PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI August-2021 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of August. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI August-2021 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
Website: www.successmantra.in
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Economic Affairs
4. Appointments
5. Awards And Honors
6. Important Dates & Sports
7. Reports And Indexes
8. Science & Technology
9. Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
75TH INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 2021
India is celebrating the 75th Independence Day on 15th August 2021 to mark the country’s freedom from nearly two centuries of British colonial rule. India is marking its 75th Independence Day as “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the celebrations from Red Fort in New Delhi and is addressing the nation from Red Fort in New Delhi. This is his eighth address as the prime minister.
For the first time, just as the flag is unfurled by the PM, flower petals showered at the venue by two Mi-17 1V helicopters of the Indian Air Force in Amrut formation.
The Centre has invited 32 athletes — who have won medals at the Olympics and two officials of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at the Red Fort.
History of India’s Independence: The Indian Independence movement began during World War I and was led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. On August 15, 1947, India got its freedom, ending an almost 200-year British rule.
India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1947. It is a tradition that has since been followed by the incumbent Prime Minister, followed by an address to the country.
Some rare facts about India’s Independence Day:
The song ‘Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ composed in 1911 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was renamed as ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
The Indian national flag with three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green was hoisted on August 7, 1906, at Parsee Bagan Square in Kolkata.
The first variant of India’s current national flag was designed by freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya in 1921. The current flag with saffron, white and green colours and the Ashok Chakra in the middle was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, and hoisted on August 15, 1947.
Five other countries celebrate their independence on August 15 along with India. They are Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea and Liechtenstein. The Indian flag is manufactured and supplied from only one place in the nation.
The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), located in Dharwad in Karnataka, has the authority to manufacture and supply the Indian national flag. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the flag is manufactured only with hand-spun and handwoven cotton khadi wafting.
PM MODI LAUNCHED NATIONAL EDIBLE OIL MISSION
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 11,000 crore National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to make India self-sufficient in cooking oils, including palm oil.
The government will ensure that farmers get all the facilities, from quality seeds to technology under the mission.
While India has become self-sufficient in rice, wheat and sugar, it was not enough as the country is hugely dependent on imported edible oils.
The Centre has already been running a National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm to boost oilseeds and palm oil production in India for the last few years with an aim to lower imports.
GOVT. ANNOUNCED PM GATISHAKTI SCHEME
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 100 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Gatishakti scheme while addressing the nation on the 75th Independence Day from Red Fort.
The Pradhan Mantri Gatishakti scheme aims to adopt a holistic and integrated approach in infrastructure growth and create employment opportunities for the youth of the country.
The government will soon announce the Master Plan for the scheme, to help boost the productivity of industries, and boost the economic growth of the country, besides creating job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of youths.
About the scheme: Gati Shakti will be a national infrastructure master plan for our country that will lay the foundation of holistic infrastructure and will lead to an integrated and holistic pathway to our economy.
The PM Gati Shakti scheme is aimed at breaking the silos between road, rail, air and waterways to reduce travel time, improving industrial productivity, making manufacturing globally competitive, facilitating future economic zones and creating employment.
COUNTRY'S FIRST WATER PLUS CERTIFIED CITY
India’s cleanest city, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, has achieved another feat of being declared as the country’s first ‘water plus’ certified city, under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.
Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The parameters on which Indore achieved the ‘water plus’ status:
Indore carried out a survey and halted 7,000 outfalls of greywater that went in rivers, drains.
Moreover, 30 percent of the city’s sewage water was recycled and reused.
This recycled water was used by people in their gardens and some construction sites. Seven sewerage treatment plants were constructed in the city and about 110 million litres per day (MLD) treated water from them is being used.
What is the ‘Water+’ city certificate?
A Water Plus city certificate is provided to a city that maintains cleanliness in rivers and drains under its administration.
According to protocol and the toolkit provided by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, a city can be declared as Water Plus only after all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments, and the like is treated to a satisfactory level before releasing the treated wastewater to the environment.
• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Governor: Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel.
75 VANDE BHARAT TRAINS TO CONNECT PARTS OF INDIA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the occasion of 75th Independence Day and announced that 75 ‘Vande Bharat’ trains would connect different parts of the country in 75 weeks of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect every corner of the country, in 75 weeks of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which is being celebrated from March 12, 2021, upto August 15, 2023.
Presently two Vande Bharat Express trains are operating in the country by the Indian Railways.
The first Vande Bharat Express operates between Varanasi and New Delhi and the other Vande Bharat Express operates between Katra and New Delhi.
