEWG Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary,
MeitY, and was addressed by co-chair of G20
DEWG Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY.
G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Summit:
MeitY and the MeitY Start-up Hub have organized the
G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Summit at the
Bangalore Palace in Bengaluru (Karnataka) from
August 17th to 19th, 2023. The focal theme of the
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 7
event is 'Driving Digital Innovation for World
Economies'.
BRICS Nations Agree to Launch New
University Ranking System
BRICS Education Ministers recently assembled in the
Mpumalanga province of South Africa and reached an
agreement to establish a new autonomous university
rating system. BRICS nations comprises Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Objective – It aims to take a significant step toward
bringing excellence in higher education, encouraging
cross-border academic collaborations, and advancing
the collective educational objectives of these nations.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches
Bharat New Car Assessment Programme
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched the Bharat
New Car Assessment Programme(BNCAP) in New
Delhi, Delhi.
✓ The aim of the launch is intended to improve
the road safety for M1 category motor vehicles
weighing less than 3.5T Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW).
✓ The BNCAP car test program begins on 1st
October 2023, will be led by the Central
Institute of Road Transport (CIRT).
IREDA signed MoU with MNRE; Sets FY24
Revenue Target at Rs 4350 Cr
On 21st August 2023, The Indian Renewable Energy
Development Agency Limited (IREDA), a Mini
Ratna(Category I) Central Public Sector Enterprise
(CPSE) under the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE), signed a performance-based
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MNRE,
Government of India(GoI) outlining the strategic targets
of IREDA for the FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25.
✓ GoI has set a target of achieving Rs 4,350
crores revenue from operations during FY
2023-24 and Rs.5,220 crores during FY2024-
25.
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✓ The MoU is in line with the guidelines issued by
the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE)
under the Ministry of Finance.
G20 Pandemic Fund approved USD 25M for
Animal Health System in India
Group 20 (G20) Pandemic Fund has approved the USD
25 million proposal by Department of Animal
Husbandry & Dairying(DAHD) under the Ministry of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD) on
“Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for
Pandemic Preparedness and Response(PPR)”.
✓ The project will be carried out by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) as the lead
implementing entity, along with the World
Bank and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
UNDP and MDoNER Signed MoU to
Accelerate Sustainable Development in
Northeast India
On 22nd August 2023, the Ministry of Development of
North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN’s
Global Development Network, entered a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to enhance and accelerate
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in
northeastern regions of India.
About United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
(USA)
Established in– 1966
NTCA approved Dholpur-Karauli Tiger
Reserve of Rajasthan as 54th Tiger Reserve
of India
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which
operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEFCC) of the Government of India,
has officially approved The Karauli-Sarmathura-
Dholpur sanctuary in Rajasthan as Dholpur-
Karauli Tiger Reserve of India under Project Tiger.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 8
It becomes 5th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan and 54th
Tiger Reserve of India.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India Hands Over maritime surveillance
Dornier aircraft to Sri Lanka
India presented the Indian Navy’s Dornier 228
maritime surveillance aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air
Force(SALF) at the event in Katunayake SLAF
Base, Colombo, SriLanka.On the occasion of
India’s 77th Independence day celebration,the high
commissioner of India, Gopal Baglay ceremonially
handed over the aircraft to Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka,
the Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser to the
President on National Security.
UNDP Creates National Carbon Registry to
Assist Nations in Achieving Climate Targets
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
developed an open-source software called
‘National Carbon Registry’.This software enables
countries to effectively manage national data and
processes for trading carbon credits.The software
has recently been accredited as a digital public
good (DPG).As a DPG,the registry utilizes open-
source programming, allowing countries to
reproduce and change the information to their own
requirements and contexts.
Highlights of 2nd Namaste Vietnam Festival
held in 3 cities of Vietnam
The 2nd edition of Namaste Vietnam Festival (Hello
Việt Nam Festival) was held in the 3 southern cities of
Vietnam viz. Ho Chi Minh(HCM) City, Da Lat
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city(Central Highlands province) and Tuy Hoa city
(south-central coastal province) from 12th to 20th
August 2023. The theme of the 2nd Namaste Vietnam
Festival was “People unite, warm friendship”.
✓ It was jointly organised by the Indian
Embassy, Consulate General of India in
Vietnam under the aegis of Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA), India, IFFW (Indian Film Festival
Worldwide) and Innovations India.
✓ Anupam Kher’s The signature was the first
ever world premier of a Hindi film in Vietnam.
✓ As part of the 2nd Namaste Vietnam Festival,
various seminars and meetings led to the
signing of Memorandums of Understanding
(MoUs) worth over USD 1 billion between
Indian and Vietnam businesses. The MoUs
were signed across 3 major sectors: Railways,
Tourism, and Cinema
20th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’
Meeting Held in Semarang, Indonesia
the 20th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations)-India Economic Ministers’ meeting held in
Semarang, Indonesia which was co-chaired by the
Indian representative Rajesh Agrawal, Additional
Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and Dr. Zulkifli Hasan,
Minister of Trade, Indonesia.
