National News
PM Modi Presents BHISHM Cubes to Ukraine
Narendra Modi’s trip marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since its independence in 1991.
- Humanitarian Support: Delivery of four BHISHM Cubes, part of Project Aarogya Maitri, providing essential medical supplies and equipment for rapid deployment.
- BHISHM Cubes Structure: Each cube includes mini cubes for various medical needs, with mother cubes for initial care and surgical support.
- Technology Integration: Uses RFID technology and a multi-language app for real-time inventory updates and instructional support.
- Cultural Diplomacy: Signed agreements in agriculture, medical regulation, and cultural cooperation; honored conflict victims with a memorial gesture.
Ukraine
- Capital & Largest City: Kyiv
- President: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Official Language: Ukrainian
- Currency: Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH)
Odisha CM Majhi Launches Subhadra Scheme
The Subhadra scheme, introduced by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, will provide ₹50,000 to one crore women over the next five years, with a total budget of ₹55,825 crore.
- Disbursement: Funds will be distributed in annual installments of ₹10,000, split into two payments of ₹5,000 each, on Rakhi Purnima and International Women’s Day.
- Implementation Period: The scheme will run from the financial year 2024-25 to 2028-29.
- Payment Method: Transfers will be made directly to Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts using the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS). Beneficiaries will also receive a Subhadra debit card.
- Incentives: ₹500 will be awarded to the top 100 beneficiaries with the highest digital transactions in each gram panchayat and urban local body.
- Opposition Criticism: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticizes the scheme for not fulfilling the BJP’s promise to deliver ₹50,000 within two years as per their election manifesto.
- Eligibility: Excludes women from economically privileged backgrounds, government employees, and income tax payees to ensure targeted assistance.
Odisha:
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Chief Minister: Mohan Charan Majhi
- Governor: Raghubar Das
- Official Language: Odia
- Major Dance Forms: Odissi, Ghoomar
GAIL and Petron Scientech Partner for Bio-Ethylene Plant in India
GAIL (India) Limited and Petron Scientech Inc. have signed an MoU to develop a 500 KTA bio-ethylene plant in India through a 50:50 joint venture.
- Project Scope: The plant will use bio-ethanol, focusing on sustainability and advancing the bio-economy.
- Feasibility Studies: Joint studies will evaluate the technical and financial viability before investment decisions.
- Leadership Statement: Rajeev Kumar Singhal from GAIL highlights the initiative’s role in technological innovation and environmental sustainability.
- Company Backgrounds: Petron specializes in biorefinery projects, while GAIL is a leading natural gas and petrochemicals enterprise in India.
- Stock Update: GAIL’s share price opened at ₹237.15 and reached ₹234.55 on the NSE as of August 22, 2024.
GAIL:
- Full Name: GAIL (Gas Authority Of India Ltd.)
- Type: Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise
- Industry: Natural gas transmission and distribution
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1984
- Formerly: Gas Authority of India Limited (1984–2002)
- Key Person: Sandeep Kumar Gupta (Chairman & MD)
Launch of BoCW MIS Portal by Ministry of Labour & Employment
On August, 2024, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) launched the ‘Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW) Management Information System (MIS) Portal.’
- Purpose: The portal aims to help states and Union Territories (UTs) finalize draft rules under the four Labour Codes and enhance welfare schemes for BoCW.
- Launch: Announced during the 15th BOCW Monitoring Committee meeting, chaired by Sumita Dawra, Secretary of MoL&E.
- Portal Features:
- Centralized Data Management: Compiles and analyzes data from BoCW Welfare Boards across states.
- Registration and Updates: States and UTs must register on the portal and update details related to fund utilization, worker registration, and various social security benefits.
Key Statistics:
- Registered Workers: Approximately 5.7 crore workers were registered with BoCW Welfare Boards as of June 30, 2024.
- Future Plans: MoL&E is working to extend central government scheme benefits to BoCW workers using the BoCW cess fund.
Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E)
- Union Minister: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency: Porbandar, Gujarat)
- Minister of State (MOS): Shobha Karandlaje (Constituency: Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Postal Dept launches Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to Encourage Philately
The Department of Post under the Union Ministry of Communication has launched the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to promote research and scholarship in philately among students across India. Announced by the Postmaster General of North Gujarat Region, Ahmedabad, Krishna Kumar Yadav, during the closing ceremony of the ‘The Ideal and Great Stamps’ Paintings exhibition, the scheme aims to foster the hobby of stamp collection among children.
- Eligibility: Open to students in classes VI, VII, VIII, and IX from recognized schools who are members of a philately club or hold a Philately Deposit Account.
- Scholarships: 920 scholarships available nationwide, with each postal circle offering up to 40 scholarships (10 per eligible class).
- Amount: ₹6000 per year, disbursed quarterly.
- Selection: Scholarships are awarded annually, with the opportunity to reapply in subsequent years.
- Mentorship: Philately Mentors will guide scholarship recipients and help establish school-level philately clubs.
Bank and report news
Axis Bank Launches ‘Neo for Merchants’ Mobile App
On August, 2024, Axis Bank Limited launches ‘Neo for Merchants’, a transformative mobile app which will act as a one stop solution for the merchant community, in partnership with VISA and Mintoak.
- Purpose: ‘Neo for Merchants’ is a comprehensive mobile app designed to enhance the omni-channel payment experience and simplify operations for the merchant community.
- Key Features:
- Payment Management: Allows merchants to manage payments, view transaction reports, and raise service requests directly through the app, eliminating the need for a relationship manager.
- Payment Acceptance: Supports payments via Cards, SMS Pay, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), improving convenience for both customers and merchants.
- Efficiency: Streamlines payment processes and service requests, saving time and increasing productivity.
