This PAID PDF is provided by AffairsCloud’s dedicated team that works

diligently to provide aspirants with high-quality content. We recommend

you to purchase this PDF subscription and seize the opportunity to learn
efficiently.
Help Us to Grow & Provide Quality Service

Click here to Download the CareersCloud APP

Click here to Join the Telegram Channel
AffairsCloud Hindu Vocabs

Suggestions & Feedback are welcomed

Support@affairscloud.com

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 1

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 2
 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 3 August 2023 : Headlines

❖ National Mission for Clean Ganga Approves 7 Projects Worth Rs 692 Crore
❖ 7 products from Rajasthan, Goa & UP get Geographical Indication tag
❖ Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Pune,Maharashtra
❖ New Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates in the SC
❖ DGT Partners With Amazon Web Services to Enhance Students in Emerging Technologies
❖ WHO releases 9th Report on Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2023; Mauritius 1st African Nation to
Fully Implement ‘MPOWER’
❖ CRED launched RuPay credit card-based UPI payments
❖ India’s Q1 FY24 Fiscal Deficit at Rs 4.51 Trillion, 25% of Annual Target
❖ RIL & Brookfield Asset Management signed MoU to Manufacture RE & Decarbonisation
Equipment in Australia
❖ 2022/2023 NSTF-South32 Awards- Mohamed Reza Mia, Indian-origin South African Won
Innovation Award for Aircraft Project
❖ BSNL’s Shivendra Nath Appointed as CMD of EPI
❖ MFIN Elects Udaya Kumar Hebbar as Its Chairperson
❖ Prof Ganesan Kannabiran takes over as new NAAC Director
❖ World FinTech Day 2023 – 1st August
❖ Muslim Women Rights Day 2023 – 1st August
❖ Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Launches LEAP Coworks

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 3

 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
National Mission for Clean Ganga Approves 7 Projects Worth Rs 692 Crore
The National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) approved 7 projects worth Rs 692 crore for the construction of
Sewage Treatment Plants(STP)and other works to prevent pollution of the river Ganga and its tributaries.

• The projects were approved at the 50th meeting of the Executive Committee of NMCG held on 1st
August 2023, under chairmanship of G. Asok Kumar, Director General(DG) of NMCG.
Three Projects in Uttar Pradesh:
Three projects worth Rs. 661.74 crore for sewage management in Uttar Pradesh were authorised at the
meeting.
i.The construction of a 100 Million Litres per Day (MLD) STP in Lucknow, together with Interception and
Diversion (I&D) operations, to be carried out under the Hybrid Annuity Mode(HAD).
ii.The development of a 50 MLD STP in Prayagraj, as well as the I&D of the balance discharge from the
Dariyabad Pipalghat and Dariyabad Kakahraghat drains, has been approved.
• The existing treatment capacity of Naini STP in Prayagraj’s sewerage district-A will be increased to
80 MLD by this project, which will cost around Rs. 186.47 crore.
iii. The project of construction of 6 MLD STP, I&D and other works in Hapur was also approved to stop the flow
of Hapur city drain into River Kali, which is a tributary of River Ganga.
Two Projects in Bihar:
i.To set-up Two STPs (5 and 7 MLDs) at an estimated cost of Rs. 74.64 crore for tapping of Pipra ghat drain and
Chhatiya ghat drain respectively along with I&D works for Raxaul town in Bihar was also approved.
• This project will reduce pollution in the Sirsiya River, which originates in Nepal and enters Bihar at
Raxaul in the East Champaran district.
Urban River Management Plans (URMP)
i.A project worth Rs 20 crore has also been sanctioned for the preparation of 60-70 Urban River Management
Plans (URMPs) in two phases for optimal water management in urban areas.
• During the first year, 25 URMPs shall be prepared and 35 URMPs shall be prepared during the
second year.
• This project is part of the River-Cities Alliance (RCA) under Namami Gange, which provides cities
opportunities to cooperate, work together, learn from each other’s best practices, share knowledge,
thus paving the way for Gyan Bhagidari, which will lead to transformational solutions.
• RCA presently has more than 140 members, including foreign cities, an increase from 30 members
in 2021.
M.Sc. in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation
i.A Project to start the M.Sc. Course in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation at the Ganga Aqualife
Conservation Monitoring Centre, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, at a cost of Rs. 6.86 crore for ten
years was approved by NMCG.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 4

 • The concept seeks to educate a cadre of ecologists and field biologists with competence in
freshwater ecology in order to successfully manage India’s freshwater resources and biodiversity.
Electric crematorium in West Bengal:
It also approved a project to construct an electric crematorium at Barkola, Kharagpur in West Bengal.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG):
Director General(DG) – G Asok Kumar
Established – 2011

7 products from Rajasthan, Goa & UP get Geographical Indication tag

Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) under the Department of Industry
Promotion and Internal Trade (DIPIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has granted Geographical
Indications (GI) tags for 7 new products from 3 states– 4 from Rajasthan, 2 from Goa and 1 from Uttar Pradesh
(UP).

