Daily Current Affairs August 01 2023 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Government of India & Asian Development Bank signed a 200 million dollar loan to enhance urban services in Rajasthan 

• The Government of India (GoI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $200 million loan as additional financing for the ongoing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project to expand water supply and sanitation systems and enhance urban resilience and heritage living in selected towns.
• The loan agreement was signed between, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Vumlunmang Vualnam, and the Country Director of Asian Development Bank, India Resident Mission, Takeo Konishi.

About the Project :

• The project will incorporate various innovative and climate-resilient solutions for expanding basic urban services and incorporate nature-based solutions to rehabilitate heritage structures besides piloting public-private partnerships in the state’s water and sanitation sector to deepen private sector engagement.
• This will improve water supply systems in at least 7 towns by converting all groundwater sources to surface water, and by installing 1400 kilometre of new water supply pipelines & providing 77,000 households connections with water metres.
• At least 8 towns will be covered for improvement to sanitation systems by rehabilitating at least 580 km of sewers, building seven sewage treatment plants with co-treatment units to process faecal sludge and septage, and connecting at least 54,000 households to the sewage system.
• Also, at least 20 heritage or heritage-like structures to improve the living environment and attract more tourists will be rehabilitated.

Recent News :

• In June 2023, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $295 million loan to widen and upgrade around 265 kilometres of state highways, improving transport connectivity and safety in the state of Bihar in India.

About ADB :

• Established : 19 December 1966
• Headquarters : Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa

About Rajasthan :

• Governor : Kalraj Mishra
• Chief Minister : Ashok Gehlot
• Capital : Jaipur
• National Park : Keoladeo National Park, Ranthambore National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

SEBI mandates foreign portfolio investors to disclose Legal Entity Identifier(LEI) code

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated the submission of legal entity identifier (LEI) details for all non-individual foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
• Presently, FPIs are required to provide their LEI details in the Common Application Form (“CAF”), used for registration, KYC and account opening of FPIs on a voluntary basis.
• It has now been decided to mandate the requirement of providing LEI details for all non-individual FPIs.

What is LEI?

• LEI, a unique global identifier for legal entities participating in financial transactions, is designed to create a global reference data system that uniquely identifies every legal entity, in any jurisdiction, that is party to a financial transaction.
• It is a unique 20-character code that identifies distinct entities involved in financial transactions.

Key Highlights :

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directions mandate non-individual borrowers having aggregate exposure of above Rs 25 crore to obtain LEI code.
• All existing FPIs (including those applying for renewal) that have not already provided their LEIs to their DDPs shall do so within 180 days from the date of issuance of this circular, failing which their account shall be blocked for further purchases until LEI is provided to their DDPs.

Recent News :

• In July, 2023 Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with an exhaustive framework for the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF).

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch (first woman to lead the SEBI)
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI.

RBI’s Digital Payments Index jumps to 395.57 in March from 377.46 in September

• The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI), a measure of the extent of digitisation of payments across the country, rose to 395.57 in March 2023 from 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022.
• Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 13.24% in a year through March 2023, as per RBI’s index that measures the adoption of online transactions.
• “The RBI-DPI index has increased across all parameters driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance across the country over the period.

About RBI-DPI :

• The RBI introduced the composite Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) in January 2021 with March 2018 as the base, to capture the digitisation of payments.
• The index has since been steadily rising, crossing the 300-point mark in September 2021.
• The index comprises 5 broad parameters that enable the measurement of the deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different periods.
• These parameters are

1. Payment Enablers (weight 25%)
2. Payment Infrastructure Demand-side factors (10%)
3. Payment Infrastructure Supply-side factors (15%)
4. Payment Performance (45%)
5. Consumer Centricity (5%).

Key Highlights :

• As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, India has the highest fintech adoption rate of 87% among the public compared to the global average of 64%.
• Further, India has gained the 3rd place in digital payments, coming only after the United States (US) and China.
• UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions have, on average, grown 121% in terms of value and 115% in terms of volume between FY19 and FY22.
• In May 2023, UPI transactions had crossed the benchmark of 900 crore per month, with a record high of 941 crore transactions worth ₹14.89 lakh crore being processed.

