Current Affairs 19th August 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Humanitarian Day – Observed on Aug 19

• World Humanitarian Day is observed every year on 19 August.
• The theme for World Humanitarian Day 2021 focuses on the immediate human cost of the climate crisis.
• The aim is to pressurize world leaders to take meaningful climate action for the world’s most vulnerable people.
• The day is observed around the world to recognize the people who work for a humanitarian cause, and the people who lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.
• The day is listed in United Nation’s observances and it focuses on bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises and for the safety and security of aid workers.

World Photography Day – Observed on Aug 19

• August 19 of every year is celebrated as World Photography Day across the world, dedicated to the art, craft, science and history of photography.
• The theme for World Photography Day 2021 is Pandemic lockdown through the lens.
• However, people are encouraged to click their Selfies and upload them on social media handles with a tagline as “World Photography Day”.
• Photography is a very important medium of storytelling.
• It conveys emotions instantly and sometimes more effectively than words.
• With the rapid advancements in camera technology, it has become one of the primary modes of communication in the digital world.
• On this day, photographers come together to celebrate the creativity and nuances of photography that captivates us for years.
• The day traces its origins to 1837 when the first-ever photographic process, the ‘Daguerreotype’ was developed by the Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce.
• On January 9, 1839, the French Academy of Sciences announced this process, and later in the same year, the French government purchased the patent for the invention and gave it as a gift, “free to the world.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog’s AIM launches Student Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) 3.0

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog in collaboration with La Fondation Dassault Systemes (Dassault Systemes Foundation) in India launched the third series of the ‘Student Entrepreneurship Program’ (SEP 3.0) for the young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL).
• The theme of SEP 3.0 is based on the ‘Made in 3D – Seed the Future Entrepreneurs Program’, conceptualized and rolled out in France by La Main à la Pate Foundation and La Fondation Dassault Systemes Europe in 2017.
• A team from each school (6 students and a teacher) will be allocated seed funding towards creating pseudo start-up, design and prototype their innovation using 3D printing, prepare marketing campaign, define product pricing and create expansion strategy.
• With this they will receive real feel of ‘How a startup works!’.
• At the end of the program, each school’s pseudo startup will participate in a playful competition and present their marketing campaign in front of experts from industry and academia.

About the Program:

• 0 will allow student innovators to work closely with Dassault Systemes Foundation volunteers and gain – Mentoring support, Prototyping and testing guidance, End-User feedback, A total of 51 teams from 29 states are selected for the “Made in 3D – Seed the Future Entrepreneurs Program” under SEP 3.0.
• Top 20 teams of ATL Marathon 2019, 10 teams selected by Dassault Systemes Foundation, 10 teams from Aspirational Districts and 10 teams from Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and North east regions are selected.
• Out of these 16 schools will have ‘all girls’ teams to motive them to be future women entrepreneurs and guidance on Intellectual Property Rights, by working as pseudo start-ups through a hands-on and structured program.
• Program will be interaction opportunities for students and teachers, between French and Indian schools.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Centre for Research & Innovation in Artificial Intelligence set up at IIT-Hyderabad

• The minister of education, Dharmendra Pradhan, inaugurated the new infrastructure at IIT Hyderabad on August 18.
• This new state-of-the-art facility is part of the campus development project under the broader India-Japan collaboration through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
• “IIT Hyderabad is the first institute in the country to offer a full-fledged BTech in artificial intelligence in line with the recommendation of NEP 2020.

About the Innovation:

• The unique collaboration between IIT Hyderabad and Japanese organisations and universities.
• With the recommendation of NEP 2020, such collaborations would become more common and further strengthen to achieve the goal of internalisation at home.”
• HTS and IITH will together research technologies that solve problems of the future.
• Both organizations have associated to provide industry-specific domain training, remote project mentoring, engineering certificate course, training workshops and hackathons for students of IITH and select employees of HTS.
• The association will provide industry collaboration for IITH, an academic environment for Honeywell employees to conduct research, and enable students to upgrade their skills and improve their employment opportunities.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh to launch 5th edition of Defence India Startup Challenge 

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 5.0 in New Delhi through video conferencing.
• DISC 5.0 will have more challenges than the first four DISC editions taken together.
• The launch of DISC 5.0 will be a massive leap towards leveraging the startup ecosystem to develop India’s defence technologies, equipment design and manufacturing capabilities.

