Daily GK Update: 7th August 2022

 National & International Appointments

1. N. Kalaiselvi becomes first woman director general of CSIR

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has appointed Dr N. Kalaiselvi as the Director General for two years
• She succeeded Shekhar Mande, who superannuated in April 2022.
• She is the first woman scientist to hold this position.
• Currently, she is working as the head of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI).
• She is known for her work in the field of lithium-ion batteries.
• CSIR Established: 26 September 1942; Headquarters: Delhi

 Agreement

2. Indian Navy, ISRO Space Applications Centre sign MoU on data sharing

• The Indian Navy has signed an MoU with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Space Applications Centre (SAC) on data sharing and cooperation on satellite-based naval applications in oceanology and meteorology.
• This MoU is an extension of the MoU signed in 2017.
• Aim: Rapid development in the field of satellite data retrieval and applications.
• Chief of Indian Navy: Admiral R. Hari Kumar
• ISRO HQ: Bengaluru
• SAC HQ: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

 National & International Appointments

3. Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand becomes FIDE deputy president

• The legendary Indian chess player and five-time world champion, Viswanathan Anand has been elected as the deputy president of FIDE.
• While the present president, Arkady Dvorkovich (Russian) has been re-elected for a second term.
• Anand was nominated by incumbent president Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich as part of his team.
• Dvorkovich a Muscovite has received 167 votes in his favour while his opponent Andrii Baryshpolets got 16.
• FIDE Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland

 National & International Appointments

4. Jagdeep Dhankhar elected as the 14th Vice-President of India

• Former governor of West Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankhar (NDA candidate) has been elected as the 14th Vice President of India after defeating joint Opposition candidate Margaret Alva.
• He will succeed M Venkaiah Naidu whose tenure ends on August 10.
• He secured 528 votes out of the 710 valid votes in the Vice-Presidential election.
• About Jagdeep Dhankhar:
  • He was born in Rajasthan.
  • He joined the Congress during the tenure of PV Narasimha Rao but later shifted to BJP.

 Sports

5. Bhavina Patel wins Gold in para table tennis women's singles

• Indian para table tennis player, Bhavina Patel has clinched gold medal in the para table tennis women's singles at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
• She defeated Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi of Nigeria Classes 3-5.
• Other winners:
  • Indian para TT player, Sonalben Manubhai Patel won bronze medal in the women’s singles Classes 3-5.
  • Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal won Bronze in Squash Mixed Doubles
  • Vinesh Phogat won gold in the Women's Freestyle 53 kg Nordic category.

 Banking & Finance

6. SEBI constitutes committee to attract foreign investment

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) Advisory Committee.
• Aim: To increase the overseas flows into the country.
• The 15 members committee will be chaired by former Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian.
• Other members: Representing foreign banks, stock exchanges depositories and RBI.
• The committee will review investment avenues available for FPIs and to advise on the feasibility of new investment avenues.

 Important Dates

7. 8th National Handloom Day: 7th August

• The National Handloom Day in India has observed annually on August 7 to highlight the contribution of the handloom industry in the socio-economic development.
• The National Handloom Day is celebrated across the country under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles.
• The handloom sector is one of the largest economic sectors in the country.
• This sector played an important role during the Swadeshi Movement (August 7, 1905).
• Minister of textiles: Piyush Goyal

 National Affairs

8. 'Badhe Chalo’ Movement under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav begins

• The Ministry of Culture has organised Amrit Mahotsav named ‘Badhe Chalo’, to create a youth centric activation.
• It is being held across 10 cities every day from 5th to 11th August 2022.
• Ten locations include: Lal Chowk, Ashtley Hall, Akashdeep Market, Central Mall, Telibandha Talab, CMR Mall, Gaurav Tower, Maharaja Sayajirao University,  Alpha One Mall and Keshav Vatika.
• These events will be ended on the 12th August, at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. 

 Defense

9. Indian Army conducted exercise ‘Skylight’ to test satellite-based systems

• The Indian Army has conducted a pan-India exercise called ‘Skylight’, to test and validate its entire satellite-based communication network.
• Reason: To ensure operational readiness in case of a conflict in the future.
• The exercise involved all kinds of satellite communication from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Ladakh, where India and China have engaged in a military stand-off for the past two years.
• Chief of the Army Staff: General Manoj Pande

 National & International Appointments

10. Cabinet secretary, Rajiv Gauba tenure extended by one-year

• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a one-year extension for Union cabinet secretary, Rajiv Gauba.
• After the extension, he will remain in the same position till August 30, 2023.
• He had taken over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India after the superannuation of PK Sinha in 2019.
• He is an IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre (1982 batch) and served as like Union Home Secretary.