About RBI :

• Established : 1 April 1935
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors : Swaminathan Janakiraman, Michael Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar

Razorpay launches MoneySaver Export Account for Indian exporters to save 50% on international bank transfers

• Payments and banking platform for businesses Razorpay launched a MoneySaver Export Account specifically for small and mid-size exporters.
• With this product, Indian exporters will now open a smart account in any country of their choice and receive payments locally via bank transfers on the Razorpay platform.
• This will be India’s first smart account to offer 50% savings on international bank transfers for Indian exporters.

Aim :

• To alleviate the burden of high transfer costs, chargebacks, and payment failures, making it a valuable asset for exporters.
• The facility allows exporters to open an account in any country (out of more than 160 countries) and receive payments locally via the Razorpay platform in order to save from high transfer costs, chargebacks and payment failures.

Key Highlights :

• The account can be opened and accessed via the Razorpay dashboard without any additional paperwork.
• The account comes with a single-click electronic Foreign Inward Remittance Statement (FIRS), accessible directly from the Razorpay dashboard.
• Built specifically for exporters & the Account allows merchants to receive international payments with ease through wire transfers such as ACH, SWIFT, SEPA, BACS, and Fedwire.

Russia’s largest lender Sberbank to establish IT centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka

• Russia’s largest lender Sberbank’s branch in India has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to establish an information technology (IT) unit in Bengaluru,Karnataka where it plans to employ up to 200 IT specialists.
• The new IT office would house Sberbank’s in-house data processing centre.
• It would also handle the technological needs of the Indian branch.
• Bengaluru is India’s third biggest city and the country’s leading scientific and industrial center, specializing, amongst other things, in aerospace, engineering and electronics industries and development of IT products.
• While Sberbank’s India branch has been active in New Delhi since 2010 and offers a wide range of financial services, the Bengaluru office will be fully focused on developing information technologies

About Sberbank :

• Headquarters : Moscow, Russia
• Sberbank is a Russian majority state-owned banking and financial services company.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

The government has approved the import of 470 aircraft for Air India Limited and 500 for Indigo:

• The union government has granted in-principal approval to import 470 aircraft to Air India Limited and 500 aircraft to Interglobe Aviation Limited (Indigo).
• This information was given by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (Dr.) V. K. Singh.
• He said the aircraft is proposed to be imported by 2035.
• On the question of parking space, the minister said the airline operators have been advised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to share their induction plan with airport operators for ensuring the availability of parking slots.

About IndiGo

• Founders: Rahul Bhatia, Rakesh Gangwal
• CEO: Pieter Elbers
• Headquarters: Gurugram
• Founded: August 2006

The Think20 Summit, organized by India as part of its G20 Presidency, is set to take place in the city of Mysuru, Karnataka.

• Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as the Think20 Secretariat under India’s G20 Presidency, will host the Think20 Summit in Mysuru till August 2.
• Think20 is the G20’s official engagement group that serves as an ‘ideas bank’ for the multilateral grouping by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20.
• The three-day conference will be a gathering of distinguished members of the seven Think20 Task Forces and policy experts from around the world.
• It provides an unparalleled opportunity to collectively showcase ideas and insights on the priorities of India’s G20 Presidency, including issues such as lifestyle for sustainable development, macroeconomics and trade, women-led development, digital transformation, green transition, the global financial order, accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and reforming multilateralism.
• The Summit will also see the launch of four associated publications. Dr Samir Saran, Chair, of Think20 Secretariat and President, of Observer Research Foundation has informed that over 131 co-chairs from the G20 and other invited countries have collaborated over the past eight months and have put together some very specific and wide-ranging recommendations for the G20 leadership to consider.

Recent News

• The Startup20 Shikhar summit under India’s G20 presidency began in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Mumbai hosts the G-20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Summit and Research Ministers’ Meeting.

