Top Current Affairs of the Week ( 08 - 14 August 2021)

RBI keeps Repo Rate unchanged at 4% in MPC August 2021

• RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the key policy rate or Repo rate or the RBI’s lending rate to banks unchanged at 4% for the seventh time in a row
• Reverse repo rate: 3.35%
• MPC has raised the inflation target for fiscal 2001-22 from to 5.7% from 5.1% but maintained the growth forecast at 9.5%.
• Although the target is below the RBI’s upper band of inflation target of 6%, input prices are rising across manufacturing and services sectors.

India’s Olympian footballer SS ‘Babu’ Narayan passes away

• Former Indian footballer Subramaniam Sankar Narayan (86 years) passed away at his home in Thane, Maharashtra
• He played at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics
• He was famously known as S. S. Babu Narayan and had represented India as a goalkeeper at the 1956 (Melbourne) and 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games.
• He was also a part of Maharashtra’s Santosh Trophy-winning campaign in 1964
• He managed to earn nine caps with India over 10 years at the international stage.

India’s aircraft carrier Vikrant successfully completes maiden sea voyage

• India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant has completed its five-day maiden sea trials from August 4, 2021 from Kochi to 8, 2021.
• Vikrant is expected to be commissioned into Indian Navy in 2022
• Once it enters service with Indian Navy, warship will be called as INS Vikrant
• This is the first as well as largest and most complex aircraft carrier designed and built in India
• Currently, India has only one aircraft carrier, namely INS Vikramaditya made by Russia

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 9th August

• International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (World Tribal Day) is observed every year on 9 August to protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population and recognize the achievements.
• The day was recognised by UN General Assembly in December 1994 to marks the day of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at UN in 1982.
• Theme 2021: Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.

India-UAE Navy undertakes bilateral exercise ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’

• Indian Navy and UAE Navy conducted bilateral naval exercise titled as ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
• The naval exercise was conducted to enhance interoperability and synergy between the two navies.
• Indian Navy participated with INS Kochi, with two integral Sea King MK 42B helicopters, deployed in the Persian Gulf.
• UAES AL-Dhafra, Baynunah class guided missile corvette and one AS – 565B Panther helicopter took part in the exercise from UAE.

ISRO to send Bhutan’s INS-2B satellite into space by December 2021

• ISRO is set to launch INS-2B satellite of Bhutan in December 2021 announced Space odyssey: Showcasing India’s achievements in space technology event
• INS-2B Development is being underway by Bhutanese engineers who are being trained in theoretical and technical aspects by ISRO
• Indo-Bhutan space cooperation:
• India and Bhutan have been engaged in space cooperation with Earth station for South Asia Satellite (SAS), launched in 2017 that was inaugurated in Thimphu, Bhutan

Indian Contingents concludes with 7 Medals at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

• Indian Contingent managed to win 7 medals comprising 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals in 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games.
• India stood at 48th position in the medal table out of 86 countries.
• 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics came to an end on August 8, 2021 and was commenced from July 23.
• This was for the fourth time that Japan hosted Olympic Games, after previously hosting in 1964 (Summer), 1972 and 1998.
• US has topped the overall medal table with 113 medals.

PM to launch Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana 2.0

• PM Modi will launch Ujjwala 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana-PMUY) by handing over LPG connections at Mahoba Uttar Pradesh
• Ujjwala 2.0:
• In budget 2021-22, provision for an additional one crore LPG connection under PMUY scheme to provide deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families
• It will provide first refill and hotplate free of cost to the beneficiaries.
• Enrolment procedure will require minimum paperwork.
• Ujjwala 1.0 was launched in 2016.

StartupBlink launches Coronavirus Innovation Report 2021

• Together with Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx), StartupBlink has launched ‘The Startup Ecosystem Podcast - The Covid-19 Innovation Report 2021’ that includes the rankings of 100 cities and 40 countries
• The report takes a deeper look into the sub-categories (such as innovations in Prevention, Treatment and Diagnostics) in each location.
• US leads global coronavirus innovation efforts, followed by Israel, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and UK.

