Current Affairs 25th August 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog and WRI Jointly Launch ‘Forum for Decarbonising Transport’ in India

• NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarburizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project on 23August.
• The launch was held virtually and inaugurated by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

About the project:

• The project aims at bringing down the peak level of GHG emissions (transport sector) in Asia (in line with a well below 2-degree pathway), resulting in problems like congestion and air pollution.
• India has a massive and diverse transport sector, which is also the third most CO2 emitting sector.
• Data from (IEA, 2020; Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, 2018) suggests that within the transport sector, road transport contributes to more than 90% of the total CO2 emissions.
• Through various policy measures and initiatives, the Government of India is continuously working towards the decarbonisation of road transport, with a major focus on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
• NITI Aayog has been at the helm of the promotion of EVs and sustainable mobility through the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage.

About NITI Aayog:

• The NITI Aayog is a public policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi
• CEO: Shri Amitabh Kant
• Vice Chairman: Rajiv Kumar

World Resources Institute:

• The World Resources Institute is a global research non-profit organization established in 1982 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation under the leadership of James Gustave Speth.
• WRI’s activities are focused on seven areas: food, forests, water, energy, cities, climate and ocean.
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

India’s Evacuation Mission named as ‘Operation Devi Shakti’ to carrying out people from Afghanistan 

• Thousands of Afghans have been crowding around the Kabul airport for nearly a week in a desperate attempt to flee the country fearing the Taliban’s brutality.
• India is carrying out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other countries.
• India gave a name to its operation to evacuate its citizens from war-torn Afghanistan.
• External affairs minister S Jaishankar called it ‘Operation Devi Shakti’ and saluted the efforts of Indian Air Force and Air India.

About Afghanistan:

• Capital: Kabul
• Currency: Afghan afghani

Ministry of Education launches the booklet on One-year New Education Policy (NEP) 

• Union Education and Skill Development Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Virendra Kumar jointly launched the booklet on One-year New Education Policy (NEP) – 2020 Achievement along with some major initiatives of the New Education Policy- 2020 such as
  1. NIPUN Bharat FLN tools and resources on DIKSHA;
  2. Virtual School of NIOS; Alternate Academic Calendar of NCERT; and
  3. Release of ‘Priya’- accessibility booklet developed by the NCERT and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
• Another important initiative launched was “Priya -The Accessibility Warrior”, which is the outcome of collaborative efforts of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Department of School Education and Literacy.

About the Initiative:

• It provides glimpses into the world of a girl named Priya who met an accident and could not walk, due to plastered leg.
• The story depicts how Priya managed to participate in all activities at school, and in the process learnt the importance of the accessibility.
• She, therefore takes the pledge of being an accessibility warrior.
• The comic book is also available with Indian Sign Language (ISL) explanatory videos.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Manipur CM launched COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme 

• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme to provide assistance to those who had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.
• The scheme was launched by Singh at a function held at Imphal.
• Chief Minister stated that the applications were invited for the scheme through a proper survey at the district levels and added that a total of 22,336 applications had been received so far.
• Out of the applications received, 7,943 had been verified, and of this first installment of Rs 2500 would be distributed to 6,276 applicants bearing a total amount of around Rs 1.56 crore.
• He stated that the second installment for the same would be disbursed within September this year.
• He further stated that around 6,000 applicants had been identified for Start-Up Scheme, which was put on hold for some period due to the pandemic.

Assam indigenous community celebrates Wanchuwa Festival 2021

• Tiwa also known as Lalung is indigenous community inhabiting the states of Assam and Meghalaya and is also found in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
• They are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the state of Assam.
• They practice Jhum or shifting cultivation.

Wanchuwa festival:

• This festival is celebrated by Tiwa tribesmen to mark their good harvest.
• It comes with songs, dances, a bunch of rituals and people clad in their native attires.

About Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National parks: Kaziranga National park, Manas National park, Dibru-Saikhowa National park, Nameri National park and Rajiv Gandhi OrangNational Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

CCI (Competition Commission of India) imposes penalty of Rs 200 crore on Maruti Suzuki 

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of 200 crore on Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) for indulging in anti-competitive conduct. 
• The ministry of corporate affairs stated that MSIL implemented a discount control policy in passenger vehicle segment through Resale Price Maintenance.
• “CCI found that MSIL had an agreement with its dealers whereby the dealers were restrained from offering discounts to the customers beyond those prescribed by MSIL.
• MSIL had a ‘Discount Control Policy’ in place for its dealers whereby the dealers were discouraged from giving extra discounts, freebies, etc. to the consumers beyond what were permitted by MSIL“.
• The CCI probe also found out that MSIL appointed mystery shopping agencies who used to pose as customers to find out if any additional discounts were being offered.

