Current Affairs AUGUST 2019 (Set 04)

National News

1. Renewable energy status to ocean energy gets MNRE nod 

In a decision expected to boost to ocean energy in India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) clarified that ocean energy shall be considered “renewable energy”. Various forms of ocean energy like tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) shall now be eligible as an option for states to meet their non-solar renewable purchase obligations (RPO).

The total identified potential of tidal energy is about 12,455 mega watt, with potential locations identified at the Khambat and Kutch regions of Gujarat and large backwaters where barrage technology could be used.  Preliminary estimates peg the total potential of wave energy in India along the country’s coast to be about 40,000 MW. OTEC has a theoretical potential of 180,000 MW here, “subject to suitable technological evolution”.

The Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat on the west coast show potential for tidal energy production. However, the capital cost for tidal energy is “very high” due to high civil construction and high power purchase tariffs.

 

2. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates FSSAI's National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad 

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated FSSAI's National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad on the occasion of 13th anniversary of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

This national lab is a result of a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the first-of-its-kind in the food laboratory sector. It houses state-of-the-art collaborative training centres, namely, The Food Safety Solution Centre (FSSC) and the Centre for Microbiological Analysis Training (C-MAT). This NFL is one of the two premier referral laboratories under the direct administrative control of the apex food regulator named- Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). The laboratory in Kolkata is also being upgraded.

The lab is equipped with the latest technologies and facilities to conduct analysis as per global accreditation standards for testing and calibration. FSSAI will also be establishing NFLs at Mumbai and Chennai in the near future along the same lines.

In the past few years, FSSAI has taken various steps to create and invest in an effective food-testing ecosystem in the country. Currently, there is a network of 261 food-testing laboratories, which has almost doubled from 138 in 2014.

The Indian Food Laboratory Network (InFoLNet) has been created as a one-stop virtual-hub for the transparent flow of laboratory information.

FSSAI has also launched 'Food Safety on Wheels' (FSW), a mobile food testing lab for testing, awareness and training. This first-of-its-kind, innovative van will take food testing infrastructure to remote villages and far-flung areas, thus, instilling confidence among citizens. There are 44 FSWs currently, which are expected to cross 500 in the coming years.

FSSAI has been investing in strengthening state and referral labs with advanced equipment, microbiological testing facilities, apart from capacity building activities for all the laboratory personnel. Several of these referral laboratories have been recognized as National Reference Laboratories, 14 of which were awarded Certificates of Recognition at the event.

Through general and specialized training by FSSAI on good laboratory practices, over 1500 laboratory personnel have been trained in the last three years. The Authority has also streamlined the conduct of examinations to qualify Food Analysts increasing their number from 48 in 2014 to 360 currently.

 

3. PM Modi announced to celebrate September as a month of nutrition 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to celebrate September as a month of nutrition in order to lay the emphasis on creating awareness to fight malnutrition among children, particularly the girl child.

4. PM Modi launches $4.2 million redevelopment project of temple in Bahrain

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the $4.2 million redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Lord Sri Krishna temple in the Bahraini capital during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation. The facelift for the Shreenathji (Shree Krishna) temple in Manama will kick off later this year.

The $4.2 million redevelopment project will be on a piece of land measuring 16,500 square feet and the new four-floor structure covering 45,000 square feet will have an overall height of 30 meters. Modi is the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to Bahrain.

 

5. HRD Ministry launches National Digital Library of India 

Human Resource Development Ministry under its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, NMEICT has launched the National Digital Library of India project to develop a framework of virtual repository of learning resources with a single-window search facility. 
As of now, there are more than 3 crore digital resources available through the National Digital Library. The contents cover almost all major domains of education and all major levels of learners. More than 50 lakh students have registered themselves in the National Digital Library with about 20 lakh active users.  National Digital Library has been integrated with UMANG App and users can register through www.ndl.gov.in or through the mobile app.

 

6. Tamil Nadu government launches education TV channel 'Kalvi Tholaikkatchi' 

The Tamil Nadu government launched its exclusive education TV channel, aimed at benefiting students of classes I to XII. An initiative of the School Education Department, 'Kalvi Tholaikkatchi' (Education TV) was launched by Chief Minister K Palaniswami. The channel's content will include shows aimed at school children, besides those on jobs and related issues.

This channel will be available on TN Arasu Cable TV network.

In 2016, Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema made the revelation of launching a dedicated TV channel, Vidya TV, showing educational content. It provides quality content to those preparing for competitive examinations as well as middle school. The channel also provides students with career counselling and programmes on current affairs. Punjab already has an EDUSAT programme, which runs around nine educational programmes with multimedia, and animation during school hours, in its 3400 schools.

On July 9, 2017, the Union HRD ministry launched a scheme called Swayam Prabha, allowing 32 direct-to-home (DTH) television channels to broadcast programs for school and university students on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. These channels help students in rural and remote areas where IT infrastructure has not penetrated so well.

 

7. Social Justice Department, NACO sign MoU to enhance outreach on HIV/AIDS prevention, empower victims 

The Department of Social Justice signed an MoU with National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to enhance outreach on AIDS prevention, address the risk of HIV transmission among all substance users and to empower the discriminated and vulnerable groups such as victims of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and female sex workers.

This is the 18th such MoU with other Government departments and ministries. The MoU will help in developing specific strategies and action plans for HIV and AIDS prevention and mechanisms for drug addiction treatment and extending social protection schemes to the vulnerable populations. 

The agreement will also help in developing human resources and build capacity to strengthen the service delivery mechanisms for HIV & AIDS prevention, drug addiction treatment and referral to services offered by National AIDS Control Programme and DoSJE. It aims at reducing the incidence of social stigma and discrimination against victims of drug abuse and children and people living with HIV/AIDS. 

The MoU will help in reaching out to the marginalised groups and will provide an opportunity for empowerment and access to social protection schemes by the high-risk population, persons engaged in begging, people living with HIV/AIDS and children affected by HIV/AIDS. 

