National News

1. MoSPI launches e-Sankhyiki Portal to Revolutionize Data Management

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched the e-Sankhyiki portal, marking a significant advancement in data management and dissemination in India.
This initiative aims to streamline the sharing of official statistics through a comprehensive system designed to enhance ease of access and analysis.
The e-Sankhyiki portal is designed with two key modules- the Data Catalogue and Macro Indicators. The Data Catalogue Module offers a detailed listing of the major data assets of the Ministry, providing users with the ability to search and download data effortlessly.
Meanwhile, the Macro Indicators module provides time series data of macroeconomic indicators of four key products of the Ministry. This module is equipped with features for filtering and visualizing data, along with metadata to aid in comprehensive data analysis.

2. A bill providing representation to Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Legislative Assembly was introduced in Lok Sabha.

On August 5, a bill was introduced by the Central Government to reserve seats for the Scheduled Tribe community in the Goa Assembly.
The ST community is demanding that four out of the 40 assembly seats be reserved for them. The Cabinet had passed the draft bill in March.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Readjustment of Representation of the Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill states that as per the 2011 census, there has been a significant increase in the population of Scheduled Tribes in Goa as compared to the 2001 census.
The total population of Goa is 14,58,545, while the population of Scheduled Tribes is 1,49,275.
According to the census, the population of Scheduled Castes is 25,449.It also said that the Election Commission has no power to determine the number of seats for Scheduled Castes and Tribes in any State before the next census, hence this Bill was brought to provide reservation for the increasing Scheduled Tribe population.
According to the Bill, the Election Commission will first amend the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 to make way for reservation.
The Election Commission will also consider the revised population figures of the Scheduled Tribes and readjust the Assembly constituencies after the Bill becomes law.

International News

3. RIL top-ranked Indian Company on the 2024 Fortune Global 500 List

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) maintained its status as the top-ranked Indian company in the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list.
Nine Indian companies were included in the 2024 list, with RIL improving its rank from 86 to 88.
Only eight Indian companies were included in the list in 2023, and HDFC Bank was included for the first time this year.
Companies are ranked on the Fortune Global 500 by total revenues for their respective fiscal years ending on or before March 31, 2024.
American company Walmart retained its top position on the list for the 11th consecutive year.
Saudi Arabian company Aramco remained the most profitable global company.

Indian Companies on the 2024 Fortune Global 500 List

1. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) – 86th

2. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) – 95th

3. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) – 116th

4. State Bank of India (SBI) – 178th

5. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) – 180th

6. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) – 258th

7. Tata Motors – 271st

8. HDFC Bank – 306th

9. Rajesh Export – 473th

4. Top 10 Fortune Global 500 List Rank Company Country

1 Walmart United States

2 Amazon United States

3 State Grid China

4 Saudi Aramco Saudi Arabia

5 Sinopec China

6 China National Petroleum China

7 Apple United States

8 UnitedHealth Group United States

9 Berkshire Hathaway United States

10 CVS Health United States

5. Former PM Khaleda Zia released from house arrest

Bangladesh's uncompromising former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been released from years of house arrest after her bitter enemy Sheikh Hasina was ousted as Premier and fled as protesters stormed her palace.
The ferocious rivalry between the two women has defined politics in the Muslim-majority nation for decades.
Ms. Zia, 78, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018 under Ms. Hasina's rule.
She is in poor health, confined to a wheelchair with rheumatoid arthritis and struggling with diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver.

6. Japan, South Korea, and UAE tourists can now avail visa-on-arrival in India.

Citizens of Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates can now avail visa-on-arrival facility when visiting India for tourism, business, conference and medical purposes.
This visa is valid for 60 days and has double entry facilities.
Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are the only six airports where it is available.
Visa on arrival is a type of visa which is issued to a foreign national upon his/her arrival in a country.
Application for Visa on Arrival is usually submitted at the airport along with the required documents as instructed by the concerned immigration officers.
In addition to visa on arrival, e-Visa facility, which includes Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), is offered to citizens of 167 countries.
The facility allows entry through 30 designated international airports and six major seaports.

