Current Affairs 08th & 09th August 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Handloom Day – observed on Aug 07

• To raise awareness about the handloom industries and hand-weavers, the Modi Government announced August 7 as the National Handloom Day in the year 2015.
• The first Handloom Day was celebrated on 7 August 2015, the day was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centenary Hall of Madras University, Chennai.
• Every year, handloom day is celebrated with a special theme, and this year the theme of the day is – “Hand Loom – An Indian Legacy.”
• This year, the celebration of the day would revolve around this theme.
• National Handloom Day is celebrated on the day the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905.
• This day is observed annually to create awareness about the Handloom Industry amongst the public at large and its contribution to socio-economic development.
• The handloom sector depicts the nation’s glorious cultural heritage and is also an important source of livelihood for people in the country.

Nation observes 79th anniversary of Quit India movement on  8 August

• The Quit India Movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, during the Second World War, demanding an end to British rule in India. 
• Quit India Movement, 1942 is significant especially because it brought home to the British that it would not be possible to continue to govern India and forced them to think of ways they could exit the country.
• The Movement was accompanied by a mass protest on non-violent lines by which Mahatma Gandhi called for “an orderly British withdrawal; from India.”
• Gandhi moved people by proclaiming that “every Indian who desires freedom and strives for it must be his own guide” Launching the movement on 8th August 1942 Gandhiji declared in his immortal “Do or Die ” speech, “Let every Indian consider himself to be a free man”.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – Observed on Aug 09

• The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
• The 2021 commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will aim on the theme “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.” 
• This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection.
• It was first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994, marking the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in 1982.
• The right of indigenous peoples to education is protected by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which in Article 14 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurates Exhibition on ‘Quit India Movement’ 

• Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy inaugurated an exhibition on the Quit India Movement in New Delhi which has been organized on its 79th anniversary.
• As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav being celebrated to mark 75th years of Independence, National Archives of India has organised the exhibition.

About the Exhibition:

• This exhibition displays the most exquisite collections of memoirs, photographs and other records that bring to life the immense contribution of the movement in achieving independence.
• Mr Reddy stated that the independence struggle is gilded with golden chapters of unity, strength and determination and one such proud event was the Quit India Movement.
• He informed, the movement stands as a shining example of power of the masses and it will remain so for many more decades to come.
• The Minister also mentioned about India celebrating the 75th year of Independence through events organized under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav theme.
• He stated, this is a moment to not only recognize the contribution of a generation in freeing our nation from colonial powers but also to recognize those who played a pivotal role in preserving our civilization heritage.
• Mr Reddy stated that Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrates the sentiment of oneness and freedom, as we all together celebrate 75 years of independence.

ICMR: Covishield-Covaxin combination works better than 2 doses of same vaccine

• A study by ICMR involving 98 people, 18 of whom had inadvertently received Covishield as first dose and Covaxin as the second in Uttar Pradesh, showed that combining these two Covid-19 vaccines elicited better immunogenicity than two doses of the same vaccine.
• The study also found that immunisation with combination of Covishield and Covaxin was safe and the adverse effects were also found to be similar when compared to the same dose regimen.
• The study titled ‘Serendipitous COVID-19 Vaccine-Mix in Uttar Pradesh, India: Safety and Immunogenicity Assessment of a Heterogonous Regime’ has been uploaded on medRxiv, a preprint server and is yet to be peer reviewed.
• “This is the first study which reports the effects of heterogonous prime-boost vaccination with an adenovirus vectored vaccine followed by an inactivated whole virus vaccine”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

J&K governor Manoj Sinha flags off Cyclothon event ‘Pedal for Dal’ from shores of Dal La

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha flagged off Cyclothon event ‘Pedal for Dal’ from the shores of the Dal Lake in the run-up to the Independence Day celebrations.
• The cyclothon witnessed the enthusiastic participation of more than 200 boys and girls from different age groups along with professional cyclists.
• Mr Sinha stated that activities like ‘Pedal for Dal’ mark the celebrations of ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ and also give hope to the entire humanity of a prosperous future while instilling the spirit of cultural and patriotic ethos among the citizens.

About J&K:

• Capital: Jammu(winter), Srinagar(Summer)
• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: Dachigam National Park, Salim Ali National Park, Kazinag National Park, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park.

