Current Affairs One-Liner : 13th & 14th August 2023

• National:
• The Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the second phase of the annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) initiative for Lymphatic Filariasis on August 10, 2023.

• IIM Bangalore has released a report on the study of ‘Assessment of Employment Potential of Jal Jeevan Mission’. The study was undertaken by IIM-Bangalore with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and provides keen insights on the employment generation potentials of JJM at various stages of its implementation.
• The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has entered into an agreement with M/s Noccarc Robotics Private Limited, Maharashtra, a company dedicated to the commercialization of Digitally Enabled Advanced Universal ICU Ventilators
• Russia has successfully launched Luna-25, the country’s first lunar lander in 47 years. The uncrewed spacecraft lifted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 (DPDP Bill) has received the President’s assent and has now become an Act. The DPDP Bill was passed by the Parliament this week.
• The Ministry of Railways has conceptualized a policy framework to establish Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in circulating areas and concourses of stations which will be operated by Licensees.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out another orbit reduction manoeuvre of India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3. The spacecraft has now achieved a “near-circular orbit” around the Moon.
• A total of 954 Police personnel have been awarded Police Medals on the occasion of Independence Day. The President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) has been awarded to a CRPF personnel and the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) has been awarded to 229 personnel.
• The UK Minister for Security, Mr. Tom Tugendhat, held a ‘bilateral’ meeting with his counterpart Minister from India, Dr. Jitendra Singh on the sidelines of the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meet being held in Kolkata.
• The Supreme Court has proposed special “permanent security units” to guard court complexes across the country, recalling incidents of gunfire and violence inside court premises.
• Jigyasa is a quiz organized by the Indian Oil Corporation in collaboration with The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and The Ministry of Culture as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, which celebrates 75 years of India’s independence.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Union government to bring changes to the Manual for Drought Management, 2016 (updated in 2020) for the declaration of drought by the States.
• Economy:
• The state-owned Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has announced a reduction in its interest rates on home and car loans, effective from Monday, August 14, 2023. The bank has reduced the home loan interest rate by 10 basis points (bps) to 8.50 per cent and the car loan interest rate by 20 basis points to 8.70 per cent.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has selected global consultancy firms McKinsey and Company India LLP and Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd India to develop systems using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for its supervisory functions.
• According to a report by a foreign brokerage, Chhattisgarh, one of the poorest states in the country, ranks second in the overall fiscal health scorecard, just behind Maharashtra. It is ahead of Telangana, while the bottom three states are West Bengal, Punjab and Kerala.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged huge cost overruns in the Dwarka Expressway project in its latest audit report. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)'s decision to opt for an elevated carriageway on the Haryana portion of the expressway has pushed up the construction cost to Rs 251 crore per km from the originally approved Rs 18.2 crore per km.
• Obituary:
• Professor Bikash Sinha, a well-known physicist and former director of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, passed away at the age of 78. He was a recipient of Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2010 for his contribution to science & technology.
• Sports:
• The Indian men’s hockey team has jumped to the third spot in the latest rankings released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). With 2771.35 points, India occupies the third spot with the Netherlands (3095.90) topping the list and Belgium (2917.87) taking the second spot.
• Appointment:
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved the appointment of Amit Jhingran as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SBI Life Insurance Company Limited.
• World:
• The European Union has raised data privacy concerns over the proposed G20 MSME portal that India has proposed for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) of the G20 countries.