India and ASEAN have mutually decided to finalize the
review of their current free-trade agreement (FTA)
concerning goods by the year 2025.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 9
 BANKING & FINANCE
ADB Supports ECD & Maternal Mental
Health in Meghalaya
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved
a USD 40.5 million loan for an integrated project
focussing on Early Childhood Development (ECD)
and Maternal Mental Health in Meghalaya. The
Government of Meghalaya is contributing USD
15.27 million to the project.
✓ A carbon credit is the amount of money
linked to the reduction, elimination, or
avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, equivalent to one metric ton of
carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse
gases.
✓ About Asian Development Bank:
President- Masatsugu Asakawa
,Headquarters- Mandaluyong City, Manila,
Philippines.
Canara Bank Launched Canara Jeevan
Dhara for Pensioners
Canara Bank launched Canara Jeevan Dhara, a
unique savings bank account designed for
pensioners and those who are planning for
retirement, including all the employees who
retired on a voluntary basis or standard retirement
procedures.Under this scheme, the bank provides
two variants based on the amount of pension
credit.
✓ Diamonds account is designed for pension
credits of up to Rs 50,000.
✓ Platinum account caters to pension credits
exceeding Rs 50,000.
✓ Canara Bank - MD & CEO - K.
Satyanarayana Raju , Headquarters-
Bengaluru, Karnataka
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Retail Inflation Hiked to 7.44% Crossing
RBI’s Inflation Target
As per the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI)
released by National Statistical Office (NSO)
under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI), India's retail inflation
rate hiked to 7.44% in July, 2023 surpassing the
upper limit of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 2-
6% tolerance range.The inflation rate recorded
4.87 % in June 2023.
✓ In July 2023, wholesale prices continued to
display deflationary trends for the fourth
consecutive month. This notable increase
in food and primary article prices led to a
substantial reduction in the overall price
decline, narrowing it to (-)1.36%.
RBI selects McKinsey and Accenture to use
AI & ML To Improve Regulatory Supervision
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) awarded the contract
worth Rs.91 Crores to McKinsey and Company
India LLP (Limited Liable Partnership) and
Accenture Solutions Private Limited India for the
use of advanced analytics, artificial
intelligence(AI) and machine learning(ML) to
analyse its huge database and improve regulatory
supervision over banks and Non-Banking Financial
Services(NBFCs).
RBI Launches Pilot ‘Public Tech Platform for
Frictionless Credit; Unveils 'UDGAM' Portal
for Unclaimed Deposits
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) commenced its digital
lending pilot project for Public Tech Platform for
Frictionless Credit which is developed by Reserve
Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned
subsidiary of RBI. During the pilot phase, the
platform concentrates on products including Kisan
Credit Card (KCC) loans up to Rs 1.6 lakh per
borrower. Axis Bank announced its participation,
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 10
offering KCC and unsecured MSME loans through
this platform, with plans to expand based on
lessons learned from the pilot.
✓ RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das introduced
a centralized web portal called “UDGAM”
(Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to
Access inforMation) to simplify the
process for the public to locate their
unclaimed deposits in various banks
through a single platform.
Bank of Maharashtra Tops List of PSU
lenders chart in Q1 in Loan, Deposit Growth
Bank of Maharashtra (BoM), an Indian Public
Sector Bank(PSB), has emerged as the top
performer among public sector lenders in terms of
loan and deposit growth in percentage during the
first Quarter (Q1) of the current financial year
(FY24).Its deposit and advances recorded around
25% rise, the highest by any PSB, during the April-
June 2023 quarter.
✓ According to the recently published
quarterly data of PSBs, BoM's gross
domestic advances surged by 24.98%,
reaching a total of Rs.1,75,676 crore at the
end of June 2023.
✓ BoM was followed by UCO Bank with a
growth rate of 20.70% in the 2nd spot.
✓ MD & CEO - A S Rajeev , Headquarters-
Pune, Maharashtra.
Axis Bank Partners with RBIH To Launch
KCC & MSME loans Powered By PTPFC
Axis Bank Limited launched two new financial
products, Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and
unsecured Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) loans, powered by Public
Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit (PTPFC), an
initiate of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub
(RBIH), wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve
Bank of India(RBI).
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✓ Axis Bank Limited: MD & CEO- Amitabh
Chaudhry ,Headquarters - Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
IndusInd Bank Launches Visa Multi-Branded
Credit Card with Qatar Airways & British
Airways
IndusInd Bank Limited launched first-of-its-kind
Visa multi-branded credit card “IndusInd Bank
Avios Visa Infinite Credit Card” in partnership
with British Airways Executive Club and Qatar
Airways Privilege Club.This card aims to offer
best-in-class rewards and benefits to customers,
across travel, wellness and lifestyle experiences.