Through the agreement, the services of various institutes under the Department of Social Justice such as National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention (NCDAP), National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), Integration Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs) will be leveraged for the execution of activities laid out in the MoU.
 The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), which was established in 1992 is a part of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.    
NACO is the nodal organisation for the formulation of policy and implementation of programs for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in India.
The Indian government has set a goal to eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2030.

 

8. NOC online Application Processing System (NOAPS)

The Minister of State for Culture & Tourism has launched an integrated No Objection Certificate (NOC) online Application Processing System (NOPAS) for National Monuments Authority (NMA) for 517 local bodies of six states.

NOAPS was launched by the NMA in September 2015 but was limited to only five urban local bodies in Delhi and one civic body in Mumbai.  Now, the facility has been expanded to six more states: Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand and Telangana.

The online system automates the process of granting No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for construction-related work in the prohibited and regulated areas of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments.
National Monuments Authority (NMA) under the Ministry of Culture, has been set up as per provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.

The applicant needs to fill up a single form which is being sent to the concerned agencies by the Urban Local Body, from whom No Objection Certificate (NOC) is required. The Portal has integration with the Smart ‘Smarac’ Mobile App of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), through which the applicant traverses his plot and the geo-coordinates of his plot along with the images get uploaded into the NIC portal along with the proximity and the approval status.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. ASI under the provisions of the AMASR Act, 1958 protects monuments, sites and remains of national importance by giving two months notice for inviting objections if any in this regard. There are at present more than 3650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.

 

9. Indian Institute of Petroleum sets up plant to turn plastic waste into diesel

Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a plant at the Indian Institute of Petroleum which can turn plastic waste into diesel.

By producing diesel out of plastic waste on a large scale, the plant is not just a good step towards freedom from plastic but will also reduce our dependence on other countries for petroleum products.

Apart from protecting the environment, the plant will also boost economic growth as it will produce 800 litres of diesel from one tonne of plastic waste which will be collected with the help of NGOs.

 

10. India to rejuvenate 50,000 hectares of degraded land

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said India had committed to rejuvenate 50 lakh hectares (5 million) of degraded land between 2021 and 2030. India faces a severe problem of land degradation, or soil becoming unfit for cultivation. About 29% or about 96.4 million hectares are considered degraded. This January, India became part of the “Bonn Challenge”, a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030. At the UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India also joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge and pledged to bring into restoration 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020, and an additional 8 million hectares by 2030. India’s pledge is one of the largest in Asia.

Schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Soil Health Card Scheme, Soil Health Management Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana are seen as prongs to tackle this land degradation.

The 5 million hectares were part of the Bonn Challenge commitment. It’s going to be combination of restoring forest land as well as cultivable land.

India for the first time will be hosting the 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) from September 2 to 13.

 

11. India Launches World's First Ever Facial Bio-Metric Data Based Seafarer Identity Document 

India has become the first country in the world to issue Biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing the facial bio-metric data of seafarers.

The new facial biometric technology is a marked improvement over the two finger or iris based bio-metric data, with modern security features. It will make the identification of the SID holder more reliable and efficient, while protecting their dignity and privacy. India had made a presentation on this technology at ILO .

The total number of Indian seafarers who were employed on Indian or foreign flag vessels increased from 154349 in 2017 to 208799 this year, showing an unprecedented increase of 35%.

The new document will give a fool proof identification to our seafarers which will facilitate their movement, provide ease of getting jobs and help in identifying them from any location in the world. The new card is in confirmation of the Convention No. 185 of the International Labour Organisation on BSID. India ratified the Convention in October 2015.

 

12. Union cabinet approves establishment of 75 new medical colleges; to add 15,700 MBBS seats 

The government has approved the establishment of 75 new medical colleges in the country. This would lead to the creation 15,700 more MBBS seats in India.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said that the medical colleges would be established by 2021-22 and will be attached with existing district and referral hospitals under Phase-3 of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored scheme.

The government plans to boost the availability of qualified health professionals, improve tertiary care in the government sector and utilise infrastructure of district hospitals and promote affordable medical education in the country with this push.

The government had earlier approved the establishment of 58 new medical colleges in Phase 1 and 24 colleges in Phase 2, apart from the 75 under the Phase 3. Of these, 39 medical colleges under Phase 1 have already become functional, and the rest will be made functional by 2020-21.

The ministers also announced 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in coal mining and associated infrastructure and 26 per cent FDI in digital media..

 

13. Special Tiger Force (STPF) for Corbett Reserve set up, wildlife officials welcome move 

The Uttarakhand government has decided to form a Special Tiger Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve, a move which will help serve as the much needed second layer of protection for the big cat.

The force will have 85 posts. The STPF will be effective in checking illegal human intrusion into the reserve through villages located on its fringes and serve as a second layer of protection for tigers at the CTR. Illegal intruders from fringe areas have been behind poaching incidents in the reserve in the past.

The decision is in line with Government of India guidelines for providing three-tier protection to tigers at reserves. The first layer of protection is provided in the inner range by beat level forest guards through regular patrols. The second layer of protection is what the STPF will take care of. The third layer of protection comes from intelligence-gathering mechanisms in which forest, police and central intelligence agency personnel work together to prevent crimes like the poaching of tigers.

The STPF will be deployed at the maximum on the extremely sensitive southern fringe of the reserve bordering Uttar Pradesh through which criminal elements keep trying to intrude into reserve areas, he said.

 

14. Cabinet approves sugar export policy for clearing surplus stocks 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the sugar export policy for the clearance of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-20.

CCEA has given its approval for providing a lump sum export subsidy at Rs. 10,448 per Metric Tonne (MT) to sugar mills for the sugar season 2019-20.

The total estimated expenditure of about Rs 6,268 crore will be incurred for this purpose.

The subsidy would be directly credited into farmers' account on behalf of mills against cane price dues and subsequent balance, if any, would be credited to mill's account.

 

15. PM launches ‘Fit India Movement’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Fit India’ Movement’ at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. The campaign was launched on the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.

