international...it consists of four apr-1400 nuclear reactors (one operational, three mostly...

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Guyana:

Guyana officially the Co-operative Republic of

Guyana. It is considered part of the Caribbean

region because of its strong cultural, historical,

and political ties with other Anglo-Caribbean

countries and the Caribbean Community

(CARICOM). Guyana is bordered by the

Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the

west, and Suriname to the east. It is the is the third-smallest sovereign state on

mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname. Its Capital is

Georgetown and the currency used here is Guyanese dollar.

Recently, former Guyanese housing minister, Mohamed Irfaan Ali has been

appointed as the President and former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence

Force, Brigadier (retired) and Mark Anthony Phillips has been sworn in as

Prime Minister of Guyana. Meanwhile, former President Bharrat Jagdeo has

been sworn in as Vice President.

Mohamed Irfaan Ali who will succeed Davit Arthur(A) Granger is a member of

the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) while Mark Anthony Phillips

served as the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force from 2013 to 2016.

David A. Granger is a member of A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance

for Change (ANPU-AFC).

UAE:

It refers to the United Arab Emirates. UAE is sometimes

simply called the Emirates. It is a Sovereign State in

Western Asia at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula

on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi

Arabia to the south and west, as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to

the west and Iran to the north. Its Capital is Abu Dhabi. In December 1971, the

UAE became a federation of six emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman,

Umm Al-Quwain, and Fujairah, while the seventh emirate, Ras Al Khaimah,

joined the federation in 1972. The currency used here is United Arab Emirates

dirham. The current President is Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

International


Recently, UAE became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear

energy with the Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Plant in Abu Dhabi, getting

operational. It got operational on 31 July 2020.

Barakah Nuclear Plant: It is the first nuclear power station in the Arabian

Peninsula, and the first commercial nuclear power station in the Arab World.

The plant is powered by South Korean technology and is situated in the Al

Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi.

It consists of four APR-1400 nuclear reactors (one operational, three mostly

completed). It seeks to produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and meet up to 25%

of the UAE’s electricity needs.

This new plant will help UAE to become less reliant on oil and gas, which is the

current source of the vast majority of its energy and move towards sustainable

energy sources.

Hiroshima Day:

Hiroshima Day is observed every year on 6th of August

to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing in

Hiroshima during World War II.

In 1945 atomic bomb named “Little Boy” was dropped

on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6 by United States, followed a few

days later by another drop named “Fat Man”, plutonium implosion bomb over

Nagasaki on 9th August 1945. This was the first time in the history of warfare

when a nuclear bomb was used against a nation.

The bomb attack was done in the motive to end the Second World War in 1945.

Although these bombings effectively ended World War II, the two cities were

terribly destroyed and casualties were estimated at around 200,000, mostly

civilians.

This day is observed to promote peace and spread awareness about the danger

of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. The first ceremony of Hiroshima day

was held in 1947.

Recently, the 75th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing was

observed at the Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park. Due to the ongoing


pandemic only the survivors and their family with the reserved dignitaries along

with the Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan conducted the event.

At the event, Kazumi Matsui, the mayor of Hiroshima renewed a “Peace

Declaration” and appealed to the government of Japan to approve a 2017 United

Nations treaty proposing the elimination of Nuclear power.

Japan: Japan is an island country located in East Asia. It is made up of 6,852

islands. The Japanese name for Japan is Nihon or Nippon which means sun

origin. It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to

the east, and spans from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea

and Philippine Sea in the south. Tokyo is the capital of Japan. The currency

used there is Japanese Yen. The current Prime Minister of Japan is Shinzo Abe.

Lebanon:

Lebanon, officially known as the Republic of Lebanon, is

a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the

north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies

west across the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated by the

Lebanon Mountains and has taken on a triangular shape. It is largely influenced

by its situation between and atop two hills: Al-Musaytibah and Al-Ashrafieh.

The capital of Lebanon is Beirut. The currency used here is Lebanese pound.

The current President of Lebanon is Michel Aoun.

Recently, Lebanon declared two-week state of emergency as there was a

massive explosion at Lebanon’s capital Beirut which has killed more than 135,

around 5,000 injured. The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the

city, causing widespread damage as far as the outskirts of Beirut.

The explosion occurred at the time when a UN tribunal is set to give its verdict

in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri,

who was killed in a truck bomb attack. The country has been bracing for the

aftermath of the verdict of the case, which has at its core the age-old Shia-Sunni

rift.

Officials linked the cause of the explosion to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated

ammonium nitrate that was being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Multiple reports suggest fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been


the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of

Beirut.

Srilanka:

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri

Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the

Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the

southeast of the Arabian Sea. The capitals of Srilanka are Colombo and Sri

Jayawardenepura Kotte. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

while Colombo is the largest city and center of commerce. The currency used

here is Sri Lankan rupee. The current President and Prime Minister of Srilanka

are Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa respectively.

Recently, the ruling party led by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa registered a landslide

victory in Parliamentary elections. The 74-year-old Sri Lanka People's Party

leader was sworn in as Sri Lanka's prime minister at a historic Buddhist temple.

He took an oath of office for the ninth Parliament at the sacred Rajamaha

Viharaya in Kelaniya, a north Colombo suburb.

The party led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and its allies have secured

two-thirds seats at the general elections that was held on 5 August 2020. Sri

Lanka People’s party (SLPP) has won 145 seats in the 225-member parliament,

while the allies have managed to clinch more than 5 seats.

https://www.civilserviceindia.com/


VVM:

It refers to a national programme named Vidyarthi

Vigyan Manthan. The ‘VVM, 2020-21’ was

recently launched by the Union Minister for Health

and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

VMM is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), in collaboration with Vigyan

Prasar, an autonomous organization under the Department of Science and

Technology, and NCERT, an institution under the Ministry of Education. It has

been conceptualized to identify the bright minds with a scientific aptitude

among the student community.

The main aim of launching this programme is to popularize science among

school students of Class VI to XI. The programme has been designed to identify

the talent in the field of science and to promote the scientific acumen among the

students.

Ministry of Shipping: The Ministry of Shipping is a branch of the Government

of India (GoI). It is the apex body for formulation and administration of the

rules and regulations and laws relating to shipping. It was founded in 2018.