The GI-tagged 7 products are:

State GI Goods
Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft Handi Craft
Bikaner Kashidakari Craft Handi Craft
Bikaner Usta Kala Craft Handi Craft
Rajasthan Jodhpur Bandhej Craft Handi Craft
Goa Mankur Mango (Malcorado or Mankurad) Agriculture
Goa Goan Bebinca Food Stuffs
Uttar Pradesh Jalesar Metal Craft (Jalesar Dhatu Shilp) Handi Craft
Key Points:
Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft:
iAs per the documents submitted to the GI Registry, weapons are exquisitely ornamented by a complicated
process.
ii.The process includes etching designs, heating, and then cooling, intertwined with embedding gold and silver
wire into the metal, pressing and flattening it to a smooth surface with a moonstone, and finally polishing it.
ii.Bikaner Kashidakari Craft:
• The craft is traditionally created on cotton, silk, or velvet with a variety of fine stitches and mirror-
work, and the craft finds special places in marriage, and is commonly used for creating gift items.
• The mirrors are believed to have the power to repel the ‘evil eye’ with their reflective surfaces.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 5

 • The weaving of fabrics for Bikaner Kashidakari Craft was primarily carried out by the Meghwal
community.
iii.Jodhpur Bandhej Craft:
• The traditional Rajasthani craft involves the intricate process of tying and dyeing fabrics and is one
of the most famous textile art forms of Rajasthan.
• The fabrics used for Bandhej are muslin, silk, and voile. Cotton thread is used for tying the fabric.
iv.Bikaner Usta Kala Craft:
• It is also known as Gold Nakashi or Gold Manauti work and the art form is famous for its long-
lasting Golden Colour.
• Untreated raw camel hide is processed and moulded by the Dapgar community of leather
craftspeople for the requirements of the Usta.
v.Goa Mankurad Mango:
• The application for the ‘Mankurad mango‘ was filed by the All Goa Mango Growers Association,
Panaji (Goa).
• Mankurad Mango has many other names like Kurad, Goa Mankur, Malcorado, Cardozo Mankurad, or
Corado.
• It is the most famous and popular mango variety in Goa and is also known as the table mango and
has a longer shelf life.
• The name ‘Malcardo‘ was named by Portuguese and it means ‘Poor Colored‘, with time, it became
Mankurad Aamo (mango) in Konkani (a language spoken mainly in Goa).
vi.Goan bebinca:
• The application for the Goan bebinca was filed by the All Goa Bakers and Confectioners Association.
• Bebinca or bibik, popularly known as the Queen of Goan Sweets/desserts, is a traditional Indo-
Portuguese pudding.
vii.Jalesar Dhatu Shilp:
• Jalesar Dhatu Shilp in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district holds historical significance as it was once the
capital of Magadha king Jarasandha.
• Currently, over 1,200 small units are dedicated to creating decorative metal crafts and brassware,
such as Ghungrus (anklets) and Ghantis (bells).
• This craft is carefully crafted by the skilled artisans of the Thatheras community, residing in the
mohalla locality named Hathuras.
TN’s Jaderi ‘Namakatti’, Chedibutta Saree & Matti banana gets GI tag; TN tops GI chart with 58 Tags
Three new products of Tamil Nadu (TN), Tiruvannamalai’s Jaderi namakatti, Tirunelveli’s Chedibutta saree, and
Kanniyakumari’s Matti banana, has been recognised with GI tag. With the addition of these 3 new products the
total number of GI tagged products from TN has become 58.
With this, TN has become the state with highest number of GI tagged products.
• Uttar Pradesh holds the second position with 53 GI products followed by Karnataka (48), Kerala
(36) and Maharashtra (34).
• The GI tags given by the GIs Registry located in Chennai, TN, and the above-mentioned figures are as
of April 2023.
Jaderi Namakatti:
i.The GI application for Jaderi Namakatti was filed on behalf of Jaderi Thiruman (Namakatti) Producers Society
in Jaderi in Thiruvannamalai district.
ii.About 120 families in the tiny village of Jaderi in Tiruvannamalai district have been making these Namakatti
for about 3 centuries and supplying them all over India and abroad.
iii.The natural ingredients available in Thenpoondipattu village are collected and made into Namakatti by
artisans after a time-consuming process.
iv.These are finger-length long clay pieces, made up of rich deposits of hydrous silicate minerals.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 6