✓ IndusInd Bank Limited(Ltd): MD & CEO -
Sumant Kathpalia ,Headquarters -
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Indian Bank Starts Specialised Startup Cells
in 10 Cities across India
Indian Bank, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)
bank headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has
established 10 start-up cells across various cities
in the country to mark its 117th foundation day
(15 August 1907). These cells aim to cater to
specialized banking needs and promote the
growth of the startup ecosystem in India.
✓ The start-up cells have been set up in
Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Bengaluru in
Karnataka, Coimbatore & Chennai in Tamil
Nadu, New Delhi in Delhi, Gurgaon in
Haryana, Guwahati in Assam, Hyderabad
in Telangana , Kanpur in UttarPradesh, and
Mumbai in Maharashtra.
ASCI Mandates Finfluencers to Registered
With SEBI
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
announced that it is mandatory to all finfluencers
or finance influencers working in the banking,
financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector
offering investment advice to be registered with
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 11
the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI).The new guidelines are to safeguard
consumers from the consequences of advice from
non-experts.
✓ Finfluencers are people with public social
media platforms offering advice and
sharing personal experiences about money
and investment in stocks.
✓ Existing Provision: The SEBI Act, 1993
and the SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and
Unfair Trade Practices relating to
Securities Market) Regulations, 2003
forbid certain unfair acts.
YES BANK Introduces Mobile App ‘iris by
YES BANK’
Yes Bank Limited(Ltd) launched ‘iris by YES BANK’
, a state-of-the-art mobile banking application
which was developed in collaboration with
customer feedback.It is the bank’s first Direct to
Consumer platform,allowing new and existing
customers to access more than 100 features and
services.
✓ About YES Bank Limited(Ltd): MD & CEO
– Prashant Kumar ,Headquarters –
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
HDFC Group launched Life Insurance &
Asset Management Services from Gujarat’s
GIFT City
HDFC Group launched new life insurance and
asset management services at International
Financial Services Centre (IFSC) situated in
Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City,
Gujarat.This initiative offer services to Non-
Resident Indians (NRIs) and the global Indian
diaspora.
✓ HDFC Life unveils HDFC International Life
and Re, and HDFC AMC International
(IFSC) Ltd by HDFC Asset Management
Company to cater to the financial needs of
the worldwide Indian community.
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Indian Bank Becomes 1st PSB to Extend
Online Locker Agreement Through DDE
Platform of NeSL
Indian Bank became the First Public Sector Bank
(PSB) to extend facility of execution of on-line
locker agreement through Digital Document
Execution (DDE) Platform of National E-
Governance Services Limited (NeSL), India’s first
Information Utility under Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
✓ DDE is a fully automated contract
execution platform with paperless e-
stamp and electronic signature (e-Sign)
facility.
✓ About Indian Bank :- MD & CEO – Shanti
Lal Jain , Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil
Nadu
Bank credit growth to MSMEs decelerates in
Q1FY24: RBI issues new Guidelines for Fair
Lending Practices
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, Bank
credit growth to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) has decelerated on a year-on-year (y-o-y)
basis in the first three months (April-June) of the FY24
i.e. Q1FY24.
✓ Credit to medium industries grew by 13.2% in
June (compared to 47.8% in June 2022).
✓ Micro and small industries experienced a 13%
credit growth in June (compared to 29.2% in
June 2022).
RBI issues new guidelines for Fair Lending Practices
RBI has issued comprehensive guidelines to the
Regulated Entities (REs) regarding penal charges in
loan accounts to ensure fairness, transparency, and
accountability in the lending practices of financial
institutions. These will come into effect from January 1,
2024.
RBI releases guidelines for IDF-NBFC;
Resets Floating Interest Rate on EMI based
Personal Loans
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with
the Government of India (GoI), has reviewed guidelines
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 12
for Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-Banking Financial
Companies (IDF-NBFCs) to enhance their role in
infrastructure financing and align regulations across
NBFCs in this sector.
✓ The updated regulations for IDF-NBFCs will be
effective from August 18, 2023.
✓ IDF-NBFCs must maintain a Net Owned Fund
(NOF) of at least Rs 300 crore. Minimum
Capital-to-Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)
of 15%, with Tier 1 capital of at least 10%.
RBI Reset Floating Interest Rate on EMI based
Personal Loans
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked all regulated
entities (REs), including banks and NBFCs, to give
personal loan borrowers an option to switch over from
a floating rate to a fixed rate at the time of resetting
interest rates. The RE must ensure that the new norms
were extended to the existing as well as new loans by
December 31, 2023.
Canara Bank launches UPI interoperable
Digital Rupee Mobile App
Canara Bank launched its Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application,
called the “Canara Digital Rupee app,” as a part of
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Central Bank Digital
Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
✓ Canara Bank is now the first among the public
and commercial sector bank to provide this
feature in its CBDC mobile app, Canara Digital
Rupee app.
SBI Partners With IIT-B to Strengthen its
Data Analytics, AI Capabilities
State Bank of India (SBI) is contributing Rs 22.5 crore
through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm,
SBI Foundation, to set up a Banking Data and
Analytics Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology,
Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, Maharashtra, to tackle the
distinct challenges facing by the Indian banking and
financial services industry.