Maritime transport is a critical infrastructure for the social and economic

development of a country. It represents the pace, structure and pattern of

development of water transport in the country. The Ministry of Shipping

encompasses the shipping and port sectors which include shipbuilding and

repair, major ports, national waterways and inland water transport. The ministry

has been entrusted with the responsibility to formulate policies and programmes

on these subjects and their implementation. The current Minister responsible for

the Ministry of Shipping is Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Minister of State

(Independent Charge).

Recently, the Ministry of Shipping separated the operation routes for merchant

vessels and fishing vessels in South-West Indian waters. The new routes came

into force with effect from 1st August 2020. The coordinates of the routing

system in south-west of Indian waters is notified by DG Shipping through M.S.

Notice-11 of 2020.

National


This step has been taken by the Ministry keeping in view safety and efficiency

of navigation. It will not only reduce instances of collision but will also provide

ease in flow of traffic along with enhancing protection of marine environment.

The Arabian Sea around the south-west coast of India is a busy sea route with

ample number of merchant ships and fishing vessels passing through the area, it

sometimes causes accidents between them, resulting in damage of property,

sometimes loss of lives and even environmental pollution.

Union Minister for State for Shipping (I/C) Mansukh Mandaviya said that the

decision reflects the India's commitment for ensuring ease of navigation in

Indian waters.

World Sanskrit Day:

The World Sanskrit Day, also known as

Vishvasamskritadinam or VishwaSanskritDiwas. It is

an annual event focused around the ancient language of

Sanskrit that incorporates lectures about the language.

The day commemorates the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit and aims to

promote its revival and maintenance. It attributes the rich culture of India. The

Day is celebrated on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan that falls on the full moon

day of the Hindu month of Shravana. The Sanskrit organization Samskrita

Bharati is involved in promoting the day. The Sanskrit Divas was celebrated for

the first time celebrated in 1969.

Recently, World Sanskrit 2020 was celebrated on the 3rd of August. The day

aims to educate younger generations of the history and the significance of the

language.

Sanskrit: Sanskrit is an old Indo-Arya language and is believed to be originated

in India. Sanskrit in literary terms is classified into two different periods, the

Vedic and Classical. In the Vedas sacred texts, Vedic Sanskrit is found mainly

in the Rig Veda, the Puranas and the Upanishads. The Vedas were composed in

the period 1000 to 500 BCE. The Sanskrit language in written form is traced

back to the 2nd millennium BCE when the Rig Veda a collection of hymns is

assumed to have been written. The Sanskrit language is also termed as Dev

Vani means God's language. It is known to be one of the oldest languages in the

world.


Sanskrit language has the largest vocabulary of about 102 arab 78 crore 50 lakh

words. Many languages find its roots in Sanskrit including Hindi, Gujarati, and

Bengali.

Some interesting facts about Sanskrit language is that has an organised

grammatical structure. A person can express himself or herself in Sanskrit in

one word only as the vowels and consonants are arranged in a scientific pattern.

Sanskrit is used in Indian classical music like Carnatic and Hindustani.

Everyone in Mattur in Shimoga district of Karnataka speaks in Sanskrit

language.

It is an official language of Uttarakhand.

The only Sanskrit newspaper in the world is called Sudharma. This daily

newspaper has been published since 1970 from Mysore, Karnataka.

Some of the eminent Sanskrit authors are Panini, Patanjali, Adi Shankaracharya,

Ved Vyas, Kalidas etc.

There is a University in America dedicated to Sanskrit. NASA too has a

department for research on Sanskrit manuscripts.

Sanskrit is the most computer friendly language. According to NASA scientist

Rick Briggs, Sanskrit is the only unambiguous language in existence.

National Handloom Day:

This day is celebrated on 7th August in India every year.

It is celebrated to honour the handloom weavers in the

country and also highlight the handloom industry. The

handloom industry is the most ancient industry of India

and plays a very significant role in the country's economy since the very

beginning.

The Day also highlights the contribution of handloom to the socio-economic

development of the country and increases the income of the weavers.

August 7 was first declared as National Handloom Day in 2015 by the

Government of India (GoI). The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centenary Hall of Madras University

in Chennai.


This day was chosen as National Handloom Day to commemorate Swadeshi

movement that was launched in 1905 on the very same day. The Swadeshi

movement was launched in Calcutta Town Hall to protest against partition of

Bengal by the British Government. The movement had aimed at reviving

domestic products and production processes.

Recently, the Celebration of 6th National Handloom Day 2020 was inaugurated

by the Textiles Minister Smriti Irani. She, on the occasion, launched a Mobile

app and a portal to propagate the handloom industry.

The Handloom portal was launched with an aim to connect weavers and other

stakeholders digitally so that people can get information regarding programmes

launched by the textile Ministry.

India's first Handloom Craft Village Sharan in Himachal Pradesh was also

launched by her. Soon, 10 handloom craft villages too are to be launched to

promote local weaved products.

Kisan Rail:

It is India’s first ‘Kisan Rail’ services to transport

perishable goods. It began on the 7th of August from

Devlali in Maharashtra’s Nashik and to Danapur in

Bihar. The train will cover the journey of 1,519

kilometres in over 31 hours. The train was flagged off

via video conferencing by the Union Minister of

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

This is the first such train, carrying vegetables and fruits, that would run

between Maharashtra and Bihar. The train with frozen containers is expected to

build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of fish,

meat and milk.

The launch of Kisan Rail by Indian Railways is a step towards realizing the goal

of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.


Quit India Movement:

Quit India Movement is also called the India August

Movement or August Kranti Din. It is considered as one of the

important milestones in the history of freedom struggle of

India.

On 8 Aug 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to end the

British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the session of the All-

India Congress Committee at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai.

The Quit India Movement was launched after Cripps mission failed. Gandhiji

made a Do or Die call through the movement. The movement also created

slogans such as “Bharat Chodo”, and “Quit India”. India too was facing havoc

due to World War. The movement was crushed as it didn’t get support from

outside. The British refused to grant immediate independence saying it could

happen only after the war ended.

Recently, the 78th anniversary of the August Kranti Din was observed on 8

August 2020. The Nation paid homage to the freedom fighters and remembered

the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs during the freedom struggle.

KVIC:

It refers to the Khadi and Village Industries

Commission. The KVIC is a statutory body formed

in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the

Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries

Commission Act of 1956'. It is an apex organization

under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with

regard to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to - "plan,

promote, facilitate, organize and assist in the establishment and development of

khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other

agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary." It took over the

work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board on April 1957. It

is headquartered in Mumbai. The current Chairman of KVIC is Vinai Saxena.