v.The fine grain particles of clay are cured by natural
weathering or alteration of other silicates that
smoothen them with unique white colour and texture.
Matti banana:
i.The application for the Kanniyakumari Matti Banana
was filed by the Kanyakumari Banana and Horticulture
Farmers Producer Company Limited.
ii.The scientific name of the Matti banana is
‘Musa Sapidisiaca‘, which is commercially grown in the
high rainfall zone (1469 millimeters) in Kanyakumari.
• Mostly grown in the Agatheeswaram,
Thovolai, Thiruvattar taluks of the
Kanyakumari district
iii.It has high medicinal value and is known to be highly
fragrant, sweet and sub-acid in flavour, firm in texture,
and powdery in nature.
iv.The 15-month-old crop is considered rare and is
grown only in the hills of South Travancore (Undivided TN and Kerala) near Nagarcoil.
v.Each bunch of Matti Banana weighs between 12-19 kilos. Other common variants of Kanniyakumari Matti
Banana include Semmatti (red Matti), Thaen Matti (honey Matti), and Malai Matti (Hill Matti).
vi.Even though banana is not generally recommended to infants for up to 6 months, Matti banana variety can
be safely consumed by infants, and the corm extract from the fruit is also used as a jaundice cure.
Note: 1 medium-sized banana would provide 13% of Manganese for a person’s daily needs and it helps the
body make Collagen and protects the skin and other cells from free radical damage.
Chedibutta Sarees:
i.The application for the Chedibutta Sarees has been filed by the Veeravanallur Sowrashtra Weavers
Cooperative Production and Sales Society Limited in Tirunelveli district.
ii.The name Chedibutta is a combination of two Tamil words: ‘Chedi’ (plant) and ‘Butta’ (motif or design).
iii.It has the iconic “plant and flower” motif woven on the border and Pallu (edge of the saree) and these small
Buttas punctuated beautifully all over the saree.
iv.It is totally a handloom product made in art silk and cotton mix fabric. One Chedibutta saree contains 8
Chedibutta designs in the body and 5 on the Pallu
v.The saree is woven using art silk thread while the Chedibutta designs are made using brightly coloured cotton
threads.
vi.Sowrashtra community members are the primary weavers of these traditional handloom sarees.
Key Points:
i.Currently, the GI recognition has been earned by so many products attorneys, artisans and authorities should
make collective efforts to monetise the achievement.
• The efforts include completing the remaining legal formalities like filing authorised user
applications.
ii.It will allow the authorised producer to market these products under GI tag exclusively.
iii.Separate legal protection is available for these products and they will get global approval to sell these
products in various countries.
About GI Tag:
i.GI is an indication used to identify products having special characteristics originating from a definite
geographical origin.
ii.India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods
(Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, to provide for the registration and better protection of GI relating to
goods in India, which came into force with effect from September 2003.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 7

iii.A GI is registered for an initial period of ten years, which may be renewed from time to time.
Recent related news:
The Geographical Indication (GI) Tag has been granted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) to
several products of Madhya Pradesh (MP), which include 5 handcrafts product, 1 Agricultural product, 1 Food
stuff, 1 Textile product.

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Pune,Maharashtra

Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi visited Pune, Maharashtra on 1st August 2023. He flagged off the Pune
metro trains and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects.

• He was also conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023.
PM Modi conferred with Lokmanya Tilak National Award
i.PM Narendra Modi was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir
Trust, which comes with a memento and citation, in appreciation for his exceptional leadership and his work
promoting patriotism among citizens.
• It comes up with a memento, citation and cash reward of Rs 1 lakh.
• He decided to donate the award money of Rs 1 lakh to the National Mission for Clean Ganga.
ii.The award was constituted by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak
on August 1 every year, to mark the death anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
iii.The award is conferred upon those who have worked towards the development and upliftment of the nation
and who have left a significant impact on the progress of the country.
iv.He was the 41st recipient of this award. The former recipients of the award include eminent personalities
like Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, NR Narayana Murthy, and E
Sreedharan, among others.
Note:
In 2022, Tessy Thomas, popularly known as India’s missile woman was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National
Award.
About Bal Gangadhar Tilak:
i.Bal Gangadhar Tilak born on 23th July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra and died on 1st August 1920.
ii.He has earned titles include ‘Lokmanya Tilak’(Beloved Leader of the People), ‘The father of Indian unrest’,
‘The Maker of Modern India’.
iii.Tilak’s famous slogan was ‘Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it’.
iv.He founded the Indian Home Rule League in 1914 and participated in various indian freedom movements.
v.His notable books include ‘Gita Rahasya’ and the ‘Arctic home of the Vedas’.
Inauguration of metro lines:
i.PM Modi flagged off metro trains which marks the inauguration of services on completed sections of the two
corridors of Pune Metro Phase I.
• These sections running from Phugewadi station to Civil Court station, and from Garware College
station to Ruby Hall Clinic station.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 8

ii.The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan and Deccan Gymkhana metro stations have a distinct design that resembles
the headgear worn by warriors of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, commonly known as “Mavala Pagadi.”
• The Shivaji Nagar underground Metro station has an unique design that looks inspired of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s forts.
• The Civil Court metro station on route is one of the deepest metro stations in India. The deepest
point is at 33.1 meter(m).
Note: Since April 2023, Kolkata Metro network’s Howrah station, 33 meters below the surface, held the record
as “the deepest station was in India”.
Waste to Energy Plant:
He dedicated the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Waste to Energy Plant. It was developed
at a cost of approximately Rs 300 crores and will consume approximately 2.5 lakh Metric Tonnes(MT) of trash
yearly to generate power.
Houses under PMAY:
i.He handed over more than 1,280 houses constructed by PCMC under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY).
ii.He also handed over more than 2,650 PMAY houses constructed by Pune Municipal Corporation.
iii.He laid the foundation stone of around 1,190 PMAY houses to be constructed by PCMC and over 6,400
houses constructed by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
Recent relates news:
On February 12, 2023, PM Narendra Modi visited Rajasthan and inaugurated the 246-kilometer (km) Delhi-
Dausa-Lalsot stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.This Delhi-Mumbai Expressway would be India’s longest
Expressway spanning 1,386 km.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister – Eknath Sambhaji Shinde
Governor – Ramesh Bais
Dances – Dangari Gaja, Povadas Dance,Lavani Dance

New Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates in the SC

The Supreme Court (SC) of India has introduced new guidelines named as Guidelines for Designation of
Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India, 2023 for the designation of senior advocates practising in
the Supreme Court of India.It replaced the guidelines issued in 2018.
• The new guidelines prescribe a minimum age of 45 years for applying for the ‘senior advocate’
designation and minimum of 10 years of standing(mainly in Supreme Court).
• This age limit can be relaxed by the Committee, the Chief Justice of India(CJI) or a Supreme Court
judge if they recommend an advocate’s name.
Why new guidelines?
The new guidelines have been introduced following a ruling on May 12, 2023 by a three-judge bench led
by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul. The ruling was in response to a case seeking modifications in the ‘senior
advocate’ designation guidelines set by a 2017 Supreme Court ruling in the Indira Jai Singh v. Union of India
case.
• The 2017 guidelines allowed the CJI and “any judge” to recommend an advocate’s name for
designation, the new 2023 guidelines specify that the CJI and “any Judge of the Supreme Court”
may recommend an advocate’s name in writing.
Key Changes in the New Guidelines:
i.The new guidelines mention that “any Judge of the Supreme Court” can recommend an advocate’s name in
addition to the Chief Justice of India.
ii.The weightage for reported and unreported judgments, excluding those that don’t establish legal principles,
has been increased from 40 to 50 points.
iii.Guidelines reduced the marks for “publication of academic articles” from 15 to 5.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 9

 • “Experience of teaching assignments in the field of law” and “guest lectures delivered in law schools
and professional institutions connected with law” have been combined and will also account for 5
marks.
Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates:
All matters relating to the designation of Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court of India will be dealt
by “Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates”.
Composition of the Committee:
Chairperson – Chief Justice of India (CJI) (current CJI is Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud)
Members: Two senior-most Judges of the Supreme Court of India; Attorney General for India (AGI) and A
member of the Bar council(nominated by the Chairperson and other Members).
Transparency and Objectivity in Designation
i.The evaluation procedure now encompasses the inclusion of legal article publications, teaching
responsibilities, and guest speaking engagements.
ii.This is intended to offer a more comprehensive representation of the advocate’s capacity to contribute to
legal progress.
iii.The updated criteria are designed to guarantee openness and impartiality in the selection process.

DGT Partners With Amazon Web Services to Enhance Students in Emerging Technologies
The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to enhance students’ capabilities and
employability in emerging technologies like cloud computing, data annotation, artificial intelligence (AI), and
machine learning (ML).
• The pact aims to provide students enrolled in DGT institutions with valuable self-paced online
learning programs at no cost.
Key points:
i.Under this partnership, AWS India will offer cutting-edge learning content through DGT’s Bharat
Skills platform.
ii.This platform serves as a central repository of updated curriculum, course content, question banks, and
learning videos for all courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) and Crafts Instructor Training
Scheme (CITS) offered by approximately 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 33 National Skill
Training Institutes (NSTIs) across India.
iii.According to the “Asia Pacific Digital Skills Study,” 92% of the 769 employers surveyed in India believe that
one emerging technology, such as AI, edge and quantum computing, blockchain, or cryptocurrency, will become
a standard part of their future business operations.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
WHO Report on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2023: 5.6 Billion People Protected by at Least One
Tobacco Control Measure
The World Health Organization (WHO) released the “’WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023:
Protect people from tobacco smoke“, the 9th report in the series that tracks the status of the tobacco epidemic
and interventions to combat it. The report monitors countries’ progress in tobacco control since 2008 and also
marks 15 years since the introduction of MPOWER,WHO’s technical package which is designed to assist
countries in implementing demand-reduction measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (WHO FCTC).