About the challenge:

• These challenges will also encourage startups to become more attuned to innovative concepts and inculcate the approach of creative thinking in India’s budding entrepreneurs.
• Ministry of Defence has earmarked a total one thousand crore rupees for domestic procurement through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative for the financial year 2021-2022.
• Recently, the Defence Minister had approved a budget of nearly 500 crore rupees for the next five years to support over 300 startups and foster innovation in defence & aerospace sectors.
• It will enable India’s defence sector to contribute significantly towards 5-trillion dollar economy goal by 2025.

Delhi high court: Plea to declare PM CARES fund a ‘State’

• The Delhi High Court asked the Centre to respond to a plea seeking to declare the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) a ‘State’ under the Constitution.
• A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh posted the hearing on the petition filed by Samyak Gangwal, a lawyer, on September 13.

About the constitution:

• Gangwal, represented by senior advocate Shyam Divan, has sought to declare PM CARES Fund a ‘State’ under Article 12 of the Constitution to ensure transparency in its functioning.
• Mr Divan stated the court came to the conclusion that the PM CARES Fund is not ‘State’ under the Constitution, usage of the domain name ‘gov’, the Prime Minister’s photograph, State emblem among others has to stop.
• The petition stated that the PM CARES Fund was formed by the Prime Minister on March 27, 2020 to extend assistance to the citizens of India in the wake of the public health emergency — the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Mr Gangwal has also filed another petition to declare PM CARES as a ‘public authority’ under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
• Both petitions are being heard together.
• He has challenged a June 2, 2020 order of the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), PMO, refusing to provide documents sought by him under the RTI Act.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India in collaboration with UN to launches tech platform for peacekeepers

• India in collaboration with the UN launched a technology platform to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers who are operating in increasingly complex and risky environments across the world.
• The launch of the UNITE AWARE platform came as India assumed the Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council for the month of August.
• The project, for which India has contributed USD 1.64 million, was launched in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here at the UN headquarters.
• UN peacekeeping “simply cannot” afford to cede the information advantage to actors determined to undermine prospects for peace by using modern technology to aid their violent cause.

About the Platform:

• UNITE AWARE is a situational awareness software program which utilizes modern surveillance technology and provides real-time threat assessment to improve the overall security situation of UN Peacekeepers.
• It will help in increasing situational awareness and provide terrain-related information to peacekeepers.
• Using the platform, the entire peacekeeping operation can be visualized, coordinated, and monitored on a real time basis.
• It can record data on critical incidents and events follow daily operational activities. Using the platform, peacekeepers can access live video and satellite imagery.
• It can also provide early warning in a volatile environment.
• India has developed it in partnership with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Operational Support.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

HouseFresh reported Ghaziabad is world’s second most polluted city of 2020

• Of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide, 49 are in Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, and India, according to the report.
• Bangladesh was the most polluted country across the world in 2020, followed by Pakistan, India and Mongolia – report prepared by British company HouseFresh.
• While the Chinese city of Hotan in Xinjiang province has been named the most polluted city, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh took the second spot on the list with an average PM2.5 concentration of 106.6µg/m3.
• 5 refers to fine particulate matter suspended in the air that is two and a half microns or less in width.

About Uttar Pradesh:

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

USOF partners with BSNL 

• For making available high quality and high speed internet access to the States of North Eastern Region of the country, Universal Service Obligation Fund USOF has signed an Agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited BSNL for hiring of 10 Gbps International Bandwidth for Internet Connectivity to Agartala from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited BSCCL Bangladesh through Cox Bazar and Kuakata.
• Commenting on the development, Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, citizens will get high-speed internet connectivity for better access to e-services in the North Eastern states.