The Prime Minister also launched a Fitness Logo. Additionally, he will also launch a “Fitness Pledge” that reads, ‘I promise to myself that I will devote time for physical activity and sports every day and I will encourage my family members and neighbours to be physically fit and make India a fit nation.’

He focused on spreading the Fit India Movement to each and every corner of the country, including every village, panchayat and school.

 

16. Centre commissions project to study microbial diversity in Ganga 

A study to assess microbial diversity along the entire length of river Ganga costing over Rs 9.3 crore has been commissioned by the central government.

The project also expects to assess whether the stretches of the 2,500 km long river has microbes which can promote "antibiotic resistance".  The project, which is expected to last over two years, will be undertaken jointly by scientists at the Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology in Allahabad; National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur and Sardar Patel Institute of Science and Technology in Gorakhpur.

Start-up companies like Phixgen and Xcelris Labs will also be a part of the project. The two companies provide genome sequencing services which will involve mapping the genomes of the microbes sampled.

The purpose of the project is to indicate the type of "contamination" in the river and "threat to human health". Additionally, it also seeks to identify the sources of a type of bacteria living in the gut of animals and humans, called the Eschericia coli.

While earlier there have been several studies undertaken to examine the microbial diversity in Ganga, no study has looked at the "entire stretch" of the river.  The report states that a study commissioned by the Union Department of Biotechnology and the UK Research Council and published in 2017 revealed that India has some of the highest antibiotic resistance rates among bacteria that cause infections.

 

17. Government sets up 5-member GoM for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh 

The Union Government has constituted a 5-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into issues concerning the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The GoM will look into the development, economic and social issues of the two UTs and suggest ways to improve the situation. The two UTs will come into existence on October 31.

The GoM will comprise Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Jitendra Singh, Thawar Chand Gehlot, Narendra Singh Tomar and Dharmendra Pradhan.

The group of ministers has been constituted to analyse the situation in J&K after scrapping of Article 370 and withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. 

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 was passed by Parliament earlier this month. Under the act, the two new Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh will come into existence from October 31, 2019. 

The Group of Ministers will be conducting their first meeting in the first week of September. 

 

18. Over 19 lakh excluded from Assam’s final NRC 

The NRC authority headed by the apex court-appointed State Coordinator Prateek Hajela released the final NRC on its official website and through its social media handles. A total of 3,30,27,661 people had applied to be included in the NRC. Of them, 3,11,21,004 have been included in the document and 19,06,657 excluded.

Though the NRC was called ‘final’, the 19,06,657 people excluded would have opportunities to be back on the citizens’ list if they appeal against their exclusion and establish their citizenship via courts.

Each excluded person will have 120 days to file an appeal at any of the existing 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals — 200 more are to be established within a month — which in turn will have to dispose of the cases within six months. The appellant then has the option of approaching the High Court and Supreme Court.

The process of NRC update in Assam differs from the rest of the country and is governed by Rule 4A and the corresponding Schedule of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. These rules were framed as per the cut-off date of the midnight of March 24, 1971, enshrined in the Assam Accord of 1985.  The process of receipt of NRC application forms started in May 2015 and ended on August 31, 2015.

The complete NRC draft was published on July 30, 2018, wherein 2,89,83,677 people were found eligible for inclusion while 40,007,707 were excluded. Thereafter, claims were received from 36,26,630 people against exclusions.

The following is the timeline of the immigration issue in Assam since Independence to the publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Saturday, August 31,2019.

 

19. Dindigul lock, Kandangi saree of Tamil Nadu get GI tag

The products — the Dindigul lock and the Kandangi saree — were given the GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.

The application for the lock was made by the Dindigul Lock, Hardware and Steel Furniture Workers Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, the Amarar Rajeev Gandhi Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sales Society Limited filed the application for the Kandangi saree.

The famous Dindigul locks are known throughout the world for their superior quality and durability, so much so that even the city is called Lock City.

The abundance of iron in this region is the reason for the growth of the lock-making industry.

Though machine-made locks are easily available, government institutions like prisons, godowns, hospitals and even temples use the older pattern locks. These lock manufacturing units are limited to an area of 5 km in and around Dindigul. There are over 50 varieties of locks made by the artisans.

The Kandangi saree is manufactured in Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district.

The original Kandangi saree is manually made using a winding machine, loom, shuttle and bobbin. It is a team effort of the families who live in the town of Karaikudi and it forms part of their livelihood. These sarees are characterised by the large contrast borders, and some of them are known to have borders covering as much as two-thirds of the saree. The sarees are usually around 5.10 meters – 5.60 meters in length. The Kandangi sarees exude brilliant colours like bright yellow, orange, red and a minimal black in the traditional pattern of stripes or checks with broad borders woven in coarse cotton. Over the years, more interesting colours have been introduced for the saree, which is worn in a particular manner.

 

20. Meghalaya launches ‘Walk to Work’ campaign

Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma launched the ‘Walk to Work’ campaign in the state. The campaign is a part of Fit India Movement which has been launched in the country by the Prime Minister. The campaign comes with the multiple benefits like cost cutting of fuel including reduction of CO2 emission, reduction in congestion in the city and the most important “health and fitness” for the citizens.

 

21. Cabinet approves Establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure  

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the Establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) along with its supporting Secretariat Office in New Delhi. The proposal was approved by the Prime Minister on 13^th August, 2019.

The CDRI is proposed to be launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, USA on 23^rd September 2019. This event will bring together the largest number of Heads of States to generate commitments for combating the effects of climate change and resulting disasters, and will provide the high-level visibility required for the CDRI.

The CDRI will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. It will bring together technical expertise from a multitude of stakeholders. In doing so, it will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs.

 

22. Sadananda Gowda launches mobile app 'Jan Aushadhi SUGAM'

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda launched a mobile application “Janaushadhi Sugam” and had announced that “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin” will now be available at only One Rupee per pad.