Indian policy News


Recently, the Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

(MSME), Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the Khadi’s Gift Box of Silk Mask that

has been developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

The gift box comprises of 4 handcrafted silk masks in different colors and

prints. These triple-layered silk masks are skin-friendly, washable, reusable as

well as bio-degradable. A large Indian population looking for reasonably priced

gift items. This apt product comes at a reasonable price and it seeks to celebrate

the spirit of festivals while also ensuring safety as well. The Khadi’s Gift Box

that has been launched will not only tap the foreign market but will also provide

the artisans with sustainable livelihood during the most difficult time of

COVID-19 crisis.

MoMSME:

It is an acronym for Ministry of Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises. MoMSME a branch of the

Government of India (GoI), is the apex executive body

for the formulation and administration of rules,

regulations and laws relating to micro, small and medium enterprises in India. It

was founded in 2007. The current Ministers in charge of MoMSME are Giriraj

Singh (MOS independent charge) and Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister).

Recently, the Union Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari approved of a

unique employment generation program named “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar

Mission” (KAAM). The programme was proposed by the Khadi and Village

Industries Commission (KVIC) to make India Aatmanirbhar in Agarbatti

production. The pilot project is to be launched soon and on full-fledged

implementation of the project, thousands of jobs will be created in the Agarbatti

industry.

Under this scheme, KVIC will offer automatic Agarbatti making machines and

powder mixing machines to the artisans via the successful private Agarbatti

manufacturers. KVIC would procure only locally made machines by Indian

manufacturers which also seek to encourage local production. It will be

launched in PPP mode and will require very less investment which will create

sustainable employment and help private Agarbatti manufacturers to scale up

Agarbatti production without any capital investment by them.


The main aim of KAAM scheme is to generate employment for unemployed

and migrant workers in different parts of the nation while increasing the

domestic Agarbatti production substantially. KVIC will offer 25% subsidy on

the cost of the machines and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from

the artisans in the form of easy monthly installments.

Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel:

It is the new initiative of National Cooperative

Development Corporation's YouTube channel named

'Sahakar Cooptube NCDC India.' The channel was

launched by the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra

Singh Tomar to encourage farmers and the youth to take benefit of

cooperatives. Videos on formation and registration of cooperatives for 18 states

in Hindi and regional languages were also released by him. The videos are to be

aired on the new channel.

The guidance videos in different languages covering 18 states have been

released to strengthen and deepen the major measures taken by Government of

India to promote and form 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). In

due course time, more stated are to be added to the collection of guidance

videos on Sahakar Cooptube NCDC India channel on YouTube.

NCDC: It refers to the National Cooperative Development Corporation. NCDC

is a statutory Corporation set up under an Act of Indian Parliament on 13 March

1963. The main objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes

for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural

produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock and certain other notified

commodities and services on cooperative principles and for matters concerned

therewith or incidental thereto. The Minister currently responsible for NCDC is

the Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.

NCDC has achieved tremendous success with a cumulative financial assistance

to cooperatives to the tune of Rs 1,54,000 crore.


Minister of Commerce and Industry:

The Minister of Commerce and Industry is the head of the

Ministry of Commerce and Industry and one of the cabinet

ministers of the Government of India. The first Minister of

Commerce and Industry of independent India was Syama

Prasad Mukherjee. The current Union Minister is Piyush Goyal of the Bharatiya

Janata Party.

Recently, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal

inaugurated the National Digital Conference on “Easing Doing Business for

Atmanirbhar Bharat”. This conference was organized by the Confederation of

Indian Industry (CII) with the Department for Promotion of Investment and

Internal Trade (DPIIT) to improve the business environment of India.

The one-day virtual conference provided a forum to enhance the regulatory

reform of the government in various indicators of doing business. The

Conference deliberated on a range of issues like:

1. Major regulatory reforms undertaken by the government across various

indicators of doing business.

2. Assess their on-ground implementation.

3. Disseminate best practices from various states.

4. Crucial policy issues requiring redressal.

5. Identify a sustainable action plan for improving the business environment

across sectors and states.


SpaceX's Demo-2 Crew Dragon spacecraft:

After a two-month trip to International Space Station, the

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour carrying NASA

astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley returned to

Earth recently splashed down off the Pensacola, Florida

coast in the Gulf of Mexico successfully.

The splashdown is the first water landing since 1975, when the NASA

astronauts on the joint Apollo-Soyuz test mission returned home.

It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first

commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit.

The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next

month and possible tourist flights next year.

NIDM:

It refers to the National Institute of Disaster Management.

NIDM, is a premier institute for training and capacity

development programs for managing natural disasters in

India, on a national as well as regional basis. The NIDM

came into existence since October 16, 2003 by a Government

of India order upgrading the National Centre for Disaster

Management (NCDM), which was located at Indian Institute of Public

Administration, New Delhi. The present name of National Institute of Disaster

Management (NIDM) by the Disaster Management Act 2005 was passed by

President of India on 9 January 2006. The NCDM was established by the

Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation,

Government of India, in March 1995.

Under the Disaster Management Act 2005, NIDM has been assigned nodal

responsibilities for human resource development, capacity building, training,

research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster

management.

Recently, NIDM in collaboration with India Meteorological Department

organized a webinar series on “Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk

Science and Technology


Reduction”. The webinar was inaugurated by Minister of State for Home

Affairs, Nityanand Rai.

The webinar series were comprised of 4 webinars. The webinar series focussed

on issues related to Thunderstorms and Lightning, Cloudburst and Floods,

Cyclones and Storm Surges and Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events.

The main aim of this webinar series is to provide a valuable understanding on

the Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk and effective collaborative actions in

order to reduce the risk and increasing the resilience of affected communities

and surroundings.

IPL:

It refers to the Indian Premier League.

IPL was founded by the Board of

Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in

2008. The league is a professional

Twenty20 cricket league in India

which is contested during March or

April and May of every year by 8

teams representing 8 different cities in India.

Recently, the Government of India (GoI) provisionally granted permission for

the 13th edition of Indian Premier League’s (IPL’s) 2020 to be rescheduled in

the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 to November 10, 2020,

due to COVID-19 outbreak. The squad size of each franchise is capped at 24

players.

BCCI has also taken the decision to host a Women’s T20 Challenge which is to

be held from November 1 to 10 in UAE.

The three venues of the tournament are Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dabi. No

spectators are to be allowed in the initial phase of the tournament.