The deadline for submitting applications for PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware has been extended until August 30, 2023:

• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware was notified vide notification No. CG-DL-E-30052023-246165 dated May 29, 2023, with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 17,000 crore.
• The scheme is aimed at broadening and deepening the IT hardware manufacturing ecosystem in the country.
• The Operational Guidelines of Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware has been notified on 14.07.2023 and are available at the following URL: https://www.meity.gov.in/esdm/production-linked-incentive-scheme-pli-20-it-hardware
• The application window for receiving applications under PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware has been extended till August 30, 2023.
• The application portal for the aforesaid scheme has been made live and applicants can register/apply at https://2.pliithw.com/login.

The G20 EMPOWER Summit in Gandhinagar will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani:

• The G20 EMPOWER Summit is set to take place on August 1, 2023, at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The summit, organised around the theme- “Women-Led Development: ensuring a Sustainable, inclusive, and equitable global economic growth”, will witness the participation of delegates from across G20 nations, guest countries and international organisations in addition to many global experts, policymakers and stakeholders.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for EMPOWER which is the G20 Alliance for Empowerment and Progress of Women’s Economic Progression.
• It is a private sector-led initiative under the Sherpa Track that aims to accelerate women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector across G20 countries.
• Under G20 EMPOWER 2023, two international-level meetings have been held in the months of February and April 2023 in India with the active support of the Ministry of Women and Child Development for outcomes that will be reflected in the EMPOWER Communique.
• The Summit meeting is scheduled in Gandhinagar on 1st-2nd August 2023.
• The thematic discussions and deliberations in these meetings will reflect in the Communique of G20 EMPOWER and will be provided as recommendations to G20 leaders.

About Gujarat

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• NP: Gir National Park, Marine National Park, Velavadar National Park, Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Vansda National Park, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has officially launched the mobile application for ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram on the third anniversary of NEP 2020.

• The Prime Minister inaugurated Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on the 3rd anniversary of NEP 2020.
• On the sidelines, the Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the logo, slogan-Jan Jan Sakshar and mobile application of ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

About ULLAS

• The ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) initiative is poised to revolutionise education and literacy across the nation, by fostering a learning ecosystem that reaches every individual, bridging the gaps in basic literacy and critical life skills. It imparts basic education, digital and financial literacy and critical life skills to citizens aged 15 and above who lost the opportunity to go to school. It is being implemented through volunteerism.
• The new logo and slogan, “ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram,” reflect the enthusiasm and vigour of the campaign. It symbolises the light of knowledge spreading across every corner of the country, empowering citizens with the power of education, and igniting the flame of curiosity and learning in every individual making Jan Jan Sakshar.
• The scheme will motivate volunteers to take part in the scheme as DUTY or Kartavya Bodh towards nation building and will incentivize the student volunteers through credits in school/ university and appreciation through other means like certificates, appreciation letters, felicitation, etc.

Recent News

• Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched AI for India 2.0, a free online training programme on Artificial Intelligence, on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

AP-Genco & NHPC to set up joint venture for implementing pumped storage hydropower projects in Andhra Pradesh

• The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (AP-Genco) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) will soon be floating a Joint Venture (JV) for implementing Pumped Storage Hydropower Projects (PSPHs) with a total generation capacity of 6,000 Megawatt (MW) in Andhra Pradesh (AP).

Key Highlights :

• Of these, a 1,350 MW (9×150 MW) PSHP at upper Sileru in GK Veedhi mandal of Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district will be prioritised as the first project under the aegis of the JV.
• On completion of this, the combined installed hydropower capacity of the Sileru basin will reach over 2,425 MW.
• The companies will soon sign the drafted agreement and the partners would have an equal (50:50) stake.
• Overall, AP-Genco has targeted a generation of 33 Gigawatts (GW) (29 projects) of pumped storage hydropower in the coming years.
• Of the 33 GW, PSPHs with a total capacity of 11 GW were being given to private companies and most of the remaining ones would be done by AP-Genco and some by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC).

Recent News :

• In July, 2023 Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister (CM) Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’ scheme for the fourth year, under which financial assistance of Rs 6,393 crore will be deposited into the bank accounts of 43 lakh beneficiaries, at Kurupam in Parvathipuram Manyam district, AP.

