- National:
- Dhaksha Unmanned Systems, a subsidiary of Agri solutions provider Coromandel International, has won an order from the Indian Army for the supply of 200 medium-altitude logistics drones and accessories.
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched a special initiative for the North-East Region (NER) to empower 2.5 lakh youth with Industry Relevant Skills.
- Apraava Energy, an integrated energy solutions company, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and the Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC).
- on August 8, 2023, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the merger of Tata Cleantech Capital Limited (TCCL) and Tata Capital Financial Services Limited (TCFSL) into Tata Capital Limited (TCL). The proposed combination is a merger of TCFSL and TCCL into TCL.
- India finished 7th with 26 medals (11 gold, 5 silver and 10 bronze) at the 31st edition of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World University Games 2023 held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, from 28th July to 8th August 2023.
- Amazon India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) and the Cottage and Rural Industries Department, Government of Gujarat to help drive e-commerce exports from the state.
- India’s moon mission is on the right track as ‘Chandrayaan 3’ successfully underwent a planned orbit reduction manoeuvre on August 09. The retrofiring of engines brought ‘Chandrayaan 3’ closer to the Moon’s surface.
- The Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution to officially change the name of the state from Kerala to ‘Keralam’. The State Legislative Assembly on August 9 unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central government to officially change the name of the State from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam.’ The Assembly has sought an amendment in the Constitution.
- The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by both Houses of Parliament of India. The Bill amends the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 and expands the scope of coastal aquaculture to include allied activities such as hatcheries and nucleus breeding centers.
- Banking:
- AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest SFB, has launched India’s first 24x7 Video Banking service on August 7, 2023. This service provides a virtual platform where customers can communicate with a video banker in real-time via video calls, like video conferencing.
- PayU India, a leading online payment service provider in the country, and CSC Academy, an SPV of the Ministry of Electronics & IT, have launched a joint initiative to improve digital and financial literacy among the weak and underprivileged segments of society, particularly SC-ST, BPL, and women.
- Economy:
- Axis Bank has announced that it will raise its stake in Max Life to 16.2% from 9.99% by infusing 16.12 billion ($194.6 million) through a preferential allotment of shares. This new investment will increase their ownership in the insurer to 19.02%
- The Finance Ministry of India has recently issued a warning to the public to be cautious of fraudsters who are extorting money in the name of Indian Customs. According to the Finance Ministry, Indian Customs never calls or sends SMS for paying Customs Duty in a personal bank account.
- Protean eGov Technologies Limited (Protean) has partnered with PayNearby, a branchless banking and digital network, to make credit services more accessible and affordable for Indians across the country leveraging the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
- Sashidhar Jagdishan, HDFC Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive, has emerged as the highest-paid bank chief executive in FY23, with a significant increase of more than 62% in his remuneration in fiscal year 2023, reaching 10.55 crore.
- Important Days:
- Nagasaki Day is observed every year on August 9th to remember the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II.The theme of Nagasaki Day is to champion peace and underscore the imperative of diplomatic solutions, constructive dialogue, and disarmament.
- National Javelin Day is celebrated annually across India on 7th August to commemorate Neeraj Chopra’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal and also to promote the Javelin at the grassroot level by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) the apex body for athletics in India.
- Appointments:
- Raman Sukumar, an authority on the Asian elephant, has been elected as a Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) during the recent election held at the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi from July 25-28, 2023
- Niger’s military junta announced the appointment of Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the new prime minister on Monday evening in a statement read out on national television. This comes at a time when the international community is seeking to restore constitutional order in Niger.
- Sports:
- The Indian men’s hockey team thrashed Pakistan 4-0 in its final group match of the Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, on Wednesday.
Questions:
Q.1 When was AU SFB’s 24x7 Video Banking Service launched?a. August 7, 2022
b. August 7, 2023
c. August 7, 2024
d. August 7, 2025
Q.2 What is the name of the Indian ecologist who was recently elected as Vice-Chair of Working Group II of IPCC?
a. Sunita Narain
b. Vandana Shiva
c. Madhav Gadgil
d. Raman Sukumar