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CBDT Notifies New Rules for Tax Exemption
of Life Insurance Premiums Exceeding 5
Lakh
Central Board for Direct Tax (CBDT) under Department
of Revenue in Ministry of Finance issued notification
(No. 61/2023) regarding the Income Tax Amendment
(Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2023 is a set of rules
introduced as part of the Finance Act, 2023. The new
guidelines for tax exemptions under the amended
section 10 (10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, state
that the maturity sum received from life insurance
policies will be subject to taxation if the annual
premium exceeds Rs.5 lakh.
Click here to read full news
SBI Life Insurance becomes the first Indian
private life insurer to launch '24X7 inbound
contact centre
State Bank of India (SBI) Life Insurance became the
first private life insurance company in India to provide
24X7 inbound contact centre via toll-free number
18002679090 to address before and after purchase
queries with the aim to offer real time solutions to
queries related to policies and insurance solutions.
This is aligned with the goal of ‘Insurance for all by
2047’ set by Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI).
IFC invests USD 100 million in IIFL HFL to
Boost LIG’s Access to Affordable Housing
Finance in India
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of
the World Bank Group, has invested up to USD 100
million in IIFL Home Finance Ltd (IIFL HFL), a housing
finance company in India to increase access to housing
finance among economically weaker sections (EWS)
and Low-Income Groups (LIG), including women
borrowers in India.
Max Life Insurance Introduces Max Life
NIFTY Smallcap Quality Index Fund
Max Life Insurance Company Limited(Max Life)
launched “NIFTY Smallcap Quality Index Fund” in
the Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) segment to
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 13
provide an opportunity to capitalise on the growth
potential of smallcap companies, aiming for long term
index linked returns.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Crisil Projects Indian Economy to Grow at
6% In FY24
Crisil, a global analytics company, has estimated
that the Indian economy will experience a growth
rate of 6% during FY24, a decline from the 7.2%
growth achieved in FY23. Retail inflation in India
escalated to 7.44% in July of the current year,
surpassing the upper tolerance level set by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) i.e. 2-6%.
ICRA Estimates GDP Growth at 8.5% in
Q1FY24; Maintains FY24 Forecast at 6%
ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and
Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) projected that
India's economic growth will accelerate to 8.5% during
the first quarter of the financial year 2023-24 (Q1FY24)
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
1st Maharashtra Industry Awards 2023:
Padma Awardee Ratan Tata honoured with
first-ever 'Udyog Ratna' Award
Padma Awardee and former Chairman of Tata Sons,
Ratan Tata was honoured with the first-
ever ‘Udyog Ratna Award’ for his outstanding
contribution to Maharashtra's industrial development.
The Udyog Ratna Award is one of the category awards
presented in the 1st Maharashtra Industry Awards
2023, instituted by the Maharashtra government.
Other Awards:
Apart from Udyog Ratna Award, there were other 3
awards presented in the ceremony namely
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This marks the first smallcap index fund of the life
insurance sector.
from April 2023 to June 2023. This is a notable increase
from the 6.1% growth rate recorded in the fourth
quarter of the financial year 2022-23 (4QFY23),
spanning January 2023 to March 2023.
✓ ICAR forecasts India's real Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth to remain at 6% for the
financial year 2023-24 (FY24), a figure lower
than the RBI's projected estimate of 6.5%.
NHPC Signs Pact with RITES to Construct
Railway Siding For 2,880 MW Dibang
NHPC Limited has entered a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with RITES Ltd, previously known
as Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited
to construct a railway siding at Pasighat, Arunachal
Pradesh, in support of NHPC’s 2,880 megawatts
(MW), Dibang Multi-Purpose Project development.
✓ Udyog Mitra Award (Young Entrepreneur
Award) - Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum
Institute of India was honoured with the Udyog
Mitra Award
✓ Udyogini Award (Best Women Entrepreneur)
- Gauri Kirloskar of Kirloskar Group was
honoured with this award
Utkrusht Marathi Udyojak Award (Outstanding
Marathi Entrepreneur) -Vilas Shinde, Chairman and MD
(CMD) of Sahyadri Farms was honoured with this
award
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 14
 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai was Given Additional
Charge as CEO of NRAA
Department of Personnel and Training
(DoPT),Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions has issued an order appointing Faiz
Ahmed Kidwai as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of the National Rainfed Area Authority
(NRAA) on an additional charge basis. This
appointment is effective for a period of 9 months
starting from June 5, 2023, until the appointment
of a new CEO or until further orders.
✓ Anuradha Thakur has been given
additional charge as the Director of Serious
Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
✓ Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways(MoRTH), has been given
additional charge as the Managing
Director(MD) of National Highways and
Infrastructure Development Corporation
Limited (NHIDCL) under the MoRTH.
Parminder Chopra Becomes Full-Time CMD
of Power Finance Corp. Ltd
With the approval of Appointments Committee of
the Cabinet (ACC), the Power Finance Corporation
Limited (PFC) has appointed Parminder Chopra as
its first woman full-time Chairman and Managing
Director (CMD) with effective from (w.e.f)
14th August, 2023. The Ministry of Power has
approved Chopra's appointment "till the date of
her superannuation (April 30, 2027) or until further
orders.
