- National:
- According to a report by the Financial Express, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan released a report titled ‘State of elementary education in Rural India– 2023’. The report was based on a study conducted by the Development Intelligence Unit in collaboration with Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd.
- The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has had its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license renewed by the Union home ministry for five years. The Delhi-based foreign policy think tank has been granted a license from October 1, 2023, to September 20, 2028.
- According to the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), bank credit growth to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has decelerated on a year-on-year basis in the first three months of the current fiscal (Q1FY24).
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently released revised guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-Banking Financial Companies (IDF-NBFCs) and reset the floating interest rate on Equated Monthly Installments (EMI) based personal loans.
- The State Bank of India (SBI) has pledged a grant of ₹22.5 crore to the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) through its CSR arm, SBI Foundation. The grant will be used to establish a Banking Data and Analytics Hub at IIT-B.
- The Indian Army has recently inducted six units of the Swathi Mark II mountain-variant Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) to enhance battlefield surveillance. The WLRs were delivered to the Indian Army by state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in early August 2023, under a contract awarded in December 2021.
- NTPC, India’s state-owned power giant, has initiated the trial run of its first-ever hydrogen bus in Leh, Ladakh. The bus arrived in Leh on August 17th and will undergo a three-month-long process of field trials, roadworthiness tests, and other statutory procedures.
- On August 21, 2023, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin laid the foundation stone for Southeast Asia’s largest desalination plant through video conferencing. The plant will be located in Perur on East Coast Road near Chennai and will be built at a cost of 4,276.44 crore.
- The Karnataka government has decided to replace the National Education Policy (NEP) with a new State Education Policy (SEP) from the next academic year. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the state government has analyzed various aspects of the NEP and concluded to abandon it.
- The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has set up a 14-member committee headed by former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to examine issues related to stalled real estate projects and recommend various ways for their completion.
- The Indian Coast Guard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Philippine Coast Guard to enhance maritime cooperation between the two nations. The MoU was signed by DG Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard and CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, Commandant, PCG at the Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi on 22 August 2023.
- Economy:
- India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to review their free trade agreement in goods, called the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), by 2025. The review aims to address concerns about barriers and misuse of the trade pact, as well as the widening trade deficit between India and the bloc.
- According to a recent report from the Finance Ministry, inflationary pressures in India caused by global uncertainty and domestic disruptions will require greater vigilance by the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- World:
- The first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Samoa were held in Apia, the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, on August 21, 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary (East), Shri Saurabh Kumar, Ministry of External Affairs and Ms. Peseta Noumea Simi, Chief Executive Officer, MFAT.
- Chinese smartphone brand Honor is planning to relaunch in India through a licensing deal with a local company called Honor Tech, which is a newly formed company wholly owned by local shareholders.
- India and Bangladesh have recently reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering customs cooperation and streamlining cross-border trade. The two countries concluded their 14th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting in New Delhi on 21-22 August.
- Sports:
- Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy have both advanced to the third round of the BWF World Championships 2023. Lakshya Sen defeated South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin in straight sets, 21-11, 21-12.
- Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, will host the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023 from October 27 to November 5 . This will be the first time that India will host the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy.
- Important Days:
- Sadbhavana Diwas, also known as Harmony Day, is celebrated on August 20th every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the sixth Prime Minister of India. The word “Sadbhavana” means goodwill in English.
- World Mosquito Day is observed annually on August 20th to commemorate the discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897, linking mosquitoes to malaria transmission. The day aims to raise awareness about the impact of mosquitoes on public health and the diseases they transmit, such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus.
- The International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism is observed annually on August 21. This day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 to honor, remember, and pay tribute to the victims of terrorism by standing in solidarity and promoting and protecting their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- Appointments:
- State Bank of India (SBI) has recently appointed four directors to its central board. According to the disclosure under Regulation 30 (4) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, SBI has reappointed Ketan Shivji Vikamsey and Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape to its board and has added Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat as directors.
Question:
Q.1 When is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism observed?a. August 21
b. September 11
c. July 22
d. June 26