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 10

 • The report state that around 5.6 billion people (71% of the world’s population or 7 in 10 people
globally) are protected with at least one best practice of tobacco control measure, a 5 times increase
from 2007.
• The report showed that 2 new countries, Mauritius and the Netherlands, have achieved best-
practice level in all MPOWER measures. Until now, this was achieved by only Brazil and Türkiye.
• Mauritius has become the first African country to fully implement the entire MPOWER
Measures. It has recorded a 25% decline in the prevalence of smoking among adults between 1992
and 2021.
What is WHO’s MPOWER Package?
WHO introduced the MPOWER measures in
2008.MPOWER are a set of six cost-effective and high
impact measures that help countries reduce demand
for tobacco. These measures include:
• M- Monitor tobacco use and prevention
policies
• P- Protect people from tobacco smoke
• O- Offer help to quit tobacco use
• W- Warn about the dangers of tobacco
• E-Enforce bans on tobacco advertising,
promotion and sponsorship
• R- Raise taxes on tobacco
About the Report:
It focuses on the ‘P’ in the MPOWER measures i.e.
protecting the public from second-hand smoke.It also
highlights that almost 40% of countries now have
completely smoke-free indoor public places.
Note: The Global Tobacco Epidemic Report initiated in 2008, is a biennial report by WHO.
Highlights from the Report:
Global Tobacco Control :
i.2.1 billion people in 74 countries are covered by complete smoke-free indoor public places, workplaces, and
public transport, a seven-fold increase since 2007.
ii.Global smoking prevalence decreased from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021, preventing 300 million additional
smokers.
iii.151 countries have adopted one or more WHO MPOWER measures, a significant rise since 2007.
iv.Eight countries only need one more MPOWER policy to join tobacco control leaders.
• These 8 nations are Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain.
Global Tobacco Control: Challenges and Progress
• Second-hand smoke kills 1.3 million non-smokers yearly, exposing them to various health risks.
• 8.7 million people die annually from tobacco-related diseases.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 11

 • 44 countries lack any WHO MPOWER measures, and 53 countries lack complete smoking bans in
healthcare facilities.
• Banning Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) saw significant progress in
2022, covering 2 billion people in 66 countries.However, it is still under-adopted.
• 74 countries have no regulations addressing tobacco-related products.
• 88 countries, covering 2.3 billion people, have no minimum age for buying e-cigarettes.
Indian Scenario:
i.India has banned e-cigarettes, nicotine products, and tobacco advertising, but tobacco company messaging
and e-cigarette branding are still seen during F1 (Formula 1) events and races.
• India, home to an estimated 31 million F1 fans.
ii.The Indian state of Bengaluru in Karnataka has made significant progress in complying with state and
national smoke-free laws i.e. Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA).
• This resulted in a 27% reduction of smoking in public places from a rate of 18% in 2017 to 13% in
2021.
iii.Bengaluru received an international award for its efforts to reduce smoking in public places and aims to
become 100% smoke-free by 2025.
iv.India is one of the 32 countries with comprehensive cessation services.
v.India is part of the Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM), a real-time digital monitoring
system to detect online tobacco marketing.It was launched by Vital Strategies
vi.India is also among the 121 countries globally that have adopted measures to address electronic nicotine
delivery systems (ENDS).
Recent Related News:
i.According to the ‘Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, June to November
2023 Outlook’ report released on May 29, 2023, by the United Nation (UN) agencies of Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), globally Hunger is set to worsen in 18
‘hotspots’ comprising a total of 22 countries including the regions in India’s neighbours countries of Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Myanmar.
ii.According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s 11th edition ‘World of Work’, the global
unemployment is projected to fall below pre pandemic levels to 191 million, corresponding to
an unemployment rate of 5.3% in 2023.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Established in – 1948

BANKING & FINANCE

CRED launched RuPay credit card-based UPI payments
CRED, a Bengaluru (Karnataka) based fintech company, in collaboration with the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), introduced RuPay credit card-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments
for CRED members.
Features and Benefits:
i.Members of CRED can now use their RuPay credit cards to make payments to merchants via UPI.
ii.This integration enables members to complete transactions quickly and securely with a simple scan using
their linked RuPay credit card.
iii.It also eliminates the requirement to carry physical cards, enabling seamless payments using saved cards
and the benefit of tracking and clearing bills right on the CRED app.
iv.It can enable customers to earn more rewards on their UPI transactions through their credit cards on CRED.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 12

 Key Points:
i.Multiple payment options for UPI will be now available for the CRED members such as linking their Rupay
Credit Card, Peer-to-Peer (P2P), Scan and Pay, and paying on online merchants.
ii.CRED supports RuPay credit cards issued by banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, BOB
Financial Solutions, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Union Bank.
Note: Currently, the CRED app is the 4th most preferred UPI app.
About CRED:
Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Kunal Shah
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established in– 2018

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s Q1 FY24 Fiscal Deficit at Rs 4.51 Trillion, 25% of Annual Target
Based on the data released by Controller General of Accounts(CGA) under Department of Expenditure,
Ministry of Finance on 31st July 2023, the fiscal deficit for first quarter(Q1 – April 2023 to June 2023) stood
at Rs 4.51 trillion(USD 54.86 billion) as against the full year estimate of Rs 17.86 trillion, accounting
for 25.3% of annual estimates for the financial year 2023-2024(FY2024).
• It was lower at Rs 3.5 trillion or 21.2% of the Budget estimate in the corresponding period in FY
2022-2023 (FY23).