RBI Approves P R Seshadri as Next MD &
CEO of South Indian Bank
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the
appointment of P R Seshadri as the Managing
Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
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South Indian Bank for a period of 3 years with
effect from 1st October 2023.
He will replace Murali
Ramakrishnan, whose tenure
as MD & CEO of South Indian
Bank is set to end by 30th
September 2023.
✓ South Indian Bank: MD & CEO– Murali
Ramakrishnan ,Headquarters– Thrissur,
Kerala.
SBI Appoints Four Directors To The Board
The State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed four
directors namely Ketan Shivji Vikamsey, Mrugank
Madhukar Paranjape, Rajesh Kumar Dubey and
Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat to the central board of
the bank.
They were appointed for a period of 3 years with effect
from 26th June 2023 to 25th June 2026.
BPCL Announces Rahul Dravid as its Brand
Ambassador
Bharat Petroleum Corporation
Ltd. (BPCL), a Maharatna Public
Sector Undertaking (PSU) under
the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas (MoP&NG), has
named Rahul Dravid, Former
Indian Cricketer, and the current Head Coach of Indian
Cricket Team, as its new brand ambassador. Rahul
Dravid will represent BPCL’s 'Pure for Sure' initiative
and its range of MAK lubricants
Bernardo Arevalo Wins Guatemala’s
Presidential Election
César Bernardo Arévalo de León,
an anti-corruption candidate,
won Guatemala's presidential
election. He secured 58% of
votes against his opponent, the
former first lady (2008 to 2011)
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 15
Sandra Torres, of the National Unity of Hope who
secured 37%.
✓ Arevalo will succeed the current President
Alejandro Giammattei, a leader of the right-
wing party Vamos. He will be sworn in on 14th
January 2024.
Neelkanth Mishra Appointed as Part-time
Chairman of UIDAI
Neelkanth Mishra has been appointed the Part-time
Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI). He has been serving as the Chief
Economist at Axis Bank Limited and Head of Global
Research at Axis Capital Limited since May 2023.
✓ The Chairman post was vacant for almost 4
years. Previously, J. Satyanarayana served as
the part-time Chairman of UIDAI from July 12,
2016, to April 15, 2019.
✓ He will be the second non-bureaucrat after
Nandan Nilekani (2009 to 2014) to chair UIDAI.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
CCI Approves Acquisition of Certain Stake
of IBS Software Pte Limited by
Pelipper HoldCo SARL
Competition Commission of India (CCI) has
approved the acquisition of 30% of the issued
share capital on a fully diluted basis of IBS
Software Pte Limited by Pelipper HoldCo SARL
from Techware Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., a
portfolio company of Blackstone Inc.
✓ Pelipper HoldCo SARL is a special-
purpose vehicle (SPV) indirectly wholly
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scientists at IIA Bengaluru Discovered a
Unique CEMP Star “HE 1005-1439”
Scientists at the Indian Institute of
Astrophysics(IIA) in Bengaluru, Karnataka have
discovered a unique star named “HE 1005-1439”.
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✓ The appointments of the Chairperson and the
Members are for a period of 3 years or up to
the age of 65 years whichever is earlier
Srettha Thavisin Elected as 30th PM of
Thailand
On 22nd August 2023, Srettha
Thavisin (61 years old) of Pheu
Thai Party (PTP) was elected as
the 30th Prime Minister (PM) of
Thailand after winning the joint
vote of the bicameral parliament.
✓ He has also received the approval from the
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn to assume the
office as PM of Thailand.
✓ He succeeds Prayut Chan-o-cha, the 29th PM
of Thailand (2014 to 2023), who announced
retirement from politics in July 2023.
About Thailand:
Capital- Bangkok
Currency- Thai baht (THB)
owned by investment funds advised by
Apax Partners LLP (AP).
LIC Acquires 6.66% Shareholding in Jio
Financial Service
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), an Indian
multinational public sector life insurance company,
has acquired 6.66% shareholding in Jio Financial
Services Ltd. (JFSL). Jio Financial Services Limited
(JFSL), previously named Reliance Strategic
Investments Limited, the demerged financial subsidiary
of Reliance Industries Limited(RIL).
This star defies the conventional classification of
stars and stands out as a carbon-enhanced metal-
poor (CEMP) star, a rare class of chemically
peculiar stars.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 16
 ✓ For the first time, scientists have
discovered an object that shows signs of
having been formed through a combination
of 2 different neutron capture processes
such as slow (s-) and intermediate (i).
Agnikul Cosmos Begins Integration Process
of its First Launch Vehicle ‘Agnibaan
SOrTeD’
Agnikul Cosmos Private Ltd, a space-tech start-
up, commenced the process of integration of its
first state-of-the-art launch vehicle, Agnibaan
SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technological
Demonstrator), with its exclusive private
launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre
(SDSC) SHAR (formerly Sriharikota Range) at
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
✓ The integration process is the significant
step taken by the Agnikul Cosmos, toward
its first controlled sub-orbital flight, which
brings Agnikul closer to fulfilling its vision
of delivering reliable and affordable access
to space.