About the Agreement:

• Under the Agreement, USOF will provide financial support to BSNL for a period of three years for hiring the International Bandwidth.
• The availability of high speed internet access will help the citizens in accessing various e-services such as e-governance, e-education, e-health, e-commerce, e-banking, etc.

About Northeast India:

• Northeast India is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political administrative division of the country.
• It comprises eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• Largest city: Guwahati

Chhattisgarh decided govt to provide Rs.6, 000 to landless labourers

• The Chhattisgarh government has decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year to landless agricultural labourer families of rural areas in a major move. 
• The aid will be given under ‘Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojna’.
• The CM announced this development during a discussion in the state Assembly on the supplementary budget.
• The scheme will be implemented from FY22 and a provision of Rs 200 crore has been included in the Rs 2,485.59 crores supplementary budget for this scheme.
• Noting that Chhattisgarh is a state of farmers, Bagel informed that his government has the resolve to bring “Nyay” to them.
• The Chief Minister highlighted that schemes such as Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojna and Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojna benefited lakhs of people.
• Baghel also specified the success of loan waivers, Minimum Support Price (MSP), irrigation tax waivers and procurement of forest produce to help tribal and forest-dependent people.

About Chhattisgarh:

• Capital: Raipur
• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

TCS becomes 2nd Indian company to cross m-cap of Rs 13 lakh crore

• Seventeen years after it sold its stock for the first time in a relatively late public debut, Tata Consultancy Services crossed the Rs 13-lakh-crore mark in market value, becoming only the second in the country to do so  after Reliance Industries.
• The latest climb by India’s software bellwether after a relatively tepid run endorses emerging bullish views that the company stands to enhance its dominance in an environment where global clients are increasingly embarking on multi-year transformational projects with implications across revenue streams.
• “A strong order book and a robust deal pipeline have led to strong structural growth, which will drive growth further”.
• “Moreover, the company is gaining market share from small and big players.
• It will consistently expand an abundance of native capabilities, opening up new opportunities for technology-driven differentiation.”

About TCS:

• Tata Consultancy Services is an Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India with its largest campus located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
• As of February 2021, TCS is the largest IT services company in the world by market capitalization.

China state firms started to invest in TikTok sibling, Weibo chat app

• China appears to be taking greater control of ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns global video app TikTok, and Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
• State-backed firms took stakes in Chinese subsidiaries of the two companies this April and last year.
• Beijing has been clamping down on its technology sector with investigations and new rules.
• Its newly reported involvement with ByteDance raised concerns in the U.S. about the effect on TikTok, which has millions of U.S. users.

About TikTok:

• TikTok, known in China as Douyin, is a video-sharing focused social networking service owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
• The social media platform is used to make a variety of short-form videos, from genres like dance, comedy, and education, that have a duration from fifteen seconds to three minutes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

Kotak Mahindra Bank partners with Creditas Solutions 

• To deliver a superior repayment experience for customers and increase efficiencies, Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) announced that it has deployed a secure, Do It Yourself (DIY) Digital Repayment Platform for missed loan repayments, in a tie-up with Creditas Solutions.
• Powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), the ‘Neo Collections’ platform delivers a personalised and non-intrusive experience thereby enabling customers to manage their dues seamlessly on their own through an intuitive repayment platform.
• Using data analytics to target the right customer segments, the ‘Neo Collections’ platform creates hyper-personalised scenarios to connect with each customer.
• The platform analyses both historical as well as live customer interaction data, deploying sophisticated behavioural models to create individual customer-level personas that take into account the unique preferences of each customer, including their preferred communication mode, the best time to contact them and the language of their choice.

