NATIONAL NEWS

A Special Art Exhibition Titled ‘Together We Art’

• On 07 August 2023, a special art exhibition dedicated to the G-20 member countries in Bihar titled ‘Together We Art’ will open at the Bihar Museum in Patna.

• The exhibition will run for two months starting today and will end on 7th October 2023.

• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the exhibition.

• The event is organised by the Union Ministry of Art and Culture as part of India's chairmanship of G-20 countries.

• A total of 29 countries including India are participating in the exhibition.

• To mark the foundation day, the Bihar Museum Biennial 2023 will also begin, which will run for five months.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Launches Digital Portal

• Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Cooperative culture in India originated from Maharashtra, and the cooperative model of Maharashtra is driving the cooperative movement in the country.
• The digital portal will enable all operations of cooperative societies, such as opening new branches, expanding to other states or auditing, to be conducted online.
• The portal will benefit 1555 multi-state cooperatives, of which 42% are located in Maharashtra, highlighting the strength of the cooperative movement in the state.
• The government is planning to computerise the offices of registrar of cooperatives in states to ease communication with 8 lakh cooperatives in the country.
• The Modi government aims to make Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) viable and plans to form 3 lakhs new PACS across the country in the next 5 years.

Bihar Constitutes 'Rhino Task Force'

• The Bihar government will set up a 'Rhino Task Force' to propose measures to restart the rhino conservation plan in 'Valmiki Tiger Reserve' (VTR) located in West Champaran district.

• The VTR has seen a significant increase in the tiger population, prompting state wildlife officials to focus on reviving the rhino population in the region.

• At present, VTR has only one rhino, while Patna Zoo has 14 rhinos.

• With the formation of a 'rhino task force', officials aim to bring more rhinos back into the reserve.

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve has been selected as a potential site under the National Rhino Conservation Plan.

• A committee was set up about two years ago to evaluate the habitat and security conditions in Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

• The main objective of the committee was to assess the feasibility and potential challenges of reintroducing rhinos to the reserve.

Government Land to Become Garbage-Free Under Smart City Mission

• Under the waste-to-wealth concept given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Coimbatore Smart City Mission has taken the initiative of cleaning the waste accumulated over decades and earning from it.

• Smart City Mission officials say valuable government land worth about 2,000 crore rupees will also become garbage-free.

• According to official data, over 15.5 lakh cubic metres of garbage were accumulated in Coimbatore city for many years. Due to this garbage, 650 acres of land were also buried in the pile of garbage.

• General Manager of Smart City Mission Limited, Bhaskar Srinivasan informed that in the first phase, we have taken the initiative to clean about nine and a half lakh cubic meters of garbage in two and a half years. With this, 140 acres of land can be freed.

• So far, garbage has been removed from 50 acres of land and the rest of the land will also be garbage free soon. This land worth about two thousand crore rupees will be used for IT Parks, industries, and other developmental projects.
• In Coimbatore, 1100 tonnes of garbage is produced daily. To prevent the accumulation of garbage in the future, garbage collection vehicles are also being monitored through GPS.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Financial Assistance to Support Sri Lanka’s Digital Identity Project

• In a significant stride towards bolstering Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, India has provided financial assistance of 45 crore rupees to support the island nation’s unique digital identity project.

• The step is likely to play a pivotal role in the successful implementation of Sri Lanka’s digitisation programme and will be propelled under the framework of Indian grant assistance.

• The President’s office in Colombo confirmed the receipt of the funds from the Indian government, marking a crucial milestone in the partnership between the two nations.

• High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay handed over the cheque to Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka and State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath at the President’s secretariat.

• The unique digital identity project holds immense promise for Sri Lanka, as it aims to revolutionize the country’s administrative infrastructure and pave the way for more streamlined and efficient service delivery to its citizens.
• The generous financial aid from India underscores the unwavering commitment of the neighbouring nation to support Sri Lanka’s journey toward a digitally empowered future.

SPORTS

132nd Durand Cup in Kokrajhar, Assam

• The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup kicked off in Kokrajhar, Assam, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh graced the opening ceremony, which marked the grand beginning of the annual football competition for the first time in the Assamese city.

• The tournament is organised by the Armed Forces and supported by the Government of Assam.

• Addressing the enthusiastic crowd at the Sai Stadium, the Raksha Mantri complimented the efforts of the Armed Forces and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for creating a positive environment in Kokrajhar which resulted in the event being organised in the city for the first time.

• The inaugural ceremony was followed by the opening match of the tournament between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC.

• Kokrajhar will witness eight group matches and one quarter-final to be played on August 24, 2023.