About CCI:

• Competition Commission of India is the competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

N. S. Vishwanathan Panel constituted on Urban Co-operative Banks

• A Reserve Bank-appointed committee has suggested a four-tier structure for the urban cooperative banks (UCBs) depending upon the deposits and prescribed different capital adequacy and regulatory norms for them based on their sizes.
• The RBI committee informed that UCBs can be split into four categories — Tier-1 with deposits up to Rs 100 crore; Tier-2 with deposits between Rs 100-Rs 1,000 crore, Tier-3 with deposits between Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 10,000 and Tier-4 with deposits of over Rs 10,000 crore.
• It has suggested that the minimum Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) for them could vary from 9 per cent to 15 per cent and for Tier-4 UCBs the Basel III prescribed norms.
• The RBI panel has also prescribed separate ceilings for home loans, loan against gold ornaments and unsecured loans for different categories of UCBs.

RBI grants re-appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi as MD and CEO of ICICI Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi, MD & CEO, of ICICI Bank with effect from October 15, 2021, till October 3, 2023.
• The stock exchange, the shareholders at the annual general meeting held on August 9, 2019, had already approved the appointment of Bakhshi for a period effective from October 15, 2018, upto October 3, 2023.

About Bakhshi:

• Bakhshi was appointed the MD & CEO of the bank, with effect from October 15, 2018.
• RBI had approved a three-year stint for Bakhshi back then as opposed to a five-year stint that the bank had sought.
• Bakhshi took over as the CEO of the bank after Chanda Kochhar, who was facing inquiry on allegations of alleged quid pro quo in extending loans to certain entities, resigned as the CEO of the bank.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Odia author Yashodhara Mishra bags Sahitya Akademi Award – 2020

• Noted writer and poet Dr Yashodhara Mishra will be receiving Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 for her work in Odia.
• The president of Sahitya Akademi Chandrashekhara Kambara approved the selection of Mishra for the prestigious award for her book ‘Samudrakula Ghara’.
• Mishra’s work was adjudged by a three-member jury – Dr Binapani Mohanty, Dr Prativa Satpathy and Ramakant Rath.
• Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, Dr K Sreenivasarao stated She will be awarded with a citation and cash of Rs 1 lakh at a speacial ceremony held by the Akademi.

About Mishra:

• Born in 1951, in Sambalpur, Mishra in her illustrious career spanning three decades, has perfected the role as an author, poet and fiction writer.
• Her writings include around fifteen collections of short stories, three novels, and a collection of poems.
• She is a PhD in American Literature and has worked as a Professor of English under the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

KM Anthru International Literary Award conferred for Jack Foley

• Author and noted critic Jack Foley, based in San Francisco, has been chosen for the first-ever K M Anthru International Literary Award instituted in the fond memory of the late K M Anthru who passed away last year.
• Born on April 2, 1937, K M Anthru began his literary career at the age of 17.
• During his long career in literature, he has published numerous works through various print magazines and has authored many books.
• President and CEO of Study World Education Holding Group announced the award at the inaugural session of the Global Literature Conclave 2021.
• K M Anthru’s desire to become an editor led to the launch of the international magazine Literary Refining World. He passed away on December 19, 2020.
• The award is instituted annually for comprehensive literary contribution.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Assam govt signs MoU with banks, MFIs 

• The Assam government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 38 microfinance institutions (MFI) and banks to give relief to poor women borrowers.
• Waving off the microfinance loans of women was a poll promise of the ruling BJP.
• “With a view to providing succor to poor women borrowers who are not able to return the loan amount of MFIs, the Finance Department of the Government of Assam signed an MoU with MFIs for implementation of Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme (AMFIRS), 2021”.
• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was present, described the MoU as historic.

About MFI:

• Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are financial companies that provide small loans to people who do not have any access to banking facilities.
• The definition of “small loans” varies between countries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

NITI Aayog & WRI Jointly Launch ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India

• On Aug 23, 2021, Indian government’s think-tank NITI Aayog, in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI), launched the Forum for Decarbonising Transport in India.

Aim :

• To bring down the peak level of GHG emissions (transport sector) in Asia (in line with a well below 2-degree pathway), resulting in problems like congestion and air pollution.
• The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA 2020-2023) is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transport in their respective countries.

