NATIONAL NEWS

World’s Highest Railway Bridge Inaugurated

• The golden joint of the world’s highest railway bridge over River Chenab was inaugurated.

• For the first time ever since independence, Srinagar will be linked to the rest of India after the overarch deck on the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge over River Chenab.
• The bridge will be 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.
• The Chenab is formed by the confluence of two streams, Chandra and Bhaga, in the western (Punjab) Himalayas in India’s Himachal Pradesh state.
• The bridge will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.

Funding for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas

• The Odisha Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a major proposal for the provision of funds for the “Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas”.
• The State Cabinet approved an estimated budget of Rs. 2808.39 crores for six years (2021-22 to 2026-27 financial years).
• Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas of Odisha (Odisha Millets Mission) was launched by the Government of Odisha in 2017 to revive millets on farms and on plates.
• It emerged from consultation between Government, Academia (NCDS) and Civil Society Organisations (RRA Network, ASHA Network and local NGOs).
• It is the first of its kind of agriculture programme with a priority on increasing consumption in Odisha.

India International Seafood Show

• The 23rd edition of the India International Seafood Show (IISS) will be held in Kolkata from 15 February to 17 February 2023.
• The seafood event will serve as an interactive platform between Indian exporters and overseas importers of India's marine products.
• It will be organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in association with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
• The objective of the show is to showcase the country's commitment toward sustainability in the entire value chain of seafood products such as primary production, processing and transportation.
• New techniques in processing and traceability and value addition to products for export will also be discussed.

Indigenous Military Equipment to Army

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over indigenously-developed equipment and systems to the Indian Army in New Delhi.
• The equipment and systems have been jointly developed by the Indian Army in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Industry, in line with the Prime Minister's vision to modernise the Armed Forces, under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.
• The systems will enhance the operational preparedness of the Indian Army and enhance their efficiency.

1,000 Model Anganwadi Centres

• The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had inaugrated around 1000 model anganwadi centres in the state of Assam and also plans to set up 15000 centres by the year 2026.
• By 2026, he aims to have a total of 15,000 Anganwadis in the state.
• Anganwadis are centres where the physical and mental foundations of a child. It prepares the child for their journey towards the higher education system.
• He also launched the ‘Adopt an Anganwadi’ portal which is aimed at providing philanthropists, NGOs and citizens concerned with a platform through which they can contribute to the welfare of the society by adopting full or partial expenses of an Anganwadi centre.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting

• The 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting will be held in Bangkok.
• Both the countries are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Thailand to attend the meeting.
• The event was organized by India-Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Japan-IMD Partnership

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has partnered with Government of Japan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Climate Change.

• They have launched an initiative to enhance climate action across 10 states and Union Territories in India.
• It will also ensure climate-resilient development.
• Initiative will be launched in association with IMD at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• They will promote climate mitigation by placing clean energy infrastructure and low-emission technologies in important sectors like Health, Transport, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Agriculture.

BANKING

Bima Manthan 2022

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has organized its first hackathon – “Bima Manthan 2022” with the theme Innovation in Insurance.
• The hackathon invites participants to identify and develop solutions that have the potential to make the insurance available to every individual in a seamless and swift manner with the use of technology and protecting the interests of the policyholders.
• The participants of Bima Manthan 2022 gets an opportunity to exhibit their innovative solutions and win exciting prizes.

ECONOMY

India Become a $5 Trillion Economy by FY29

• According to former RBI Governor D Subbarao, India may become a USD five trillion economy by 2028-29 only if the GDP grows at nine per cent per annum consistently for the next five years.
• Speaking at Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry on India @75- Marching Towards USD 5 Trillion Economy on the occasion of 75 years of Indian Independence, he announced that there are eight key challenges for India to overcome to achieve the dream of 5 trillion economy.
• Also, for this we need an annual GDP growth of 9 per cent consistently for the next 5 years

SPORTS

FIFA Suspends All India Football Federation (AIFF)

• FIFA, the apex football body announced that it has decided to suspend the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect and the decision was taken unanimously by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.
• The decision has been taken due to improper influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.
• The suspension will be removed whenever an order to form a committee of administrators to assume the responsibilities of the AIFF Executive Committee is revoked and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFFs.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

• The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is one of the biggest international Indian film festivals outside of the country.

• The 13th edition of IFFM was began on 12 August and will conclude on 30 August, 2022.

• Rithvik Dhanjiani hosted the event.
• The yearly event in Australia honors the Indian film industry by displaying some of the country’s most important and acclaimed films, TV programs, and online series.
• ‘83’ was awarded the Best Film award.
• Shoojit Sircar and Aparna Sen won Best Director for ‘Sardar Udham’ and ‘The Rapist’ respectively.
• Ranveer Singh won the Best Actor for the film ‘83’.
• ‘Mumbai Diaries 26/11’ won Best Series.
• Mohit Raina won Best Actor in a series for Mumbai Diaries 26/11.
• Kapil Dev was presented Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Abhishek Bachchan won ‘Leadership in Cinema Award’.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Deputy Secretary in Tourism Ministry

• The Central government has appointed IAS Mr. Shah Faesal as Deputy Secretary in the Tourism Ministry.
• Shah Faesal is an Indian bureaucrat and former Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir.
• In 2010, he became the first Kashmiri to place first in the Indian Civil Services Examination.

OBITUTARY

Former CEO of Deutsche Bank Anshu Jain

• Anshu Jain, Cantor Fitzgerald president and former co-CEO of Deutsche Bank has died. He was at the age of 59.
• Jain, who was born in India spent two decades building Deutsche Bank into one of the world's top universal banks. He was the first non-European to lead the German institution.
• Jain was Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank from 2012 to 2015.
• He resigned from the German lender in 2015 and had been the president of US financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald since 2017.
• Born in the Indian city of Jaipur, Jain earned his bachelors at the University of Delhi before completing an MBA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.