7. China launched the first satellite constellation network to counter Starlink.

A Chinese state-owned enterprise successfully placed 18 satellites into orbit to counter its own version of US firm SpaceX's Starlink network.
The low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites have been launched by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi province.
The satellites were carried through the Long March 6 rocket.
SpaceX's commercial broadband constellation has about 5,500 LEO satellites in space.
It will provide internet to consumers, companies and government agencies.
Low Earth orbit operates at altitudes of 300 km to 2,000 km from the Earth's surface.

7. Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting 2024

Recently, the Quad foreign ministers' meeting was held in Tokyo.
The Quad is an informal diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
It committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

8. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus appointed head of the interim government in Bangladesh.

The decision to appoint the head of the interim government of Bangladesh was taken during a meeting between President Shahabuddin and the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement.
The final decision on the names of the remaining members of the interim government will be taken after talks with various political parties.
Earlier, a 13-member team of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement visited Bangabhaban to discuss the current situation in Bangladesh and the outline of the interim government.
The political situation in Bangladesh is volatile since Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post on 5 August following growing protests
These protests, mainly led by students, turned into anti-government demonstrations demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs.

State news

9. Jharkhand CM launched the ‘Upasthiti Portal’ for Health Department employees.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren launched the ‘Upasthiti Portal’ on behalf of the Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department.
It will help in recording the daily attendance of all doctors, para-medical workers, contract workers and other workers working under the Health Department.
Under this portal, cross-verification of biometric attendance will be recorded by the employees of the Health Department.
The CM has also established a system to establish 24-hour contact between primary health sub-centres and health centres and district hospitals.
The government will take steps to make the district hospitals of the state operational 24×7.
Under this, there will be a provision for all types of surgeries with specialist doctors in these hospitals.

Business news

10. Reliance Industries moved up to number 86 from number 88 on Fortune's Global 500 list for 2024.

Reliance Industries continues to be the highest ranked Indian company.From 155 in 2021, the company has risen 69 spots in the last three years.
Nine Indian companies are included in this year's Fortune Global 500 list.Five of them are from the public sector (IOCL, LIC, ONGC, BPCL and SBI) and four are from the private sector.
Companies are ranked by total revenues for their respective fiscal years that ended on or before March 31, 2024, in the Fortune Global 500 list.
In 2023, the Fortune Global 500 achieved a record-breaking $41 trillion in total revenue. This amounts to over one-third of the world's GDP.
Walmart had $648 billion in revenue, making it the largest firm for the eleventh consecutive year.

The 2024 Fortune Global 500 Top 10 List

1. Walmart (U.S.)

2. Amazon.com (U.S.)

3. State Grid (China)

4. Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia)

5. Sinopec (China)

6. China National Petroleum (China)

7. Apple (U.S.)

8. UnitedHealth Group (U.S.)

9. Berkshire Hathaway (U.S.)

10. CVS Health (U.S.)

Appointment News

11. IPO-bound Swiggy appoints Sairam Krishnamurthy as COO of Instamart

IPO-bound Swiggy has appointed Sairam Krishnamurthy as senior vice-president and chief operating officer of its quick commerce vertical Swiggy Instamart.
In this new role, he will oversee Swiggy Instamart’s operating units, which include dark store operations, infrastructure operations, city growth and expansion.
With over 18 years of experience in leadership roles in the retail and FMCG sectors, he joins Swiggy Instamart as its first COO.
Prior to joining Swiggy, Krishnamurthy spent over three-and-a-half years at More Retail, an Amazon company (through a joint venture with Samara Capital) that runs a chain of offline retail stores.

Recent Appointment

President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -Janet Yang
Director of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) – Grinson George
First woman DG Medical Services (Army) – Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair
2 New Members in CBDT – Ramesh Narain Parbat and Prabodh Seth
Chairman of UPSC – Preeti Sudan (replace Manoj Soni)
CMD of BECIL – D.K. Murali

12.Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera takes over as 22nd DG of Assam Rifles

Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera took over as the 22nd Director General of the Assam Rifles known by the sobriquet of “Sentinels of the North-East”.
He has varied and rich professional experience of Assam Rifles and the North East region, having served extensively in North East including being Inspector General in Assam Rifles at Nagaland.
The General Officer was commissioned from Indian Military Academy into 4 SIKH LI 1990, the Unit which he subsequently commanded in lower Assam under the Red Horn Division.