The finals will be the first-ever weekday final in the history of the tournament

as the IPL governing council postponed the tournament final to November 10 to

adhere to the broadcaster’s request.

Sports News


AITA:

It is the abbreviation for All India Tennis Association.

AITA is the governing body of tennis in India. It was

established in March 1920 and affiliated by

International Tennis Federation and Asian Tennis

Federation. It operates all of the Indian national

representative tennis sides, including the India Davis

Cup team, the India Fed Cup team and youth sides as well. It is also responsible

for organising and hosting tennis tournaments within India and scheduling the

home international fixtures. The current President of AITA is Praveen Mahajan.

Recently, AITA has made it mandatory for all junior players competing at the

nationals to undergo an age-verification test called the Tanner-Whitehouse 3

(TW3). This step is being taken by AITA due to a case in Chandigarh.

TW3 Test: It is the most popular age-verification test is called the Tanner-

Whitehouse 3 (TW3), being used by the BCCI and proposed by AITA. TW3

essentially involves an x-ray of the left wrist to check what stage of bone fusion

a child has reached. Up until the age of 17 for boys and 15 for girls, this test can

give an approximate age. However, this test becomes redundant after the age of

17 for boys and 15 for girls, because a child at that age is considered to have a

matured body with complete bone fusion.

Assessments of skeletal maturity are made from handwrist radiographs, using

either the method of Greulich-Pyle (GP), Tanner-Whitehouse (TW) or FELS

method.

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club:

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, commonly known as

Mohun Bagan, is a major Indian multi-sport club

based in the Kolkata, India. It was founded 15

August 1889. It is an Indian sports club best known

for its association football team, one of the oldest

football clubs in Asia. Mohun Bagan was established

by three famous aristocratic Bengali families of North Kolkata. Bhupendra Nath

Bose was the first president of the club. In 1911, Mohun Bagan created history

by becoming the first Indian club to win the IFA Shield after defeating East

Yorkshire Regiment 2–1 on 29 July. This win was considered a landmark


victory in the Indian freedom struggle so 29 July is celebrated as Mohun Bagan

Day.

Recently, Mohun Bagan went global as it became the country’s first-ever

football club to feature on NASDAQ billboards in New York’s Times Square.

SAI:

It is the acronym for sports Authority of

India. SAI is the apex national sports body of

India. It was founded by Ministry of Youth

Affairs and Sports of Government of India

(GoI) on 25 January 1984 as a Society under

the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It was

set up with a twin objective of broad-basing of sports and to achieve excellence

at the national and international level. It is headquartered in New Delhi. The

current Director General of SAI is Sandip Pradhan.

Recently, the Government of India (GoI) launched the Target Olympic Podium

Scheme (TOPS) for the country’s promising junior athletes. The scheme was

launched with an aim to groom the young talents for medal glory at the 2024

and 2028 Olympics.

Under this scheme, the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) ‘Mission Olympic

Cell’ (MOC) has shortlisted 258 athletes in 12 sporting disciplines for TOPS

Junior, including the 85 selected before the lockdown, who will be part of the

‘Developmental Group’. The selected athletes will receive a monthly ‘Out Of

Pocket’ allowance of Rs 25,000.

Of the 12 disciplines, 70 athletes have been shortlisted in shooting, 27 in

badminton, 16 in athletics, 34 in archery, 4 in cycling, 7 in table tennis, 14 in

swimming, 36 in boxing, 11 in judo, 16 in weightlifting, 5 in rowing and 18 in

wrestling.


Axis Bank:

Axis Bank is the third-largest private sector Indian

bank, and offers a range of financial products. The

bank has its head office in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It

was founded on 3 December 1993. The Bank offers the

entire spectrum of financial services to customer

segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, MSME,

Agriculture and Retail Businesses. It is one of the first new generation private

sector banks to have begun operations in 1994. The current CEO of Axis Bank

is Amitabh Chaudhry.

Recently, an Automated Voice Assistant ‘AXAA’ was launched by Axis Bank.

AXAA is an artificial intelligence-powered conversational voice BOT that can

communicate in English, Hindi and Hinglish. The Automated Voice Assistant

will function like a humanoid and has the ability to change the paradigm of

customer experience from conventional Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

system.

It seeks to enhance customer experience by enabling in-depth understanding of

their queries, its context and the intent of the call as it has the capacity to

address one lakh customer queries and requests per day.

RBI:

It refers to the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI is

India's central bank, which controls the issue and

supply of the Indian rupee. It carries out India's

monetary policy and exercises supervision and control

over banks and non-banking finance companies in

India. RBI was set up in 1935 under the Reserve Bank

of India Act, 1934. It is headquartered in Mumbai. RBI plays an important part

in the Development Strategy of the Government of India. The current Governor

of RBI is Shaktikanta Das.

Recently, RBI launched “Innovation Hub” for ideation and incubation of new

capabilities that can be leveraged to deepen financial inclusion.

Economic News


According to the statement given by the Apex Bank, the hub will encourage

start-ups and companies meet the challenges of financial inclusion and efficient

banking transactions. It will not only support, promote and hand-hold cross-

thinking spanning regulatory remits and national boundaries but will also help

in ideation and incubation of new capabilities. This in turn will help to deepen

financial inclusion in the country and promote efficient banking services.

The hub aims to bring solutions to the financial sector by tapping into areas

such as cybersecurity, data analytics, delivery platforms, and payment services.

Earlier, the RBI had taken several similar initiatives to encourage responsible

innovation. One such recent initiative is the “Regulatory Sandbox”. Six

proposals were accepted under the Sandbox, the pilot studies and trials of which

have been delayed on account of the present COVID-19 situation."

A Regulatory sandbox (RS) usually refers to live testing of new products or

services in a controlled/test regulatory environment for which regulators may

(or may not) permit certain relaxations for the limited purpose of testing.

Maharashtra:

Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region

of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan

Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west,

the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south,

Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya

Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli

and Daman and Diu to the north west. It was formed on 1 May 1960 by merging

the western and south-western parts of the Bombay State, Berar and Vidarbha,

and the north-western parts of the Hyderabad State and splitting Saurashtra (in

present-day Gujarat) by the States Reorganisation Act. Its capital is Mumbai.

The Chief Minister and the Governor of Maharashtra are Uddhav Thackeray

and Bhagat Singh Koshyari respectively.

Recently, the Union minister for state for HRD, Electronics and Communication

and IT, Sanjay Dhotre inaugurated ‘Bharat Air Fibre Services’ at Akola

Maharashtra.

