NATIONAL:
1. Satellite Network Portal Site
Why in news - Gujarat to get India’s first ‘Satellite Network Portal Site’ near Mehsana.
Key Points –
• An MoU was signed between OneWeb and the Gujarat government.
• Aim - to provide affordable, secure and high-speed internet access to villages, district panchayats, etc throughout the country.
• Under Digital India mission.
• OneWeb has decided to set up two ‘Satellite Network Portal Sites’ –
(a) Gujarat (Mehsana)
(b) Tamil Nadu.
About OneWeb (Hq - London):
• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company.
• It has 648 satellites and aims to build a global communication network.
• It uses LEO to provide a broadband network (tradition - geostationary satellites, >36000 km height).
2. Tankai Method
Why in news - The Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy sign an MoU to revive the Tankai method.
Key Points –
• Tankai is an ancient (2000-year-old) stitched shipbuilding method.
• Ships constructed by stitching wooden planks together rather than using nails make them less susceptible to damage from shoals and sandbars.
• The art of stitching ships is still practised in India primarily for small local fishing boats.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. “Credit Guarantee Scheme” for Livestock
Why in news - Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying has introduced the scheme for livestock.
Key Points –
• Under - Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).
• Aim –
(a) to enable collateral-free funding to livestock sector
(b) for rebooting rural economy by leveraging MSMEs.
• Benefits –
(a) Interest Subvention - 3%
(b) Loan - up to 90% of total project cost from any Scheduled Bank and National Cooperative Development Corporation.
• For operationalizing the scheme, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) has established a Credit Guarantee fund Trust of Rs. 750.00 crores.
• The trust was approved under the Prime Minister’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
REPORTS & INDICES:
1. 2nd National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023
Why in news - The report was released by NITI Aayog.
Key Points –
• Findings –
(a) 13.5 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21).
(b) Decline of 9.89 percentage points in number of India’s multidimensionally poor from 24.85% (2015-16) to 14.96% (2019-2021).
(c) Fastest decline in rural areas - 32.59% (2015-16) to 19.28% (2019-2021).
(d) Reduction in urban poverty - 8.65% (2015-16) to 5.27% (2019-2021).
(e) Fastest decline - Uttar Pradesh (3.43 crore), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
(f) MPI value halved from 0.117 to 0.066.
(g) Poverty intensity reduced from 47% to 44%.
Value Addition -
• It builds on the Baseline Report of India’s National MPI launched in November 2021.
• It measures simultaneous deprivations across 3 equally weighted dimensions of health, education, and standard of living that are represented by 12 SDG-aligned indicators.
• SDG Target 1.2 - Reducing multidimensional poverty by at least half.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. 15th International Eni Award
Why in news - Prof. T. Pradeep has won the prestigious ‘Eni Award’.
Key Points –
• One of the top global honors for scientific research in energy and environment.
• Reason –
(a) He discovered advanced sustainable and affordable nanoscale materials for the removal of toxic contaminants from water.
(b) developed ‘water positive’ materials to remove arsenic, uranium and other toxic contaminants from water.
• Category - Advanced Environmental Solutions.
• T. Pradeep is a professor of chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at IIT Madras.
Value Addition –
• Previous awardee - Prof. C.N.R. Rao (year - 2020).
• Prof. C.N.R. Rao –
(a) Father of Indian nanotechnology
(b) Bharat Ratna - 2014
• Previous awards to Prof. T. Pradeep - VinFuture Prize (2022), Padma Shri (2020), Nikkei Asia Prize (2020), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2008).
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. J Robert Oppenheimer
Why in news - Christopher Nolan’s movie Oppenheimer hit theatres across the world.
Key Points –
• It is story of the scientist J Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the “father of the atomic bomb.”
• Lead role - Cillian Murphy.
About J Robert Oppenheimer –
• He led the “Manhattan Project”( ‘Project Y’) which led to the development of the world's first atomic bomb.
• He was a German Jew born in New York.
• He pursued graduate work under JJ Thomson, the Nobel laureate known to discover the electron.
• During World War II, he was appointed director of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico to develop an atomic bomb.
• On July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb, codenamed "Trinity," was successfully detonated in the New Mexico desert.
• Arthur W Ryder gave Oppenheimer private tutorials in Sanskrit every Thursday evening.
• He listed the Bhagavad Gita as one of the books that shaped his philosophical outlook.
• He also named his Chrysler car ‘Garuda’, after the giant bird god that ferries Vishnu across the sky.
• He was nominated three times for a Nobel Prize, (1946, 1951, and 1967) however he never won.
SPORTS:
1. ICC World Cup 2023
Why in news - Shah Rukh Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2023.
Key Points –
• The World Cup to be held in India from October 5 to November 19, 2023.
• He launched the World Cup 2023 campaign ‘It takes one day’.
2. Duleep Trophy
Why in news - South Zone clinched their first Duleep Trophy title in 10 years.
Key Points –
• They defeated West Zone by 75 runs.
• M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Value Addition –
• The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India.
• It is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar.
• It is contested by teams representing geographical zones of India.
BIHAR:
1. 2nd National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023
Why in news - Bihar has achieved 2nd highest poverty reduction among all states between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
Key Points –
• In Bihar, 2.25 crore of its people have moved out of poverty during the period.
• 16.65% of the national total of 13.51 crore people moved out of the poverty line were from Bihar.
• While 51% of the state's people were classified in the poor category in 2015-16, it came down to 33.76% by 2021.
• In the rural areas, the fall has been from 56% to 36.95%. (national - from 32.59% to 19.28%).
2. Bihar Bhawan in Mumbai
Why in news - The state building construction department to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the establishment of Bihar Bhawan in Mumbai.
Key Points –
• The idea to have Bihar Bhawan in Mumbai was mooted more than a decade back in 2012.
• In May 2023, Bihar government was allotted the land by Bombay Port Trust on a 60-year lease at Rs 155 crore.
POINTERS:
• What is the percentage of GST imposed by the GST Council on online gaming - 28%.
• Where is the famous 'Hathini Kund Barrage' located – Haryana.
• Which state government will install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help save victims of cardiac arrest in malls - Uttar Pradesh.
• Recently which state government has announced financial assistance of Rs 56.23 crore for 'Tendu Patta workers' – Odisha.
• Recently who has written a book titled 'A Fool's Journey' - Sarika Bhardwaj.
• Recently, which country has honored Indian musicians Shashank Subramaniam and Aruna Sairam with the 'Chevalier Award' – France.
• Which company has announced to set up a $5 billion Global Battery Cell Gigafactory in 'United Kingdom' - Tata Group.
• Recently, a record temperature of 52.2 degree Celsius has been recorded in which country in the middle of July – China.
• Recently, the Indian Olympic Association has given exemption to whom for the trial of the Asian Games - wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.
• Who has won the title of Super GM Chess Tournament 2023 in Hungary - R Praggnanandhaa.
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