Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 9th August 2024

National News

 1. Government declares Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary 

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Mr. Bhupender Yadav, announced the creation of two new Peacock Sanctuaries in India: Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala. 
• This decision shows the government’s ongoing effort to protect wildlife and the national bird, the peacock. About peacock conservation 
• Peacock conservation involves protecting both the Indian blue peacock and the green peafowl. These birds face threats from habitat loss and hunting, so efforts include restoring their habitats and preventing poaching. 
• Peafowl play key roles in ecosystems, such as spreading seeds. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the green peafowl as Near Threatened. 
• Local communities are engaged in these conservation efforts, emphasizing the importance of cultural awareness in protecting these birds, which symbolize beauty and grace across cultures. 

2. National Commission for Women Inaugurates Digital Shakti Center in New Delhi 

• The National Commission for Women has inaugurated the Digital Shakti Center to combat cyber crimes against women in New Delhi
• The centre is a dedicated facility that aims at raising awareness about cyber crimes. It will provide essential technical support for registering and addressing complaints. 
• The commission emphasized that with the alarming rise in cyber crimes such as identity theft, cyberstalking, and sexual exploitation, this initiative is crucial in empowering women to navigate and protect themselves in the digital world. 
• The Digital Shakti Center was inaugurated by the National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma in collaboration with the Cyber Peace Foundation. Addressing the gathering Ms Sharma noted that there has been a surge in cyber crime cases in India, rising from 52,974 in 2021 to 65,893 in 2022. 

3. UNICEF, West Bengal govt join hands to promote fathers’ role in encouraging breastfeeding 

• The West Bengal government and UNICEF have joined hands for promoting the involvement of fathers in encouraging new mothers to breastfeed their babies till six months of age. 
• As part of the initiative, workers at Anganwadis have begun to discuss the benefits of breastfeeding with fathers of the newborn and other family members. 
• According to the state Women, Child Development and Social Welfare Department is actively promoting breastfeeding in the backdrop of the findings that 53 percent of mothers still need to exclusively breastfeed their children for the first six months. 

4. For a number of drugs, the central government has removed the need for local clinical trials in India. 

• Certain medicines are not easily available in India because of regulatory requirements under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, despite having already received approval from regulatory bodies in countries like the US, UK, and EU. 
• Prior to receiving marketing authorisation in India, these regulatory requirements include carrying out a local clinical trial and producing local safety and efficacy data. 
• Local trials are no longer required for these medications. 
• It has now been decided that certain countries, such as the USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, and those in the EU, can export drugs to India under Rule 101 without conducting local trials.
• This exemption covers pharmaceuticals such as gene and cellular therapy products, orphan drugs for rare disorders, new drugs used in pandemic situations, and new drugs for specific defence purposes.
•  New drugs that provide considerable therapeutic improvements above the present standard of care are also covered by this exemption.
•  Final phase four clinical trials will still be required for these drugs. 

International news

 5. G20 International Tax Cooperation

•  The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
•  It released a stand-alone Tax Declaration on international tax cooperation.
• The Declaration applauds domestic tax reforms by several G20 countries to tackle inequalities and promote fairer and more progressive taxation systems. 
• It includes a vow to strengthen domestic reforms through peer support and the sharing of best practices. 
• The Declaration calls for the swift implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and revisions to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) by jurisdictions. 

6. WTO’s World Trade Statistics 2023 

• In 2023, world trade in goods and commercial services fell on average by 2% kito US$ 30.5 trillion, on a balance of payments basis. 
• Trade in goods declined by 5% whereas services trade took an opposite trajectory, increasing by 9%. 
• As a result, the share of goods in global trade decreased from 77.8% in 2022 to 75.3% in 2023. The share of services reached 24.7%, up from 22.2%. 
• India improved to the 17th rank among the largest merchandise exporters in 2023. 
• India ranked in 10th place in Fuels and mining products export. Iron and steel
• India ranked in 10th place in Iron and steel export and 8th rank in chemicals export. 
• India ranked in 3rd place in Textiles export and 5th place in clothing export. 

7. GRIT think-tank 

• Gujarat Chief Minister announced the creation of the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT). 
• It is modelled after the NITI Aayog, to serve as a public policy think-tank for the state. 
• GRIT will aid to systematically achieve the state's development goals 

State news 

8. Chhattisgarh government approved India’s third-largest tiger reserve. 

• Chhattisgarh notified a Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve with a focus on the 'save tiger' mission, which is the third largest in India. 
• Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over an area of 2829.38 sq km. 
• The new Tiger Reserve has been formed by integrating the regions of Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Sanctuary
• It covers the districts of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Koriya, Surajpur and Balrampur. 
• Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve of Andhra Pradesh is India’s largest tiger reserve with an area of 3296.31 sq km followed by Assam's Manas Tiger Reserve with an area of 2837.15 sq km. 
• The creation of the Tiger Reserve will promote eco-tourism, and generate new employment opportunities.
• As per the latest tiger census report, Chhattisgarh has only 17 tigers left.
• Chhattisgarh has not performed on expected lines in saving the big cat population in the state. 

Appointment 

9. Kamel Madouri appointed as the PM of Tunisia 

• Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked his Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani without explanation and replaced him with Social Affairs Minister Kamel Madouri. 
• Hachani had taken office on August 1 last year, replacing Najla Bouden, who was also dismissed without an official reason by Mr. Saied. 
• The President was democratically elected in 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021 and is now seeking another term in office in elections on October 6. 