About AP :

• Governor: S. Abdul Nazeer
• Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• National Park : Papikonda National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Rameshwaram) National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary

Government of Odisha announced interest-free ₹1 lakh crop loans for farmers to enhance Agricultural Growth   

• In a significant move to support the agricultural community and boost productivity, the Odisha State Cooperation Department announced the implementation of the State Sector Scheme “Interest Subsidy-Subvention.”
• For this, the State Cabinet has approved a provision of Rs 5700 crore with an aim to ensure adequate credit flow in agriculture at an affordable rate of interest to farmers in the State over 5 years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

About Interest Subsidy-Subvention Scheme :

• Under the scheme, farmers would get interest-free crop loans of up to 1 lakh.
• A 2% interest rate would be charged for crop loans above1 lakh to Rs.3 lakh.
• These interest rates would apply retrospectively from April 1, 2022.
• Earlier, farmers were being provided interest-free crop loans up to a limit of 50000 under KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation).
• Cabinet’s approval of Rs. 5700 crore is a step towards providing interest subsidy or subvention to the cooperative banks and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).
• As of now, the Cooperatives provide about 55% of the total crop loans in Odisha as against the national average of 17%.
• The Odisha cabinet has also given approval to making of buildings for the Vana Surakshya Samitis (VSS).
• Government will construct 10,000 buildings across the State for the VSS in a phased manner during the 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27.

Note :

• Odisha is the first state in the country to provide free crop insurance to farmers.

About Odisha :

• Governor : Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik
• Capital : Bhubaneswar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

The Ministry of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship has signed 106 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with different well-respected organizations and institutions in New Delhi.

• The Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed 106 MoUs with various esteemed organizations and institutions in New Delhi.
• The event took place on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 and the 3rd anniversary of the National Education Policy.
• The MoUs aim to foster innovation, research, and knowledge exchange in multiple domains, promoting collaboration in education and industry-academia linkages.
• These partnerships involve both public and private entities and cover school education, literacy, and higher education.
• Under the CBSE, 15 MoUs were signed with organizations like Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft, among others, to focus on skill development and education.
• The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) signed 3 MoUs, including one with the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) to promote Indian Sign Language.
• NCERT signed 20 MoUs for quality e-Content development and dissemination. In the realm of higher education, 6 MoUs were signed to promote the Indian Knowledge System.
• International collaborations were also strengthened with 6 MoUs signed.
• Additionally, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed 14 MoUs to equip the youth with cutting-edge skills and knowledge.
• These partnerships reflect the government’s commitment to nurturing academic excellence and fostering innovation in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

IAS officer Lokesh M takes over as the CEO of Noida authority

• A 2005 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Lokesh M took over as the Noida Industrial Development Authority’s (NOIDA) chief executive officer (CEO) from Ritu Maheshwari.
• Meanwhile, Maheshwari, a 2003-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), will join as Divisional Commissioner of Agra, replacing IAS officer Alok Gupta, who will be joining as the Divisional Commissioner of Kanpur.

About Lokesh M :

• He was District Magistrate and collector of Mainpuri, Kushinagar, Etah, Ghazipur, Amroha and Kaushambi districts from 2009 to 2016.
• He was on deputation to Karnataka from 2016 to 2021, after which he was made the Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur before getting posted as Agra commissioner on May 31, 2023.
• Before joining as Noida Authority CEO, he served as Kanpur Commissioner.

Ashish Desai sworn in as new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court 

• Justice Ashish J Desai was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered the oath of office to the new Chief Justice, at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
• He succeeds Justice S V Bhatti who was recently elevated to the post of Supreme Court judge.
• Prior to his elevation as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Desai was a Judge of the Gujarat High Court.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Future Generali India Life Insurance partnered with JM Financial for wider insurance reach

• Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited (FGILI) has tied up with JM Financial Services, a prominent financial services group with an aim to elevate its insurance product offerings and extend its market presence across the country.
• The collaboration will help the insurer diversify its product portfolio and leverage JM Financial’s distribution and financial advisory capabilities to offer innovative products.
• JM Financial’s distribution network includes 54 branches, 725 Business Affiliates, over 9,000 active financial distributors and a base of 2.2 lakh customers which includes individuals, corporations and financial institutions.