The “Janaushadhi Sugam” will enable people to search Janaushadhi generic medicines and the stores at the tip of their fingers. “Janaushadhi Sugam” mobile application would have user-friendly options like- to locate nearby Janaushadhikendra, direction guidance for location of the Janaushadhikendra through Google Map, search Janaushadhi generic medicines, analyse product comparison of Generic vs Branded medicine in form of MRP & overall Savings, etc. The mobile application is available on both Android & iOS platforms. It can be downloaded free of cost by the user from Google Play Store and Apple Store.

The Government of India launched “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin” at Rs 2.50 per pad on the eve of the World Environment Day 4^thJune 2018. Jan Aushadhi Suvidha comes with a special additive, which makes it biodegradable when it comes in contact with oxygen after being discarded. Till 31^st July 2019, over 1.30 crore pads were sold at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.

 

23. MP: Indore takes steps to become number one in Jal Shakti Abhiyan 

In Madhya Pradesh, after holding the top position in Swachhata Abhiyan continuously since the last three years, the citizens of Indore have taken a rapid step to become number one in Jal Shakti Abhiyan too. 
A record has been set by installing one thousand five hundred water harvesting system in a day in Indore Municipal Corporation area. On August 25, a record has been created by installing 1500 water harvesting systems in a day. 
The water harvesting system capsules are being given free of cost under CSR on first come first serve basis.  Building owners are required to pay the amount of wages and material. Experts are also being provided by the Municipal Corporation to install water harvesting system. It has also been decided to put geo-tagging barcode at the place, where water harvesting system is being installed.

 

International News

1. Nepal, India launch Kathmandu-Siliguri bus service 

The 10th bus service was launched between Kathmandu and Siliguri during a programme in the outskirts of Kathmandu. The Kathmandu-Kakarbhitta-Siliguri bus service will operate on a daily basis. India will operate buses on the route in the beginning. The direct bus service will not only benefit visitors of the two countries but will also help to expand trade links.

 

2. Pakistan, China engage in joint air force exercise 300 km north of Leh- Shaheen VIII military exercise 

The air forces of China and Pakistan were engaged in a joint military exercise in Chinese city of Holton,  close to the Indian border near Ladakh. The exercise is named as Shaheen VIII and this is the eighth such exercise undertaken by India's two neighbours. It comes at a time when India’s relations with Pakistan have hit rock-bottom. 

 

3. Pakistan test fires Ghaznavi missile to raise war spectre 

Pakistan carried out a night training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, a move that coincides with its scaled-up effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted that the exercise was successful and put out a 30-second video clip of the missile launch along with a group photograph of officers with the missile.

The ballistic missile is capable of “delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 km”.  The timing of the missile launch is seen as part of a two-pronged effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue at both military and diplomatic levels, and for impact, raise the spectre of nuclear war between the two countries.

 

4. Trump launches US Space Command to counter threats from Russia, China 

US President Donald Trump launched the US Space Command on August 29, 2019. Trump announced the establishment of the space command as the newest US military combatant command in a ceremony at the Rose Garden, White House.

The White House is still working toward persuading Congress to create a Space Force, which would become the sixth branch of the military and the first new one since the Air Force was created in 1947. The House and Senate have provisions for a Space Force in their Pentagon spending bills, but they differ on some key details, such as how the force would be organized. In June, the Senate confirmed Air Force Gen. John Raymond as the leader of Space Command. 

The U.S. Space Command is the nation's 11th combatant command. Others include geographic commands, such as Central Command, Africa Command and Indo-Pacific Command, which oversee operations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, respectively; and functional commands, such as Transportation Command, which oversees logistics across the military, and Strategic Command, which controls the nuclear arsenal. Africa Command was the most recently created, in 2007.

The United States military has had a Space Command before. It was launched in 1985 and disestablished in 2002 as the Pentagon reorganized in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 

 

Economy News

1. Union Textiles Minister launches Project SU.RE on Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakmé Fashion Week 

The Union Minister for Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani launched Project SU.RE, a move towards sustainable fashion, at Lakmé Fashion Winter/Festive 2019, in Mumbai on 22^nd August, 2019. The SU.RE project is a commitment by India’s apparel industry to set a sustainable pathway for the Indian fashion industry. SU.RE stands for ‘Sustainable Resolution’ - a firm commitment from the industry to move towards fashion that contributes to a clean environment.

 The project has been launched along with Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI); United Nations in India; and IMG Reliance, the organizers of Lakmé Fashion Week. The five-point Sustainable Resolution is as follows:

1. Develop a complete understanding of the environmental impact of the garments being currently produced by our brand.
2. Develop a sustainable sourcing policy for consistently prioritizing and utilizing certified raw materials that have a positive impact on the environment.
3. Make the right decisions about how, where, and what we source across the value chain by selecting sustainable and renewable materials and processes and ensuring their traceability.
4. Communicate our sustainability initiatives effectively to consumers and media through our online and physical stores, product tags/labeling, social media, advertising campaigns and events.
5. Through these actions, shift a significant percentage of our supply chain to a sustainable chain by the year 2025, addressing critical global issues such as climate change, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and building a world that is safe for the future generations, as an acceptance of a responsibility we all share.

 

?Project SU.RE aims to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, especially SDG-12 for responsible consumption and production.

It will be the first holistic effort by the apparel industry towards gradually introducing a broader framework for establishing critical sustainability goals for the industry. This framework would help the industry reduce its carbon emissions, increase resource efficiency, tackle waste and water management, and create positive social impact to achieve long-term sustainability targets.? 

The launch of project SU.RE at Lakme Fashion Week was supported by Lenzing EcoVero (which stands for ecologically responsible production of viscose fibre made from the renewable & certified raw material wood) and R Elan which produces Green Gold fibre made from 100% used PET bottles, with one of the lowest carbon footprints globally.

 

2. Amazon India launches employment programme for ex-servicemen and their spouses 

Amazon India announced the launch of a Military Veterans Employment programme that it said will create hundreds of opportunities for military veterans and their spouses across Amazon India's Fulfillment Centres, Sort Centres and Delivery Centres in the country.