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Bharat Air Fibre services have been launched by Bharat Sanchar Nigam

Limited (BSNL) in collaboration with local internet service providers who are

the partners of BSNL. It has been introduced as part of digital India initiative by

the Government of India (GoI). It aims to provide wireless connectivity in the

range of 20 km from the BSNL locations benefitting people in the remote areas.

The “Bharat Air Fibre Services” would be offered via local business partners of

BSNL from Akola & Washim District and these services will give fastest

internet connectivity in quick time.

Andhra Pradesh:

Andhra Pradesh is situated in the south-eastern part of

India. It came into existence in its present form in 1956 as

a result of the demand of the Andhras for a separate state.

Its Capital is Amaravati. The current Governor and the

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is Biswabhusan

Harichandan and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy respectively.

Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government launched an innovative virtual

cybercrime awareness programme named as ‘E-Raksha Bandhan’.

The main objective of this programme is to create awareness among the public

on Cyber crimes across the State. It is a month long online awareness

programme and it would be organised by the Crime Investigation Department

(CID), Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC),

Cyber Peace Foundation, FM Radio, and other organizations.

The State Government, with this online awareness drive, seeks to train as many

as 1 lakh women, girls and the general public up to 31st August so that the ‘E-

Raksha Bandhan’ programme will ensure the safety of women and children in

cyberspace. For this purpose, the slogan “Let us make August a month of e-

freedom and e-safety” has also been publicized by the State police and CID.


Haryana:

Haryana is a North Indian state surrounding New Delhi

on 3 sides. It is one of the 28 states in India, located in

the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the

former state of East Punjab on 1 November 1966 on a

linguistic basis. Since Haryana surrounds the country's capital Delhi on three

sides (north, west and south), consequently a large area of Haryana is included

in the economically-important National Capital Region for the purposes of

planning and development. The capital of Haryana is Chandigarh. The current

Chief Minister and Governor of Haryana are Manohar Lal Khattar and Satyadev

Narayan Arya respectively.

Recently, the Haryana government introduced a new scheme named

‘Samadhan-se-vikas’. It is a one-time settlement scheme for recovery of

External Development Charges (EDC).

Samadhan se Vikas scheme is modeled on the central scheme of ‘Vivad se

Vishwas-2020’. The scheme will be applicable to the full outstanding EDC

including interest as well as penal interest.

Haryana Government introduced this scheme, in a bid to recover the massive

sum that many real estate giants in Haryana who have not deposited hundreds of

crores of rupees worth mandatory External Development Charges (EDC) and

Infrastructural Development Charges (IDC) for the residential and commercial

colonies they have built across Haryana.

EDC: It means External Development Charges. the EDC is supposed to be paid

to the civic authorities by the developer for maintenance of civic amenities

within the periphery of the developed project including construction of roads,

water and electricity supply, landscaping, maintenance of drainage and waste

management, sewage systems, etc. The EDC is decided by the civic authorities.

IDC: It means Infrastructure Development Charges. IDC is paid by the real

estate developer to the State Government for the development of major

infrastructure projects across the state, which include the construction of

transportation networkd including bridges, hihgways etc.


PPP:

It refers to a unique identity card named Parivar Pehchan

Patra. It’s a unique e-governance initiative that will enable

the citizens to get the benefit of various central and state

government schemes at their doorsteps in a fair and

transparent manner.

PPP was recently launched by the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

with an aims to monitor each of the approximately 54 lakh families living

across the state. PPP is an initiative of the state government which is developed

by the team CMO (Chief Minister’s Office) for effective and efficient delivery

of central and state schemes to the people in a transparent way.

Under PPP, each family will be considered a single unit and allotted an 8-digit

unique identification number. In order to avail the benefits of social security

schemes of the state government, it is mandatory for each family to register

themselves on the PPP portal. The government has also made it mandatory for

employees to go for this PPP, failing which their salaries may also be withheld.

The reason of introducing PPP by Haryana government is that most of Haryana

government schemes are structured around the family and not around an

individual.

Unlike Aadhar Card which represents an individual as a unit, the new PPP

represents a family as a unit while Aadhaar represents an individual as a unit.

However, the new PPP will be taken into consideration only for any

government service or government benefit but other services such as opening a

bank account or a mobile phone, one needs to give their Aadhaar Card.

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are also exploring the possibility of

implementing a similar PPP project.

DNHDD:

It refers to the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar

Haveli and Daman and Diu. DNHDD is a union

territory in western India. It was created through the

merger of the former union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman

and Diu. Plans for the proposed merger were announced by the Government of


India (GoI) in July 2019 and the necessary legislation was passed in the

Parliament of India in December 2019 and came into effect on 26 January 2020.

The territory is made up of 4 separate geographical entities Dadra, Nagar

Haveli, Daman and the island of Diu. All 4 areas were part of Portuguese India

and came under Indian administration in the mid-20th century. The current

Administrator of DNHDD is Praful Patel.

Recently, the Union Territory (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and

Diu has launched a new mobile app named E-Gyan Mitra. E-Gyan Mitra app

launched by the Education Department of Daman Administration aims to

provide online education.

This app is becoming popular among the students and parents. Through E Gyan

Mitra, the students from primary till the higher secondary can take online

classes and give there test too.

Mizoram:

Mizoram is a mountainous region which became the

23rd state of the Indian Union in February 1987. It is

a state in northeastern India. It was previously part of

Assam until 1972, when it was carved out as a Union

Territory. It became the 23rd state of India, a step

above Union Territory, on 20 February 1987, with the Fifty-Third Amendment

of the Indian Constitution, 1986. It is the southernmost landlocked state. The

capital of Mizoram is Aizwal . The current Chief Minister and Governor of

Mizoram are Pu Zoramthanga and P.S. Sreedharan Pillai respectively.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent

charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel virtually inaugurated the world-class

“Thenzawl Golf Resort” Project in Mizoram. It was inaugurated in the presence

of Tourism Minister of Mizoram Shri Robert Romawia Royte and

Commissioner and Secretary for Tourism Department of Government of

Mizoram Smt. Esther Lal Ruatkimi in New Delhi.

The project has been implemented under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry

of Tourism, Government of India. It has been sanctioned under the Integrated

Development of New Eco Tourism for the North East Circuit at Thenzawl &

South Zote, District Serchhip and Reiek, Mizoram.