NATIONAL AWARDS UNDER VAN DHAN YOJANA SCHEME
Nagaland has been conferred with seven national awards on the first Van Dhan Annual Awards 2020-21, during the celebration of the 34th foundation day of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED).
The awards were presented by Union tribal minister, Arjun Munda through a Zoom webinar.
In which category Nagaland received awards:
Meanwhile, the state has received seven national awards, such as 1st positions in – ‘Best Survey State’, ‘Best Training’, and ‘Most number of VDVKC’s established’.
It has attained 3rd position for ‘Best Sales Generated’, and ‘Best Innovation & Creativity.
The state has also received Awards for Innovative & Creative Product Ideas for commodities like – Gooseberry Wine (Supplier: Toka Multipurpose Society Ltd.); Mushroom Cultivation (Supplier: NBHM).
1ST STATE TO PROVIDE 'SMART HEALTH CARDS'
Odisha is all set to launch India’s first ‘Smart Health Cards scheme’ covering its 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh families under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.
The information for the same was provided by Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik while addressing the 75th Independence Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar.
The objective behind Smart Health Cards is to provide hassle-free quality treatment at the best available health care facilities. These cards will work like debit cards for a certain amount.
Through this scheme, Central Government health benefits can also be accessed.
The beneficiaries of National and State Food Security Schemes, Annapurna and Antyodaya schemes will get this card and henceforth each family can avail treatment cost up to Rs 5 lakh per annum.
Women members can avail of benefits up to Rs 10 lakh annually. The health benefits under this scheme can be availed in more than 200 hospital chains of the country including Odisha.
DEFENCE INDIA START-UP CHALLENGE (DISC) 5.0
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 5.0 under Innovations for Defence Excellence – Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) initiative, on August 19, 2021, in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Defence has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore for domestic procurement through the iDEX initiative for the financial year 2021-2022.
The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has approved budgetary support of Rs. 498.80 crore for iDEX for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
DISC is a platform wherein the Government, Services, think tanks, industry, startups and innovators can work together to help the defence & aerospace sectors reach full potential by creating a strong, modern & well-equipped military and equally capable & self-reliant defence industry.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ASHRAF GHANI STEP DOWN AS TALIBAN TAKES POWER
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will shortly tender his resignation, as the government has surrendered to the Taliban forces, which entered Kabul and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government.
Following this, a new interim government has been announced, which is likely to be headed by Ali Ahamd Jalali, a US-based academic.
President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the Islamist terrorists entered the city, he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport.
In Washington, opponents of President Joe Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war, launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
American diplomats were flown by helicopter to the airport from their embassy in the fortified Wazir Akbar Khan district as Afghan forces, trained for years and equipped by the United States and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away.
US NAVY LED 'SEACAT' MILITARY EXERCISE
The Indian Navy participated in the U.S. Navy-led Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) military exercise in Singapore, to demonstrate its maritime manoeuvres.
The main objective of SEACAT 2021 was to enhance the interoperability and shared maritime security concerns and preserve rules-based international order. The exercise comprised approximately 400 personnel and 10 ships.
The 20th edition of the exercise was organised by the U.S. Navy, in Hybrid format, and included 20 other partner nations from the Indo-Pacific region, including India.
Other countries participating in the exercise include Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
About the SEACAT: SEACAT was held for the first time in 2002. The exercise aims to foster enhanced cooperation between Southeast Asian countries by incorporating standardized training, tactics and procedures when faced with crises, contingencies or illegal activities in the maritime domain.
QUAD NAVIES TO UNDERTAKE EX-MALABAR EXERCISE
The Quad country navies including, India, the US, Japan and Australia, will be conducting the annual Malabar naval exercises, from August 21, off the coast of Guam, in the Indo-Pacific.
The harbour phase of the Malabar naval exercises will take place from August 21 to 24, 2021. The sea phase of the exercise will be held on August 25 to 29, 2021.
About the exercise: Indian Navy will be represented by two surface combatants led by Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay and Frigate INS Shivalik along with maritime reconnaissance aircraft P-8I, ASW helicopters and Special Forces (Marine Commandos-MARCOS).
The objective of the Malabar series of Exercises is to increase the interoperability of naval powers of the four QUAD countries.
AL-MOHED AL-HINDI NAVAL EXERCISE 2021
India and Saudi Arabia are all set to conduct their first-ever naval exercise Al-Mohed Al-Hindi 2021. To participate in the exercise, India’s guided-missile destroyer INS Kochi reached Saudi Arabia.
