12th August 2023
Honours & Awards
1. Subhash Runwal receives the Lifetime Achievement Award 2023
- Chairman Subhash Runwal, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 at the first-ever RICS South Asia Awards.
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is a global industry body representing professionals across the country.
- Aim: To acknowledge outstanding accomplishments in both global and Indian industries, showcasing the commitment to the highest levels of professionalism and ethics by individuals and teams working within built and natural environments.
Sports
2. 69th edition of Nehru Trophy Boat Race to be held in Kerala
- The 69th edition of the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2023 would be held at the picturesque Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha district in Kerala.
- 72 boats, including 19 Chundan Valloms or Snake Boats vying for the coveted trophy, will be participating in the boat race, held every year on the second Saturday of August.
- Chief Minister of Kerala PInarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the event.
- The current champion, Pallathuruthy Boat Club from Alappuzha, has bagged the Trophy thrice
State Affairs
3. Telangana launched India’s first Agricultural Data Exchange and ADMF
- Telangana IT and Industries Minister K Taraka Ramarao launched India’s first Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) and Agriculture Data Management Framework (ADMF) in Hyderabad in August 2023.
- The ADeX has been developed as a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the agriculture sector
- Aims: To ensure fair and efficient usage of agricultural data by the industry and startups and provide a big boost to the data economy specifically in the agriculture sector.
National Affairs
4. CM Solar Mission launched in power deficit Meghalaya
- Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the Rs 500 crore Chief Minister's Solar Mission for minimizing the power deficit in this northeastern hill state in August 2023.
- The mission will be a flagship Renewable Energy intervention committed to fostering green and clean energy transformation across the state.
- The mission will begin a new era of resilience, independence, and green progress for Meghalaya.
National Affairs
5. NCLT Approves $10 Billion Mega-Merger Between Zee and Sony
- The National Company Law Tribunal approved the merger scheme of India’s homegrown entertainment company Zee Entertainment Enterprises with Culver Max Entertainment in Aug 2023.
- Aim: To create a $10-billion Indian media giant.
- ZEE will have 30 days to file with the registrar of companies, following which, the shares of the company will be de-listed from the stock exchanges and the merged company will get re-listed in another six weeks
Important Dates
6. International Youth Day is observed on12 August
- International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August.
- he theme of International Youth Day 2023 is Green Skills For Youth: Towards A Sustainable WorldT
- Aims: To encourage youth around the world to organize activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country.
- Objective: Bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.
National Affairs
7. IEPFA and Common Service Centre (CSC) launches “Niveshak Sarathi” Vans
- Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) CEO Anita Shah Akella and Common Service Centre (CSC) launched two Investor Awareness Vans titled “Niveshak Sarathi”
- Theme: From Unawareness to Financial Independence.
- Aims: To disseminate crucial financial education and raise awareness against fraudulent schemes across the Delhi NCR region.
- These vans are equipped with a TV screen running “Hisab Ki Kitab,” developed by IEPFA.
National Affairs
8. Amit Shah lays foundation stone for IFFCO Nano Urea Plant
- Union Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited Nano Urea Plant at Gandhidham in Kutch in August 2023.
- Aims: To fulfill 3 primary goals which include achieving self-sufficiency in food production and bringing prosperity to the farmers.
- This will reduce imports of fertilizers and make India self-reliant in the field of fertilizers and conserve the nutrients of the soil and ensure judicious use of fertilizers.
National Affairs
9. Dharmendra Pradhan launches DBT in National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme
- Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Direct Benefit Transfer in National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme in New Delhi in August 2023.
- The Scheme marks a stride towards transparency and efficiency as the skilled workforce is paramount, to encompass policy evolution
- Objective: To focus on the vision of making skilling an apprenticeship aspirational as well as encouraging earning while learning as envisioned in the National Education Policy.
Sports
10. Bangladesh appointed Shakib Al Hasan as ODI captain for both Asia Cup
- Bangladesh appointed veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan as its ODI captain for both the Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
- He had also led Bangladesh in 49 ODIs between 2009 and 2011, when he first became captain, and won 22 of those.
- He later captained Bangladesh in three more ODIs in 2015 and 2017, each time standing in for Mashrafe.
- Shakib has so far led Bangladesh in 19 Tests and 39 T20Is, and the last of his 50 ODIs as captain was in 2017.