About Kotak Mahindra Bank:

• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited is an Indian banking & financial services company headquartered in the city of Mumbai, India.
• It offers banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers in the areas of personal finance, investment banking, life insurance, and wealth management.
• CEO: Uday Kotak
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

MAMI film festival named Priyanka Chopra Jonas as chairperson

• Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas was announced as the chairperson of Jio MAMI Film Festival, almost four months after Deepika Padukone stepped down from the position.
• The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) unveiled its plans for the coming year, edition and the change in leadership.
• Chopra Jonas was unanimously nominated by MAMI’s Board of Trustees which comprises Nita M Ambani (Co-Chairperson), Anupama Chopra (Festival Director), Ajay Bijli, Anand G. Mahindra, Farhan Akhtar, Isha Ambani, Kabir Khan, Kaustubh Dhavse, Kiran Rao, Rana Daggubati, Riteish Deshmukh, Rohan Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vishal Bhardwaj and Zoya Akhtar.
• Jio MAMI 2.0 will focus on creating more awards and grants for Indian films and filmmakers and letting go of the International Competition section.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Sports Minister confers National Youth Awards for 2017-18 and 2018-19 to 22 awardees 

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur conferred the National Youth Awards 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• Commemorating the International Youth Day 2021, ten young winning entrepreneur teams of the agri-enterprise challenge S.O.L.V.E.D 2021 (Social Objectives-Led Volunteer Enterprise Development) were also felicitated by Shri Anurag Thakur.
• “This year the International Youth Day theme focuses on transforming food systems; youth engagement is key to this transformation.
• Agri-Tech innovations led by the youth are driving new emerging trends in this sector.
• The success of such a global effort will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people.
• The Government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi has prioritised various initiatives towards professional education, skilling, startup funding for our young citizens.
• Aim of the award is make India’s youth the world’s largest skills.
• Objective in conferring the awards has been to motivate young persons to achieve excellence.”

About the award:

• Total 22 National Youth awards were given in individual and organisations categories.
• Total 14 awards were given for NYA 2017-18, which includes 10 awards in individual category and 4 awards in Organization category.
• Total 8 awards were given for NYA 2018-19 which includes 7 awards in individual category and 1 award in Organization category.
• The award comprises of a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 1, 00,000/- to individual and a cash prize of 3, 00,000/- to organization respectively.

MGNCRE awards honoured green champion title to MAHE

• The Mahatma Gandhi National Council for Rural Education (MGNCRE) has recognised Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, as this year’s District Green Champion recognising its contribution in the field of cleanliness.
• Prakash Chandra, Director – General Services, MAHE, and Derrick Ian Joshua, Assistant Director, Environment sustainability – MAHE, received the certificate on behalf of MAHE from the Deputy Commissioner, Udupi.
• Various initiatives undertaken on the campus towards sustainable development, policies related to environment, efficient campus management concerning waste, water and energy helped achieve this title.
• A workshop was organised by MGNCRE online where exchange of ideas between institutions of the district was conducted culminating in the certificate presentation and MAHE was honoured with the title of “District Green Champion.”

MeitY-NASSCOM Start-up Women Entrepreneur Awards 2020-21 in partnership with UN Women announced

• MeitY-NASSCOM Women Startup Entrepreneurs Awards is the first step to recognize and cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit in women and inspire the next generation of women to lead the Indian digital era so as to serve as guiding role models; to encourage promising entrepreneurs who not only contribute to the nation’s economy but also to the social community; And to provide leadership and serve as guiding examples for the emerging and young future entrepreneurs.
• From MeitY, UN Women, Industry and Academia selected 12 women entrepreneurs as winners, while 2 women entrepreneurs were declared as the Jury Choice Awardees and one woman entrepreneur was felicitated as a special mention.
• Each winner and Jury Choice Awardees were rewarded Rs. 2 Lakh.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Disaster Management MoU between India and Bangladesh

• The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the MoU on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation signed between India and Bangladesh in March this year during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh.
• The MoU seeks to put in place a system so that both the countries benefit from the Disaster Management mechanisms of each other.