The joint naval exercise will showcase the reflection of growing defence and military cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.
About the exercise: The exercise is taking place amid rising tension in the Gulf region after a drone attack on a merchant tanker off Oman killed a British national and a Romanian citizen.
The UK and the US pointed fingers at Iran for the attack on MV Mercer Street, operated by an Israeli-owned firm.
In December 2020, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia in a first-ever visit ahead of the Indian Army to the two important Gulf countries.
MALAYSIAN PM RESIGNS AS FAILED TO GET MAJORITY
The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet resigned after losing a confidence vote in parliament.
The 74-year-old Muhyiddin came to power in March 2020. He will however stay on as a caretaker prime minister until a successor is named.
The resignations plunged Malaysia even deeper into political turmoil while it contends with one of the world’s worst surges of the virus.
The nation of about 32 million people has averaged more than 20,000 cases per day in the last 14 days, and just 33 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.
The total death toll from the pandemic in the country is at least 12,510.
• Malaysia Capital: Kuala Lumpur.
• Malaysia Currency: Malaysian Ringgit.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
RBI LAUNCHED BANKING FRAUD AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started a public awareness campaign to warn people against digital banking frauds.
For the new campaign, RBI has roped in Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. The central bank has asked people to be a little cautious as doing so can protect them from a lot of troubles. A little caution takes care of a lot of trouble.
The campaign sees Chopra urging users to not divulge details like OTP, CVV number and ATM PIN in front of anyone.
The users should keep changing their online banking passwords and PIN numbers frequently and immediately block ATM card, credit card, debit card and/or prepaid card if one loses it. Block your card if stolen, lost or compromised.
4TH IT FIRM TO HIT 3 TRILLION MARKET CAP
HCL Technologies’ market capitalization (market-cap) touched Rs 3 trillion for the first time. HCL becomes the fourth Indian information technology (IT) firm to achieve this milestone after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro.
Shares of HCL Tech hit a fresh record high of Rs 1,118.55, up 2 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade, surpassing its previous high of Rs 1,101 touched on 12th Aug in intra-day deal.
HCL Tech is the third-largest Indian IT services company by revenue, after TCS and Infosys. The company has a strong globally diversified presence and provides comprehensive IT services to an established customer base.
It has strong expertise in engineering and R&D services and its end customers are spread across industry segments.
• HCL Technologies CEO: C Vijayakumar.
AWARDS & HONOURS
PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED 144 GALLANTRY AWARDS
President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has approved 144 Gallantry awards for armed forces, police and paramilitary personnel on the occasion of Independence Day 2021.
Besides, President Kovind also approved 28 Mention-in-Despatches to the army personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations.
The 144 Gallantry awards include:
Ashok Chakra: Babu Ram (posthumously), ASI, Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Kirti Chakra: Altaf Hussain Bhat (posthumously), Constable, J&K Police.
Shaurya Chakra:
• Major Arun Kumar Pandey, The Rashtriya Rifles, Indian Army
• Major Ravi Kumar Chaudhary, The Rashtriya Rifles, Indian Army
• Captain Ashutosh Kumar, The Madras Regiment (Mysore)
• Captain Vikas Khatri, The Rashtriya Rifles
• Kumar, The Rashtriya Rifles
• Sepoy Neeraj Ahlawat, The Rashtriya Rifles
• Captain Sachin Reuben Sequeira, Indian Navy
• Group Captain Perminder Antil, Flying (Pilot), Air Force
• Wing Commander Varun Singh Flying (Pilot), Air Force
• Shri Chitesh Kumar, Deputy Commandant, CRPF
• Shri Manjinder Singh, Sub Inspector, CRPF
• Shri Sunil Choudhary, Constable, CRPF
• Shri Debasis Sethy, Commando, Odisha Police (Posthumous)
• Shri Sudhir Kumar Tudu, Commando, Odisha Police (Posthumous)
• Shri Shahbaz Ahmad, Special Police Officer, J&K Police (Posthumous)
MAHARASHTRA ANNOUNCED RAJIV GANDHI AWARD IN IT SECTOR
Maharashtra government has announced a new award named after the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for outstanding performance in the Information and Technology (IT) sector.
The Rajiv Gandhi Award in Maharashtra will be given to institutes doing remarkable work in the field of information technology.
The decision to start an award in the state after former PM Rajiv Gandhi was taken in a meeting chaired by Maharashtra Minister of State for Information Technology and Home Satej Patil.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award will be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.