Centre approves extension to Rajiv Gauba’s term as Cabinet Secretary

• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has extended the tenure of Rajiv Gauba, as the Cabinet Secretary of India, for a further period of 1-year.
• He is a 1982-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre and was appointed to the top bureaucratic post of the country in August 2019 for two years.
• Prior to this, he was Union Home Secretary from August 2017 to August 2019
• His term of service was to end on August 30, 2021.

Nagasaki Day: 9th August

• Nagasaki Day is observed every year on 9th August to mourn historical nuclear attack took place in 1945 with an atomic bomb
• 2021 is the 76th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing that took place on August 9, 1945.
• US dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan and was codenamed Fat Man due to the design of the bomb as it had a wide, round shape.
• Atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima (August 6) forced Japan to surrender, thus ending World War II.

VP Naidu releases Postage Stamp on Mananiya Chaman Lal

• VP Venkaiah Naidu has released Postage Stamp on Mananiya Chaman Lal as a part of Postal Department’s initiative to facilitate Unsung Heroes of India under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
• It highlights the life and work of Mananiya Chaman Lal, renowned social worker and Sangh Pracharak
• Commemorative Postage Stamp, First Day Cover (FDC) and Information Brochure will be available for sale at Philatelic Bureaux as well as e-postoffice (https://www.epostoffice.gov.in/)

PM to chair UNSC High-Level Open Debate on Maritime

• PM Modi will chair High-level Open Debate on ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’.
• It is expected to be attended by several Heads of State & Government of member states of the United Nations Security Council, and high level briefers from the UN System and key Regional Organizations.
• Open Debate will focus on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity and strengthened coordination in maritime domain.

World Lion Day: 10th August 2021

• World Lion Day is celebrated annually throughout the world on ‘10th August’.
• Three objectives:

1. To raise awareness about the plight of the lion & other issues that the species faces in the wild.
2. To find ways to protect its natural habitat and for creating more such habitats like national parks.
3. To educate people who live near wild cats on the dangers and how to protect themselves.

• World Lions Day is celebrated across the world since 2013.

IITian-founded exchange is India's first cryptocurrency unicorn

• CoinDCX became India’s first cryptocurrency unicorn after the exchange raised 6.70 billion rupees from investors led by Facebook Inc.
• The latest funding round values the firm at $1.1 bn. 
• Other investors include existing partners Coinbase Ventures, Polychain Capital, Block one, and Jump Capital.
• The 30-year-old engineer from the elite Indian Institute of Technology spent several hours daily reading about blockchain and cryptocurrencies before setting up CoinDCX in 2018.

Indian Navy war hero Commodore Gopal Rao passes away

• Commodore Kasargod Patnashetti Gopal Rao (95) passed away.
• He was a 1971 war hero and recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest military decoration.
• He was the commander of two Arnala-class anti-submarine corvettes INS Kiltan and INS Katchall which were part of the task group that attacked Karachi Harbour during Operation Trident on December 4, 1971 (Navy Day).
• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on April 21, 1950.

PM Modi announces mission to make India self-sufficient in edible oils

• PM Modi announced a National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
• Aim: To make India self-sufficient in cooking oils, including palm oil, as he stressed on reducing the dependence on imports.
• Rs 11,000 crore will be invested in the edible oil ecosystem.
• India is the world's biggest vegetable oil importer
• India exports agricultural commodities such as sugar and rice on the world market, but domestic oilseed production is nearly six times lower than rice and wheat

Gujarat CM launches eNagar mobile application and portal

• Gujarat govt has launched eNagar mobile application and portal.
• The eNagar covers 10 modules with 52 services including property tax, professional tax, water & drainage, Complaints and grievance redressal, building permission, fire and emergency services.
• Gujarat Urban Development Mission has been appointed as a nodal agency for eNagar project.
• Total 170 locations including 162 municipalities and 8 Municipal Corporations are covered under the eNagar project.

ITBP inducts women officers for the first time in combat role

• Two women officers named as Prakriti and Diksha have been commissioned as combat officers for the first time into the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which is responsible for guarding India-China LAC.
• They have been posted as Assistant Commandants in ITBP battalions, after completing their training at the ITBP Academy in Mussoorie.
• Assistant Commandants is the entry-level officer rank in the paramilitary.
• Earlier, it only had combat women in the constabulary ranks.