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector

Director General of BSF – Daljit Singh Chawdhary (additional charge)
Additional National Security Adviser – Rajinder Khanna
Deputy National Security Adviser – TV Ravichandran, Pavan Kapoor & Pankaj Kumar
Vice Chief of Army Staff – NS Raja Subramani
Chief of Intelligence Bureau – Tapan Kumar Deka (reappointment for 1 year)
Chief of the Army Staff – Upendra Dwivedi (replace Manoj C Pande) Sports

13. Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat disqualified from Paris Olympics

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics.
The 29-year-old was found ineligible to compete on the second day as she was found 100 gram overweight during the weigh-in on the day of the final.
Unfortunately, Vinesh Phogat will not win any medal at the Paris Olympics, if the disqualification stays.
Vinesh Phogat was in the 50kg permissible limit. She stunned World No. 1 Yui Susaki, Japan, in the opening round before working her way through in the quarter-final and the semi-final to become the first-ever Indian woman to reach the Olympic wrestling final.

14. Sable becomes 1st Indian man to qualify for 3000m steeplechase final

Avinash Sable became the first Indian man to qualify for the 3000m steeplechase final after finishing fifth in his heat.
But quartermiler Kiran Pahal failed to book an automatic semi-final berth in women’s 400m following a seventh-place finish in her heat at the Paris Olympics.
Sable, easily the most decorated track and field athlete after Neeraj Chopra in the current contingent, timed 8:15.43 minutes to finish fifth in the second heat to make it to the final round.
However, Sable’s heat timing was well below his best effort of 8:09.91 minutes, which he had clocked at the Paris Diamond League last month.
Sable’s heat was won by Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouft with a timing of 8:10.62 minutes, while Samuel Firewu of Ethiopia with 8:11.61 minutes came second.
Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya (8:12.02 minutes) was third, while Ryuji Miura of Japan came fourth. He clocked 8:12.41 minutes.

15. Noah Lyles wins Men’s 100-Meter Gold in Paris

USA’s Noah Lyles edged past Jamaican Kishane Thompson to win his first Olympic gold medal in a lifetime-best 9.784 seconds.
Lyles crossed the finish line just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Thompson, who posted a time of 9.789.
The result wasn’t clear until nearly 30 seconds after the end of the race, as the competitors waited nervously for the details of their photo finish.
Noah Lyles was a gold medalist. Thompson took silver, and American Fred Kerley claimed bronze, Kerley’s second career Olympic medal in the 100m.

Important day

16. 7 August – National Javelin Day

National Javelin Day is observed every year on 7 August.
The Athletics Federation of India, the governing body for athletics in the country, designated this date to honour Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal win in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics.
This celebration recognises his achievement and promotes the sport of javelin throwing across the nation.
On August 7, 2021, Neeraj Chopra made history by throwing the javelin 87.58 meters in the men’s Javelin Throw final at the Tokyo Olympics, securing the gold medal.
This victory marked India’s first-ever gold medal in track and field events at the Olympics.
With this achievement, Chopra also became the second individual gold medallist from India, following Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Science and technology news

