NATIONAL NEWS

TRAI Releases Recommendations Under Unified License (UL)

• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued its recommendations on ‘Introduction of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider Authorization under Unified License (UL)’.

• National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP-2018) emphasizes digital infrastructure stating that ‘Digital infrastructure and services are increasingly emerging as key enablers and critical determinants of a country’s growth and well-being’.

• Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) is essential for the growth of the global data economy.

• A robust DCI contributes significantly to economic development both by increasing productivity and by providing amenities that enhance the quality of life.
• DCI plays a vital and leading role in the successful implementation of various Government schemes under Digital India, Make in India, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and the development of Smart Cities.
• DCI’s growth drivers include the commercialization of 5G, increasing demand for internet and cloud infrastructure, and the proliferation of IoT sensors and devices as well as private LTE networks, among others.

3rd G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting

• The third and final meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) under India’s Presidency will be held from 09 August to 11 August 2023 in Kolkata.
• Over 154 delegates from G20 Members, 10 invitee countries, and various international organizations will be attending the meeting.
• This will be the second-ever Ministerial meeting of G20 ACWG and the first in-person ACWG Ministerial meeting.
• The deliberations at the level of Ministers will impart a further political impetus to combatting corruption as ACWG plays a crucial role in leading international efforts to combat corruption.
• Under India’s G20 presidency, ACWG has been able to achieve significant progress on anti-corruption cooperation regarding action against fugitive economic offenders and return of assets.

21-Day Nationwide Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign

• The nationwide Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign will be launched to pay tribute to the Bravehearts who laid down their lives for the country.
• The campaign will continue till the 30 August.
• It will include programmes at national, state, village and block levels as well as local urban bodies.
• The campaign will feature programmes like the establishment of memorial plaques or Shilaphalakams dedicated to freedom fighters and security forces, as well as initiatives like Panch Pran Pledge, Vasudha Vandan, Veeron ka Vandan which venerates the gallant sacrifices of Bravehearts.
• Under the campaign an ‘Amrit Kalash Yatra’ will also be conducted, carrying soil from all corners of the country in 7,500 Kalash to create an ‘Amrit Vatika’ in Delhi.
• This ‘Amrit Vatika’ will symbolize the commitment to ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
• The campaign is the concluding event of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav which began on 12th March 2021 and has witnessed widespread public participation, with over two lakh programs organized across India.

Haryana Government Planning to Build a Dam

• The Haryana government is planning to build a dam for 6,134 crore rupees.

• It will have a 14-km-long reservoir and will be built 4.5 km upstream from the Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district.

• Once the project is completed, the state will have greater availability of irrigation water, groundwater recharge, and aquaculture, apart from the generation of 250 MW of electricity.

• Its reservoir will have a capacity of 10.82 lakh cusecs.

• This is likely to prevent floods caused by the Yamuna in Delhi and adjoining areas of the river in Haryana.

• The dam area also shares borders with Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• Last month the Chief Minister informed that the proposal to construct a dam behind the Hathnikund Barrage is being taken up with the Himachal government.
• He said that it will help to check the floods caused by excessive rains.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Entry of 30 Thousand Indian Students by 2030

• In a major push to Indian students and alumni, France has announced new initiatives to bolster academic excellence, cultural understanding, and long-lasting friendship between the two nations.
• This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited France as Chief Guest on the country’s Bastille Day.
• An official release from the French Embassy said President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s goal to welcome 30,000 students from India by 2030.
• It further said, Indian students with a French Master’s degree also have the opportunity to work and explore professional alternatives in France during their two-year post-study work visa.