India to conduct first-ever naval combat exercise with Saudi Arabia

• India and UAE has commenced first-ever naval combat exercise titled as Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021 exercise
• This naval exercise shows the growing defence ties between the two sides in the wake of the Indian Army Chief's maiden visit to the West Asian country in 2020.
• The exercise began with Harbor Phase and consists of several coast and sea-based exercises between the two navies.
• It was planned in 2019
• UAE also launched Guided Missile Corvette and Panther Helicopter

Sudha Murty releases new book titled ‘How The Earth Got Its Beauty’

• Veteran Padma Shri awardee writer, Sudha Murty has come out with her new book titled as ‘How The Earth Got Its Beauty’.
• Book has been published by Penguin Random House imprint Puffin, and features illustrations by Priyanka Pachpande.
• Book introduces the works of some of the finest storytellers of India to young, emerging readers in beautiful pictorial editions
• Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of Infosys Foundation.

RBI to impose monetary charges on banks if ATMs run out of cash

• RBI has announced the launch of ‘Scheme of Penalty for non-replenishment of ATMs’ with effect from 1st October 2021
• As per the scheme, it will impose monetary penalties on ATMs/WLAs that run out of cash.
• ATM where cash is out for more than 10 hours in a month, penalty of Rs. 10,000 per ATM will be levied.
• For white label ATMs, penalty would be charged to the bank which is meeting the cash requirement of that particular ATM to strengthen their systems/mechanisms

August 7 to be observed as ‘Javelin Throw Day’ in honour of Neeraj Chopra

• Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to observe August 7 as ‘Javelin Throw Day’ in India to honour Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won India’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics at Tokyo.
• On the occasion , all the affiliated units of AFI will hold Javelin competitions in the respective States and Union Territories.
• This decision is also an attempt to attract more youth towards the sport and get champions ready for a bright future in athletics ahead

Famous actor Anupam Shyam Ojha passes away in Mumbai

• Veteran Indian film and television actor, Anupam Shyam Ojha (63 years) passed away due to multiple organ failure at Lifeline Hospital, Mumbai
• He is known for his work on the TV show Mann Ki Awaaz: Pratigya where he played Thakur Sajjan Singh.
• He has also featured in Slumdog Millionaire, Bandit Queen Dil Se, Lagaan and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi.
• Actor was undergoing dialysis thrice a week while shooting for Pratigya 2.

Indian Army to participate in International Army Games 2021 in Russia

• 101 members of Indian Army contingent will be participating in International Army Games 2021, which will be held from 22 August to 4 September 2021 in Russia
• It is the 7th edition of International Army Games
• The competition will be hosted in 11 countries
• The games are organised each year by Russian Ministry of Defence, since 2015.
• Indian contingent will participate in Army Scout Masters Competition (ASMC), Elbrus Ring, Polar Star, Sniper Frontier and Safe Route games.

India ranks 122nd on new Global Youth Development Index

• India has been ranked 122nd on 2020 Global Youth Development Index among 181 countries.
• It has been released by Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
• Triennial rankings of youth development measures the extent to which young people are engaged to contribute beneficially in their societies, policies and tools.
• Top nations: Singapore, Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark.
• Worst nation: Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger.

DRDO successfully test-fires Nirbhay Missile off Odisha coast

• DRDO has successfully test-fired medium range subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off Odisha coast
• It was test-launched with Made-in-India Manik turbo fan engine and was the first successful test-firing of the missile with indigenous booster engine
• Nirbhay: India’s first Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM). It can use both conventional and nuclear weapons of 200 to 300 kg and can be launched from multiple platforms.

Kaziranga become 1st National Park in India with satellite phones

• Kaziranga in Assam has become 1st national park in India to have been equipped with satellite phones, which are generally used by law-enforcing agencies
• Satellite phones will give an edge to forest personnel over the poachers by boosting anti-poaching measures and during emergencies like floods.
• Public is barred from using satellite phones in India
• For this, Assam State Disaster Management Authority had procured 10 satellite phones at an estimated cost of ₹16 lakh.