• The rise in fiscal deficit is attributed to increased capital expenditure and accelerated tax devolution
to state governments, which offset the sharp increase in non-tax revenues.
Key Points:
i.Capital Expenditure (Capex) Surge:
• Capex increased significantly to Rs 2.78 trillion in June 2023 quarter.
• This marked a substantial rise from Rs 1.75 trillion in the same period the previous year.
ii.Non-tax revenues:
Total non-tax revenue for Q1 in FY2024 was Rs 1,54,968 crore or 51.4 % of the budget estimates against 23.1%

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 13

for the same period last year. Dividends and profits made up 105% of the non-tax revenue, adding up to Rs
91,000 crore.
Other Observation:
i.Receipts and Tax Revenues:
• Total receipts for April-June reached Rs 5.99
trillion, constituting 22.1% of annual estimates.
• Tax receipts contributed Rs 4.3 trillion, equivalent
to 18.6% of annual estimates.
ii.Total Expenditure Increase:
• Total expenditure grew notably to Rs 10.5 trillion
in June 2023 quarter.
• This represents 23.3% of annual estimates, a
significant rise from Rs 5.86 trillion in the previous
year’s period.
iii.Fiscal Deficit Target:
• Government’s aim: Reduce fiscal deficit to 5.9% of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in FY 2023-24
against 6.4% last year.
iv.Non-Tax Revenue Surge:
• Net tax revenues contracted by 14%.
• Non-tax revenues surged by 149%, driven by factor like RBI dividend transfer of Rs 87,416 crore in
May 2023 for FY2023
v.Expenditure Composition: Within total revenue expenditure of Rs 7.72 trillion at June quarter-end:
• Interest payments accounted for Rs 2.44 trillion and Rs 87,035.14 crore directed toward subsidies.
About Fiscal Deficit:
• It is the excess of total spending from the Consolidated Fund of India(excluding repayment of the
debt) over total receipts into the fund (excluding the debt receipts) during a financial year.
• Formula: Fiscal Deficit = Total expenditure of the government (capital and revenue expenditure) –
Total income of the Government (Revenue Receipt + Recovery of loans + Other receipts).

RIL & Brookfield Asset Management signed MoU to Manufacture RE & Decarbonisation
Equipment in Australia
Brookfield Asset Management signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Industries Limited
(RIL) to explore opportunities to manufacture renewable energy and decarbonization equipment in
Australia. The MoU with RIL is a part of Brookfield’s efforts to bring global manufacturing technology and
expertise to Australia.
• The MoU aims to accelerate and de-risk Australia’s energy transition by enabling it to locally
produce clean energy equipment such as photovoltaic (PV) modules, long-duration battery storage,
and components for wind energy which will help Australia transition to a net zero future
• Under the MoU, Brookfield will work with RIL to explore direct capital investment and development
of skills, knowledge and expertise in the renewable energy sector of Australia to facilitate the
nation’s transition to a net zero future.
• The two companies will evaluate the operations in Australia to make/or assemble equipment used
in the construction of renewable energy projects supplying equipment.
• Brookfield will utilize RIL’s expertise in solar panel technology and long-duration battery storage
technology.
Note: In March 2023, Brookfield signed a binding agreement with EIG Consortium to acquire Origin Energy. As
a part of the acquisition, Brookfield and its partners are set out a plan to invest between AUD 20 billion and
AUD 30 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate its energy transition.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 14

 AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2022/2023 NSTF-South32 Awards : Mohamed Reza Mia, Indian-origin South
African Won Innovation Award for Aircraft Project
Team of Johannesburg(South Africa) based Pegasus Universal Aerospace (PUA) Company, led by its
Chairman Mohamed Reza Mia, an Indian-origin South African, won the 2022/2023 National Science and
Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards under the category “Innovation Award: Small, Medium and
Micro Enterprise (SMME)” for outstanding contributions to Science, Engineering, Technology (SET) and
innovation in South Africa.

• The Innovation Award was won by the Pegasus Universal Aerospace team, recognised for the design
and development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
• The design and development of VTOL aircraft is expected to create between 7 000 and 11 000 new
jobs.
About Mohamed Reza Mia:
i.He is a healthcare practitioner, specialising as a General Practitioner, (GP), in Johannesburg,founded
the Pegasus Universal Aerospace (PUA) company in 2012 to make a small private jet with (VTOL) capability.
ii.By combining the best features of a helicopter and a business jet, that could be used for tricky rescue airlifts
and emergency air transportation.
About the Pegasus Aircraft:
i.The ‘Pegasus’ aircraft, a compact jet, excels in speed, range, payload, and passenger capacity, outperforming
traditional business jets without needing a runway.
ii.PUA, primarily self-funded is currently testing quarter-scale models that have a wing-span of 4 metres. PUA
also partnered with an automation and robotics company to further reach greater heights.
Note: The Pegasus Vertical Business Jet (VBJ) prototype was featured in the Hollywood movie “The Lost City”
released by Paramount Pictures in 2022.
Another Innovation Category Award:
i.LignOrganics, a bio-manufacturing company in SA also won the award for the category, Innovation Award:
SMME.
ii.LignOrganics is the first on the African continent to produce sulphur-free lignin and the first in the world to
achieve ‘total biomass valorisation’.
About NSTF Awards 2023:
25th edition of 2023 NSTF Awards held on 13th July 2023 and took place simultaneously in Cape Town and
Johannesburg, SA .It was sponsored by the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) under
the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of SA.
• The NSTF’s theme for 2023 is “Ocean Science for sustainable development”.
• This theme was selected in response to the United Nations (UN) proclamation of the decadal theme
of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development for 2021-2030.
• In 2023, NSTF introduced a “Special Annual Theme Award” for exceptional contributions to Ocean
Science for Sustainable Development through SET research and innovation.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 15