Amazon India is partnering with the Office of the Director General of Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) to create continued work opportunities for military families across the country. With two pilot programmes underway, Amazon is confident of scaling the Military Veterans Employment Programme, and extending its engagement to hire remarkable talent from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Police families in the future.

 

3. SEBI simplifies norms for foreign investors 

At a time when foreign investors have been selling Indian shares in huge quantum, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has simplified the compliance and operational requirements for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), to make the regulatory framework more investor friendly.

The SEBI board decided to do away with the requirement that every FPI should have at least 20 investors — known as broad-based in regulatory parlance — while simplifying the KYC (or Know-Your-Customer) document requirement for overseas investors.

It has also allowed central banks of countries that are not members of Bank for International Settlement (BIS) to register as FPIs in India since, as per SEBI, such entities are “relatively long term, low risk investors directly/indirectly managed by the government”. FPIs have cumulatively sold shares worth over ?22,000 crore in July and August.

The regulator has amended the Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations to include a clause to reward whistle-blowers up to ?1 crore if the information leads to a disgorgement order of at least ?1 crore.

 

4. India-France to jointly build, run space-based ship tracking system 

The world’s first space-based automatic identification system (AIS) to track merchant ships on a real-time basis will be built and operated jointly by India and France, the French space agency (Centre national d'études spatiales or the National Centre for Space Studies — CNES) has said.

CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall and K Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), signed an agreement to start development and production of a constellation of satellites on which studies have been underway for more than a year.

The pact between the two space agencies  was signed during  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France.

The constellation carrying telecommunications (AIS), radar and optical remote-sensing instruments will be capable of monitoring ships in the Indian Ocean.

The International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires AIS to be fitted aboard all ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not engaged on international voyages and all passenger ships irrespective of the size. The requirement took effect on December 31, 2004.  AIS is designed to provide information about a ship to other vesels and to coastal authorities, automatically.

India has installed a Long-Range Identification and Tracking system (LRIT) for ships as well as a terrestrial-based AIS, but their range and functionality is limited. LRIT can predict the position of a ship every six hours or at least four times a day while the terrestrial-based AIS has a coverage range of 40 nautical miles. The satellite-based AIS will significantly boost India’s coastal surveillance mechanism and maritime security.

 

5. FM relaxes angel tax rules 

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will be exempt from angel tax, an anti-evasion provision in the Income Tax Act.

Section 56 (2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act shall not apply to startups registered with the commerce ministry. Currently, there are 24,117 DPIIT-recognized startups.

In the Union budget in July, Sitharaman had said that startups and their investors, who file requisite declarations, will not be subjected to any kind of scrutiny in respect of valuations of share premiums.

The government will set up a separate dedicated cell housed under the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) for addressing problems of startups. Startups with an income tax issue can approach this panel.

The startup community welcomed the move.

 

6. eKYC, Digital KYC for opening bank accounts to make process secure: UIDAI 

The recent amendments to anti-money laundering rules allowing voluntary use of Aadhaar for opening of bank accounts and the modalities of digital KYC for cases where verification is done using other documents like voter ID and driving licence will make the process secure and convenient for users.

The government , had notified amendments to the Prevention of Money-Laundering (Maintenance of Records) rules to allow voluntary use of the biometric identifier for opening of bank accounts, and had also spelt out the detailed procedure for 'digital KYC' to be performed in case of verification done via documents like voter ID and driving licence.

It has paved way for use of various verification mechanisms- Aadhaar eKYC where Aadhaar documents are given voluntarily, offline verification and Digital KYC (Know Your Customer) for opening bank accounts. The same procedure will also be applicable for investment in mutual funds and opening of demat accounts. Digital KYC will involve capturing the live photo of the customer and officially valid documents or proof of possession of Aadhaar where offline verification cannot be carried out, along with latitude and longitude of the location where such live photo is being taken by an authorised officer of the bank. A step-by-step procedure has been laid down for performing Digital KYC.

The process which has been laid down for Digital KYC makes it convenient, safe, secure and fraud-proof. Earlier, someone could have perhaps misused someone else's ID documents, without that person's knowledge for opening bank account. The stringent process that has been outlined will ensure that doing so will not be possible

Parliament recently passed an amendment bill which allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity for opening bank accounts and getting mobile phone connections.

 

7. RBI accepts Bimal Jalan Committee recommendations, approves Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to Govt 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to transfer a sum of Rs. 1,76,051 crore to the Government of India as per the recommendations made by Bimal Jalan Committee. The surplus money includes a sum of Rs. 1,23,414 crore for the year 2018-19 and Rs. 52,637 crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF) adopted at the meeting of the Central Board.

Recommendations of the Bimal Jalan Committee were guided by the fact that the RBI forms the primary bulwark for monetary, financial and external stability. This latest move of the central bank will provide flexibility to the RBI to match with its public policy objectives. It would maintain above the level coordination with peer central banks as one of the fastest-growing large economies of the world.

The six members Bimal Jalan Committee has made a recommendation to constitute a surplus distribution policy which will target the level of realized equity to be maintained by the RBI. According to the recommendations, if the committee will found equity is above its requirement, will the entire net income be transferable to the Government. On the other hand, if it will be below the lower bound of requirement, the government will apply risk provisions to the extent necessary and only the residual net income (if any) transferred to the Government.

RBI has been giving 99% of its disposable income to the government since the 2013-14. As far as the dividend is concerned, out of Rs 1,23,414 crore for 2018-19, 28,000 crore rupees have been given to the government as interim dividend in March itself. The government is set to get a dividend of Rs 95,414 crore during the current financial year. This will be in addition to a surplus fund of 1.76 lakh crore.

BeThe government will be able to help the banks with this fund.

About Bimal Jalan Committee

Bimal Jalan was appointed as the head of the six-member panel on December 26, 2018. Other members of the committee headed by Bimal Jalan includes- Former deputy governor of RBI - Rakesh Mohan as vice-chairman, Finance secretary - Subhash Chandra Garg as a member, RBI deputy governor N S Vishwanathan as member and RBI’s central board members - Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad as members.