World Elephant Day: 12 August

• World Elephant Day is observed on August 12 every year worldwide for the preservation and protection of the global elephants.
• Aim: To create awareness on elephant conservation, and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better protection and management of wild and captive elephants.
• It was officially celebrated for the first time in 2012
• The day was co-founded by Canadian Patricia Sims and HM Queen Sirikit's Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand.

PM Modi announces Rs 11,000 crore palm oil initiative

• PM Modi has launched scheme on palm oil production called as National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
• Govt will invest more than Rs. 11,000 crores under the scheme, through National Mission on Oilseeds, cooking oils and Oil Palm.
• It aims to help increase farm incomes and make the country self-reliance in edible oil.
• It will increase oil palm cultivation to 1 million hectares by 2025-26 and 1.7-1.8 million hectares by 2029-30.

GSLV F10 fails to launch Earth Observation Satellite EOS-03 in Sriharikota

• ISRO launcher’s GSLV F10 fails to launch Earth Observation Satellite EOS-03 from 2nd launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR in Sriharikota
• EOS-03: Earth Observation Satellite that will be placed in a Geosynchronous Orbit. It is a 4 metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing is being flown for the first time in this mission.
• It will provide real time data of natural disasters by monitoring water bodies, crops, vegetation conditions and forest cover changes.

Doha's Hamad Airport declared as Best Airport in the World

• Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar has been named as the Best Airport in the World in 2021 Skytrax World Airport Awards, followed by Tokyo Haneda Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Incheon International Airport and Narita International Airport
• Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi has been placed at 45th position in 2021 Skytrax Awards.
• Other Indian Airports in the list:
• Hyderabad (rank 64)
• Mumbai (rank 65)
• Bengaluru (rank 71)

Durand Cup makes re-entry with 130th edition to be held at Kolkata

• 130th Edition of Durand Cup Football Tournament is scheduled to be held at Kolkata from 5th September to 3rd October 2021.
• Sixteen teams from across the country, including four from the Services will participate in the tournament.
• Durand Cup
• World’s third oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament.
• It was first held in 1888 at Dagshai, Himachal Pradesh.
• It is named after Mortimer Durand, who was then the Foreign Secretary in- Charge of India.

 Banking & Finance

RBL Bank selects AWS as preferred cloud provider

• RBL Bank has been selected as the Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud service provider.
• The partnership will enable RBL Bank to strengthen its AI powered banking solutions and drive digital transformation at the Bank
• AWS: It is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.
• Headquarters: Mumbai.

PM Modi addresses Investor Summit in Gujarat

• PM Narendra Modi formally launched the National Automobile Scrappage Policy and Investors Summit for setting up Vehicle Scrapping Infrastructure, through video conferencing at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• The Investor Summit is being organised to invite investment for setting up vehicle scrapping infrastructure under the Vehicle Scrapping Policy. 
• The summit is being organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Gujarat government in Gandhinagar.

Assam Assembly passes Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021

• The Assam Assembly passed the Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 aimed at regulating slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle in the state.
• The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 — which prohibits the sale and purchase of beef in areas inhabited by non-beef-eating communities and within a radius of 5 km of a temple or a satra (Vaishnavite monastery).
• Chief Minister of Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governors of Assam: Jagdish Mukhi

Pak successfully test-fires surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi

• Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi.
• As per the military’s media wing, missile Ghaznavi is capable of delivering multiple types of warheads up to a range of 290 kilometres.
• The training launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) and re-validating technical parameters of the weapon system.
• President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi
• Prime Minister: Imran Khan

India sends largest ever contingent for Tokyo Paralympic Games

• India is sending its largest-ever contingent to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo - 54 para-sportspersons across 9 sports disciplines.
• Mr Thakur said the passion of Para-Athletes shows their phenomenal human spirit.
• He asked them to remember that when they play for India, 130 crore Indians will cheer for them.
• The athletes were addressed and sent best wishes by Mr Thakur via a video message.

Maharashtra govt launches e-crop survey initiative

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has launched the e-crop survey initiative which will become effective in Maharashtra from August 15.
• The project, which was initially introduced as a pilot in two districts, is jointly implemented by the departments of revenue and agriculture along with the Tata Trust.
• The e-crop survey app is yet another initiative to reduce the hardships of the farmers as it would provide them crop-related information without hassles.

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