India’s 1st Long-Range Side Swing Revolver
‘Prabal’ Launched
India’s first long-range side swing revolver ‘Prabal’
with “twice the range of other revolvers”,
manufactured by Advanced Weapons and
Equipment India Ltd. (AW&EIL), was launched at
the Small Arms Factory (SFA) in Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh for civilians and arms dealers.AW&EIL, a
Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) based fully government-
owned enterprise ultimate weapon system
provider.
Second MCA Barge Yard 76 (LSAM 8)
Launched at Andhra Pradesh
Commodore G Ravi, Warship Production
Superintendent in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh, inaugurated the second Missile Cum
Ammunition (MCA) Barge, known as Yard 76
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(LSAM 8).The launch took place at Guttenedevi,
East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, at the
manufacturing site of M/s SECON Engineering
Projects Pvt Ltd, a Micro-Small-Medium
enterprise (MSME) specializing in manufacturing.
Indian Army Inducts Swathi Mark
II Mountain Variant WLR
Indian Army inducted the first Swathi Mark II
Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar(WLR), a
lighter and compact version WLR for mountains & high-
altitude areas.
✓ The WLR was flagged off by Lieutenant General
JB Chaudhari, Deputy Chief of Army Staff
(CD&S) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
✓ Swathi Mk II was developed by Bharat
Electronics Limited(BEL), a Navratna Public
Sector Enterprise(PSE) under the Ministry of
Defence(MoD), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Luna-25 crashed into the Moon; Russia’s 1st
Moon mission in 47 years Failed
Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years, Luna-25, failed
as the space craft spun out of control and crashed into
the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing
orbit(orbital maneuver).
✓ Luna-Glob-Lander (Luna-Glob-1), also known
as Luna-25, was launched on 10th August
2023 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket(Soyuz-2
Fregat) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in
Russia.
India's First Hydrogen Bus Hits the Public
Roads in Leh, Ladakh
NTPC Limited(formerly known as National Thermal
Power Corporation), a Maharatna Public Sector
Undertaking(PSU) under the Ministry of Power (MoP),
has begun the trial of India's 1st hydrogen bus in Leh,
Union Territory (UT) Ladakh. This marks India's 1st-
ever use of hydrogen buses on public roads.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 17
China Launches New Satellite for Earth
Observation
China has launched a new Earth observation
satellite,named Gaofen-12 04, atop a Long March-4C
carrier rocket, into space from the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center in Northwest China.
✓ This launch represents the 484th flight
mission of the Long March series carrier
rockets.
LCA Navy Prototype NP5 Trainer Aircraft
Completes Successful Maiden Flight
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval Trainer
Prototype 'NP5' successfully completed its maiden
flight in Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) Airport,
Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ENVIRONMENT
Delhi LG Launches Blockchain Technology
for Integration into DFSL E-Forensic App
Vinai Kumar Saxena,Delhi Lieutenant
Governor(LG) launched Blockchain Technology in
the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
for electronic-forensic application(e-forensic app)
SPORTS
Pakistan Fast Bowler Wahab Riaz Retires
from International Cricket
Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz announced his
retirement from international cricket across all
formats. He continues to play in franchise
cricket.He has been serving as the caretaker
Sports Minister of the Punjab province in Pakistan
since January 2023.
Highlights:India Tour of West Indies and
United States of America
Indian Men’s Cricket team toured West Indies and
United States of America for 2-Test matches, 3-
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✓ LCA Navy is designed and developed jointly by
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and
HAL.
Dr Jitendra Singh Launches Indigenous E-
Tractor, CSIR Prima ET11
Union Minister of State(MoS) Dr.Jitendra Singh, Ministry
of Science & Technology, launched CSIR Prima ET11,
India’s 1st indigenous e-Tractor. It was developed by
the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) -
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute
(CMERI), Durgapur, West Bengal.
He also released a book by CSIR-Central Institute of
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and a
compendium on 75 technologies developed by CSIR.
of the Delhi Forensic Science Laboratory (DFSL)
and Delhi Police at Raj Niwas, official residence of
the LG in Delhi. With this, Delhi FSL will be the first
institution of its kind in India to utilize blockchain
technology “for transparent and tamper-proof
(protected against unauthorized changes) digital
evidence recording.”
One-Day Internationals(ODI) and 5-Twenty 20
Internationals(T20I) against the West Indies
cricket team from 12th July to 13th August 2023.
✓ India won the two-match Test series
against West Indies 1-0 after the rain drew
the second Test at the Queen Park Oval,
Port of Spain in Trinidad…
✓ India won the 1st ODI by 5 wickets against
West Indies held on 27th July inthe
Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
✓ West Indies defeated India by 8 wickets in
the 5th and final T20I held on 13th August
in Lauderhill in Florida, United States of
America(USA).