13th August 2023
Sports
1. Indian Men's Hockey Team for bagged Asian hockey Championship trophy 2023
- The Indian hockey team defeated Malaysia and won for the fourth time at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 final at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.
- With four Asian Champions Trophy titles, India is in the first spot in the history of the tournament.
- Pakistan, with three titles, is in the second spot now.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin lauded Team India on their Asian Champions Trophy win and announced a cash prize of ₹1.1 crore for the winning team
Defense
2. Indian Navy participated in bilateral naval exercise 2023 with UAE Navy
- Two Indian Naval Ships INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand participated in a bilateral Naval Maritime Partnership Exercise with the UAE Navy at Port Rashid, Dubai in Aug 2023
- Aim: To enhance the interoperability and synergy between the two navies by cross-training on tactics, techniques, and procedures while developing stronger professional bonds.
- Objective: To jointly tackle the common challenges of piracy, smuggling, and human trafficking and enhance maritime security.
Banking & Finance
3. Gross Direct tax collections rise 16 % to Rs 6.53 lakh crore in FY 2023
- The gross direct tax collection has registered a growth of around 16% to RS 653,000 crore compared to the same period in 2022 in Aug 2023
- Net direct tax collection, after adjusting refunds, stands at RS 584,000 crore, which is over 17 % higher than the net collections for the same period 2022.
- The collection is over 32% of the total Budget estimates of Direct Taxes for 2023-24.
- Refunds amounting to Rs 69,000 crore has issued, which is 3.73% more compared to year 2022
Important Dates
4. 13 August is celebrated as World Organ Donation Day
- World Organ Donation Day is observed every year on August 13
- Aim: To spread awareness around the importance of organ donation and bust myths around it.
- Theme for 2023: "Step up to volunteer; need more organ donors to fill the lacunae".
- Organ donation means when a person allows to surgically remove their organ and transplant it to another person.
- This is done with the content of the donor when they are alive or that of their kin when they are no more.
Important Dates
5. 13 August is celebrated as International Left-Handers Day
- International Left-Handers Day is celebrated every year on August 13
- Aims: To raise awareness about the challenges and of left-handers, understanding in a predominantly right-handed world.
- Goal: To work on the challenges left-handers face and cater to their unique needs.
- Theme for 2023: “Left-Handers in Sports.”
- Objective: To recognize and appreciate the diversity of skills, talents, and perspectives that left-handers bring to various fields and activities.
Schemes
6. Odisha launched scheme to improve banking penetration in 4,373 panchayats
- The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved to open banking outlets in 4,373 unbanked gram panchayats at a cost of Rs 500 crore in Aug 2023
- Aim: To improve financial inclusion, will be implemented in coordination with six public sector banks in a phased manner.
- The scheme will be implemented in coordination with six public sector banks - State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India.
Banking & Finance
7. NPCI launches UPI Chalega 3.0 campaign to promote easy digital payments
- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched the 3rd edition of the UPI Safety Awareness Campaign, “UPI Chalega” in August 2023.
- Aim: To promote UPI’s brand awareness, amplify understanding of its features, and encourage wider adoption among new users
- It also educates users about various features such as UPI LITE, which enables swift low-value transactions; UPI AUTOPAY, which allows secure and convenient recurring payments using any UPI application
Banking & Finance
8. 5 banks offering MSSC, post office scheme earning 7.5% interest rate
- Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate (MSSC), a small savings scheme for women and girls in August 2023
- MSSC is a 2-year deposit scheme, which offers an interest rate of 7.5% per annum.
- Objective: To promote financial inclusion and empower women, including girls.
- It is a one-time program that runs from April 2023 to March 2025.
- Banks Include: Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank and Bank of India
Honours & Awards
9. Kanwardeep recieved Home Minister’s award for excellence in investigation
- Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police, Kanwardeep Kaur was named as the recipient of the ‘Union Home Minister’s Medal of Excellence in Investigation’ for the year 2023.
- She was given the award for her outstanding investigative work in a minor’s rape case, which resulted in the accused being sentenced to death within 11 months of committing the crime.
- She worked the case when she was the SSP of Kapurthala district.
Banking & Finance
10. Wholesale inflation stays in negative for fourth month at (-) 1.36% in July
- The wholesale price-based inflation remained in the negative territory for the fourth straight month in July 2023 at (-)1.36 percent on easing prices of fuel, even though food articles turned costlier.