PM to unveiled Ujjwala-2 scheme from UP

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Ujjwala 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana – PMUY) by handing over LPG connections at Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh on August 10.
• The Prime Minister will interact with beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme in video conferencing and will also address the nation.
• Ujjwala 1.0 launched in 2016, the target was set to provide LPG connections to five crore women members of BPL households.
• Subsequently, the scheme was expanded in April 2018 to include women beneficiaries from seven more categories: SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, Most backward classes, tea garden, forest dwellers, Islands.
• Also, the target was revised to eight crore LPG connections.
• “This target was achieved in August 2019, seven months ahead of the target date”.

About Uttar Pradesh:

• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
• National Parks: Dudhwa National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

In India J&J’s single dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use 

• India approved US major Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single dose Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.
• The country now has five approved Covid vaccines.
• J&J did not divulge details of when the vaccine will be available in India and what kind of initial volumes can be expected.
•  “India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines.”

About the approval:

• This will be the fifth Covid-19 vaccine to get approval after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V and Moderna in India. 
• “Government of India issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 single-dose vaccine in India, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

SBI General insurance partners with SahiPay 

• To increase non-life insurance penetration in the rural market, SBI General Insurance will tap customers of fintech player SahiPay, which provides digital and financial services in the semi-urban and rural parts of the country.
• SBI General Insurance announced a partnership with Manipal Business Solutions, the promoter of SahiPay.
• Through this partnership, SBI General will provide a bouquet of non-life insurance solutions to SahiPay customers.
• Pushan Mahapatra, President – Strategic Investments & Head – Open Market stated the tie-up is a right fit to support the company’s endeavour to maximise its reach to rural segments.
• SBI General is continuously strengthening its distribution footprints in the country, and this tie-up is a step in that direction.

About SBI General Insurance:

• SBI General Insurance is a joint venture general insurance company.
• State Bank of India, the largest state-owned banking and financial services company in India.
• SBI owns 70 per cent of the total capital.
• Other investors are Axis Bank Asset Management Co. Ltd, Premji Invest & Warburg Pincus Group.

RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 4% – August 2021

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 4th, 5th and 6th August 2021.
• Based on an assessment of the evolving domestic and global macroeconomic and financial conditions and the outlook, the MPC voted unanimously to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 4 percent.
• The MPC also decided on a 5 to 1 majority to continue with the accommodative stance as long as necessary to revive and sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target, going forward.
• The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate remain unchanged at 4.25 per cent.
• The reverse repo rate also remains unchanged at 3.35 per cent.

SEBI nods payments banks to act as investment bankers

• To provide easy access to investors to participate in public and rights issues by using various payment avenues, markets regulator Sebi allowed payments banks to carry out the activities of investment bankers.
• Non-scheduled payments banks, which have prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), will be eligible to act as a banker to an issue (BTI).
• This is subject to fulfillment of the conditions stipulated in the BTI rules.
• Further, payments banks registered as a BTI will also be permitted to act as self-certified syndicate banks, subject to the fulfillment of the criteria laid down by the Sebi in this regard from time to time.
• ‘The blocking/movement of funds from the investor to issuer shall only be made through the savings account of the investor held with the payments bank’.
• The regulator amended the Bankers to an Issue rules, thereby permitting such other banking company, as may be specified by the Sebi, from time to time, to carry out the activities of Bankers to an Issue (BTI), in addition to the scheduled banks.

DBS Bank ‘Most Innovative in Digital Banking’ globally by ‘The Banker’

• DBS has been honoured as the global winner for Most Innovative in Digital Banking by Financial Times publication, The Banker, in its 2021 Innovation in Digital Banking Awards.
• The bank was also recognised as the Asia-Pacific winner, and won in the Cyber Security category for its Secure Access and Remote Working Solution.
• The Banker’s Innovation in Digital Banking Awards recognise the most innovative banks across the world for their digital banking initiatives, strategy, and overall commitment to digital transformation.
• These awards, now in their second year, are the evolution of The Banker’s Technology Projects of the Year Awards.
• “DBS’ digital capability was tested to the core by Covid, and it not only stepped up but turned the situation to its advantage.

