Daily Current Affairs 22nd August 2023
National News
The Union Minister has launched the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP).
- The Union Minister of Highways and Road Transport Shri Nitin Gadkari is all set to launch the much awaited “Bharat New Car Assessment Pilot Program (Bharat NCAP)” in the country on August 22, 2023.
- The Union Minister mentioned that the scheme will be a significant step in the Union Government’s commitment to improve road safety by enhancing the country’s road transport and safety of pedestrians and motorists. It is also notable that the project is expected to “create a security-sensitive car capital market” in India.
IREDA has entered into an MoU with the Central Government to collaborate on various development projects.
- The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), a Mini Ratna Category-I agency of the Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on efficiency improvement with the Central Government in August 2023.
- It is significant that the IREDA organization is under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The MoU aims to generate ₹ 4,350 crore in FY 2023-24 and ₹ 5,220 crore in FY 2024-25 as revenue to the Government of India through operations for IREDA.
The G20 Pandemic Fund has approved a $25 million loan to strengthen the country’s animal health system.
- The G20 Pandemic Fund has recently approved a $25 million initiative by the National Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department to strengthen India’s animal health system.
- Established under the G20 leadership of Indonesia, the Pandemic Fund is an organization that focuses on low- and middle-income developing countries, financing critical investments to strengthen national, regional and global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacities.
India’s first game-based learning library has been introduced.
- Ryan Group of Schools, a leading provider of innovative educational services, in association with The All India Toy Manufacturers’ Association (TAITMA) has launched a “Play-Based Learning Library” dubbed as “India’s First Elementary Toy Library” in August 2023.
- Notably, the library is designed to foster learning and holistic development and make play-based learning more accessible than ever by allowing children to borrow toys from the library, enjoy them at home and return them.
International news
India finished second in the 16th IOAA in Poland.
- Team India has finished second with four gold and one silver medals in the 16th International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2023 held in Chorzów, Poland.
- The series was held from August 10 to August 20. It is notable that the United Kingdom is at the top with five gold medals. 236 students from nearly 50 countries participated in this Olympiad and won 27 gold, 41 silver and 50 bronze medals in all sports categories.
India’s landmark documentary “Bay of Blood” has been screened in Dhaka.
- “Bay of Blood”, a major historical documentary about the worst genocide during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, was screened on August 19 at the “Liberation War Museum” in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
- Bangladesh has screened this documentary at the “Liberation War Museum” to commemorate the 48th death anniversary of the Father of the Nation and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is notable that it is written and directed by famous Indian film producer Krishnendu Bose.
The Russian lunar probe Luna-25 crashed into the moon.
- Russia’s lunar probe Luna-25 lost control and crashed into the moon, Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement on August 20.
- The spacecraft lost contact with the spacecraft at approximately 14:57 Moscow time after it was given thrust to form a pre-landing elliptical orbit. So it has been declared that it may have crashed into the moon. It is significant that our country’s lunar mission Chandrayaan 3 is slated for Moon landing on August 23.
State news
32nd- Manipuri Language Day is well observed.
- Manipur Language Day is observed on 20th August every year to honor the Manipuri language of the state of Manipur which was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India on 20th August 1992 and to mark the nobility of the language.
- This year also marks the 32nd anniversary. The Union Ministry of Education has also ordered that Union Civil Service Examinations be introduced to give priority to the language and that various courses in the Indira Gandhi National Open University be taught in Manipuri as the medium of instruction.
Several KVI initiatives have been launched in Tamil Nadu.
- Chairman of National Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Sri Manoj Kumar has initiated various KVI initiative activities in Tamil Nadu.
- It is also notable that he presided over the “Khadi Karigar Sammelan” held on August 19, 2023 at SITRA, Coimbatore District. He further said that these initiatives are designed as a weapon against unemployment, poverty and hunger and at the same time for the development of villages and empowerment of women.
Scheme to be conducted at Chintan Shivir Kevadia for development of the Ministry of Finance.
- The Ministry of Finance launched the Chintan Shivir program for sector development on August 21 at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat.
- The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and in the presence of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Deputy Finance Minister Bhagwat Karad. It is said that various issues and development in the Ministry of Finance will be discussed and various development initiatives including the roadmap to make India a developed country by 2047 will be discussed.
Appointments
Hikal has appointed two experts as additional directors to its board.
- Hikal, a renowned Mumbai-based pharmaceutical and life sciences company, has appointed Ramachandra Kaundinya Vinnakota and Berjis Minoo Desai as additional directors in its Board.
- It has been informed that they will assume this responsibility from October 1. The company said that they will continue to hold this position for 5 years and it is expected that they will ensure the growth of the company through their consistent activities.
Sports news
India has won gold in the 2023 Asian Junior Squash Series.
- India’s athlete Anahat Singh won the gold medal in the U-17 category at the 2023 Asian Youth Squash Individual Championship held in Dalian, China.
- The tournament was held from August 16 to 20. Notably, the 15-year-old won the gold medal by beating Hong Kong’s Ena Kuang 3-1 in the final held on August 20.
India’s Mehuli Ghosh has won bronze at the 2023 ISSF World Championships.
- India’s Mehuli Ghosh won bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- With this win, he secured the Paris 2024 Olympic quota for India. It is notable that in this recent final, Mehuli secured the bronze medal by securing 229.8 points against China’s Zhilin Hang and Jiayu Han.
Spain has won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
- Spain won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup title for the first time by defeating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney, Australia on August 20.
- It is notable that Spain’s national football team, known as La Roja, has won the status of the “Second Country” after Germany to win both the Women’s and Men’s World Cups.
R Praggnanandhaa became the second Indian to reach the semi-finals of a FIDE World Cup.
- Tamil Nadu’s R. Praggnanandhaa recently became the second Indian to reach the semi-finals of a FIDE World Cup or the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of a FIDE World Cup after Viswanathan Anand.
- He has earned this status with his outstanding performance in the 2023 FIDE World Cup currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Indian Chess Federation expressed its appreciation.
Economic news
Dabur has entered into an MoU with Sunsure Energy for development.
- Sunsure Energy, one of India’s leading and renowned renewable energy generation companies, has signed an open-access solar PPA capacity development agreement with Dabur India, India’s leading science-based Ayurveda company, in August 2023.
- Under this project, Dabur has entered into an MoU to improve a significant portion of its Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) plant’s total power requirement and strengthen other segments.
- It is also significant that nearly 4 million units of green electricity will be supplied to Dabur’s Ghaziabad factory through this project.
369 Hub Ventures and AABC have signed a partnership agreement to transform the medical coding industry.
- Aiming to develop and revolutionize the country’s medical-coding sector, 369Hub Ventures and AABC have signed an international regional development partnership agreement.
- Formalized on August 18, 2023 in the national capital, New Delhi, the MoU aims to empower students and professionals in the country’s healthcare and medical coding fields and enhance its ecosystem.
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