SPORTS
DURAND CUP TO MAKE RE-ENTRY WITH 130TH EDITION
Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest and world’s third oldest football tournament, is all set to make a comeback, after a year’s gap.
The 130th edition of the Durand Cup is scheduled to be held in and around Kolkata between September 05 to October 03, 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the competition was cancelled last season.
History of Durand Cup: The prestigious tournament was first held in 1888, at Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh) and is named after Mortimer Durand, who was then the Foreign Secretary in charge of India.
The tournament was a conscious way to initially maintain health and fitness amongst the British troops but was later opened to civilians and currently is one of the leading sports events in the world.
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of the Durand Cup winning it sixteen times each.
The winning team is presented with three trophies ie the President’s Cup (first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad), the Durand Cup (the original challenge prize – a rolling trophy) and the Shimla Trophy (first presented by citizens of Shimla in 1903 and since 1965, a rolling trophy).
MESSI JOINED PSG AFTER LEAVING BARCELONA
Lionel Messi joined star-packed Paris St Germain after leaving Barcelona, the club where he had begun, after 21 years.
Messi, a six-time winner of the Ballon d’Or for Europe’s best soccer player, signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year.
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain or PSG.
Messi leaves Barcelona with 672 goals in 778 appearances, a record tally for one club. His trophy haul includes four Champions Leagues and 10 La Liga titles.
ICC TO PUSH FOR CRICKET INCLUSION INTO OLYMPICS
The International Cricket Council has confirmed it will campaign for the inclusion of the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The ICC’s bid to end what will by then have been an absence from Olympic schedules will include multiple demonstrations of cricket’s suitability for multisport events.
Cricket, till now, has made just one appearance in the Olympics, way back in 1900 in Paris when only two teams competed at the event Great Britain and hosts France meaning the sport’s inclusion in 2028 would mark the end of a 128-year absence.
The sport will feature in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next year, which shapes as a perfect showcase for what the sport can bring to the Olympics, as well as being a momentous occasion on its own.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
WORLD ORGAN DONATION DAY: 13TH AUGUST
World Organ Donation Day is celebrated every year on August 13.
The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and motivate people to donate organs after death.
The day provides an opportunity to all to come ahead and pledge to donate their precious organs because one organ donor can save up to eight lives.
About Organ Donation: Organ donation is retrieving a donor’s organ like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas after the donor is deceased and then transplanting into another person who is in need of an organ.
WORLD ELEPHANT DAY OBSERVED ON 12TH AUGUST
World Elephant Day is observed every year on August 12 worldwide for the preservation and protection of the global elephants.
The main objective of World Elephant Day is to create awareness on elephant conservation and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better protection and management of wild and captive elephants.
The World Elephant Day was initiated on August 12, 2012, when Thailand-based Elephant Reintroduction Foundation teamed up with Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims.
This is not just a day but a movement in itself. Since 2012, Ms Sims has been leading World Elephant Day.
WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY OBSERVED ON 19TH AUGUST
World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is observed every year on 19 August to pay tribute to humanitarian personnel and those workers who lost or risked their lives while doing humanitarian service. In 2021 we are celebrating the 12th WHD.
The theme for 2021 WHD is #TheHumanRace: a global challenge for climate action in solidarity with people who need it the most.
Why 19 August?: 19 August marks the day on which the then Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 of his colleagues were killed in the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad.
World Humanitarian Day was commemorated for the first time on 19 August 2009, after it was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009.
WORLD MOSQUITO DAY OBSERVED ON 20TH AUGUST
World Mosquito Day is observed on 20 August annually to raise awareness about the causes of malaria and how it can be prevented.
This day is observed to highlight the efforts of healthcare officials, NGOs, and others in fighting diseases caused by malaria.
On World Mosquito Day every year, awareness is created around diseases caused by mosquitoes.
This year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the theme of World Mosquito Day 2021 is “Reaching the zero-malaria target”.
There are several different mosquitoes that act as vectors for different diseases. Aedes mosquitoes cause chikungunya, dengue fever, lymphatic filariasis, rift valley fever, yellow fever, and zika. Anopheles cause malaria, lymphatic filariasis (in Africa).
History of the day: The day also commemorates the discovery made by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. In 1902, Ross won Nobel Prize for Medicine becoming the first British person to receive the award.