About DBS Bank:

• DBS Bank Ltd is a Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Marina Bay, Singapore.
• The company was known as The Development Bank of Singapore Limited, before the present name was adopted on 21 July 2003 to reflect its changing role as a global bank.
• Headquarters: Singapore
• CEO: Piyush Gupta

Central Bank of India co-lending partnership with Dhanvarsha Finvest

• Central Bank of India has entered into a strategic Co-lending Partnership with Dhanvarsha Finvest (DFL) to offer loans against gold ornaments under priority sector to MSME borrowers at competitive rates.
• The participation by both the entities in this co-lending arrangement will result in greater expansion of portfolio by Central Bank of India & Dhanvarsha Finvest.
• Under this arrangement, Dhanvarsha Finvest will originate and process loans against gold ornaments as per jointly formulated credit parameters & eligibility criteria and Central Bank of India will take into its book 80% of the Gold Loans under mutually agreed terms.
• DFL will service the loan account throughout the life cycle of the loan.

About partnership:

• This Co-lending arrangement is expected to help both the entities to offer convenient experience & customer delight to their customers as well as help expand their reach across India.
• Central Bank of India is a commercial bank.
• The bankas segments include Treasury Operations, Corporate/Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking and other Banking business.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Eurosport India appointed John Abraham as the MotoGP Brand Ambassador

• Bollywood superstar and MotoGP enthusiast, John Abraham was announced as the India Ambassador for Eurosport India’s Motorsport property – MotoGP. 
• John who himself is a die-hard MotoGP enthusiast, will be seen promoting MotoGP to a wider audience base in India as its face through Eurosport’s campaign – “MotoGP, Race Lagate Hai”.

MotoGP:

• Eurosport India, boasts global motorsports programming for the Indian motorsports fans with properties like FIA Formula 2 Championship, W Series, Nascar, Indycar Series and Bennetts British Superbike racing.
• Grand Prix motorcycle racing which is fondly known as MOTO GP worldwide is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits and is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).

Centre Approves One-Year Extension to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s term  

• Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has been given a one-year extension by the government, according to a Ministry of Personnel order.
• Gauba, former Union Home Secretary, was in 2019 appointed to the country’s top bureaucratic post for two years.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Gauba, a 1982-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, as Cabinet Secretary for a further period of one-year beyond August 30.
• Gauba is stated to be the key architect of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act under which Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union territories following the abrogation of the special status given to the erstwhile state under Article 370 of the Constitution.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan bags Brunel Medal

• Bhutan’s India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project was conferred with the Brunel Medal awarded by the London-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
• The award was given as a mark of excellence in civil engineering inside the trade and was handed over by the Indian envoy to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj to the Chairman of Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority, Lyonpo Loknath Sharma.
• One of the explanations the Mangdechhu undertaking was awarded was due to its social and environmental credentials.
• “The project will reduce 2.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
• Bhutan and India in the past have collectively resolved to increase the hydropower energy capacity of Bhutan to 12000 MW”.

PM announced Khel Ratna Award renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award will now be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• The Prime Minister stated that this was being done for “respecting the sentiments of citizens across the country”.

About the award:

• The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honour in the nation.
• “Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India.
• Nation’s highest sporting honour should be named after him“.

BYJU’S declared Rs 2 crore award for Neeraj Chopra, Rs 1 crore each for other Olympic medallists

• Edtech major Byju’s announced a Rs 2 crore cash reward for Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
• The company, which is backed by marquee investors like Tiger Global and General Atlantic, will also offer Rs 1 crore each to Mirabai Chanu, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain, P V Sindhu and Bajrang Punia.
• “The accomplishments and the stellar achievement of India’s sports heroes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been nothing but inspirational, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 lockdown in 2020-21″.
• Not only have each of these athletes made the country proud but have also ignited hope and aspiration that India can create many more Olympic champions in the future, it added.
• India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra created history bringing home the country’s first-ever gold medal in javelin throw in Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Vijayawada’s Andhra Loyola College won national award

• Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education has announced a national award for Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada for environmental best practices and conducting Swachh programmes.
• Krishna Collector J Nivas participated as a chief guest in a videoconference organised by the council on the Swachh practices.
• Nivas praised the efforts of the management of Andhra Loyola College for its pro-environment practices and bagging the national award.
• As part of the Swachhta programme, sanitation, hygiene, greenery, water management and energy management will be important aspects.
• These are important for the sustainable development of the district.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

India for implementing MoU with Bangladesh 

• India has emphasized the implementation of the recently-signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh over disaster management, resilience and mitigation on a priority basis.
• “We must implement the recently-concluded MoU in the field of disaster management, resilience and mitigation on a priority basis”.
• Bangladesh and India signed a number of MoUs to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including disaster management, resilience, and mitigation during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in March this year.
• Dr Jaishankar expressed confidence that these mechanisms will help the two countries remain better prepared to face such challenges in the future.

