- National:
- The Supreme Court of India has published new guidelines for the designation of senior advocates practicing mainly in the Apex Court.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) released its 9th Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic in 2023. The report tracks the progress made by countries in tobacco control since 2008 and marks 15 years since the introduction of the MPOWER technical package, which is designed to help countries implement the demand-reduction measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
- India’s fiscal deficit for the first quarter of FY24 stood at 4.51 trillion, which is 25% of the annual target. The Centre aims to bring down the fiscal deficit, which is the difference between the government’s income and spending, to 5.9% of the gross domestic product during FY24.
- Indian women have disproportionately borne the responsibility of domestic and care work, which is unpaid. Data shows that married women spend on average over seven hours a day doing such work, regardless of their employment status, while men spend less than three hours.
- The Health Ministry of India has announced the launch of an e-clearance portal to avoid delays in the transportation of deceased human remains. The portal is called e-CARe (e-Clearance for Afterlife Remains) and was launched by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
- The Union Education Ministry has constituted an expert committee to revisit its regulations and guidelines on anti-discrimination with respect to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, and other minorities in higher educational institutions
- According to the Supreme Court, the President retains the power to scrap Article 370 even after the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly in 19571. Clause (3) of Article 370 gave the President power to notify the Article as “inoperative” or modify it.
- In the Financial Year 2022-23, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) registered its highest ever Gross Merchandise Value of 2,01,113 crore. GeM aims to bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to the Government procurement process.
- World:
- China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has released draft guidelines to restrict internet usage by minors. According to the draft guidelines, minors would not be allowed to use most internet services on mobile devices from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m
- The progressive political party that won the most seats in Thailand’s general election, Move Forward Party (MFP) has been excluded from a coalition to form the next government. The split has had an air of inevitability, given the conservative opposition to the MFP’s progressive policy agenda.
- Important Days:
- World FinTech Day was on August 1st, 2023. On this day, fintech experts showcased five transformative trends revolutionizing money interactions and financial services. These trends span from blockchain innovations to AI-powered solutions, reshaping the financial industry’s landscape
- Muslim Women’s Rights Day is observed annually across India on August 1st to celebrate the enactment of the law against triple talaq. The central government enacted the law on August 1, 2019, that has made the practice of instant triple talaq a criminal offence.
- Economy:
- The GST Council has decided to retain a 28% tax on online gaming, casinos, and horse racing. The tax is likely to come into effect on October 1, 2023, and will be reviewed after six months from its implementation
- The Centre has imposed restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers with immediate effect. According to a notification by the government, the import of these items would be allowed against a valid license for restricted imports
- The Ministry of Steel, Government of India confers National Metallurgist Awards to recognize outstanding contributions in the metallurgical field, covering Operations, Research & Development, Waste Management and Energy Conservation.
- According to External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, bilateral trade between India and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries has surged to 50 billion dollars in the Fiscal Year 2022-23.
- Appointments:
- Shivendra Nath, the Senior General Manager of BSNL, has been selected as the next Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Engineering Projects India Ltd (EPIL) . He was chosen by the PSEB (Public Enterprises Selection Board) panel to assume the role of Chairman & Managing Director at Engineering Projects India Ltd (EPIL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.
- On August 1, 2023, the Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) elected Udaya Kumar Hebbar as its Chairperson and Manoj Kumar Nambiar as its Vice-Chairperson. Hebbar is the MD & CEO of CreditAccess Grameen Ltd, while Nambiar is the MD of Arohan Financial Services Ltd.
- Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran, an educationist, has been chosen to serve as the National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s (NAAC) new director. NAAC announced stating that Prof. Kannabiran has taken charge as director from 28 July onwards.
- Sports:
- Ace Indian players Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu have progressed into the Singles quarter-finals of the Australian Open on August 3rd1. Kidambi registered a win over Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang, 21-10, 21-17 in the second round of Men’s Singles.
- The 7th Men’s Asian Champions Trophy is set to begin in Chennai, Tamil Nadu at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Thursday, August 3rd and the final is scheduled for August 13th.
Questions:
Q.1 Who has been selected as the next Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Engineering Projects India Ltd (EPIL)?a. Shivendra Nath
b. Ravi Shankar Prasad
c. Anil Kumar Jha
d. Rajeev Sharma
Q.2 When did Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran take charge as the new NAAC Director?
a. 28 June
b. 28 July
c. 28 August
d. 28 September