 

8. Intel launches first artificial intelligence chip Springhill 

Intel Corp launched its latest processor, its first using artificial intelligence (AI), designed for large computing centres. The chip, developed at its development facility in Haifa, Israel, is known as Nervana NNP-I or Springhill and is based on a 10 nanometre Ice Lake processor that will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy.

Its first AI product comes after it had invested more than $120 million in three AI startups in Israel.

 

9. Angikaar project for PMAY (U) beneficiaries launched

In order to bring those who have got homes constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) into the fold of several other Central schemes, like Ayushman Bharat and Ujjwala, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the Angikaar project.

The project, which will officially be rolled out in all cities with PMAY (U) homes on October 2, will be carried out till December 10. The project includes mass awareness programmes as well as volunteers visiting the homes of the PMAY (U) beneficiaries to have them enrolled into Ujjwala scheme, for LPG connections, Ayushman Bharat health cards and Ujala, for LED lights.

Meanwhile, the Ministry sanctioned construction of another 2.99 lakh houses under PMAY (U), bringing the total number of sanctioned homes to 88 lakh.

 

10. FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces mega public sector bank merger; 10 banks amalgamated into 4 entities 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on August 30 unveiled a mega merger plan for public sector banks (PSBs), amalgamating 10 banks into 4.

The consolidation will bring down the total number of public sector banks in the country to 12 from 27 in 2017.

Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank will be merged into Punjab National Bank. The consolidated entity will be the second-largest PSB with a business of Rs 17.95 lakh crore, at least 1.5 times of the current size of PNB.

Two banks coming from the South – Canara Bank with Syndicate Bank will be merged. The combined size of the business will be Rs 15.2 lakh crore, roughly 1.5 times that of Canara Bank currently. The combine will have the third-largest branch network in the country with 10,342 branches.

Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be merged into Union Bank of India. This will mean a combined business of Rs 14.59 lakh crore, roughly twice the size of UBI currently. This will make it the fourth largest in terms of a network of branches with 9,600 branches.

The fourth one will be the consolidation of Indian Bank with Allahabad Bank making it the seventh-largest with a total business of Rs 8.08 lakh crore, approximately 1.9 times the current size of Indian Bank.

 Bank of India, Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and Punjab and Sindh Bank will continue to operate as before and will be provided necessary support from the government.

 

11. RTGS funds transfer to open at 7 am from August 26 

Transfer of funds through the high-value RTGS system will be available from 7 am instead of 8 am from August 26. At present, the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System is available for customer transactions from 0800 hours to 1800 hours and for inter-bank transactions from 0800 hours to 1945 hours. Now, the transfer of funds can be done from 7 am to 6 pm.

 

12. SIDBI and Incuspaze launch co-working space for MSMEs and start-ups 

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has partnered with premium co-working spaces chain Incuspaze Solutions to open a first-of-its-kind co-working space designed for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and startups at Connaught Place, New Delhi. The co-working space, named @Workspaze is located at 1, Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi.

 

13. Feroz Shah Kotla stadium to be renamed after Arun Jaitley, ground name to stay 

Three days after the demise of former finance minister Arun Jaitley, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) announced that it will rechristen Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in his memory. However, the ground will continue to be called Feroz Shah Kotla. The renaming will take place on September 12, the same day when a stand will be named after India captain Virat Kohli as announced earlier.

 

14. Microsoft to train 5000 govt employees on AI, cloud 

Microsoft India launched a program under which it will train 5000 government employees over the next year on AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud computing skills. This program was inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog.

The program, called ‘Digital Governance Tech Tour’, will comprise of physical and virtual workshops. The program will be open for technocrats and IT professionals across the government, including employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

 

15. CVC sets up advisory board to examine banking frauds above Rs 50 cr

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M Bhasin to examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action.

The panel in its previous avatar called the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.

The ABBF, formed in consultation with the RBI, would function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before recommendations or references are made to the investigative agencies by the respective public sector banks (PSBs).

The four-member board's jurisdiction would be confined to those cases involving the level of officers of General Manager and above in the PSB in respect of an allegation of a fraud in a borrowal account. Lenders would refer all large fraud cases above Rs 50 crore to the board and on receipt of its recommendation or advice, the bank concerned would take further action in such matter.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may also refer any case or matter to the board where it has any issue or difficulty or in technical matters with the PSB concerned. Other members of the panel are Madhusudan Prasad - former Urban Development Secretary, D K Pathak - former Director General of the Border Security Force and Suresh N Patel - former MD and CEO of Andhra Bank.

The tenure of the Chairman and members would be for a period of two years from August 21, 2019.

The board will also periodically carry out frauds analysis in the financial system and give inputs for policy formulation related to the fraud to the RBI.

Headquartered in Delhi, the Reserve Bank of India will provide required secretarial services, logistic and analytical support along with the necessary funding to the board.

In a bid to check such incidences, the government has already issued the 'framework for timely detection, reporting, and investigation relating to large-value bank frauds' to PSBs, which makes it clear that all accounts exceeding Rs 50 crore, if classified as an NPA, should be examined by banks from the angle of possible fraud, and a report be placed before the bank's Committee for Review of NPAs based on the findings of the investigation.

Besides, the PSBs have been advised to obtain a certified copy of the passport of promoters/directors and other authorised signatories of companies taking loan facilities of more than Rs 50 crore.

 

People in News

1. IAF’s Shalija Dhami scripts history, becomes first female flight commander 

Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Shalija Dhami has scripted history by becoming the first female officer to be appointed as flight commander of a flying unit.  She took over as flight commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase. Flight Commander is the second in command of the unit.

 

2. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, India’s first woman DGP, passes away

Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, India’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP), passed away following an illness in Mumbai. Bhattacharya, a 1973 batch officer, made history in 2004 when she was appointed as the DGP of Uttarakhand, thus becoming the first woman in the country to hold such position.  Bhattacharya was also the second woman IPS officer in the country, the first being Kiran Bedi. She relinquished her duties on October 31, 2007. She was presented a ceremonial guard of honour by the Uttarakhand police at her farewell parade.