About Bangladesh:

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian – UAE Navies Undertakes Naval Exercise  ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ Off Abu Dhabi Coast

• On Aug 08, 2021, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navies carried out a naval exercise ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ Off Abu Dhabi Coast.
• It is a bilateral naval exercise, and was designed to enhance interoperability and synergy between the two navies.
• The Indian Navy deployed warship INS Kochi and two Sea King MK 42B helicopters.
• The UAE deployed Baynunah class guided missile corvette, Al Dhafra and an AS-565B Panther helicopter.

About Indian Navy :

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar
• Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS): Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh
• Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind

About UAE Navy :

• Founded: 1971
• Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

About UAE :

• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

Union Minister Virendra Kumar launches PM-Daksh portal &  PM Daksh mobile app 

• On Aug 07, 2021, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar launched PM-DAKSH Portal and PM-DAKSH Mobile App, to make the skill development schemes accessible to the target groups.
• It has been developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with NeGD, under the Department Of Electronics And Information Technology.

About PM-Daksh :

• ‘PM-DAKSH’ – Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana.
• PM- DAKSH Portal is available at http://pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in while ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App is available in Google play store.
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the year 2020-21.
• Through PM DAKSH, the youth of the target groups will now be able to avail the benefits of skill development training programmes more easily.
• Under this , eligible target groups are being provided skill development training programmes on

1. Up-skilling/Reskilling
2. Short Term Training Programme
3. Long Term Training Programme
4. Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).

• These training programs are being implemented through Government Training Institutes, Sector Skill Councils constituted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and other credible institutions.

Features of the Portal :

• It gives all information related to skill development at one place for Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.
• Provides Facility to register for the training institute and program of their interest.
• Facility to upload desired documents related to personal information.
• Facility to register the attendance of the trainees through face and eye scanning during the training period.
• Monitoring facility through photo and video clip during training etc.

Note :

• Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, three Apex Corporations – National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation- are functioning.

About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology :

• Founded: 1991
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Minister of State : Surinderjeet Singh Ahluwalia
• Secretary : Ajay Prakash Sawhney

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US approves sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Sets to India worth $82 million

• The United States has approved the sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $82 million.
• It also includes Harpoon Intermediate Level maintenance station; spare and repair parts, support, and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training; US Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and programme support.
• In that, the principal contractor will be The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Missouri.
• It will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats.
• Also it will help strengthen the bilateral strategic ties and improve the security of a major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

About Harpoon  :

• Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system.
• It has a low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory with active radar guidance.
• The Harpoon missile is the world’s most successful anti-ship missile and is in service with the armed forces of more than 30 countries.

About Boeing :

• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• CEO: Dave Calhoun
• Founder: William E. Boeing
• Founded: 15 July 1916, Seattle, Washington, United States
• Chairperson: Dave Calhoun

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts with bursts of lava, ash

• Indonesia’s most volatile volcano Mount Merapi  ( Literally Known as Fire Mountain ) erupted on the densely populated island of Java.
• It is the 2,968-meter (9,737-foot) peak located near Yogyakarta.
• It spews smoke and ash high into the air and sends streams of lava and gasses down its slopes.
• Merapi’s last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.
• This eruption sent hot ash 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the sky, and the searing clouds of gas traveled up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) down its slopes several times.

About Indonesia :

• President: Joko Widodo
• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian rupiah

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS 

Rudrangshu Mukherjee authored a book titled A Begum and A Rani  

• A New Book Titled A Begum and A Rani : Hazrat Mahal & Lakshmibai in 1857 authored by Rudrangshu Mukherjee 
• The book was published by Penguin House.

About the Book :

• The Book Explores the lives of two remarkable womens Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh  & Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi.
• The Book highlights the unusual circumstances that catapulted the two brave-hearted women into the rebellion of 1857.

About Rudrangshu Mukherjee :

• Rudrangshu Mukherjee is an Indian historian and author of several major history books.
• He was formerly the Opinions Editor for The Telegraph newspaper, Kolkata.
• He was the Chancellor for Ashoka University & also he was the founding Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka.
• Also he has authored and edited several books, including The Penguin Gandhi Reader, Trade and Politics and, the Indian Ocean World: Essays in Honour of Ashin Das Gupta, Remembered Childhood: Essays in Honour of Andre Beteille, New Delhi: The Making of a Capital and Great Speeches of Modern India. Nehru & Bose: Parallel Lives ( Latest Book ).