About Future Generali India Life Insurance Co. Ltd :

• Founded : 2006
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Bruce de Broize
• It is a joint venture (JV) between the Future Group and Generali Participations Netherlands N.V.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pixxel wins defence ministry grant to build miniaturised multi-payload satellites for Indian Air Force            

• Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel secured a multi-crore rupee grant from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to manufacture miniaturised multi-payload satellites for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Aim of the Grant :

• To develop technologies addressing every stage of a space mission, right from mission planning and manufacturing to satellite data analytics and more.
• Pixxel emerged as the winner of the grant from amongst a host of companies, owing to its pioneering technology in the area of hyperspectral satellite manufacturing.
• This marks Pixxel’s entry into the defence sector.
• The grant is part of the SPARKS initiative, which falls under Mission DefSpace, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022.

Advantages of the grant :

• The grant will enable Pixxel to develop small satellites weighing up to 150 kgs.
• These satellites will be designed for electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar, and hyperspectral purposes.
• Pixxel will utilise its expertise of building microsatellites in-house to manufacture satellites externally for the first time.

About Mission DefSpace :

• Mission DefSpace was launched with 75 Defence Space challenges which are classified into 5 categories: launch system, satellite system, communication and payload system, ground system, and software system.

Aim :

• To encourage technology development in space for defence applications by startups and young entrepreneurs via various Defence Ministry initiatives including iDEX.
• The SPARK grants – offered to startups selected through the iDEX (Prime) & DISC initiatives – are aimed at catalysing innovation enabling Indian innovators and entrepreneurs to deliver technologically advanced solutions as well as propel deep-tech innovations in India.
• So far, Pixxel has launched commercial hyperspectral imaging satellites that provide earth-imaging services to its customers that include the US”National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

About Pixxel :

• Founded : February 2019
• Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Co Founder & CEO : Awais Ahmed

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

The Indian women’s team emerged victorious in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament held in Terrassa

• In Hockey, the Indian women’s team won the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament in Terrassa, with a 3-0 victory over hosts Spain.
• Vandana Katariya in the 22nd minute, Monika in the 48th minute and Udita in the 58th minute scored goals as the team remained undefeated in the tournament.
• Earlier, India defeated Commonwealth Games champions England 3-0 in its third match.
• Lalremsiami scored a hat-trick for India.
• With this win, India took the top spot in the standings, earning five points from three matches.
• England finished their campaign, with four points from four games.
• Hosts Spain came second, with four points.

About Spain

• Capital: Madrid
• King: Felipe VI of Spain
• Prime Minister: Pedro Sánchez

Recent News

• In Tennis, India’s Yuki Bhambri clinched his maiden title on the ATP World Tour, winning the doubles trophy at the Mallorca Championships with South African partner Lloyd Harris, in Spain.

India bags six medals including four Golds at World University Games in Chengdu, China

• Indian shooters and archers bagged six medals including four golds at the World University Games in Chengdu, China.
• Shooters Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar, Divyansh Singh Panwar and Arjun Babuta joined forces to outclass local favourites China to win the 10m air rifle men’s team gold.
• Aishwarya also secured gold in the 10m air rifle men’s individual event.
• Avneet Kaur pipped USA’s Alyssa Grace Sturgill in a thrilling+
• -+++9 shoot-off to clinch the compound women’s individual gold.
• Sangampreet Bisla and Aman Saini clinched the gold and bronze medals in the men’s individual event.
• India have won 17 medals, nine gold, three silver and five bronze, and are second in the tournament.
• Hosts China lead the standings with a haul of 21 medals.