INDIA OBSERVED SADBHAVANA DIWAS ON AUG 20TH
Every year India observes Sadbhavana Diwas on August 20 to commemorate the birth anniversary of late erstwhile Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
This year on 20th August 2021, we are going to celebrate the 77th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The Indian National Congress instituted Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award in 1992, a year after his death.
Every year this day is celebrated in the memory of the late Rajiv Gandhi who was the youngest Prime Minister of India at the age of 40 years. In lieu of paying tribute to his vision for India, on this occasion contributions to society betterments are made.
About Rajiv Gandhi: Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister at an age of 40 years after the assassination of his mother Indra Gandhi and served from 1984-89.
To modernize the education system he came up with a National Education Policy in 1986 and he founded Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya System where he provided free residential education to rural sections from classes 6 to 12.
He always had a dream of a developed nation for which he did many deeds including the National Education Policy in 1986, reduced Licence Raj, and included Panchayati Raj.
He was the one whose contribution to the development of the nation is benefiting us at present. For remembering his dreams, his social and economic work for taking the nation towards development, Sadbhavana Diwas came into existence.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
WORLD'S 2ND MOST POLLUTED CITY 2020: GHAZIABAD
Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad was adjudged the second most polluted city out of the 50 ‘most polluted cities’ in the world in 2020 by a report prepared by British company HouseFresh.
Ghaziabad reported an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 2.5 particulate matter (PM) in 106.6µg/m3.
Preceding Ghaziabad, the Chinese city of Hotan in Xinjiang province has been named the most polluted city with a PM2.5 of 110.2µg/m3. The report attributed the air pollution in Hotan to sandstorms resulting from its closeness to the Taklimakan Desert, which is the largest shifting sand desert in the world.
Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan contribute to 49 out of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide. According to the report, Bangladesh was the most polluted country across the world in 2020, followed by Pakistan, India and Mongolia.
Meanwhile, Judbury in Australia bagged the top position in the list of cities with the cleanest air with a PM2.5 level of 2.4µg/m3. Kailua Kona in America’s Hawaii and Muonio in Finland with PM2.5 concentrations of 2.6µg/m3 and 2.8µg/m3 respectively were the next top cities of 2020 with clean air.
GLOBAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INDEX 2020
India is ranked 122nd on a new Global Youth Development Index 2020 measuring the condition of young people across 181 countries, released by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
Singapore ranked topmost followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark. Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger came last respectively.
The triennial rankings of youth development found India among the top five risers on the index between 2010 and 2018, alongside Afghanistan and Russia, advancing their score on average by 15.74 per cent across areas such as education and employment.
About the index: The index ranks countries between 0.00 (lowest) and 1.00 (highest) according to the developments in youth education, employment, health, equality and inclusion, peace and security, and political and civic participation.
It looks at 27 indicators including literacy and voting to showcase the state of the world’s 1.8 billion people between the age of 15 and 29.
The 2020 Global Youth Development Index reveals that the conditions of young people have improved around the world by 3.1 per cent between 2010 and 2018.
Overall, the index shows advances in youth’s participation in peace processes and their education, employment, inclusion and health care since 2010.
4 INDIAN AIRPORTS IN SKYTRAX'S TOP 100 AIRPORT LIST
The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi has found place among world’s top 50 best airports in the 2021 Skytrax World Airport Awards. Delhi airport has improved its overall ranking by five places.
In 2020, it was placed at 50th spot. With this, it has also become the first Indian airport to be placed among the top 50 list. The Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, has been named the “Best Airport in the World”.
Other Indian Airports in the list are:
• Hyderabad: 64 (placed at 71 in 2020)
• Mumbai: 65 (placed 52 in 2020)
• Bengaluru: 71 (placed 68 in 2020)
Top Five Airports in the World:
• Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar
• Haneda Airport in Tokyo
• Changi Airport in Singapore
• Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea
• Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo
About the Skytrax World Airport Awards: The Skytrax World Airport Awards list is complied by UK-based Skytrax, a consultancy firm that runs an airline and airport review and ranking site, featuring 100 airports. The Skytrax World Airport Awards are voted for by customers in a global airport customer satisfaction survey.
INDIA RANKED 2ND IN TERMS OF CRYPTO ADOPTION
India has ranked second in terms of crypto adoption worldwide behind Vietnam, but ahead of countries such as the US, UK, and China, according to the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index by blockchain data platform Chainalysis.
This comes even as worldwide crypto adoption grew by 880% between June 2020 and July 2021, according to the report.
About the report: A report by US-based research platform Finder released this month corroborated that the top five countries in terms of crypto adoption were all from Asia.