The Golf Course at Thenzawl sprawling in 105 acres with 75 acres of the play

area is designed by Graham Cooke and Associates which one of the top-ranked

Canada based Golf Course architectural firm. It is a 18 Hole Golf Course with

Sharing Fairway and automated sprinkler irrigation system by Rain Bird, USA.

The project is made keeping in mind the top-notch facilities of international

standards. There are 30 Eco log huts with the woods also which has been

imported from Russia. This Golf Course is different from others as it will

provide quality golfing experience and international facilities at a fair price.

Golf tourism in India particularly, has a strong potential since the climatic

condition is more favourable in the North-Eastern part of India as compared to

most countries. At present, India has more than 230 golf courses of which

several golf courses are of international standards.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme: The Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of

India (GoI) has formulated a plan scheme Swadesh Darshan for integrated

development of tourist circuits around specific themes. This scheme was

launched with an objective to develop thirteen theme-based tourist circuits in

the country.

Himachal Pradesh:

Himachal Pradesh is a northern Indian state in the Himalayas. It is situated in

the Western Himalayas, it is one of the eleven mountain states of India.

Himachal Pradesh shares borders with the union territories of Jammu and

Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of Punjab to the west, Haryana

to the southwest, and Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to the south. The state also

has a border with the autonomous region of Tibet to the east. Its summer capital

is shimla and winter capital is Dharamshala. The current Governor and Chief

Minister of Himachal Pradesh are Bandaru Dattatreya and Jai Ram Thakur

respectively.

Recently, the Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank laid the

foundation stone of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur in Himachal


Pradesh. The foundation stone was laid at a 210 acre land in Dhaula Kuan,

Himachal Pradesh in virtual mode.

Earlier, in 2014, the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi

had taken decision to establish seven new IIMs including IIM Sirmaur. It was

announced on 15th August 2014 that the IIM for Himachal Pradesh would be

set up at Dhaulakuan in the Sirmaur district.

Sashidhar Jagdishan:

He has recently been named as the new managing

director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of

HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank. His

appointment was approved by the RBI, would take

charge on October 27 and hold office for a period of

three years. He will succeed retiring MD and CEO

Aditya Puri.

He is a chartered accountant with Master’s degree in Economics of Money,

Banking & Finance from the University of Sheffield, UK. He was appointed

chief financial officer in 2008 and currently he is the additional director and

head of finance, human resources, at the bank.

HDFC Bank: HDFC Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services

company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A subsidiary of the Housing

Development Finance Corporation, HDFC Bank was founded in August 1994.

It is India's largest private sector bank.

John Hume:

John Hume born on 18 January 1937 was an Irish politician

who served as the second Leader of the Social Democratic

and Labour Party (SDLP) from 1979 to 2001. He is

regarded as one of the architects of the Northern Ireland

peace process. He played a very pivotal role in ending decades of violence in

Northern Ireland between the largely Catholic nationalist community who want

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to reunify with Ireland and Protestant unionists who want to remain part of

Britain.

He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP),

and served as its second leader from 1979 to 2001. He also served as a Member

of the European Parliament and a Member of the UK Parliament, as well as a

member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble, after

the pair helped forge the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. He was also a

recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award. He is

the only person to receive the three major peace awards.

Recently, the prominent Northern Ireland politician John Hume passed away at

the age of 83 on 3rd August 2020 following long period of illness. Political

leaders all over the world paid their tribute on his demise.

Mahendra Karma:

He was an Indian political leader belonging to Indian National

Congress from Chhattisgarh. He was the leader of the opposition in

the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha from 2004 to 2008. He was

popularly known as Bastar tiger for his tough stand against Naxals.

In 2005, he played a top role in organizing the Salwa Judum

movement against Naxalites, a Maoist group in Chhattisgarh. He

was assassinated by Naxalites on 25 May 2013 in a Maoist attack

in Jhiram valley of Bastar district while returning from a Parivartan Rally

meeting organised by his party in Sukma.

Recently, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel launched a social

security scheme named “Shaheed Mahendra Karma Tendupatta Sangrahak

Samajik Suraksha Yojana” for tendu leave collectors in the state.

Tendu leaves are used for making bidis (leaf-wrapped cigarettes). The leaves

are collected by forest dwellers. The state government then purchases it from

them.

The scheme, named after slain Congress leader Mahendra Karma, was

inaugurated on the occasion of his birth anniversary. He was born on 5 August

1950.


Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Kumar Joshi: He has recently been appointed as the new

Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He was administered

the oath of office and secrecy by Arvind Saxena, the outgoing chairman of the

UPSC.

Joshi joined the UPSC as its member on 12 May 2015. Prior to joining the

Commission, he held the post of Chairman, Chhattisgarh Public Service

Commission and Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. He

also served as Director, National Institute of Educational Planning and

Administration (NIEPA).

UPSC: It is the abbreviation of Union Public Service Commission. UPSC is the

central recruiting agency of India. It is responsible for appointments to and

examinations for All India services and group A & group B of Central services.

It was established on 1 October 1926 as Public Service Commission, it was later

reconstituted as Federal Public Service Commission by the Government of India

Act 1935; only to be renamed as today's Union Public Service Commission after

the independence. The commission is headquartered at Dholpur House, in New

Delhi. UPSC is amongst the few institutions which function with both

autonomy and freedom, along with the country’s higher judiciary and lately the

Election Commission.

Appointments: As per Article 316, the Chairman and other members of UPSC

shall be appointed by the President.

A member of a UPSC shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on

which he enters upon his office or until he attains the age of 65 years, whichever

is earlier.

As per Article 319, a person who holds office as Chairman shall, on the

expiration of his term of office, be ineligible for re-appointment to that office.


Ebrahim Alkazi:

He was born on 18 October 1982 to Saudi Arabian-

Kuwaiti parents. He grew up in Pune. He was a theatre

director who revolutionized Indian theatre and was the

longest-serving director of the National School of Drama

(NSD). He was a strict disciplinarian who did rigorous research before

producing a play, leading to important advances in scenographic design. His

standards later became very influential.

He is remembered as the father of Indian theatre. He served as the Director of

National School of Drama, New Delhi (1962–1977). He was the first person to

bring regional language plays to NSD. He has directed over 50 plays, including

Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug.

He was the first recipient of Roopwedh Pratishtan's the Tanvir Award (2004) for

lifetime contribution to the theatre. He received the Padma Shri, Padma

Bhushan (1991), and Padma Vibhushan in 2010. He received the Sangeet Natak

Akademi Award in Direction in 1962, and later the Akademi's highest award the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre.