About the MOU:

• It will help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field of Disaster Management.
• The MoU envisages that India and Bangladesh will extend mutual support to each other at the time of large scale disaster in the field of relief, response, reconstruction and recovery.
• Both the countries will also exchange relevant information, remote sensing and other scientific data.
• They will also share best practices in the field of disaster response, recovery, mitigation, capacity building for ensuring resilience, etc.
• According to the provisions of MoU India and Bangladesh will extend cooperation in the field of advanced information technology, early warning systems, remote sensing and navigation services and expertise for disaster preparedness, response and mitigation and more towards real time data sharing.

About Bangladesh:

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

UK to start negotiations for trade agreement with India 

• The UK government is looking at wrapping up a quick “interim” trade deal with India, which could see tariffs slashed on products like Scotch whisky before a full agreement is in place.
• The Department for International Trade (DIT) is looking to start formal negotiations with India before the end of this year, after an initial consultation period finishes in two weeks’ time.
• Britain will try to strike an interim agreement that would allow for free trade between the two countries under the terms of a World Trade Organization
• Indian producers of things like rice could get greater access to the UK market under the interim deal.

About UK:

• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Capital: London
• Currency: Pound sterling

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Union Minister Piyush Goyal chairs 5th meeting of BRICS Industry Ministers

• On Aug 18, 2021, The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal chaired the 5th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting through video conferencing under the Chairship of India.
• Theme for BRICS 2021 : BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus for its Chairship.
• The Industry Ministers of BRICS Countries Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa attended the meeting.

About the Meeting :

• During the meeting the BRICS ministers called for the need to adopt emerging new technologies, recognising it as an important tool for modernisation and transformation of industry, and promotion of economic growth.
• Also expressed their intention to collaborate with the New Development Bank (NDB).
• At the end of the meeting the ministers committed to work together as a group, share best practices and move ahead in a positive and constructive manner to achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

About Ministry of Commerce and Industry :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Union Minister : Piyush Goyal
• Minister of State : R.Chaudhary,  Anupriya Patel

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS 

Indian Navy And Vietnam People’s Navy Conducts Bilateral Maritime Exercise At South China Sea

• On Aug 18, 2021, The Indian Navy carried out a bilateral maritime exercise with the Vietnamese Navy in the South China Sea as part of maritime cooperation between the two countries.

Aim :

• To consolidate the strong bond shared by the two navies and strengthen India-Vietnam defence relations.
• From India, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora took part in the exercise and from the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN), frigate VPNS Ly Thai To(HQ-012) participated in the drill.

About Indian Navy  :

• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade
• Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS): Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh
• Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind

About Vietnam People’s Navy :

• Headquarters: Haiphong, Vietnam
• Commander-in-Chief: Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
• Chief of Staff: Rear Admiral Phạm Mạnh Hùng
• Chief of Navy: Rear Admiral Trần Thanh Nghiêm
• Founded: 7 May 1955, Vietnam

Army organises 400 Km “JAZBAA-E- TIRANGA” Relay Marathon in J&K

• A 400 Km “JAZBAA-E- TIRANGA” Relay Marathon, Organized by Army in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The event was flagged off by Major General Rajeev Puri, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Ace of Spades Division, who led the relay, followed by other military personnel.
• More than 300 troops took part, carrying the Indian Tricolour all along the Line of Control (LoC).

 INS Kochi to participate in Maritime Partnership Exercise in Bahrain

• Indian Naval Ship INS Kochi will participate in the four-day Maritime Partnership Exercise at Manama in Bahrain.
• Prior to that  a coordination and operational planning conference was also held between the Indian and the Bahrain Navy teams.

About INS Kochi  :

• INS Kochi (D64) is the second ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers built under the code name Project 15A for the Indian Navy.
• It was constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

About Bahrain :

• Capital: Manama
• Currency: Bahraini dinar
• King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HAL’s  aircraft Hindustan-228 successfully Carries out LSTT & Ground Run 

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) successfully carried out the Ground Run and Low Speed Taxi Trials (LSTT) of the Hindustan-228 (VT-KNR) aircraft in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Purpose :

• For DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) ‘Type Certification’.
• The type certification will also enable HAL to get the international certification for the aircraft.