- The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rate has been in the negative since April and was (-)4.12 percent in June. In July last year, it was 14.07 percent.
- Inflation in food articles skyrocketed 14.25 percent in July against 1.32 percent in June 2023
14th August 2023
Honours & Awards
1. Kupwara bagged ‘Best Performer District Award’ under PMAY-G Convergence
- District Kupwara has been conferred with the award for the “Best Performer District 2023 in UT of J&K under PMAY-G” by Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor J&K UT, held at Srinagar.
- Kupwara has received the award in recognition of the construction of 4723 PMAY houses out of a target of 4902 houses for FY 2022-23
- PMAY-Gis successfully fulfilled the dream of several poor and vulnerable families having their own Pucca house in frontier Kupwara district.
Honours & Awards
2. NAFIS gets Gold Award for fool-proof fingerprint identification system
- National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) Team won Gold Award under Excellence in Government Process Reengineering for Digital Transformation Category-1 by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Complaints in Aug 2023.
- ABOUT NAFIS
- NAFIS helps in the quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of a centralized fingerprint database.
- It assigns a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number (NFN) to each person arrested for a crime.
State Affairs
3. Narendra Modi lays foundation of Sant Ravidas temple in Madhya Pradesh
- PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a temple-cum-memorial for Sant Ravidas and along with that also inaugurated developmental works which are worth Rs 4,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh in Aug 2023
- The memorial is steeped in the spirit of ‘Samrasta’ as the soil of more than 20,000 villages and 300 rivers have been used in it
- Sant Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement and founder of the Ravidassia religion during the 15th to 16th century CE
Important Dates
4. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is observed on 14th August
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that August 14, will be remembered as 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas' or Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices during the partition in 1947.
- Aim: To keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, and disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the event on this date in 2021
National & International Organizations
5. MakeMyTrip and ministry of tourism jointly launched Traveller's Map
- Online travel company MakeMyTrip(MMT) has joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism to launch a microsite, 'Traveller’s Map of India in Aug 2023
- Aim: To showcases 600 plus destinations beyond the popular travel spots in the country
- Objective: To discover lesser-known tourism gems that lie within the country's borders based on their preferences
- According to MMT "This microsite has been designed in line with the Government of India’s visionary 'DekhoApnaDesh' program,"
Sports
6. American golfer Lilia Vu captures second major at Women's British Open 202
- American golfer Lilia Vu won the Women’s British Open to claim her second major title of 2023 by defeating Charley Hull
- She also won the Chevron Championship in April 2023, became the first female player to win two majors in the same year since Jin Young Ko in 2019, and the first American woman since Juli Inkster in 1999.
- Three of the five women's majors have been won by American this year 2023 Allisen Corpuz won the Women's U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach
Honours & Awards
7. 954 Police awarded Police Medals on the occasion of the Independence Day
- A total of 954 police personnel have been awarded Police Medals on the occasion of the 76th Independence Day.
- The President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) has been awarded to the Central Reserve Police Force's Assistant Commandant Loukrakpam Ibomcha Singh
- The Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) has been awarded to 229 police personnel
- President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) to 82 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM) has been awarded to 642.
Banking & Finance
8. Bank of Maharashtra tops list of public sector lenders in loan in Q1 2023
- State-owned Bank of Maharashtra has emerged as the top performer among public sector lenders in loan and deposit growth in percentage terms during the first quarter of the current FY 2023.
- The deposit and advances of the Pune-based lender recorded a nearly 25 percent rise, the highest by any public sector bank during the April-June quarter.
- With a growth rate of 24.98 percent, the gross domestic advances of the bank rose to Rs 1,75,676 crore at the end of June 2023
Science & Technology
9. First space-based Indian observatory Aditya-L1, is ready for launch
- The first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun - Aditya-L1, is getting ready for its launch in September 2023
- The spacecraft is expected to be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point - L1 of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million Km from the Earth and has advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any eclipses.
- This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real-time.
Banking & Finance
10. RBI selects McKinsey and Company, Accenture Solutions to use AI and ML to
- RBI has selected global consultancy firms McKinsey and Company India LLP and Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd India in August 2023
- Aim: To develop systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning for its supervisory functions.
- RBI is looking to AI and machine learning to analyze its huge database and improve regulatory supervision over banks, NBFCs to ensure that the benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to the Department of Supervision in the central bank.
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