Recently, he passed away at the age of 94. The entire theatre community of

India mourned his death.

NFDC:

It refers to the National Film Development Corporation.

NDFC is organizing a first of its kind, online patriotic film

festival.

The festival is a part of Independence Day Celebrations by the Ministry of

Information and Broadcasting. The festival will run from august 7th till the 21st.

It is aimed at creating a festive and patriotic mood among Indians across the

globe.

High quality Independence Day themed patriotic films which will be free of

cost will be showcased at the festival daily at the

websitewww.cinemasofindia.com. Critically acclaimed films from various

Art and Culture


Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali,

and Malayalam will also be showcased in the festival.

A special edition of the film 'Gandhi' by Sir Richard Attenborough will also be

made accessible and can be enjoyed by people with vision and hearing

impairment.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak:

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born 23 July 1856 as Keshav

Gangadhar Tilak. He was an Indian nationalist, scholar,

mathematician, philosopher, journalist, a social reformer and a

fierce nationalist. He was one third of the Lal Bal Pal

triumvirate. Tilak was the first leader of the Indian Independence

Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "The

father of the Indian unrest. He was conferred upon the title,

“Lokmanya” (beloved leader) by his followers. Mahatma Gandhi called him

"The Maker of Modern India. He formed a close alliance with many Indian

National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai,

Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj ("self-rule") and a

strong radical in Indian consciousness. His famous declaration “Swaraj is my

birth right, and I shall have it” served as a powerful clarion call to the future

revolutionaries of India’s struggle for independence.

He transformed household festivals such as worship of Lord Ganesha into grand

public events like the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. Kesari and The Mahratta,the two

weekly newspapers, were prominent in awakening the political consciousness of

the people that was owned and edited by him.During his imprisonment at the

time of his freedom struggle for the nation, Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote a book

titled ‘Gita-Rahasya’. He was also the founding father of Deccan Education

Society created in 1884. According to Tilak, the foundation of true nationhood

is laid on the foundations of our culture and traditions. He began a mass

movement towards independence by an emphasis on a religious and cultural

revival. He was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi written in the

Devanagari script be accepted as the sole national language of India. He passed

away on 1 August 1920 in Mumbai.


Recently, a two-day international webinar on the theme of 'Lokmanya Tilak -

Swaraj to Self-reliant India' has been organized by the Indian Council for

Cultural Relations(ICCR). The webinar organized on the 100th death

anniversary of the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was

inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

During the webinar, Tilak’s contribution to the Indian Freedom Movement, his

global vision, his thoughts on swadeshi and also his attempts at India’s cultural

revival were the main topics of discussion. The Home Minister appealed to the

youth of the country, urging everyone to read the writings of the Tilak to

understand the glorious history of the nation.

G. C. Murmu:

He is is a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service

officer of the Gujarat cadre. In the past, he served as

the expenditure secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

He also served as the principal secretary to Prime

Minister Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. On 31

October 2019, he officially took charge as the first Lieutenant-Governor of the

Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir

Reorganisation Act, 2019.

He recently resigned from his post on the first anniversary of the abrogation of

Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state.

GC Murmu, after resigning as the J&K Lt Governor has been appointed by the

President of India Ram Nath Kovind as the new Comptroller and Auditor

General (CAG) of India. He is the 14th CAG of India. He will assume office on

8 August 2020. He will be replacing Rajiv Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer

of the Rajasthan cadre, as the CAG.

CAG: It refers to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The CAG of

India is an authority, established by Article 148 of the Constitution of India. It

was founded in 1858 by the Constitution of India. It audits all receipts and

expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including

those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. It is

Indian Polity


headquartered in New Delhi. CAG of India is appointed by the President by

warrant under his hand and seal and can only be removed from office in like

manner and on like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.

Manoj Sinha:

He is a former Union minister who represented

the parliamentary constituency of Ghazipur in

eastern Uttar Pradesh thrice in the Lok Sabha.

Sinha has also served as junior railways minister.

Recently, he was appointed as the next Lieutenant

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by the President Ram Nath Kovind. He will

be replacing Girish Chandra Murmu who resigned. Murmu’s resignation has

been accepted by the President.

Ministry of Minority Affairs:

It is a ministry of the Government of India (GoI). It

was carved out of Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment. It was created on 29 January 2006 to

ensure a more focused approach towards issues

relating to the notified minority communities namely

Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikhs, Parsis and Jain. The minority religious

communities in India are notified as minority communities in The Gazette of

India [2] under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act,

1992. The mandate of the Ministry includes formulation of overall policy and

planning, coordination, evaluation and review of the regulatory framework and

development programmes for the benefit of the minority communities. The

Union Minister of Minority Affairs is Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and the Shri

Kiren Rijiju is the Minister of State for Minority Affairs.

Recently, on this occasion, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar

Abbas Naqvi, the Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani

and the Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed Muslim women

from across the country through virtual conference. The virtual conference was

organized at the National Commission for Minorities office in New Delhi.

Muslim Women Rights Day: The first Muslim Women Rights Day was

observed by then Nation on 1 August 2020 to mark the first anniversary of the


law against instant triple talaq. A law against Triple Talaq was passed one year

before on 1 August 2019.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 makes all

declaration of triple talaq (or talaq-e-biddat), including in written or electronic

form, to be void (i.e. not enforceable in law) and illegal. The act also entitled

the woman to demand maintenance for her and her children.

The Government made the law against Triple Talaq to make effective the

Supreme Court’s judgment.

Since then there is a decline of about 82 per cent in Triple Talaq cases

thereafter. If any such case was reported, the law has taken action.

Egypt was the first Muslim nation which abolished this social evil in 1929

followed by Sudan. Pakistan did that in 1956. Bangladesh in 1972, Iraq in 1959,

Syria in 1953, Malaysia in 1969. The other mslim Countries like Cyprus,

Morocco, Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Iran, Brunei, and UAE too abolished the

practice of Triple Talaq.

MAPGRs:

It refers to the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Genetic

Resources. National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)

and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic

Resources (NBPGR) have recently entered into a

MoU to conserve MAPGRs. The conservation is to be

done at designated space of ICAR-NBPGR in long-

term storage module in the National Gene bank and or

at Regional Station for medium term storage module.