SAI Launches Short Movie Series ‘Halla Bol’

• Sports Authority of India (SAI) under the Umbrella Campaign ‘Cheer4India’ has launched a short movie series ‘Halla Bol’ on the journey of Asian Games-bound athletes to motivate them for the Hangzhou Asian Games and spread awareness about the upcoming Asian Games.

• SAI said that a total of 12 short movies will be showcased in the coming weeks.

• SAI highlighted that the initiative will not only motivate the athletes heading to Asian Games but also youngsters of the country to take up sports.

• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the Indian contingent is gearing up for the 19th edition of the Asian Games.

• He appealed to the nation to watch the Halla Bol series showcasing the inspiring journey of the country’s talented athletes.

• Mr Thakur added that these athletes are once again set on the mission to bring pride and laurel to the nation.

• A similar movie series, ‘Olympics ki Aasha,’ was launched before the Tokyo Olympics.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla Gets a One-Year Extension

• Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been given a one-year extension till 22 August 2024.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his extension.

• His term was scheduled to end on the 22 August 2023.
• Bhalla, a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed home secretary in August 2019.

DEFENCE

National Security and Defense Services Think Tank

• National Security and Defense Services think tank, the United Services Institution of India (USI), is organising a historic Military Heritage Guided Tour to illuminate the country’s rich military legacy among the citizens.

• The first leg of this tour is scheduled to commence on the 12th of August at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district of Punjab.

• A website dedicated to the tour will be launched on the same day where interested persons can register themselves.

• Addressing media in New Delhi, the USI and its collaborators informed that the tour is open for all Indian and foreign individuals of all age groups.

• The upcoming tours will cover military culture across the nation, including North East circuit comprising Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tawang circuit, Leh, Ladakh and Kashmir circuit, Longewala Circuit and Andaman and Nicobar circuit.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO All Set for Lunar Orbit Injection of Chandrayaan 3 Spacecraft

• The Indian Space Research Organisation has all set for the Lunar Orbit Injection of Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft.

• The spacecraft to the moon has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the moon.

• ISRO has executed a series of strategic moves, progressively increasing the spacecraft’s distance from Earth.

• Notably, on August 1, a crucial slingshot manoeuvre was successfully employed to propel the craft from Earth’s orbit towards the Moon.

• Following the trans-lunar injection, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft transitioned from Earth’s orbit and began its trajectory towards the Moon.

• A pivotal event is scheduled for August 5, where the Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) will be executed during the closest point to the Moon (perilune).

IMPORTANT DAYS

Hiroshima Day

• Hiroshima Day is celebrated every year on 06 August.

• Hiroshima Day 2023 is observed all over the world to promote peace politics.

• This day is observed to raise awareness of the bomb attack on Hiroshima.

• In 1945, the United States (US) deployed a nuclear bomb in the city of Hiroshima which is located in the country of Japan.

• This nuclear bomb wiped out 39 per cent of the civilians of Hiroshima.

• The US has named the atomic bomb named “The Little Boy” which was dropped on August 6.

• During the bomb attack, approximately 90,000 to 1,40,000 people were killed and thousands of people were injured.
• When the bomb was dropped, Japan was struck by a blinding light, and a giant-shaped cloud and almost 60,000 buildings crashed.

National Handloom Day

• National Handloom Day is observed every year on 07 August.
• On this day, the Government and other organizations raised awareness to honour the handloom weaving community.
• In 2015, the first National Handloom Day was celebrated which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi
• On August 7, 1905, The Swadeshi movement was launched in Calcutta Town Hall. This movement focuses on reviving domestic production, encouraging handloom industries and the spirit of Swadeshi.
• A huge number of handloom weavers participated in this Swadeshi movement. While Delhi was hosting the special events on that day, many other countries like Varanasi, Jaipur, and Guwahati also organised many other special events.
• This movement encourages the Indians to wear clothes made by handlooms.
• The Ministry of Textiles will be celebrating National Handloom Day at Dilli Haat which is celebrated from August 1 to August 15.

OBITUTARY

Folk Singer And Activist Gaddar

• Noted folk singer and activist Gaddar passed away at the age of 74 after battling a serious heart ailment.

• Gaddar, also known as Gummadi Vitthal Rao, gained popularity by his stage name.

• His songs highlighting various issues faced by the common people earned him the sobriquet "The People's Singer".

• He also showcased his acting skills in films like "Maa Bhoomi" and "Rangula Kala".

• Gaddar received recognition for his artistic contributions, including the 1995 Nandi Award for Best Lyricist for the song "MallethigaKu Pandiri Vole" and the 2011 Nandi Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Jai Bolo Telangana".