Awards & Honours :

• He was awarded a DPhil in Modern History by the University of Oxford.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

2021 FIDE World Cup : Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda beats GM Sergey Karjakin

• On Aug 05, 2021, 23-year-old  Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland won the 2021 FIDE World Cup after beating GM Sergey Karjakin in the finals at a score of 1.5/0.5.

Note :

• Jan-Krzysztof Duda became the first Polish chess player to win the World Cup and qualify to the FIDE Candidates.

• He finished the tournament undefeated & won USD 88,000 & Karjakin USD 64,000 & both ( Jan-Krzysztof Duda & Sergey Karjakin ) qualified for the 2022 FIDE Candidates Tournament.
• GM Magnus Carlsen came third in the tournament after defeating GM Vladimir Fedoseev to score 2-0 with a earning USD 48,000.

About Jan-Krzysztof Duda :

• Jan-Krzysztof Duda achieved the title of grandmaster in 2013.
• Duda won the Polish Championship in 2018.

About 2021 FIDE World Cup :

• It is the 9th edition of the FIDE world cup.
• It was held from July 12 to Aug 6, 2021 at Sochi, Russia.

About FIDE :

• Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
• Formation: July 20, 1924; 97 years ago
• Motto : We are one people
• In 1999, FIDE was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
• Now, there are 195 member federations of FIDE.

 Tokyo Olympics 2020 : Neeraj Chopra Clinches Gold in Men’s Javelin Throw   

• On Aug 07, 2021, 23-year-old India’s javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal in men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
• Neeraj Chopra threw 87.58m in his second attempt to claim the yellow medal.
• Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch won silver and fellow Czech Vitezslav Vesely won bronze to complete the podium.
• In Tokyo Olympics 2020, this is the first gold medal for India and the 7th medal overall.

About Neeraj Chopra :

• Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in the track and field discipline.
• He became only the second individual Indian athlete after Abhinav Bindra ( claimed gold in the 10-meter air rifle event at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing) to be crowned Olympic champion.
• In 2016 he was inducted as a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army.
• He won gold medals in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Asian Games.

Awards & Honours :

• In 2018, he received the Arjuna award from President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
• In 2020 Republic Day honours, Neeraj Chopra was Honoured with a Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).

2020 Tokyo Olympics : Bajrang Punia wins bronze medal in men’s 65 kg Wrestling

• On Aug 07, 2021, In men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling, Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia won the bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
• He defeated Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0.
• Punia won the sixth medal for India , and the fourth bronze for the nation In the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
• He is the second Indian to bag a medal in this Olympics after Ravi Kumar Dahiya.

Note :

• KD Jadhav was the first Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
• He became the first Indian athlete to win 2 individual Olympic medals.

About Bajrang Punia :

• Bajrang Punia is the only Indian wrestler to win 3 medals at the World Wrestling Championships.

Awards & Honours :

• In 2015 he received the Arjuna award & he was also awarded Padma Shri in 2019.
• In 2019, he received Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, 2019
• In 2020 he won the FICCI India Sports Award.

Overview of 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics Games

• The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games is the international multi-sport event held from July 23 to August 08, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
• In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the United States has topped the overall with 113 medals, which includes 39 Gold, 41 Silver and 33 Bronze Medal.
• Followed by China, with 88 medals, which includes 38 Gold, 32 Silver & 18 Bronze medals.

 

Country	Total Medals ( Gold, Silver, Bronze )
United States	113 ( 39, 41, 33)
China	88 (38, 32, 18)
Japan	58 ( 27, 14, 17)
Great Britain	65 ( 22, 21, 22)
Team ROC (the Russian Olympic Committee)	71 (20, 28, 23)

About India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics :

• India remains 48th position in the medal table out of 86 countries, winning 7 medals comprising 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals.