NMPB: It refers to the National Medicinal Plants Board. NMPB has been

established by Government of India (GoI) to coordinate with all matters relating

to Medicinal Plants and Support Policies and Programs for growth of trade,

export, conservation and cultivation. The board is working under Ministry of

Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH).

Environment


NBPGR: It refers to the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources. NBPGR is

unit under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of

Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture,

Government of India (GoI). It was established in the year 1976 as full-fledged

Institute.

Both NMPB and ICAR-NBPGR are committed to serve the National interests

through conservation of germplasm on long-term basis, safely and cost-

effectively for present and future generations to ensure the social and economic

security.

Uttarakhand:

It is a state in northern India crossed by the Himalayas. It

is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas,

the Bhabar and the Terai and also for for its Hindu

pilgrimage sites. Uttarakhand became the 27th state of the

Republic of India On 9 November 2000. It was carved

from the Himalayan districts of Uttar Pradesh. Its winter Capital is Dehradun

and summer capital is Gairsain. The Chief Minister and the Governor of

Uttarakhand are Trivendra Singh Rawat and Baby Rani Maurya respectively.

Recently, the Uttarakhand Government announced the development of India’s

first Snow Leopard Conservation centre of India. The Government aims to

conserve and restore Himalayan ecosystems and also to conserve elusive snow

leopards and other endangered Himalayan species.

The snow leopard conservation centre is to be set up in Lanka, near

Bhaironghati bridge in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand and it is to be developed

by the Uttarakhand forest department and the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP). It will be developed as part of its six-year long project

Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range

Himalayan ecosystems (SECURE) Himalayas.

Snow leopards live in the mountainous regions of central and southern Asia.

According to the World Wild Fund for Nature India (WWF), India is home to

450-500 snow leopards. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Himachal

Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh constitute snow leopard Habitat

range in India. Other than India, snow leopards are found in countries like


Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Snow leopards are listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for

Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list. It is listed under Schedule – I of

Wildlife Protection Act of India which gives the big cat absolute protection

against hunting and poaching.

RSK:

It refers to the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra. The RSK

was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra

Modi. It is interactive experience centre on the Swachh

Bharat Mission.

RSK has been established at the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Rajghat

in New Delhi. It seeks to impart information, awareness and education on the

successful journey of world's largest behaviour change campaign, the Swachh

Bharat Mission.

Earlier, as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra

(RSK) was first announced by the Prime Minister in 2017, on the occasion of

the centenary celebrations of Gandhiji's Champaran Satyagraha.

Swachh Bharat Mission: Swachh Bharat Mission or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or

Clean India Mission was a country-wide campaign from 2014 to 2019, to

eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management in urban and

rural areas in India. The objectives of the mission also included eradication of

manual scavenging, generating awareness and bringing about a behavior change

regarding sanitation practices, and augmentation of capacity at the local level.

This Mission has transformed rural sanitation in India and has changed the

behaviours of over 55 crore people from open defecation to using a toilet. The

mission is now in its 2nd phase, aiming to take India’s villages from Open

Defecation Free (ODF) to ODF Plus, with a strong focus on sustaining ODF

status and ensuring solid and liquid waste management for all.


DPEPP 2020:

It refers Defence Production and Export Promotion

Policy 2020. DPEPP 2020 was recently released by

the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The policy is

envisaged as overarching guiding document of MoD

to provide thrust to defence production capabilities of

the country for self-reliance and exports.

The policy is in line with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Package’ of the Government

to provide impetus to self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The policy

framework aims to position India among the leading countries of the world in

defence and aerospace sectors.

The Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 has laid out the

following goals and objectives:-

To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores (US$ 25Bn) including export of Rs

35,000 Crore (US$ 5 Billion) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by

2025.

To develop a competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval

Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality

products.

To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives.

To promote export of defence products.

To create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation and creates

Indian IP ownership.

The Policy brings out multiple strategies under the following focus areas:-

1. Procurement Reforms

2. Indigenization & Support to MSMEs/Startups

3. Optimize Resource Allocation

Defence


4. Investment Promotion, FDI & Ease of Doing Business

5. Innovation and R&D

6. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Ordnance Factory Board

(OFB)

7. Quality Assurance & Testing Infrastructure

8. Export Promotion

HAMMER Missiles:

The full form of HAMMER is Highly Agile Modular

Munition Extended Range. It is a medium-range air-

to-ground weapon. It has the capability to take out any

types of targets at the range of around 60-70 kms.

This missile belongs to the Armement Air-Sol

Modulaire (AASM) family of missiles which is an Air-to-Ground Modular

Weapon. The weapon is modular because it is capable of integrating different

types of guidance units and different types of bombs. It has been developed by

Safran Electronics & Defense for the French Air Force and Navy.

Recently, France has agreed to supply HAMMER missiles to India for the

Rafale combat aircraft. The order for missiles is being processed under the

emergency powers for acquisition given to the armed forces by the Government

of India (GoI).

This missile would give India the capability to take out any bunkers or hardened

shelters in any type of terrain including the mountainous locations such as

Eastern Ladakh.

Russian Kavkaz 2020:

Kavkaz 2020, also referred to as Caucasus-2020 is a

multilateral military strategic command-post exercise

in which India will take part. It is to be held in

Astrakhan, Russia. A tri-service Indian contingent

includes 150 Army personnel and a smaller number

of personnel from the Navy and Air Force. The exercise is scheduled to be held

in September 15-26.


It is an exercise aimed at assessing the ability of the armed forces to ensure

military security in Russia’s southwest.

The invitation for participation to Kavkaz 2020 has also been extended to at

least 18 countries including China, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan apart from other

Central Asian Republics part of the SCO.

CRPF:

It is an acronym for Central Reserve Police Force. It refers to

the Central Reserve police Force. The CRPF is largest

Central Armed Police Force in India. It was founded on 27th

July 1939. It functions under the authority of the Ministry of

Home Affairs (MHA),of the Government of India (GoI)

MHA is currently headed by Amit Shah. Besides law and

order and counter-insurgency duties, the CRPF has played an

increasingly large role in India's general elections. Its motto is "Service and

Loyalty". The current Director-General (DG) of CRPF is A P Maheshwari.

Recently, P S Ranipse, an Odisha cadre IPS officer has been appointed as

Inspector General (IG), in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He will hold

the post on Central deputation for a period of 5 years from the date of joining.

IPS officer P S Ranipse belongs to the 1995 batch and was serving as

Additional Director General (Vigilance) in Odisha. He held the position of

Inspector General of Police (Odisha) in 2013.

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