BANKING

Bajaj Finance Partnered with ICICI Lombard General Insurance

• Indian non-banking financial services company, Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL) has partnered with ICICI Lombard General Insurance along with other partners to provide car and two-wheeler insurance plans on the platform Bajaj Finance Insurance Mall.
• Offers Comprehensive coverage: Get complete coverage for the insured vehicle as well as for the third party.
• Offers own damage cover: These policies cover damages caused to the insured vehicle by accidents, thefts, natural calamities and fire.
• Offers third-party cover: Get financial coverage for third-party liabilities.
• Offers personal accident cover: This cover provides financial support in case of an accident resulting in injuries or death of the owner/driver & get a personal accident cover up to INR 15 lakh.
• No Claim Bonus (NCB): Offers NCB for not making any claims in the previous policy year.
• The policyholder can benefit from the NCB by getting a discount on the renewal premium based on the bonus accumulated.

Star Health Inks with Standard Chartered Bank

• Private sector health insurance provider Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd has signed a ‘strategic corporate bancassurance’ with Standard Chartered Bank to provide its insurance products to customers.
• The partnership is to provide health insurance solutions across 100 branches of the private bank present in 42 cities across the country.
• Customers now require comprehensive policies that cater to their medical requirements, encompassing benefits such as OPD Care, Hospi Cash, and Critical Illness covers.
• According to the Standard Chartered’s Wealth Expectancy Report for 2022 revealing that over 54% of respondents in India have prioritised health and wellness post the pandemic.
• Bancassurance is a relationship between a bank and an insurance company that is aimed at offering insurance products or insurance benefits to the bank’s customers.

ECONOMY

UPI Transactions Grow 44% To ₹15-Lakh Crore in July

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in July 2023 have grown 44% to ₹15.34-lakh crore.

• UPI transactions in July 2023 reached a record high level both in terms of volume and value.

• It has grown 4% month over month (m-o-m) and 44% year on year (y-o-y).

• The number of transactions in July 2023 reached a record high level of 996 crore.

• The number was higher by 6.6% from the previous month and 58% compared to July 2022, according to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data.
• The number of monthly transactions reached beyond the 900-crore in May 2023.
• The growth in the volume of UPI transactions has been above 50% y-o-y.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Additional Director General Coast Guard

• Commander (Eastern Seaboard) S Paramesh has been appointed as Additional Director General Coast Guard at Indian Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi.

• The Flag Officer was at the helm of the Coast Guard Region (East), Coast Guard Region (West), and Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard) before assuming Additional Director General Coast Guard.

• The Flag Officer is specialised in Navigation and Direction and his sea commands include all major vessels of ICG which include Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel Samar and Offshore Patrol Vessel Vishwast.

• His key staff assignments include Dy Director General (Operations & Coastal Security), Principal Director (Operations) at the Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi, and Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (East), Chennai.

• He is a recipient of the President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service, Tatrakshak Medal and was also awarded the Director General Coast Guard Commendation in 2012 and FOCINC (East) Commendation in 2009.

33rd Chief Justice of Orissa High Court

• Justice Subhasis Talapatra took oath as the 33rd Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.
• Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal administered him the oath.
• Justice Talapatra, who was working as a judge in the Orissa High Court, succeeded Justice Dr S Muralidhar following his superannuation.
• The name of Justice Talapatra, as the Chief Justice, was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium last month which was later approved by the Central Government.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Develop the Manned Scientific Submersible MATSYA6000

• India has developed a manned scientific submersible MATSYA6000.
• It can carry three humans for a period of 12 hours up to a depth of 60,000 meters in the ocean for deep sea mining and manned submersible.
• Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said that an integrated mining machine has been developed for exploratory mining of poly-metallic nodules from the sea bed and a demonstration of locomotion trial was conducted at Central India Ocean.
• He further added that under the Deep Ocean Mission, significant progress has been made in the development of the technology for deep-sea mining.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Biofuel Day

• Every year World Biofuel Day is observed on the 10 August.

• World Biofuel Day 2023 is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of biofuels and features the efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector.

• World Biofuel Day 2023 is observed to honour Sir Rudolf Diesel for his research experiments.

• In the year 1983, he successfully ran a diesel engine with the help of peanut oil by predicting that vegetable oil would replace fossil fuels in the next century to fuel various mechanical engines.

• Biofuel was an innovative discovery as it created a renewable energy source and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
• Since 2015, India has celebrated World Biofuel Day through the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).