NATIONAL NEWS

‘Smriti Van’ Memorial

• India’s first earthquake memorial, named Smruti Van was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bhuj in Gujarat.

• Smruti Van is a unique memorial carrying the names of more than 12 thousand people who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake that struck here in January 2001.

• This novel memorial is spread across 470 acres of land and is built atop Bhujiyo hill.

• The earthquake simulator will provide real like experience of earthquake tremors to visitors.

Nagaland Gets Its Second Railway Station

• Nagaland got its second Railway station on Dhansari-Shokhuvi railway line after a gap of more than 100 years.
• Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio officially flagged off the first passenger train service- the Donyi Polo Express from Shokhuvi Railway station in Choumukedima District.
• This service will immensely benefit the people of Nagaland and other neighboring states.
• Shokhuvi Railway station is part of the Dimapur-Zubza Railway project. This railway station is an alternative train route for Nagaland and Manipur passengers to Guwahati.
• Dimapur station was opened in 1903.

20th Edition of BioAsia 2023

• The Government of Telangana will host the 20th edition of BioAsia 2023, the major event of BioAsia 2023 for life sciences and health tech on 24 February- 26 February, 2023.
• Minister for Industries and Commerce KT Rama Rao launched the BioAsia 2023 logo and theme ‘Advancing for ONE: Shaping the Next Generation of Humanised Healthcare.’
• It will debate the multidisciplinary subjects of One Health, disruptive medical technology and universal healthcare accessibility and affordability.
• Bio Asia 2023 will bring together professionals in the life sciences and healthcare, academics, start-ups, regulators and investors on one stage.
• More than 100 carefully selected health-tech entrepreneurs from across the world will be able to demonstrate their ground-breaking solutions to pressing medical problems at the BioAsia 2023 event’s start-up showcase.

Net-Zero Goal By 2046

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) plans to invest over Rs 2 trillion to reach the net-zero carbon emission target by 2046.

• IOC plans to achieve two-thirds of emission reduction through energy efficiency, electrification and fuel replacement efforts, while about a third of the total emission would be mitigated through options such as carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) route, nature-based solutions and purchase of carbon credits.

• The target set is in line with India’s aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2070.

India@100 Roadmap

• The Competitiveness Roadmap for India@100 will be unveiled in New Delhi by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

• The EAC-India@100 PM’s report acts as a road map for India’s progress toward its centennial year and will guide and inform the nation’s route to a better income status by 2047.
• The EAC-PM suggests policy goals, concepts and approaches in India@100 to advance India’s economy toward sustainability and resilience founded on social development and shared prosperity.

SPORTS

World Cadet Judo Championships

• Indian judoka Linthoi Chanambam won the gold medal at the world cadet judo championships 2022 in the women’s -57kg category in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• The 15-year-old judoka outclassed Brazil’s Bianca Reis in the 57-kg category final.

• She became the first Indian judoka to win a medal at any age-group category of the World Championships.
• She also won the silver medal at the 2021 Asia-Oceania Junior Championships and bronze at the 2021 Asia-Oceania Cadet Championships.

AWARDS & PRIZES

UNESCO Peace Prize 2022

• Angela Merkel, a former German chancellor has been given the 2022 UNESCO Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome migrants.
• The German chancellor, Angela Merkel famously declared to her people that We can do this, in the summer of 2015 as refugees poured into Europe.
• She subsequently changed her mind about being pro-immigration when support declined from both the general public and her conservative party.
• Her selfless choice in 2015 to accept more than 1.2 million refugees particularly those from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chairman of DRDO

• Scientist Samir V Kamat was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• He will replace G Satheesh Reddy, who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has also appointed G Satheesh Reddy as scientific adviser to the defense minister.
• Dr. Kamat was Director General of Naval Systems & Materials (NS & M) at DRDO since July 2017.

MD & CEO of India’s SBICAP Securities

• Indian financial services firm SBICAP Securities, a unit of SBI Capital Markets and part of the government-owned State Bank Group has appointed Deepak Kumar Lalla as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• He replaced Naresh Yadav.
• Lalla joined the State Bank of India (SBI) in 1985 and he has over 37 years of experience.

49^th Chief Justice of India

• Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India.

• President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice U U Lalit at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• He succeeds Justice NV Ramana, who retired on August 26.

• He will be in office for 74 days, a tenure shorter than average.
• He was the second Chief Justice of India to be promoted directly from the Bar to the apex Court Bench.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Artemis 1 Mission

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch Artemis 1 Mission on 29 August 2022.

• NASA’s Artemis Missions aim to send the first woman and first person of colour to the Moon as early as 2025.

• Of the three missions planned, Artemis I will be an unmanned flight test of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft around the Moon.

• Through these missions, NASA aims to enable a growing lunar economy by fuelling new industries, supporting job growth and furthering the demand for a skilled workforce.

OBITUTARY

Vijaya Bank Former Chairman Sadananda Shetty

• Former Vijaya Bank chairman and founder and serving Chairman of Soham Group of Companies K. Sadananda Shetty passed away in Nice City, France. He was at the age of 85.

• Mr. Shetty was the chairman of Vijaya Bank which has now merged with Bank of Baroda.

• He also served as the vice-chairman of the Indian Banks Association.
• He was on the boards of Air India and the Industrial Reconstruction Bank of India
• He was the current president of the Renewable Energy Developers Association of Karnataka.