About Hindustan-228 :

• The Hindustan-228 is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft.
• It is built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like Para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications.
• To assist the Government of India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), the Division has begun producing Hindustan-228 aircraft.

About UDAN Scheme :

• In October 2016, the Ministry launched the ‘Ude Deshka Aam Naagrik’ (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Scheme to make air travel more accessible to residents in regional cities.
• This is a first-of-its-kind programme in the world to use a market-based mechanism to promote regional connectivity.

About HAL :

• Chairman & MD : R Madhavan
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Founder: Walchand Hirachand
• Founded: 23 December 1940
• HALis a premier aeronautical complex with expertise in design, production, repair, overhaul and upgrade of Aircraft and Helicopters in Asia.
• Currently, HAL is one of the world’s oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers.

Note :

• CEO of HAL’s Accessories Complex : Sajal Prakash

About Directorate General of Civil Aviation :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director : Indranil Chakraborty
• Minister responsible: Suresh Prabhu
• Deputy Ministers responsible: K. Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

Three new species of wild balsam reported from Kerala

• Researchers from Kerala have identified three new species of wild balsam were named

1. Impatiens achudanandanii
2. Impatiens shailajae
3. Impatiens danii

• The new species belonging to the genus Impatiens which comes under family Balsaminaceae were spotted in the Western Ghats region of southern Kerala and the Idukki district.
• Plants of this genus are popular as ‘Kasithumba‘ or ‘Sheema Thumba’ in Malayalam.

About the Research team :

• The plants were identified by Arya, who is doing research under the guidance of Dr V S Anilkumar, Associate Professor at Botany department in University College in Thiruvananthapuram.

About Impatiens achudanandanii :

• Impatiens achudanandanii is a straggling, glabrous herb.

About Impatiens shailajae :

• Impatiens shailajae belongs to the section Tuberosae, and was found along steep slippery cliffs in the deep forest.
• Both Impatiens achudanandanii & Impatiens shailajae named after VS Achuthanandan and KK Shailaja as an honour to their contributions in environmental protection and for containing Nipah/COVID-19 virus outbreaks in Kerala.

About Impatiens danii :

• Impatiens danii is a 10-20 cm tall plant with a white flower which sports a yellow blotch on the throat.
• It is named after Dr Mathew Dan, Principal Scientist at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute in Thiruvananthapuram.

About Kerala :

• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

Rare orchid species found in Uttarakhand

• For the first time, A rare orchid species Cephalanthera erecta var. Oblanceolata has been discovered in the Mandal area of Uttarakhand Chamoli district by the state forest department.
• This terrestrial orchid was found at an altitude of 1870 meters in the humus-rich Rhododendron-Oak forest.

Research Team :

• This discovery was made by a team of Range Officer Harish Negi and Junior Research Fellow Manoj Singh.
• A research paper on this novel addition to Indian flora has been published in the six-monthly journal of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI)- ‘Nelumbo.’

Note :

• As per the analysis of the Botanical Survey of India, Cephalanthera erecta var. Oblanceolata is an endangered species of orchid.

About Cephalanthera erecta var. Oblanceolata :

• Cephalanthera represents a small group of terrestrial orchids with about 19 taxa, attributed mainly to Europe, North America, and temperate parts of Asia.

About Botanical Survey of India :

• Founded: 13 February 1890
• Headquarters: Kolkata

About Uttarakhand :

• Governor: Baby Rani Maurya
• Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Uttarakhand is the home to 250 recorded species of orchids.
• A very rare species of orchids, ‘Liparis pygmaea’ was once again found in India after nearly 124 years, in the alpine meadows of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 3800 meters.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Lahore: Book 1 of the Partition Trilogy’ authored by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

• Indian author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar authored a new book titled Lahore: Book 1 of the Partition Trilogy.
• The Book Published by HarperCollins India.

About the Book :

• The Partition Trilogy captures the frenzy of Indian independence, the Partition and the accession of the states, and takes readers back to a time of great upheaval and churn.
• The series is set in Delhi, Lahore, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Covering a vast canvas, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Dickie Mountbatten share space in the trilogy with the ordinary people from the cities that were affected by the partition and the reorganization of the states.

