- National:
- On August 3, 2023, the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE), and Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) jointly launched Study in India (SII) Portal which is an integrated one-stop solution for international student registration and visa application process.
- On August 3, 2023, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) under the Ministry of Finance upgraded the status of two oil sector Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) namely Oil India Limited (OIL) and ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL).
- The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated ‘Unmesha’ – International Literature Festival and ‘Utkarsh’ – Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts on August 3, 2023 at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- According to the 69th edition of the Fortune Global 500 list of 2023, which was released on August 2nd, 2023 by Fortune, a global media organization, Walmart tops the list with a revenue of $611.3 billion, followed by Saudi Aramco with a revenue of $603.7 billion and State Grid with a revenue of $530 billion.
- According to a report by S&P Global, India is expected to grow at an average rate of 6.7% per year from financial year 2023-24 (FY24) to FY31 with capital expansion seen as a dominant driver of growth.
- Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has been granted a one-year extension beyond August 30, 2023, according to a Personnel Ministry order.This is the third extension for Rajiv Gauba to the post.
- India’s indigenous Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) and the variant of HELINA (Helicopter-launched NAG) Weapon System called ‘Dhruvastra’ are set to be inducted into the Indian army and Indian Air Force (IAF) after clearing all the trials.
- Italy’s legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football at the age of 45. He announced his retirement on social media, writing "That’s all folks. You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together."
- The Kerala government is set to launch a unique scheme called ‘Shubhayatra’ to provide financial support to first-time overseas emigrants from Kerala. The project aims to create a positive and productive migration ecosystem by providing financial assistance of up to 2 lakh
- Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh tabled the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and aims to foster a culture of research and innovation across India’s academic institutions with a Rs 50,000-crore fund.
- Banking:
- IndusInd Bank and Tiger Fintech, a Bajaj Capital Group company, have partnered to launch the IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card, a co-branded credit card powered by Visa. With this launch, customers will get access to a best-in-class credit card to meet their lifestyle needs.
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Association of Portfolio Managers of India (APMI) have jointly set standards for the performance audit of Portfolio Management Services (PMS) players.
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed an Offer for Sale (OFS) for units of privately listed Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) via a stock exchange mechanism.
- On Monday, July 31, 2023, financial services company Societe Generale bought shares of private lender Bandhan Bank for Rs 382 crore through open market transactions.
- Obituary:
- N Vittal, the recipient of the Padma Bhushan award, passed away on 4th August 2023 at the age of 85. He was an Indian civil servant who held a number of senior positions in the Government of India, most prominently that of central vigilance commissioner.
- Economy:
- Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was granted another one-year extension in service, his fourth in the post, till August 22, 2024. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension in service of Ajay Kumar Bhalla for a further period of one year beyond August 22, 2023, i.e., up to August 22, 2024.
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has decided to defer the implementation of a licensing regime for the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers by nearly three months.
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed insurers to hold their investments in HDFC Ltd. till maturity. This comes after insurers requested IRDAI to permit the continuation of investments in HDFC bonds to be categorized under the Housing and Infrastructure sector.
- Sports:
- Jyothi Yarraji, a star Indian athlete, achieved a remarkable feat at the World University Games in Chengdu by smashing her own national record in the women’s 100m hurdles and winning a bronze medal.
Questions:
Q.1 How much did Societe Generale pay for the shares of Bandhan Bank?a. Rs 382 crore
b. Rs 392 crore
c. Rs 372 crore
d. Rs 362 crore
Q.2 What event did Jyothi Yarraji compete in at the World University Games?
a. Women’s 100m sprint
b. Women’s 100m hurdles
c. Women’s 200m sprint
d. Women’s 200m hurdles