 

3. Oleksiy Honcharuk has become Ukraine's youngest-ever prime minister

Only 35 years old and with just three months of government experience, Oleksiy Honcharuk has become Ukraine's youngest-ever prime minister.

Ukraine’ s new president, 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelensky, himself a political novice and a popular comedian before winning April's election, nominated Honcharuk after weeks of consultations.

Honcharuk's candidacy was quickly approved by MPs as Zelensky's new "Servant of the People" party holds a majority after parliamentary polls last month.  He replaces Volodymyr Groysman, 41, who offered his resignation after Zelensky's inauguration.

 

Sports News

1. Sai Praneeth finishes with bronze after losing to Kento Momota in semi-final 

India's Sai Praneeth lost the men's singles semi-final 13-21, 8-21 to World No. 1 Kento Mmomta of Japan at the BWF World Championships 2019 in Basel but finished with his maiden medal at the world meet.

Sai Praneeth, World No. 19, became only the 2nd Indian men's singles player after the legendary Prakash Padukone to win a medal at the World Championships.

 

Awards

1. PM Modi honoured with UAE's highest civilian award 'Order of Zayed' 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the 'Order of Zayed', the UAE's highest civilian award in recognition of his pivotal role in building the strategic relationship between the two countries. The award has earlier been bestowed on several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Modi thanked the UAE government for the honour and dedicated the award to the skills and abilities of 1.3 billion Indians.

The award was conferred on Modi by the Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.

With an annual bilateral trade of about USD 60 billion, the UAE is India's third-largest trade partner. It is also the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India.

 

2. Bahrain confers the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance to PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the key Gulf nation.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Bahrain, received the honour on when he called on the King of Bahrain.

The King bestowed Bahrain Order — First Class on Prime Minister Modi in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain.vModi also invited the King of Bahrain to visit India.

 

3. National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Conferred The Prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award  

Deendayan Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), a flagship mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award for its Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access (PAiSA).

 Launched in November 2018,PAiSAis a centralized IT platform which simplifies and streamlines release of interest subvention under the Mission. It offers end to end online solution for processing, payment, monitoring and tracking of interest subvention claims from banks on a monthly basis. Claims for subvention are uploaded by banks through their CBS (Core Banking Solution) in respect of the beneficiaries of the Self Employment Programme, which are verified and approved by the ULB and State concerned. The approved claim amount gets credited directly to the beneficiary’s loan account through DBT mode. SMS is also sent to the beneficiary’s mobile number intimating the credit of subvention amount. The portal has beendesigned and developed through the Allahabad Bank. As of now, 28 States/UTs and 74 Banks including 21 Public Sector, 18 Private and 35 Regional Rural Banks have been on boarded on the portal. Till now approximately 1.50 lakh beneficiaries have been paid Rs. 27 Cr (approx.) as interest subvention through PAiSA.

 

4. PM to present Yoga Awards and release 12 AYUSH Commemorative Postal Stamps, also launch 10 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres  

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will present Yoga awards to the winners of PM’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga, which were announced during the International Day of Yoga, 2019 at Ranchi, along with the two winners of the previous year in an event being organized by the Ministry of AYUSH at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister would also release 12 commemorative postal stamps to honour eminent scholars, Practitioners and great Master Healers of AYUSH Systems. These commemorative postal stamps highlight the great work and acknowledge the achievements of the great Master Healers of AYUSH Systems.  

The PM’s award for outstanding contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga had been institutionalized and announced during 2ndInternational Day of Yoga (IDY) event held at Chandigarh on 21st June, 2016 and since then the awards are conferred to the notable contributors in the field. Winners, selected under different categories out of 79 nominations for the current year and 186 nominations in the previous year, were announced this year during the IDY event held at Ranchi and each of them will be felicitated with a Cash Award of Rs. 25 lakh, Trophy and a Certificate.

Winners of the year 2019 Yoga Awards are - Swami Rajarshi Muni of Life Mission, Gujarat in  Individual-National category, Ms. Antonietta Rozzi, Italy in Individual-International category, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger,  Bihar in Organisation-National category, and Japan Yoga Niketan, Japan in  Organisation-International Organisation category  and  Winners of  2018 Yoga Awards are Shri Vishwas Mandalik, Nasik, Individual- National category and  the Yoga Institute, Mumbai, Organisation – National category.

The  Prime Minister  will also launch 10 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AYUSH HWCs) located  in the state of  Haryana and are in line with Ministry of AYUSH’s commitment to make 12,500 AHWCs functional in next three years. In order to provide comprehensive primary healthcare, AYUSH components have been integrated in Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat. These Centres will be complementing the National Health Policy, 2017 that insisted upon integration and mainstreaming of AYUSH services in conventional health care delivery system. It would be a historic beginning in mainstreaming of holistic, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative AYUSH care for achieving comprehensive health care. The main focus of these AYUSH HWCs would be empowering the community for ‘self care’ by imbibing AYUSH based healthy food and lifestyle, social behaviour and use of medicinal plants for primary health care. Provisions will also be made for diagnostics and medicines for a wide range of health problems. These services will be in addition to the currently on going National Health Programs.

 

5. National Sports Day Awards 2019 

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the National Sports Day Awards on the 114th birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand to sportspersons from the country at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

1. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Deepa Malik (Para-Athletics) first Paralympian to receive the prestigious honour, Bajrang Punia (Wrestling).
2. Arjuna Award: Ravindra Jadeja (Cricket), Mohammed Anas (Athletics), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Football), Sonia Lather (Boxing), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Hockey), S Bhaskaran (Bodybuilding), Ajay Thakur (Kabaddi), Anjum Moudgil (Shooting), Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (Badminton), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Para sports-badminton), Harmeet Rajul Desai (Table tennis), Pooja Dhanda (Wrestling), Fouaad Mirza (Equestrian), Simran Singh Shergill (Polo), Poonam Yadav (Cricket), Swapna Burman (Athletics), Sundar Singh Gurjar (Para sports-athletics) and Gaurav Singh Gill (Motorsports).
3. Dronacharya Award: Mohinder Singh Dhillon (athletics), Sandeep Gupta (table tennis) and Vimal Kumar (badminton).
   Dronacharya Award (lifetime category): Sanjay Bhardwaj (cricket), Rambir Singh Khokar (kabaddi) and Mezban Patel (hockey).
4. Dhyan Chand Award: Manoj Kumar (wrestling), C Lalremsanga (archery), Arup Basak (table tennis), Nitten Kirrtane (tennis) and Manuel Fredricks (hockey).