About NITI Aayog :

• Formed: 1 January 2015
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• CEO : Amitabh Kant
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi
• Vice Chairperson : Rajiv Kumar

About WRI :

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: James Gustave Speth
• President & CEO : Andrew Steer
• Chairman : James Harmon
• Founded: 1982

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

5th edition of Indo-Kazakhstan joint training exercise KAZIND-21 Begins August 30     

• Fifth edition of Indo- Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise, KAZIND-21 will be conducted at Aisha Bibi in Kazakhstan, from August 30 to September 11.
• The Indian Army contingent represented by a battalion of The Bihar Regiment consists of a total of 90 personnel led by a Contingent Commander & the Kazakhstan Army will be represented by a company group.

About the Exercise :

• The Exercise will provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces of India and Kazakhstan to train for Counter Insurgency/ Counter-Terrorism operations in the mountainous.
• It will boost the bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan.
• It will strengthen mutual confidence, interoperability and enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of India and Kazakhstan.
• It is part of military diplomacy and to strengthen the growing strategic relation with Kazakhstan.

2nd edition of India-Qatar bilateral maritime exercise ‘Zair-Al-Bahr’ in Persian Gulf

• From August 9-14, 2021, The Indian Navy and Qatar Naval Force successfully conducted the second edition of the bilateral maritime exercise “Zair-Al-Bahr” in the Persian Gulf.

Aim :

• To further strengthen the maritime exchanges between the two countries and enhance maritime security in the region.
• The naval exercise consisted of a three-day harbour phase and a two-day sea phase
• In the sea phase of the exercise, Indian Navy Stealth Frigate INS Trikand,  QENF Missile Boats of Barzan and Damsah class, Fast-Attack Crafts of MRTP 34 class and Rafale Fighter Aircraft participated.

About Qatari Emiri Navy :

• Headquarters: Doha, Qatar
• Chief of Staff : Mohammed Nasser Al Mohannadi

About Qatar :

• Capital: Doha
• Currency: Qatari Riyal

Lockheed Martin bags USD 328 million Indian contract to support C-130J aircraft fleet

• Lockheed Martin has been awarded a 8 million US dollars, five-year contract from the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Purpose :

• To provide dedicated and comprehensive support for the IAF’s fleet of 12 C-130J-30 Super Hercules Aircraft.
• Through this Follow On Support II (FOS) contract, Lockheed Martin teams manage the programme, logistics and engineering support elements necessary to sustain the IAF’s C-130J fleet

About C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft :

• Lockheed Martin is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of these planes.
• The Government of India announced its purchase of six C-130J Super Hercules airlifters via a Foreign Military Sale with the U.S. Air Force in 2008.
• All aircraft were delivered on or ahead of schedule between 2010 and 2011. India received additional C-130Js in 2017 and in 2019.
• The IAF’s C-130J Super Hercules have a highly integrated and sophisticated configuration primarily designed to support India’s special operations requirement.
• Also it is used to support a variety of critical missions, including humanitarian aid, airlift, natural disaster support, and search and rescue operations.

About Lockheed Martin :

• CEO: Jim Taiclet
• Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, United States
• Founded: 1995

About Indian Air Force :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 8 October 1932, India
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind

 India & Philippines Conducts Maritime Exercise in South China Sea

• On Aug 23, 2021, India carried out a naval exercise with the Philippines navy in the eastern parts of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.
• Two Indian Navy ships, INS Ranvijay (Guided Missile Destroyer, D55) and INS Kora (Guided Missile Corvette, P61) & the BRP Antonio Luna (Frigate, FF 151) of the Philippine Navy carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise.

Aim :

• To further strengthen bilateral collaboration in the maritime domain towards a collective aim of ensuring a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.

Recent News :

• On Aug 18, 2021, The Indian and Vietnamese navies carried out a naval exercise in the South China Sea.

About Indian Navy :

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral Karambir Singh
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade
• Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh

About Philippine Navy :

• Commander-in-Chief: President Rodrigo Duterte
• Chief of the Navy: VADM Adeluis S. Bordado, PN
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
• Founded: 20 May 1898

About Philippines :

• President: Rodrigo Duterte
• Capital: Manila
• Currency : Philippines peso

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

EIU’s Safe Cities Index 2021: Copenhagen tops, New Delhi ranks 48th 

• Copenhagen has been named the world’s safest city among 60 global cities, in Safe Cities Index 2021, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
• Copenhagen scored 82.4 points out of 100 & Yangon is at the bottom of the index, as least safe city, with a score of 39.5.