Indian Medal Winners List :

Gold

1. Neeraj Chopra – Men’s Javelin

Silver

1. Mirabai Chanu – Women’s 49kg Weightlifting
2. Ravi Dahiya – Men’s Freestyle 57kg Wrestling

Bronze

1. Lovlina Borgohain – Women’s Welterweight boxing
2. PV Sindhu – Women’s Singles Badminton
3. Bajrang Punia – Men’s 65kg Freestyle Wrestling
4. India men’s hockey team – Bronze

• In that Tokyo Olympics 2020 MC Mary Kom, and men’s hockey team skipper, Manpreet Singh, were flag-bearers for the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony.
• At the closing ceremony of the event, Bronze-medalist Bajrang Punia was the flag-bearer.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Veteran Actor Anupam Shyam Passes Away

• On Aug 08, 2021, Veteran actor Anupam Shyam Passed away.
• He was 63.

About Anupam Shyam :

• Anupam Shyam was an Indian film and television actor, who usually played villainous roles.
• He is best known for his work on the TV show and appearances in films like Slumdog Millionaire and Bandit Queen.
• He done nearly three-decade long career in film industry & he featured in films like Satya, Dil Se, Lagaan, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
• He last appeared in Star Bharat’ s popular series Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2

Daily CA On Aug 06 & 07 :

• August 6, 2021, observed solemnly as Hiroshima Day around the world, will be the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city in the final year of World War II. 
• On Aug 06, 2021, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED) celebrated its 34th foundation day.
• On Aug 06, 2021, Union Power and New & Renewable Energy MinisterK. Singh launched  an e-certification programme “Reform and regulatory knowledge base for power sector” on virtually.
• The Union Territory of Ladakh has launched a month-long campaign ‘Pani Maah‘ to raise awareness about clean water.
• On Aug 05, 2021, The first National Heart Failure Biobank (NHFB) in the country has come up at the National Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in HF (CARE-HF) at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Kerala.
• Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Commerce Anupriya Patel and Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi visited My Handloom My Pride Expo at Dilli Haat.
• Germany became the 5th country to sign the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement after amendments to it entered into force on 8th January this year, opening its Membership to all Member States of the United Nations.
• The Indian government, the Central Water Commission, representatives from 10 participating states, and the World Bank signed a $250 million project for long-term dam safety programme and improving the safety and performance of existing dams across various states.
• The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 6 lakh on Hewlett-Packard Financial Services (India) Private Ltd, Bengaluru for non-compliance with certain directions issued by it.
• The Central Board for Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) launched the Indian Customs Compliance Information Portal (CIP) at cip.icegate.gov.in/CIP for providing free access to information on all Customs procedures and regulatory compliance for nearly 12,000 Customs Tariff Items.
• WhatsApp banking Private sector lender Axis Bank has crossed the milestone of over one million customers on its WhatsApp banking channel with a total request count of 6 million till now.
• In over 105 years, Dhriti Banerjee has been appointed as the director of the Zoological Survey of India.
• Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari has approved the appointment of retired Bombay high court judge Justice V M Kanade as the new Lokayukta of Maharashtra, on the advice of the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
• The Himachal Pradesh government appointed senior IAS officer Ram Subhag Singh as the chief secretary replacing Anil Kumar Khachi who was made the state election commissioner, prompting the opposition Congress to stage a walkout in the Assembly in protest.
• Louis van Gaal has been named as the new manager of the Netherlands, signing a deal through to next year’s World Cup final in Qatar.
• The Indian Econometric Society (TIES) Trust has conferred the inaugural Prof CR Rao Centenary Gold Medal (CGM) to two distinguished Indian scholars — Dr Jagdish Bhagwati and Dr C Rangarajan.
• To boost agricultural and processed food products exports especially from Karnataka, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Agricultural Science (UAS) Bangalore.
• Hyderabad-based missile and ammunition manufacturers Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (EIDA). 
• On Aug 05, 2021, The 2nd Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Range Technology (ICORT-2021) was inaugurated by the Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy & the conference has been organised by Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur, a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The draft of the Indian Satellite Navigation Policy – 2021 (SATNAV Policy – 2021) has been presented on the official website of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for public consultation.
• As it celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its Vulnerability Rewards Program (VRP), Google launched a new bug bounty platform google.com.
• A group of Delhi University (DU) researchers has named a new species of frog Minervarya Pentali from the Western Ghats & it has been named after former DU Vice-Chancellor and plant geneticist Deepak Pental.
• Ramesh Narayan has released his book titled ‘A Different Route to Success’ : It Could Be Yours & the Book was Published by Notion Press.
• A new book titled “Balakot Air Strike: How India Avenged Pulwama”, published by Garuda Prakashan, is written by Navy veteran Manan Bhatt.
• Ravi Kumar became the second Indian wrestler to clinch Olympic silver after losing his 57kg final to Russian two-time defending world champion Zavur Uguev.
• Pakistan‘s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has surpassed Paul Stirling’s record to claim the record for scoring the most runs in T20 internationals in a single calendar year.
• Paras Khadka, the face of Nepali cricket, has retired from international cricket.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will invite the entire Indian Olympics contingent to the Red Fort as special guests for the Independence Day event on August 15 this year, sources have confirmed.
• Indian Wrestler Labhanshu Sharma bagged the Bharat Kesari Wrestling Dangal 2021 organised in Tamil Nadu.
• On Aug 05, 2021, Olympian footballer Shankar Subramaniam Narayan who was part of the Indian football team passed away.