 

Events & Days

1. International Day Against Nuclear Tests-29 August

On 2 December 2009, the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 29 August the International Day against Nuclear Tests by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35. The resolution calls for increasing awareness and education “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.” The resolution was initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with a large number of sponsors and cosponsors with a view to commemorating the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site on 29 August 1991.

2010 marked the inaugural commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. In each subsequent year, the day has been observed by coordinating various activities throughout the world, such as symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, lectures, media broadcasts and other initiatives. 

Since its establishment, many bilateral and multilateral governmental level developments as well as broad movements in civil society have helped to advance the cause of banning nuclear tests. The international instrument to put an end to all forms of nuclear testing is the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Unfortunately, this has yet to enter into force.

 

2. Rajnath inaugurates Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-Vigyan Mela in Leh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 26th Mela of Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-Vigyan Mela.  The mela was organised by the Leh-based Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) of DRDO, which was established in 1960 to meet the fresh food requirement of the soldiers deployed in the harsh terrain of Ladakh.

The interdependence created between the locals and the Army through the scientific endeavours of DIHAR has contributed to socio-economic upliftment of local farmers.

The institute is known for many success stories in translating science to alleviate real-life problems being faced in the remote Ladakh region. DIHAR is now working to develop newer technologies to make fresh food available even in the remotest locations in the Himalayas.

The Defence Minister visited the experimental farm of DIHAR where technologies for the production of quality organic fruits and vegetables were being demonstrated.

 

3. International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances-30 August

The United Nations (UN) observes the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30 each year. It was observed for the first time in the year 2011.

Its purpose is to raise awareness of the wide range of enforced or involuntary disappearances that occur to people all over the world, including “arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.”

 

4. PM Modi arrives in France for G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France to attend the G7 Summit where he will speak on burning global issues of environment, climate and digital transformation and also meet the world leaders.

Mr. Modi arrived here from Manama after concluding his three-nation tour to France, the UAE and Bahrain where he offered prayers at the Shreenathji Temple, the oldest temple in the Gulf region.

Though India is not a member of the G-7 grouping, Mr. Modi has been personally invited by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The 45th G7 summit was held on 24–26 August 2019, in Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.  The countries which are part of the G7 include the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US.

 

5. National Sports Day-29 August 

The greatest hockey player of India, 'Major Dhyanchand Singh', worldwide known as 'Wizard of Hockey', was born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad city. 

Major Dhyanchand had scored more than 400 international goals in his career from 1926 to 1948, while scoring nearly 1,000 goals in his entire career. 

So to give real tribute to such a legendary player; the Government of India has decided to celebrate his birthday as the National Sports Day since 2012.

National Sports Day is also celebrated extensively at the national level. It is organized every year in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President of the country; gives National Sports Awards to the respective winners who have enhanced the value of the tricolor flag all over the world.

 

Ranking & Report  

1. Mumbai ranked 45th, Delhi 52nd on world's safe cities list; Tokyo safest: Study 

Mumbai has been ranked as the 45th safest city on the Safe Cities Index (SCI), while Delhi stood at the 52nd position, according to a report by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Cities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region made up six of the top-10 safest cities with Tokyo taking the top spot.  Singapore and Osaka came second and third, while Sydney and Melbourne also made it to the top-10 cities list.

Though Hong Kong dropped out of this group since 2017, Seoul has joined the top-10 cities' league taking eighth place with Copenhagen.

The Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019 ranks 60 countries worldwide across five continents and measures the multi-faceted nature of urban safety, with indicators categorised as digital, infrastructure, health and personal security.

 

2. Nearly 2,000 tigers poached in last 19 years, India tops with 626: Report 

At the rate of 104 a year, 1,977 tigers were killed for their body parts between 2000 and 2018 across 32 countries and global territories. Another 382 were seized live. India topped the chart with 626 poaching cases.

India, which accounts for 2,967 tigers or 76% of the estimated global population of 3,951, tallies the highest with 626 (26.5%) poached in 463 seizure cases. Here, according to experts, there is no instance of live wildcats being seized. Thailand follows at No. 2 with 369 (15.6%) in 49 seizure cases. Indonesia is at No. 3 with 266 (11.3%) in 119 cases.

The deaths occurred from a total of 1,142 seizure incidents globally, with 95.1% (or 1,086 incidents) occurring in 13 Asian tiger-range countries (TRCs), accounting for a minimum of 2,241 seizures (dead as well as live). On average, 60 seizures were recorded annually, accounting for almost 124 tigers each year.

The current report is the fourth iteration of TRAFFIC’s analysis on the illegal trade in tigers. Previous analysis reviewed seizures from 2000-2010, 2000-2012 and 2000-2015 periods. This analysis involved largely TRCs. Information gathered from outside TRCs has also been included this time to provide a more comprehensive picture of the illegal trade in tigers.

This was revealed in a report released by TRAFFIC International in Cambridge, UK. TRAFFIC is a leading NGO working globally on the trade of wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity and sustainable development. TRAFFIC’s report — ‘Skin And Bones Unresolved: An Analysis of Tiger Seizures from 2000-2018’ — by Ramacandra Wong & Kanitha Krishnasamy is quite alarming. It is an analysis of tiger seizures in 19 years in TRCs and includes all the four cycles of tiger estimation exercise that was conducted from 2006 to 2018 in India.