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 18
 ✓ Indian Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin
achieved the feat of becoming the 1st
Indian bowler to dismiss father and son in
Tests…Click here for complete detail..
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Spain
Defeated England to win their 1st Women’s
World Cup
Spain Women’s football team (nicknamed La Roja)
won the Fédération Internationale de football
Association(FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 by
defeating England 1-0 in the finals at Stadium Australia
in Sydney, Australia on 20th August 2023.
This marks Spain’s 1st title at the senior level and they
won 1st Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2022 and two U-
17 FIFA World Cup in 2018 & 2022.
England settled to silver medal and Sweden won their
4th bronze medal by defeating Australia 2-0 for the 3rd
place match held in Brisbane, Australia.
OBITUARY
Padma Awardee VSR Arunachalam, Former
DG of DRDO, Passed Away
Padma Awardee Dr Vallampadugai Srinivasa
Raghavan Arunachalam (V S R Arunachalam), an
Indian Scientist and the former Director General
(DG) of Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO), passed away at the age of
87 in California, the United States of America
(USA). He hails from Karnataka and was born on
10th November 1935.
Australian Olympic Swimming Gold
Medallist John Devitt Passed Away
Australian Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist John
Thomas Devitt(Aged 86) passed away in
Sydney,Australia.He was born in Granville,
Australia on February 4, 1937. John Thomas Devitt
totally won two gold, a silver, and a bronze medals
in Olympic competition.
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India Wins 14 medals in World Under-20
Wrestling Championships 2023
India wrestlers won a total of 14 medals(4 golds, 3
silver and 7 bronze) in the World Under-20 Wrestling
Championships 2023 held in Amman, Jordan from 14th
to 20th August 2023 .
✓ India also claimed its first women’s team title
at the World Under-20 Wrestling
Championships 2023 with seven medals(3
gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze).
✓ Indian Men’s team ranked 3rd in Freestyle
category, Iran stood 1st.
The 19-year-old Antim Panghal from Haryana won the
gold in Women’s 53kg event defeating Mariia
Yefremova of Ukraine. She is the first Indian woman to
become an Under-20 (U-20) wrestling world champion
in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2022. She became the first Indian
woman wrestler to win two U-20 world championships
✓ He won the gold medal in 1956 Melbourne
Olympics in the 100-meter freestyle and a
silver medal in the 100 freestyle swimming
event.
✓ Devitt was inducted into the Sport
Australia Hall of Fame in 1986.
Emmy-Winning American Actor Ron Cephas
Jones Passed Away
Ron Cephas Jones, a renowned American actor who
won Emmy Award twice, has passed away. He was
born on January 8, 1957, in Paterson, New Jersey,
United States of America(USA).
✓ Ron Cephas Jones won an Emmy Award for
Outstanding Guest Actor for his role in the
drama series "This Is Us" in both 2018 and
2020.
In 2020, Ron Cephas Jones' daughter, Jasmine Cephas
Jones, earned her first Emmy Award. This achievement
made them the first-ever father-daughter winners in
Emmy history.
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 19
 BOOKS & AUTHORS
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and
Nirmala Sitharaman Launched Kuwi and
Desia books in Odisha
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of
Education(MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship(MSDE), and Nirmala
Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of
Corporate Affairs(MCA) launched 2 books namely
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Humanitarian Day 2023 – August 19
United Nations (UN)’s World Humanitarian Day
(WHD) is observed annually on 19th August across
the globe to pay tribute to humanitarian people
around the world, who have committed their lives
in order to support or help others, particularly in
times of crisis and conflict.The day is also
dedicated to recognise humanitarian people and
those who lost their lives working for humanitarian
causes.WHD is a campaign by the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA).
✓ The 2023 WHD Campaign tagline is
#NoMatterWhat.
World Photography Day 2023 – August 19
World Photography Day is annually observed on
19th August across the globe to celebrate the art,
craft, science, and history of photography. The day
also promotes communication between people
from different cultures and countries, helping to
enrich a sense of global community.World
Photography Day commemorates the
announcement of the Daguerreotype process of
photography by the French government as a ‘free
gift to the world’.
✓ The 2023 Theme of World Photography
Day is “Landscapes“.
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“Kuwi Primer” and “Desia Primer” in Kuwi and
Desia languages at an event held in Bhubaneswar,
Odisha, to simplify primary education for tribal
children in Odisha.
✓ The event also witnessed the special
postal cover release on behalf of the
Department of Posts, Ministry of
Communications, Government of India
(GoI).
✓ World Photography Week:It was
introduced in 2022. It is a 2-week
worldwide celebration of Photography,
beginning a week before World
Photography Day, on 12th August, and
running a week after, through 26th August.
Sadbahavana Diwas or Harmony Day 2023 -
August 20
Sadbahavana Diwas, also known as Harmony Day, is
annually celebrated on 20th August across India to
celebrate the birth anniversary of India's 6th Prime
Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi.