World’s top 10 Safest cities :

1. Copenhagen
2. Toronto
3. Singapore
4. Sydney
5. Tokyo
6. Amsterdam
7. Wellington
8. Hong Kong
9. Melbourne
10. Stockholm

• From India, New Delhi is placed at 48th position with a score of 56.1, while Mumbai is at 50th place with a score of 54.4.
• Cities score on a scale of 0 to 100 where score denotes the safety in following manner:
• 0-25 – Low Safety
• 1-50 – Medium Safety
• 1-75 – High Safety
• 1-100 – Very High Safety

About Safe Cities Index 2021 :

• The EIU’s Safe Cities Index 2021 ranked 60 cities to get a better picture of global urban safety.
• The Index was first released in 2015.
• In 2021, cities are ranked based on 76 indicators of security across five broad pillars,

1. Digital
2. Health
3. Infrastructure
4. Personal
5. Environmental (new addition for the year 2021 )

India ranks second in Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2021, China tops : Cushman & Wakefield Report

• India has been ranked as the second-most sought-after manufacturing destination in Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2021.
• In that index China remains at number one
• The US is at third position, followed by Canada, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, Thailand, Malaysia and Poland.
• In 2020 MRI, China and the United States retain the top two positions & India is placed third position.
• The rise in the rank for India is ascribed to the country’s working conditions and competitiveness in terms of value & it indicates the growing interest shown by manufacturers in India as a preferred manufacturing hub over other countries, including the US and those in the APAC region.
• The annual Global Manufacturing Risk Index (MRI) report was released by the US-based property consultant Cushman & Wakefield.

About global Manufacturing Risk Index:

• It assesses the most advantageous locations for global manufacturing among 47 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific (APAC).
• The rankings in the report are determined based on four key parameters,

1. The country’s capability to restart manufacturing,
2. Business environment (availability of talent/labour, access to markets),
3. Operating costs,
4. Risks (political, economic and environmental).

About Cushman & Wakefield :

• CEO: W. Brett White
• President : John Forrester
• CFO : Duncan Palmer
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Founded: 1917

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

New Book Titled Address Book: A Publishing Memoir In the time of COVID“ authored by Ritu Menon     

• A New book titled ‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ by Ritu Menon.
• The book has been published under the imprint ‘Women Unlimited.

About Ritu Menon :

• Ritu Menon is the co-founded Kali for Women, India’s first feminist press in 1983, is founder-director of Women Unlimited, an associate of KfW.

Book titled ‘Battlefield’ authored by Indian Marathi-language writer Vishram Bedekar

• Indian Marathi-language writer Vishram Bedekar authored a book titled ‘Battlefield’.
• The book is translated from the Marathi original Ranaangan by Jerry Pinto.

About the book :

• The book portrayed romantic love between an Indian youth and a German Jewish girl against the backdrop of World War II

About Vishram Bedekar :

• Vishram Bedekar was an Indian Marathi-language writer and film director.
• Bedekar received in 1985 a Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiographical Ek Jhad Ani Don Pakshi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Princepal Singh becomes first Indian to be part of NBA championship roster

• Princepal Singh is the first Indian to be part of an NBA title-winning team.
• He is part of the Sacramento Kings which clinched the 2021 NBA Summer League crown.
• The 6-foot-9 forward made history by being the first Indian to be part of a championship roster at any level of the NBA.
• The Kings dominated the championship game against the Boston Celtics, clinching the title with a 100-67 win.

About NBA :

• Current champion: Milwaukee Bucks
• Founded: 6 June 1946
• Commissioner: Adam Silver
• Headquarters : New York, US

World U20 Athletics Championship 2021: Amit Khatri Clinches Silver In Men’s 10,000m Race Walk

• India’s Amit Khatri has won the silver medal in the men’s 10,000 m race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships in
• It is India’s second medal at the World U20 Athletics Championship.
• He finished the race with a timing of 42 minutes 17:94 seconds.
• Haristome Wanyoyi won the gold medal with a timing of 42:10.84s & the bronze medal won by Paul McGrath of Spain with a timing of 42:31.11s.
• Earlier Amit had set a new national U-20 record in 10km race walking & he won the title at the 18th National Federation Cup with a time of 40:40.97.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Olympian footballer O Chandrasekharan Passes away      

• Former Indian football team captain and Olympian O Chandrasekharan Passed away.
• He was 66.

About O Chandrasekharan :

• Chandrasekharan was part of the Indian team that participated in the 1960 Rome and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
• O Chandrasekharan was a member of the Indian team that won the gold in 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and the silver medal in Asian Cup in Tel Aviv.
• He captained the Maharashtra team that won the 1963 Santhosh Trophy.
• He played for Caltex Club from 1958-1966 and then the State Bank of India from 1967-1972.
• He represented India at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup (Silver medal), Merdeka Tournament (Silver Medal – 1959 & 1964) and 1964 Summer Olympics (Tokyo Qualifiers).

