- National:
- India has handed over INR 450 million in advance to Sri Lanka to fund its unique digital identity project, the most crucial step in the island nation’s digitalisation programme being implemented through the Indian grant assistance.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune, Maharashtra on Sunday, August 6, 2023.
- Kerala and UN Women have organized a ‘Trainers of Trainer’ program as part of the Women-Friendly Tourism initiative launched by the State government to turn the vital sector gender inclusive.
- The Supreme Court of India has set up an all-women judicial panel to oversee relief and rehabilitation in Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic violence. The committee will be headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal and will include Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.
- India will see its first Integrated Theatre Commands (ITC) in August 2023. The three wings of the armed forces–army, airforce and navy–have narrowed their differences and accepted the broad commanding structure of the theatre commands that was developed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has transferred its IMS-1 Satellite Bus Technology to Adani Group-owned Alpha Design Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (ADTL).
- NASA and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. The Ax-4 mission is expected to spend up to 14 days docked to the ISS, with the exact launch date contingent on spacecraft traffic and other planning constraints.
- The Chhattisgarh Cabinet recently decided to implement a 58% reservation for the scheduled tribes, scheduled caste, and other backward classes in the admission process for educational institutions of the state.
- Union Home Ministry has sought another extension of six months to frame the rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), without which it cannot be implemented. This is the seventh such extension sought by the Ministry.
- The Rajya Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on August 7, four days after the Lok Sabha cleared it. The bill was passed with 131 members voting in favor of it.
- The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 03, 2023 and passed on August 07, 2023. The bill amends the Pharmacy Act, 1948 which regulates the practice and profession of pharmacy in India.
- Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday, August 7, 2023 by a voice vote. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3 by Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill was moved by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
- BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has partnered with Jio Financial Services, an affiliate of Reliance Industries, India’s largest company, to form a joint venture called Jio BlackRock.
- Appointments:
- The Government of India has appointed Sanjay Kumar Agarwal as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). He is an IRS officer from the batch of 1988 and officially assumed the position on August 5, 2023.
- Surjit Bhujabal has been appointed as a member of the CBIC. He is a senior IRS officer from the 1989 batch and was previously working as the Principal Director General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) in Delhi
- Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, a renowned scientist and defense expert, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of India (QETCI).
- Sports:
- The Indian men’s hockey team beat the Republic of Korea 3-2 in its fourth match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on Monday
- The world No. 1 men’s doubles pairing of Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam won a gold medal in the SL3-SL4 category at the Four Nations Para-Badminton International in Sheffield, England.
- Important Days:
- Hiroshima Day is observed annually on August 6th to commemorate the tragic loss of thousands of lives in an instant due to the detonation of an atomic weapon, making Hiroshima the first city to suffer such a devastating nuclear attack.
- The 9th National Handloom Day will be celebrated on August 7, 2023. National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 7th to honor the handloom weavers and their significant role in the country’s economy and culture. The theme designated for National Handloom Day in 2023 is "Handlooms for Sustainable Fashion".
Questions:
Q.1 Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)?a. Surjit Bhujabal
b. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal
c. Vivek Johri
d. None of the above
Q.2 When is National Handloom Day celebrated?
a. August 14th
b. August 15th
c. August 1st
d. August 7th