Daily CA On Aug 08 & 09 :

• To raise awareness about the handloom industries and hand-weavers, the Modi Government announced August 7 as the National Handloom Day in the year 2015 & the theme of 2021 is “Hand Loom – An Indian Legacy.”
• Nation observes 79th anniversary of Quit India movement on  8 August
• The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population with the theme of “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.” 
• Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy inaugurated an exhibition on the Quit India Movement in New Delhi which has been organized on its 79th anniversary.
• A study by ICMR involving 98 people, 18 of whom had inadvertently received Covishield as first dose and Covaxin as the second in Uttar Pradesh, showed that combining these two Covid-19 vaccines elicited better immunogenicity than two doses of the same vaccine.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha flagged off Cyclothon event ‘Pedal for Dal’ from the shores of the Dal Lake in the run-up to the Independence Day celebrations.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Ujjwala 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana – PMUY) by handing over LPG connections at Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh on August 10.
• India approved US major Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single dose Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.
• To increase non-life insurance penetration in the rural market, SBI General Insurance will tap customers of fintech player SahiPay, which provides digital and financial services in the semi-urban and rural parts of the country.
• The Monetary Policy Committee of RBI kept the Repo rate unchanged at 4 percent & the Repo rate was kept unchanged for the 7th consecutive time.
• To provide easy access to investors to participate in public and rights issues by using various payment avenues, markets regulator Sebi allowed payments banks to carry out the activities of investment bankers.
• DBS has been honoured as the global winner for Most Innovative in Digital Banking by Financial Times publication, The Banker, in its 2021 Innovation in Digital Banking Awards.
• Central Bank of India has entered into a strategic Co-lending Partnership with Dhanvarsha Finvest (DFL) to offer loans against gold ornaments under priority sector to MSME borrowers at competitive rates.
• Bollywood superstar and MotoGP enthusiast, John Abraham was announced as the India Ambassador for Eurosport India’s Motorsport property – MotoGP. 
• Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has been given a one-year extension by the government, according to a Ministry of Personnel order.
• Bhutan’s India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project was conferred with the Brunel Medal awarded by the London-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award will now be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• Edtech major Byju’s announced a Rs 2 crore cash reward for Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education has announced a national award for Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada for environmental best practices and conducting Swachh programmes.
• India has emphasized the implementation of the recently-signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh over disaster management, resilience and mitigation on a priority basis.
• On Aug 08, 2021, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navies carried out a naval exercise ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ Off Abu Dhabi Coast.
• On Aug 07, 2021, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar launched PM-DAKSH Portal and PM-DAKSH Mobile App, to make the skill development schemes accessible to the target groups.
• The United States has approved the sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $82 million.
• Indonesia’s most volatile volcano Mount Merapi ( Literally Known as Fire Mountain ) erupted on the densely populated island of Java.
• A New Book Titled A Begum and A Rani : Hazrat Mahal & Lakshmibai in 1857 authored by Rudrangshu Mukherjee 
• On Aug 05, 2021, 23-year-old  Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland won the 2021 FIDE World Cup after beating GM Sergey Karjakin in the finals at a score of 1.5/0.5.
• On Aug 07, 2021, 23-year-old India’s javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal in men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Games & Neeraj Chopra threw 58m in his second attempt to claim the yellow medal.
• On Aug 07, 2021, In men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling, Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia won the bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
• In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the United States has topped the overall with 113 medals, which includes 39 Gold, 41 Silver and 33 Bronze Medal.
• On Aug 08, 2021, Veteran actor Anupam Shyam Passed away.