The company surveyed 47,000 users worldwide and 30% of those surveyed in India said they owned cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is the most popular coin in India, followed by Ripple, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash, according to the report.
Crypto adoption in India has also been led by smaller towns in the country. The largest crypto exchange in the country by trading volume, WazirX, said last week that it had seen more than 2,648% growth in user sign-ups from tier II and tier III cities in India.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED NIRBHAY MISSILE
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired medium-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off Odisha coast.
Nirbhay is India’s first Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM).
About the Missile: ITCM Nirbhay was successfully test-launched with a Made-in-India Manik turbofan engine.
This was the first successful test-firing of the missile with the indigenous booster engine. It can use both conventional and nuclear weapons of 200 to 300 kilograms.
The missile can be launched from multiple platforms. ITCM Nirbhay can travel at a speed of 0.7 to 0.9 Mach, or 4 to 7 times faster than the speed of sound.
PAKISTAN TEST-FIRED BALLISTIC MISSILE 'GHAZNAVI'
The Pakistan Army successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi.
The Ghaznavi missile can strike targets up to 290 kilometres and is capable of carrying both nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
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 of Pakistan: Imran Khan.
ISRO CHIEF INAUGURATED HEALTH QUEST STUDY
ISRO chief, Dr K Sivan has formally inaugurated the Health QUEST study (Health Quality Upgradation Enabled by Space Technology of ISRO) which will be undertaken by 20 private hospitals across India.
The event was co-organised by the Association of Health Care Providers India (AHPI) and the Society for Emergency Medicine in India (SEMI).
Objective: The objective of the study is to strive towards reducing human errors and achieve zero defect and quality service in the emergency and intensive care units of the hospital.
The study aims to upgrade healthcare standards in line with ISRO quality standards and best practices. The quality assurance mechanism in vogue in ISRO will be shared with the study team to establish the parameters for healthcare quality standards.
• ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
MISCELLANEOUS
WORLD'S HIGHEST MOBILE ATC TOWERS IN LADAKH
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has built one of the world’s highest mobile air traffic control (ATC) towers at the Advanced Landing Ground in Ladakh.
The ATC controls operations of the fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operating in the eastern Ladakh region.
Meanwhile, India has been considering multiple options of developing airfields in eastern Ladakh including Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), Fukche and Nyoma which are at a distance of few minutes from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The Air Force also has deployed the Igla man-portable air defence missiles to tackle any aerial incursion by any adversary aircraft.
The Indian Air Force has been regularly deploying fighter aircraft including the Rafale and MiG-29s to carry out operations in eastern Ladakh where there has been disengagement of troops at two locations including Pangong Tso and Gogra heights but both sides have not de-escalated.
WHO CREATED NEW ADVISORY GROUP 'SAGO'
World Health Organization (WHO) has created a new advisory group named, The International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO.
The function of SAGO will be to systematically study the emergence of future emerging pathogens with pandemic potential, and advise the development in this regard to WHO.
WHO has made an open call for nominations to SAGO from the member countries, thus providing a transparent foundation for the new scientific advisory group.
The group will also work towards finding the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• President of the World Health Organisation: Tedros Adhanom.
• Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland.
1ST NATIONAL PARK TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SATELLITE PHONES
Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam has become the first national park in India to be equipped with satellite phones.
Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua handed over 10 satellite phones to the forest personnel of the Kaziranga National Park.
The satellite phones will boost the anti-poaching measures in the park. BSNL will be the service provider of these phones.
Significance: The park which has been spread over a massive 430 sq km area and divided into six ranges in upper Assam, has certain areas with poor to no connectivity.
The satellite phones, given to the officials of Kaziranga Parks, which draw signals from the satellites instead of mobile towers will ensure connectivity in most of the remote locations. The move will also boost anti-poaching measures undertaken by the park.
FOUR NEW WETLANDS ADDED AS RAMSAR SITES
Four more wetlands from India has been added to the list of Ramsar sites, giving it the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’.
With this, the total number of Ramsar sites in India has reached 46, covering a surface area of 1,083,322 hectares.
The sites have been recognised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Two of these sites are in Haryana, while the other two are in Gujarat.
These sites are:
• Thol, Gujarat
• Wadhwana, Gujarat
• Sultanpur, Haryana
• Bhindawas, Haryana
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. It came into force for India on February 1, 1982.
Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites. Last year, Ramsar declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. It came into force for India on February 1, 1982.
Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites. Last year, Ramsar declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance.