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
BSNL’s Shivendra Nath Appointed as CMD of EPI
On 27th July 2023, the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) panel selected Shivendra Nath for the post of
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Engineering Projects (India) Ltd (EPI), a Public Sector Undertaking
(PSU) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
• He is currently serving as the Senior General Manager of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a
PSU under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.
• He will replace Dhirendra Singh Rana, the incumbent CMD of EPI, who took charge in 2019 and is
scheduled to retire on September 30, 2023.
• As CMD of EPI, Shivendra Nath will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company and will be
accountable to its board and directors.
About Shivendra Nath:
i.Shivendra Nath, a distinguished 1994-batch Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) officer, started his
engineering career in 1994 as the Engineering Project Manager of the Personnel & Training (P&T) Department,
Indian Engineering Services through UPSC.
ii.He served as the Chief Engineer at BSNL till September 2020.
iii.He assumed the role of Superintending Engineer at Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) until
January 2021.
About Engineering Projects (India) Ltd (EPI):
EPI was incorporated in April 1970 as the Indian Consortium for Industrial Projects Ltd. consortium of 7
PSUs.
It was renamed Engineering Projects (India) Ltd. in December 1970.
CMD– Dhirendra Singh Rana
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established in– 1965

MFIN Elects Udaya Kumar Hebbar as Its Chairperson

On 31st July 2023, Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) elected Udaya Kumar Hebbar as Chairperson
and Manoj Kumar Nambiar as the Vice Chairperson in its 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Delhi.

Udaya Kumar Hebbar

i.Udaya Kumar Hebbar assumed the position from Devesh Sachdev, MD & CEO of Fusion Micro Finance Ltd. on
completion of his respective term.
ii.Hebbar is the Managing Director (MD)of CreditAccess Grameen Ltd.
Manoj Kumar Nambiar
i.Manoj Kumar Nambiar assumed the position from Vivek Tiwari, MD & CEO of Satya MicroCapital Ltd. on
completion of his respective term.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 16

 • Previously Manoj Kumar Nambiar was elected as a Chairperson of MFIN in 2019 and was re-elected
in 2020.
ii.Nambiar is the MD of Arohan Financial Services Ltd.(an Aavishkaar Group company).
About Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN):
i.MFIN was established in 2009 as an Industry Association for Non-Banking Financial Companies –
Microfinance Institutions (NBFC-MFI).
ii.In 2014, MFIN was recognized by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as India’s first Self-Regulatory Organization
(SRO) for the NBFC-MFIs.
Chairman- Udaya Kumar Hebbar
Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
Established- 2009

Prof Ganesan Kannabiran takes over as new NAAC Director

On 28th July 2023, Professor Ganesan Kannabiran, a former Dean of Research & Consultancy and Director in
charge of the National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Trichy (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu) assumed charge as
the new Director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and
his tenure will be for 5 years.
• He replaced Prof. S. C. Sharma, who served as the Director of NAAC from May 2018 to May 2023.
About Ganesan Kannabiran:
i.He established the Center for Subject Matter Expert (SME) Research Development and led the institutional-
level ‘Strategic Planning Group’ assisting in a major goal-oriented transformation at NIT-Tiruchirappalli.
ii.He also served as Director in charge of NIT Puducherry (Karaikal, Puducherry).
iii.He was the founding Director of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Sri City, Chittoor,
Andhra Pradesh (An Institute of National Importance) and led the institution from 2018 to 2023.
iv.He founded 2 Section 8 Companies (Center for Entrepreneurship Development and Incubation (CEDI) at NIT
Trichy and Gyan Circle Ventures at IIIT Sri City, Andhra Pradesh).
v.He serves as a member of the Academic Advisory Committee of Project Management Institute India.
vi.He is also a member of the Computer Society of India and the Indian Society for Training and Development.
About National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC):
It is an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Established in 1994.
It conducts assessment and accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).
Chairman of Executive Committee– Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe
Director– Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka.