- Data Insights: Provides accessible transaction and settlement reports for valuable data insights.
- Impact: The app aims to support financial inclusion and foster growth for Indian SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises).
Ranks And Reports News
Mumbai Ranks 2nd, New Delhi 3rd In Global Property Price Index
Manila ranked first with a 26 per cent annual rise during the quarter. Mumbai and Delhi are at the second and third positions, respectively, among 44 cities globally in annual price rise of prime residential properties during the June quarter, Knight Frank said in a report. The annual price growth across the 44 cities globally slowed to 2.6 per cent in the second quarter of the 2024 calendar year, from 4.1 per cent in the preceding quarter, real estate consultant Knight Frank report said.
Indian Cities’ Performance:
- Mumbai: Ranked 2nd globally with a 13% annual price rise, up from 6th place a year ago.
- New Delhi: Secured 3rd place with a 10.6% increase, a significant leap from 26th place last year.
- Bengaluru: Maintained its 15th position with a 3.7% rise in prices.
Overall Global Trend: Annual price growth across 44 cities slowed to 2.6% in Q2 2024, down from 4.1% in the previous quarter.
Dubai: Experienced a slight moderation with a 0.3% annual decline, following a 124% increase since 2020.
AMUL Tops Brand Finance’s Food & Drink 2024 Report
Emerged as the world’s strongest food and dairy brand with an AAA+ rating for the 4th consecutive year.
- Brand Value: Increased by 11% to USD 3.3 billion.
- Brand Strength Index (BSI): Scored 91 out of 100.
- Global Ranking: Improved from 29th (2023) to 22nd (2024) among the world’s most valuable and strongest food brands.
- Top Brands:
- Most Valuable: Nestlé (USD 20.8 billion, down 7% from 2023)
- 2nd: Lay’s (USA)
- 3rd: Yili (China)
About Brand Finance
- Chairman and CEO: David Haigh
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Established: 1996
Sports news
Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from International Cricket
Shikhar Dhawan, at 38, has retired from international cricket but plans to continue in league cricket, particularly the IPL.
- Career Highlights:
- International Appearances: 269 matches for India
- Runs Scored: 10,867 runs
- Centuries: 24
- Half-Centuries: 44
- Last ODI: December 2022 against Bangladesh
- Early Achievements:
- 2004 Under-19 World Cup: Scored three centuries and accumulated 505 runs, showcasing early promise.
Science And Tech News
SpaceX’s “Fram2” Mission: First Human Spaceflight Over Earth’s Polar Regions
SpaceX Plans 1st Human Spaceflight Mission “Fram2” Over Earth’s Polar Regions Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is set to launch “Fram2”, the 1st human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions for the 1st time.
- Significance: First human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions.
- Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 rocket
- Launch Site: Florida’s Space Coast, USA
- Spacecraft: Dragon spacecraft
- Mission Duration: 3 to 5 days
- Mission Name Origin: Named after the Norwegian polar research ship Fram, known for its historic Arctic and Antarctic explorations.
- Crew:
- Commander: Chun Wang (Malta)
- Vehicle Commander: Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway)
- Vehicle Pilot: Eric Philips (Australia)
- Mission Specialist: Rabea Rogge (Germany)
- Objectives:
- Study Earth’s polar regions from Dragon’s cupola at an altitude of 425-450 km.
- Research the effects of spaceflight on the human body.
- Capture the first human X-ray images in space.
Agreement news
India-Japan Green Ammonia Export Agreement Signed
Union Minister Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) chaired the signing ceremony of the first-ever Heads of Terms (HoT) agreement for exporting Green Ammonia from India to Japan.
Event: Union Minister Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi chaired the signing ceremony of the first Heads of Terms (HoT) agreement for exporting Green Ammonia from India to Japan.
Parties Involved:
- India: Singapore-based Sembcorp Green Hydrogen Pte. Ltd.
- Japan: Sojitz Corporation, Kyushu Electric Power Company, and NYK Line.
- Singapore: Sembcorp Industries Limited, Asia’s leading energy provider.
Significance: This agreement marks the first collaboration between India, Singapore, and Japan, emphasizing India’s role in the global green energy sector.
Key Attendees:
- Simon Wong: High Commissioner of Singapore to India
- Yuta Hikichi: First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in India
- Ajay Yadav: Joint Secretary, MNRE
- Vipul Tuli: Chairman – South Asia and CEO, Hydrogen Business, Sembcorp Industries
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
- Union Minister: Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi (Constituency: Dharwad, Karnataka)
- Minister of State (MOS): Shripad Yesso Naik (Constituency: North Goa, Goa)
Book And Author
Soumya Swaminathan Releases Autobiography of Activist Kalpana Sankar
In a significant event celebrating women’s empowerment and social entrepreneurship, Dr. Kalpana Sankar’s autobiography, “The Scientist Entrepreneur: Empowering Millions of Women”, was unveiled at Cathedral Road. The book launch brought together notable figures from various fields, highlighting the impact of grassroots initiatives on women’s economic empowerment and community development.
- Book: “The Scientist Entrepreneur: Empowering Millions of Women” by Dr. Kalpana Sankar.
- Opening: The event featured a short film highlighting the work of Hand in Hand India, co-founded by Dr. Kalpana Sankar, focusing on women’s empowerment and community development.
- Key Figures:
- Dr. Soumya Swaminathan: Chairperson of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and former WHO chief scientist, released the book.
- Swaady Martin: Chairperson and CEO of Yswara, received the first copy of the autobiography.
- Sridhar Vembu: Founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, participated virtually.
- Anu Hasan: Actor, engaged in a fireside chat with Dr. Kalpana Sankar.