About Manreet Sodhi Someshwar :

• Manreet lives in New York
• Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, the South China Morning Post and several Indian publications.
• Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is a bestselling writer of six books, including the award-winning The Radiance of a Thousand Suns and the critically acclaimed The Long Walk Home.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

USWNT’s Carli Lloyd, announces international retirement                     

• On Aug 16, 2021, Two-time World Cup winner 39 year old Carli Lloyd, one of women’s soccer’s greatest players, announced her retirement.
• She will retire from international play after the USWNT fall friendlies and from club play at end of the NWSL season.
• Recently in the Tokyo Olympics, Lloyd scored the last of her 128 international goals when she netted a brace in the United States’ 4-3 defeat of Australia in the bronze-medal

About Carli Lloyd :

• Carli Lloyd is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or forward for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.
• Lloyd, who served as US women’s national team captain.
• In March 2021, she was named as the highest paid female footballer in the world.

1. Two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008 and 2012),
2. Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion (2015 and 2019),
3. Two-time FIFA Player of the Year (2015 and 2016), became the second-most capped player (312 games) during an international career.
4. Four-time Olympian (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021).

Daily CA On Aug 18 :

• Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the ‘Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Challenge-2021’ to encourage technology solutions developed by Women Entrepreneurs that facilitate Women’s Safety and Empowerment.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has stated that Vehicle Scrappage Policy is a win-win policy for all the stakeholders and for the country.
• The Ministry of Textiles has stated that ten more Handloom Design Resource Centres will be set up in the country with the aim to build and create design-oriented excellence in the Handloom sector.
• The Civil Aviation Ministry gave conditional permission to 10 organizations, including Mahindra and Mahindra, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Bayer Crop Science, to use drones for various purposes.
• Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been declared the winner of the presidential election.
• The government announced a new category of electronic visa to fast-track applications from Afghans who wish to leave the Taliban-controlled country.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha unveiled a mobile application named PROOF, to bring more transparency and accountability in the governance system.
• Maharashtra’s Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the charging facility for electric vehicles at the parking lot of Mumbai’s Kohinoor building.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the e-crop survey initiative which will become effective in Maharashtra from August 15.
• Confederation of Indian Industry, CII has welcomed the announcement of Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products-RoDTEP rates by the Government.
• The Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released index numbers of wholesale prices in India (Base Year: 2011-12) for the month of July, 2021.
• The country’s largest mortgage lender, HDFC Ltd, launched a “green and sustainable” deposits programme for retail clients, funds from which will be used to finance sustainable housing credit solutions and services.
• The Reserve Bank of India has created a composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country.
• Amway India has appointed Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chanu as the brand ambassador for its Nutrilite range of products. 
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appointed Team India’s hockey player Vandana Katariya as the brand ambassador of the state’s Department of Women Empowerment and Child Development.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal conferred the National Intellectual Property Awards at an virtual event in New Delhi.
• The men’s team won a bronze, 41 years after it won a medal in the Moscow Olympics, while the women’s hockey team reached the semi final for the first time.
• Malayalam writers Sethu and Perumbadavam Sreedharan has been hounoured with Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowships for the year 2020. 
• On Aug 16, 2021, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), Adani Road Transport Ltd (ARTL), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 49 percent stake of Maharashtra Border Check Post Network Ltd (MBCPNL) a Subsidiary of Sadbhav Infrastructure Project (SIPL) an option to acquire additional stake.
• The government of India will sell up to 25 percent stake in National Seeds Corporation (NSC) through an initial public offering (IPO).
• INS Tabar is participating in the bilateral Exercise Konkan 2021 between the Indian Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy in Portsmouth, UK.
• State Pollution Control Board of Odisha & Telangana has been ranked No-1 in Transparency Index rating, according to the Center for Science and Environment(CSE), New Delhi.
• The Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
• The Indian contingent won 15 medals at the World Archery Youth Championships 2021 in Wroclaw, Poland.
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the Odisha Government extended sponsorship of Indian National Hockey Teams by another 10 years after the current sponsorship ends in 2023.
• Maki Kaji, the creator of puzzle Sudoku passed away.