17. Judicious use of sucralose as sugar substitute helps diabetics: study

A recent study from India examining the effects of replacing sucrose or table sugar with an artificial sweetener, sucralose, in coffee and tea, found no adverse impact on glucose or HbA1c levels, and in fact indicated a slight improvement in body weight, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI).
The article, "Effect of replacing sucrose in beverages with non-nutritive sweetener sucralose on cardiometabolic risk factors among Asian Indian adults with Type 2 Diabetes: a 12-week rando- mized controlled trial", was published in Diabetes Therapy late July. Notably, the study comes shortly after the WHO cautioned non-diabetics against using non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) to control body weight.
Senior diabetologist Dr. V. Mohan, chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, who led the study, said: "We started this study even before the WHO's report on sugar substitutes. We wanted to assess if there are any changes, because in India, sweeteners are used only sparingly instead of sugar, in tea and coffee, compared with the West. The study shows that there is no harm in taking sweeteners. In fact, there was a marginal improvement in body weight, BMI and waist circumference with no impact on glucose or HbAlc levels. This is a very important point to bring out to the public, since there is so much of negative publicity against sweeteners, which I feel is totally unfounded."
This 12-week, parallel arm randomized controlled trial included 210 participants with T2D, assigned to the intervention group, where sugar/sucrose in coffee or tea was substituted with sucralose, or the control group, where sugar/sucrose was continued. The primary outcome was change in HbAlc. At the end of the study, researchers found no significant change in HbAlc levels between the intervention and control groups. However, favorable changes were noted in the BMI, waist circumference and mean body weight, the paper said.
Dr. Mohan said the judicious use of NNS can help in cutting down calories, sugar intake and increase dietary compliance. More studies are underway on the safety and efficacy of sucralose, he said.

Miscellaneous news

18. Government declared Adichunchanagiri a Peacock sanctuary.

The Central Government has declared Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala as peacock sanctuary.
The Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also set up breeding and conservation centres for peacocks.
Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary will provides them with safety. It was established as a sanctuary in 1981 in Karnataka’s Mandya district.
The Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary is extremely close to the Chunchanagiri Temple.
Different species of migratory birds, like Purple Heron, White-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, snakebird, etc., are present in this sanctuary.
Choolannur Pea Fowl Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary located in Chulanur village in Palakkad district of Kerala state,
The peacock was declared the national bird of India in 1963.

19. Nagaland has become first state which have signed an MoU on disaster risk management.

It has also become the first Indian state which has adopted the Disaster Risk Transfer Parametric Insurance Solution (DRTPS) after signing a MoU with SBI General Insurance.
The MoU will be effective for three years. The officials of SBI General Insurance and the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) signed the MoU.
It aims to lessen financial losses brought on by extreme events and safeguard vital infrastructure.
CM Neiphiu Rio stated that whole Nagaland is covered by the insurance. The insurance premium will be paid by the government.
In the event of a disaster, the insurer will provide assistance for three years from 2024 to 2027.
An MoU was signed between the Maharashtra government and Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
This MoU is to set up a manufacturing plant valued at Rs 20,000 crore in Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC). The plant aims to produce electric and hybrid cars.

Indian polity

20. Kamala Harris selects Walz as V-P nominee

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday, choosing a progressive poli- cy champion and a plain speaker from the U.S. heartland to help win over ru- ral, white voters.
In a text message to supporters, Ms. Harris announced the selection of Mr. Walz, a 60-year-old U.S. Army National Guard veteran. "Tim is a battletested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families. I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the Vice- President."
As Governor, he has pushed a pro- gressive agenda that includes free school meals, goals to tackle climate change, tax cuts and more paid leave for Minnesota workers. An advocate for women's reproductive rights, he has also displayed a conservative bent, backing gun rights.

Award News

21. Organ donation awards 2023

The 14th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony organized by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).
Dr K Rambabu, state coordinator for Andhra Pradesh’s Jeevandan programme, received the Jeevandan Award.
ROTTO North-PGIMER, Chandigarh won the Best ROTTO Award.
Telangana bagged the Award for Best SOTTO/State, while Tamil Nadu and Karnataka received the Award for second best SOTTO/ State.
Manipur was conferred with Best Emerging State in North East Award.
The states winning the Emerging States in Organ Donation Award were: 1) Andhra Pradesh 2) Madhya Pradesh, and 3) Jammu & Kashmir.
Award for the best Non-Transplant Organ Retrieval Centres (NTORC) was received by Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.
Best Hospital in Private Sector with Highest Deceased Donation Award was received by Yashoda Hospital, Secundrabad.

Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 7th August 2024