✓ Sadbahavana Diwas aims to encourage peace,
national integration, and communal harmony
among all religions.
✓ The Sadbahavana Diwas 2023 marks the
79th birth anniversary of former PM Rajiv
Gandhi, who was born on 20 August 1944.
World Mosquito Day 2023 - August 20
World Mosquito Day is annually observed across the
globe on 20th August to commemorate Sir Ronald
Ross a British doctor who discovered the relationship
between mosquitoes and the transmission of malaria
between humans in 1897.
Ross’s Discovery & Nobel Prize:
✓ On August 20, 1897, Ronald Ross discovered
the malaria parasite while dissecting the
stomach tissue of an Female Anopheles
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 20
 mosquito. Later, he confirmed the growth of
the parasite in the mosquito. The discovery
was made in Secunderabad (now in Telangana,
India).
✓ He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine in 1902 for this work. He was
the first Briton to be awarded the Nobel Prize
for Medicine.
International Day of Remembrance and
Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2023 -
August 21
United Nations (UN)’s International Day of
Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of
Terrorism is annually observed across the world on
the 21st August to honour and support the victims and
survivors of terrorism and to promote and protect the
full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms.
✓ 21st August 2023 marks
the 6th commemoration of the International
Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the
Victims of Terrorism
✓ The 2023 theme of the International Day of
Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of
Terrorism is: “Legacy: Finding Hope and
Building a Peaceful Future.”
World Senior Citizen's Day 2023 - August 21
World Senior Citizen’s Day is annually celebrated
across the globe on 21st August to honour the efforts,
contributions, and achievements made by elderly
people to society, families, and communities. The day
also recognises the issues that an elderly individual
faces in old age.
✓ The observance of World Senior Citizen’s Day
was started in 1988, when Ronald Reagan,
the 40th President of the United States of
America (USA) signed the Proclamation of
5847 on August 19, 1988, and declared the
21st of August every year as the “National
Senior Citizens Day”.
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International Day Commemorating the
Victims of Acts of Violence Based on
Religion or Belief 2023 - August 22
The United Nations (UN)’s International Day
Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence
Based on Religion or Belief is annually observed
across the globe on 22nd August to condemn the
violence and acts of terrorism against individuals of
religious minorities, based on or in the name of religion
or belief.
✓ 22nd August 2023 marks the observance of
the 5th International Day Commemorating the
Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion
or Belief. The first-ever International Day
Commemorating the Victims of Acts of
Violence Based on Religion or Belief was
observed on 22nd August 2019.
World Water Week - 20 to 24 August 2023
World Water Week is annually observed across the
globe during the last week of August with an aim to
examine the pivotal role of water in addressing several
pressing global challenges such as water crisis, global
warming, biodiversity loss, and so on.
✓ World Water Week 2023 takes place
from 20-24 August 2023. World Water
Week is annually organised by the Stockholm
International Water Institute (SIWI).
✓ The Theme of World Water Week 2023 is
“Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a
Water-Wise World”
Stockholm Water Prize 2023:
✓ Professor Andrea Rinaldo, the world-
renowned hydrologist from Venezia (Venice),
Italy is awarded the Stockholm Water Prize
2023 for his research on river networks,
demonstrating their significance in the spread
of solutes, aquatic species, and diseases.
International Day for the Remembrance of
the Slave Trade and its Abolition 2023-
August 23
The United Nations (UN)'s International Day for the
Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is
annually observed on 23rd August, to remind people of
Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 21
the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade during
colonial rule and to raise awareness about the abolition
of slave trading and related practices.
✓ The annual observance of the day is led by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Director General- Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters- Paris, France
Founded on- 6 November 1945

STATE NEWS

Kerala Govt Launches ‘Athidhi Portal’ to
Register Migrant Workers
Kerala government has launched a user-friendly
web portal named ‘Athidhi Portal’, for the
registration of migrant workers in Kerala. The
portal will establish a unique identification system
to streamline the registration process.The portal
will allow the government to address the
grievances against sexual crimes allegedly
committed by migrant workers.
Goa Becomes First State to Provide IVF Free
at Govt Hospital
Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa
inaugurated free In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
therapy at the Goa Medical College (GMC) in
Bambolim,Goa along with Assisted Reproductive
Technology (ART) and Intrauterine Insemination
(IUI).With this, Goa has become the first state in
the country to offer free artificial insemination
treatment. The entire funding will come from
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
✓ In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment is the
most common method of artificial
insemination for parents who are unable to
conceive naturally.
NEHHDC & Tide Signed MoU to Digitise
Handloom and Handicraft Sector in
Northeast India
Tide Platform Limited (Tide), a London, United
Kingdom(UK)-based Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprise (SME) focused financial platform,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms
Development Corporation (NEHHDC) to empower
digitisation of the handloom and handicraft sector
in northeast India.
✓ This will enable the handloom sector to
use digital tools based on Artificial
Intelligence(AI), the Internet of Things (IoT),
and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
implementation, for inventory tracking and
mapping, among others.

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