Daily CA On Aug 19 :

• World Humanitarian Day is observed every year on 19 August & the theme for World Humanitarian Day 2021 focuses on the immediate human cost of the climate crisis.
• August 19 of every year is celebrated as World Photography Day across the world, dedicated to the art, craft, science and history of photography & the theme is Pandemic lockdown through the lens.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog in collaboration with La Fondation Dassault Systemes (Dassault Systemes Foundation) in India launched the third series of the ‘Student Entrepreneurship Program’ (SEP 3.0) for the young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL).
• Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Centre for Research & Innovation in Artificial Intelligence set up at IIT-Hyderabad
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 5.0 in New Delhi through video conferencing.
• The Delhi High Court asked the Centre to respond to a plea seeking to declare the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) a ‘State’ under the Constitution.
• India in collaboration with the UN launched a technology platform to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers who are operating in increasingly complex and risky environments across the world.
• Bangladesh was the most polluted country across the world in 2020, followed by Pakistan, India and Mongolia – report prepared by British company HouseFresh.
• For making available high quality and high speed internet access to the States of North Eastern Region of the country, Universal Service Obligation Fund USOF has signed an Agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited BSNL for hiring of 10 Gbps International Bandwidth for Internet Connectivity to Agartala from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited BSCCL Bangladesh through Cox Bazar and Kuakata.
• The Chhattisgarh government has decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year to landless agricultural labourer families of rural areas in a major move. 
• Seventeen years after it sold its stock for the first time in a relatively late public debut, Tata Consultancy Services crossed the Rs 13-lakh-crore mark in market value, becoming only the second in the country to do so  after Reliance Industries.
• China appears to be taking greater control of ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns global video app TikTok, and Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
• To deliver a superior repayment experience for customers and increase efficiencies, Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) announced that it has deployed a secure, Do It Yourself (DIY) Digital Repayment Platform for missed loan repayments, in a tie-up with Creditas Solutions.
• Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas was announced as the chairperson of Jio MAMI Film Festival, almost four months after Deepika Padukone stepped down from the position.
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur conferred the National Youth Awards 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Council for Rural Education (MGNCRE) has recognised Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, as this year’s District Green Champion recognising its contribution in the field of cleanliness.
• MeitY-NASSCOM Start-up Women Entrepreneur Awards 2020-21 in partnership with UN Women announced
• The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the MoU on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation signed between India and Bangladesh in March this year during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh.
• The UK government is looking at wrapping up a quick “interim” trade deal with India, which could see tariffs slashed on products like Scotch whisky before a full agreement is in place.
• On Aug 18, 2021, The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal chaired the 5th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting through video conferencing under the Chairship of India with the Theme of : BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus for its Chairship.
• On Aug 18, 2021, The Indian Navy carried out a bilateral maritime exercise with the Vietnamese Navy in the South China Sea as part of maritime cooperation between the two countries.
• A 400 Km “JAZBAA-E- TIRANGA” Relay Marathon, Organized by Army in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Indian Naval Ship INS Kochi will participate in the four-day Maritime Partnership Exercise at Manama in Bahrain.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) successfully carried out the Ground Run and Low Speed Taxi Trials (LSTT) of the Hindustan-228 (VT-KNR) aircraft in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• Researchers from Kerala have identified three new species of wild balsam were named Impatiens achudanandanii, Impatiens shailajae, Impatiens danii
• For the first time, A rare orchid species Cephalanthera erecta var. Oblanceolata has been discovered in the Mandal area of Uttarakhand Chamoli district by the state forest department.
• Indian author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar authored a new book titled Lahore: Book 1 of the Partition Trilogy.
• On Aug 16, 2021, Two-time World Cup winner 39 year old Carli Lloyd, one of women’s soccer’s greatest players, announced her retirement.