About AIFF :

• President: Praful Patel
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 23 June 1937

Daily CA On Aug 24 :

• World Water Week 2021 will take place 23-27 August under the theme “Building Resilience Faster”.
• Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the 75th year of Independence of India, MyGov under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and UN Women have come together to jointly launch the Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Innovation Challenge 2021 to encourage technology solutions developed by Women Entrepreneurs that facilitate Women’s Safety and Empowerment.
• Onam is an annual harvest festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala.
• In Madhya Pradesh, the State Government has launched a comprehensive Talent Search Campaign in the field of sports.
• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $500 million loan to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with construction of two new metro lines totaling 56 km in length.
• Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has joined hands with Canara Bank to offer retail finance schemes to customers.
• PayPal is to allow users in the UK to buy, hold and sell crypto currencies through the payment platform for the first time.
• Abhay Kumar Singh has been appointed as Joint Secretary within the Ministry of Cooperation, which was fashioned just lately with a goal to strengthen the cooperative motion within the nation.
• The winners of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2021 were announced, August 20, in a virtual award ceremony due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has developed India’s first indigenous motorised wheelchair vehicle, NeoBolt, that can be used even on uneven terrains.
• The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India in collaboration with BRICS countries is implementing SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium and multi centric programme to study the impact of severe COVID-19 conditions on TB patients.
• The National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) Hyderabad and National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, for upgradation as Central Drug Laboratories (CDLs).
• To address the grievances of the Kashmiri migrants, the government of Jammu and Kashmir, has launched an online grievance redressal portal.
• On Aug 23, 2021, The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shri Jitendra Singh launched a new Geospatial Planning Portal under Bhuvan named “Yuktdhara”.
• The last book of author Subhadra Sen Gupta ‘Let’s Go Time Travelling Again’ was released.
• 17-year-old Long jumper Shaili Singh won the silver medal at the U-20 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi with a 6.59 metre jump.
• Olympic footballer and former National coach Syed Shahid Hakim passed away.

Daily CA On Aug 25 :

• NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarburizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project on 23August.
• India’s Evacuation Mission named as ‘Operation Devi Shakti’ to carrying out people from Afghanistan
• Union Education and Skill Development Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Virendra Kumar jointly launched the booklet on One-year New Education Policy (NEP) – 2020 Achievement 
• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme to provide assistance to those who had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.
• Tiwa also known as Lalung is indigenous community inhabiting the states of Assam and Meghalaya and is also found in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of 200 crore on Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) for indulging in anti-competitive conduct. 
• The Reserve Bank of India had appointed a committee headed by S. Vishwanathan to make suggestions on structure for the urban cooperative banks (UCBs)
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi, MD & CEO, of ICICI Bank with effect from October 15, 2021, till October 3, 2023.
• Noted writer and poet Dr Yashodhara Mishra will be receiving Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 for her work in Odia.
• Author and noted critic Jack Foley, based in San Francisco, has been chosen for the first-ever K M Anthru International Literary Award instituted in the fond memory of the late K M Anthru who passed away last year.
• The Assam government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 38 microfinance institutions (MFI) and banks to give relief to poor women borrowers.
• On Aug 23, 2021, Indian government’s think-tank NITI Aayog, in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI), launched the Forum for Decarbonising Transport in India.
• Fifth edition of Indo- Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise, KAZIND-21 will be conducted at Aisha Bibi in Kazakhstan, from August 30 to September 11.
• From August 9-14, 2021, The Indian Navy and Qatar Naval Force successfully conducted the second edition of the bilateral maritime exercise “Zair-Al-Bahr” in the Persian Gulf.
• Lockheed Martin has been awarded a 328.8 million US dollars, five-year contract from the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• On Aug 23, 2021, India carried out a naval exercise with the Philippines navy in the eastern parts of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.
• Copenhagen has been named the world’s safest city among 60 global cities, in Safe Cities Index 2021, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
• India has been ranked as the second-most sought-after manufacturing destination in Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2021.
• A New book titled ‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ by Ritu Menon.
• Indian Marathi-language writer Vishram Bedekar authored a book titled ‘Battlefield’.
• Princepal Singh is the first Indian to be part of an NBA title-winning team.
• India’s Amit Khatri has won the silver medal in the men’s 10,000 m race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships in
• Former Indian football team captain and Olympian O Chandrasekharan Passed away.