About China:

• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing
• Currency: Renminbi

Recent News

• The head of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu, was re-elected for a second term as head of the FAO.
• India’s Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Sandhu won the gold medal at the Asian Mixed Doubles Squash Tournament in Hangzhou, a test event for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, in September.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Wide Web Day 2023: August 1

• World Wide Web Day is observed all over the world on August 1st each year dedicated to web browsing, the online activity that brings the whole world to your fingertips, and places a wealth of knowledge at your feet.
• In 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web,
• On 1st August 1989, is World Wide Web Day, marking the invention by Tim Berners-Lee of an internet-based communication system that changed the world.
• In 1991, the World Wide Web browser was made available on the public internet.
• In 1993, the graphical browser Mosaic was launched.
• In 1994, InternetWorks was launched, which allows people to open tabs in the browser window.
• In 1996, Internet Explorer was integrated into the windows computer system.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 – August 1 to 7

• Breastfeeding week is celebrated every year during the first week of August(August 1 to 7).
• World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration that is observed in more than 120 countries.
• The theme set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) for this year (2023) is: “Enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents.”
• World Breastfeeding Week is observed by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organisation (WHO), and UNICEF to promote world breastfeeding week.
• WADA was first formed on 14th February 1991.
• World Breastfeeding Week was first observed in 1992 by WADA.
• The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) promote the value of breastfeeding for mothers as well as children.
• Both are promoting breastfeeding for the first six months of life and then supplemented breastfeeding for at least 1 year and up to 2 years.
• In 2018, World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsed World Breastfeeding Week as an important breastfeeding promotion for the welfare of babies and children

Daily CA One-Liners: 1 August

• The Government of India (GoI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $200 million loan as additional financing for the ongoing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project to expand water supply and sanitation systems and enhance urban resilience and heritage living in selected towns.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated the submission of legal entity identifier (LEI) details for all non-individual foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
• The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI), a measure of the extent of digitisation of payments across the country, rose to 395.57 in March 2023 from 46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022.
• Payments and banking platform for businesses Razorpay launched a MoneySaver Export Account specifically for small and mid-size exporters.
• Russia’s largest lender Sberbank’s branch in India has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to establish an information technology (IT) unit in Bengaluru,Karnataka where it plans to employ up to 200 IT specialists.
• The Union government has granted in-principal approval to import 470 aircraft to Air India Limited and 500 aircraft to Interglobe Aviation Limited (Indigo).
• The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as the Think20 Secretariat under India’s G20 Presidency, will host the Think20 Summit in Mysuru till August 2.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware was notified vide notification No. CG-DL-E-30052023-246165 dated May 29, 2023, with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 17,000 crore.
• The G20 EMPOWER Summit is set to take place on August 1, 2023, at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar,
• The Prime Minister inaugurated Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on the 3rd anniversary of NEP 2020.
• The Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed 106 MoUs with various esteemed organizations and institutions in New Delhi.
• In Hockey, the Indian women’s team won the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament in Terrassa, with a 3-0 victory over hosts Spain.
• Indian shooters and archers bagged six medals including four golds at the World University Games in Chengdu,
• The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (AP-Genco) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) will soon be floating a Joint Venture (JV) for implementing Pumped Storage Hydropower Projects (PSPHs) with a total generation capacity of 6,000 Megawatt (MW) in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• In a significant move to support the agricultural community and boost productivity, the Odisha State Cooperation Department announced the implementation of the State Sector Scheme “Interest Subsidy-Subvention.”
• A 2005 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Lokesh M took over as the Noida Industrial Development Authority’s (NOIDA) chief executive officer (CEO) from Ritu Maheshwari.
• Justice Ashish J Desai was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
• Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited (FGILI) has tied up with JM Financial Services, a prominent financial services group with an aim to elevate its insurance product offerings and extend its market presence across the country.
• Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel secured a multi-crore rupee grant from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to manufacture miniaturised multi-payload satellites for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• World Wide Web Day is observed all over the world on August 1st each year dedicated to web browsing, the online activity that brings the whole world to your fingertips, and places a wealth of knowledge at your feet.
• Breastfeeding week is celebrated every year during the first week of August(August 1 to 7).