IMPORTANT DAYS
World FinTech Day 2023 – 1st August
World FinTech Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st August to celebrate and recognize financial
technology and its transformative impact on the global financial industry.
Fintech:
i.Financial technology, or Fintech, refers to the use of technology in delivering financial services which ranges
from mobile banking and cryptocurrency to investment services and online lending.
ii.Fintech has democratized access to financial services, enabling more people to participate in the global
economy.
iii.Fintech has revolutionized the banking sector by introducing faster, more efficient, and customer-centric
services

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 17

 Why August 1?
i.August 1st marks the death anniversary of Cosimo de’ Medici in 1464.
ii.Medici was a 15th-century Italian politician and banker who established the Medici Bank and influenced the
present-day banking system.
Recent Fintech innovations:
• Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
• Robo-advisors
• Mobile Payments and Digital Wallets
• Peer-to-Peer Lending
Additional Info:
• The global blockchain in banking and financial services market is reported to have experienced
significant growth, increasing from USD($)1.89 billion (roughly Rs. 15,552 crore) in 2022 to USD
3.07 billion (roughly Rs. 25,262 crore) in 2023.
• This growth reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 62.1 percent during this period.

Muslim Women Rights Day 2023 – 1st August

The Muslim Women’s Rights Day is annually celebrated across India on 1st August to commemorate the
enactment of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which prohibits the practice of
triple talaq in India.

• 1st August 2023 marks the observance of the 4th Muslim Women’s Rights Day.
• The legislation declared that triple talaq is a cognizable and non-bailable offense and shall also
sentence any such perpetrator to three years of imprisonment.
• The 1st ever Muslim Women Rights Day was observed on 1st August 2020.
Triple talaq:
i.The term ‘Talaq’ derives from Arabic verse which means ‘freeing or undoing the knot‘ that refers to a
divorce or dissolution of marriage.
ii.It is the practice prevalent in the Muslim community that allows a husband to instantly divorce his wife by
uttering ‘talaq’ three times.
iii.Under Muslim law, Triple talaq means liberty from the relationship of marriage, eventually or immediately.
iv.This instant divorce is called Triple Talaq, also known as Talaq-e-biddat.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 18

Background:
In August 2017, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had declared the practice of talaq-e-biddat (a heretical
form of divorce based on a husband pronouncing divorce thrice in quick succession) as unconstitutional.The
bill faced opposition in the Rajya Sabha, leading to its initial stall, but it was reintroduced and successfully
passed by both Houses of Parliament in July 2019.
i.The Triple talaq bill also known as the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, was
passed by the Indian Parliament on 30th July 2019, to make instant Triple talaq in any form such as spoken,
written, or by electronic means void and a criminal offense.
ii.Then President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill on 1st August 2019 and criminalized triple talaq
in India.
iii.In 2020,Ministry of Minority Affairs was initiated to commemorate the ‘Muslim Mahila Adhikar Diwas’
(Muslim Women’s Rights Day) on August 1.
Triple talaq in other nations:
• Egypt was the first most Muslim populated country abolished Triple Talaq in 1929. Sudan in 1929,
Pakistan in 1956, Bangladesh in 1972, Iraq in 1959, Syria in 1953 and Malaysia in 1969 abolished
the practice of Triple Talaq.
• Cyprus, Jordan, Algeria, Iran, Brunei, Morocco, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) also had declared
the Triple Talaq as unconstitutional many years ago.
About Ministry of Minority Affairs:
Union Minister- Smriti Zubin Irani (Constituency-Amethi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)- John Barla

STATE NEWS
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Launches LEAP Coworks for KSUM Beneficiaries
On 1st August 2023, Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Statewide membership card of
Kerala Startup Mission’s (KSUM) ‘LEAP (Launch, Empower, Accelerate, Prosper) Coworks’ and also
inaugurated the refurbished headquarters of the KSUM at the Thejaswini Building in Technopark Phase 1 in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

• Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also inaugurated the operations of first phase of the new India’s
first Digital Science Park.
Note – Kerala has achieved significant milestones with the establishment of India’s first Digital
University named Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology ,as well as India’s first
technology park.
LEAP Coworks:
i.It is an initiative of Kerala government’s mission to transform industry incubators into co-working spaces to
provide innovation and collaboration for a startup ecosystem by offering infrastructure, workspaces, meeting
rooms, internet connectivity for a productive work environment.
ii.Under this initiative, the new KSUM headquarters in Technopark will be rebranded as LEAP Coworks space.

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 19

iii.KSUM will continue to provide mentorship programs, business development assistance, access to funding
opportunities, and expert guidance.
iv.Through LEAP, KSUM will introduce flexible membership plans to accommodate the various needs of the
startups, including hot desks, dedicated desks and private office spaces.
LEAP Coworks membership card:
i.The launch of the LEAP Coworks membership will provide startups, professionals, angel investors, and
venture capitalists with unparalleled access to KSUM’s premium facilities.
ii.The membership card offers subsidised access to all LEAP center facilities and allow access to book Flexi
Workstations and KSUM’s partner incubation centers across Kerala.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister- Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor- Arif Mohammed Khan
Festival- Thiruvathira, Pooram
Stadium- EMS Stadium, Jimmy George Indoor Stadium

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.

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

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 20

Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 21
Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 22
Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 23
Report Errors in the PDF - ebooks@affairscloud.com Copyright 2014-2023 @ AffairsCloud.com 24