About Tunisia

• Capital- Tunis 
• Currency- Tunisian dinar (TND)
• President- Kais Saied 
• Prime Minister – Kamel Madour 
• Official language- Arabic

 Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President 

• Head of Bangladesh’s interim government – Muhammad Yunus 
• President of Iran – Masoud Pezeshkian 
• President of Venezuela – Nicolas Maduro (3rd time) 
• PM of Estonia – Kristen Michal 
• President of Rwanda – Paul Kagame (4th time) 

Agreement News

 10. India and New Zealand sign customs co-operation arrangement to ease trade between the two countries 

• President Droupadi Murmu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Vinston Peters at Government House in Wellington. 
• Discussions were held on wide range issues including customs co-operation, traditional medicine and renewable energy. 
• India and New Zealand inked the bilateral customs cooperation arrangement which is expected to ease trade between the two countries. New Zealand also ratified the International Solar Alliance paving way for enhanced opportunities for joint research and development in this field. 
• Both the countries also agreed to exchange the best practices in the field of traditional medicine through the Global Centre for traditional medicine in Jamnagar. 
• India and New Zealand acknowledged the progress in bilateral relations and deliberated upon ways of exchanging cooperation in several areas 

Recently India signed MoUs with others countries 

• India and Vietnam team up to Preserve Maritime History with NMHC in Lothal 
• India and Vietnam sign 9 agreements to deepen strategic partnership & enhance cooperation 
• India, US Sign Cultural Property Agreement To Repatriate Stolen Indian Artifacts 
• MSDE partners with Australian Government to energise Agriculture Sector of India with emerging skills
• India’s Exim Bank to provide $2.5 million LoC for Guyana
• India and Oman to jointly undertake research on sharks and rays in Arabian Sea 

Science 

11. ISRO to launch Remote Sensing EOS 8 Satellite on 55th Foundation Day 

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) on 15 August 2024, its 55th foundation day. 
• The EOS-08 satellite will be launched by ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3. Here, D stands for Developmental. The satellite will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

About the Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) 

• The EOS-08 is a remote-sensing microsatellite with a mass of around 175.5 kg. It will be placed in a Circular Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km. 
• The life of the satellite is around 1 year. 
• The satellite will help with ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection. 

12. The IIT Indore creates e-shoes with real-time location tracking. 

• Ten pairs of shoe sole energy harvesting units based on Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG) technology have been given to DRDO by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore. 
• This can assist athletes perform better and will aid in the real-time tracking of jawans' locations. 
• The shoe, which was created in association with DRDO, uses motion energy to power electronic devices. 
• The shoe provides accurate real-time location tracking with the aid of a GPS module based on satellites. 
• These TENG-powered shoes could find industrial and civilian uses in addition to military ones. 
• The shoes can be used by families to monitor senior family members, particularly those with Alzheimer's disease. 
• The shoes can be used to monitor employees and track attendance in industrial environments. 
• Under the direction of IIT Indore faculty member Prof. I A Palani, the shoes have been developed. 
• With every step, the TENG system in these shoes produces power by utilizing two advanced tribo-pairs, aluminum and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP).
• A central device in the shoe sole stores this energy, providing a dependable power supply for tiny electronic circuits.
• The shoes have a GPS module based on satellites for accurate real-time location monitoring and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) with a 50-meter range. 

13. New National high-speed corridors 

• The Cabinet approves 8 important National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects of length 936 km at a total capital cost of Rs. 50,655 Crore. 
• It aims to improve the logistics efficiency, reduce congestion and enhance the connectivity across the country. 

Defence 

14. Army conducts ‘Parvat Prahaar’ exercise in Ladakh 

• The Indian Army has conducted a strategic military exercise, ‘Parvat Prahaar’, in Ladakh, focusing on high-altitude warfare and operations. 
• The ‘Parvat Prahaar’ (Mountain Strike) exercise emphasises mountainous and rugged terrains, such as those found in regions like Eastern Ladakh. It is crucial for maintaining the readiness and effectiveness of the Army in the region, which is close to the India-China border. 
• The exercise, which continues for over a fortnight, involves simulating real-world combat scenarios to train soldiers in the unique challenges posed by such terrains. Various arms of the Army, including infantry, armored, artillery, and support units, are participating in this drill. 
• Different kinds of tanks, artillery guns including K-9 Vajra, air-defense systems, UAVs, and other aviation assets of the Army are showcasing their operability and war preparedness. 
• The Mountain Strike Corps of the Northern Command, which is responsible for operations in this sensitive region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), is involved in the exercise. 

Business news 

15. SEBI approved Praveena Rai as the new MD & CEO of MCX. 

• SEBI has approved the name of Praveena Rai as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX). She was the COO of the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). She was responsible for formulating and deploying the marketing, business development, product management, and operations strategy. She has 20 years of extensive experience in various fields including payments, cards, retail, transaction, wholesale and commercial banking. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX): It is India's largest commodity derivatives exchange. It was established in 2003 by the Government of India. It is currently based in Mumbai. 

Economy news 

16. World Bank report on Middle-Income Trap

• The ‘World Development Report 2024: The Middle-Income Trap’ was released by World Bank. 
• The 'Middle Income Trap' is described as countries typically encounter a "trap" when they reach 10 percent of the annual US GDP per capita, or middle of the range, equivalent to $8,000 as of today. 
• India is among over 100 countries that will face “serious obstacles” in the next few decades to become high-income countries. 
• India could take as many as 75 years to attain one-quarter of the U plnited States income per capita. 
•  China may take over 10 years to achieve this feat, and Indonesia close to 70 years. 
• By 2023-end, 108 countries with a total population of six billion (75 per cent of the world) were classified as ‘middle-income’. 
• They each had annual GDP per capital between $1,136-13,845, and two out of three people still living in poverty. 
• Since 1990, only 34 middle-income economies have managed to shift to highincome status. Infrastructure and energy news 

17. Thorium molten salt nuclear power station 

• China plans to start building the world’s first molten salt reactor power station next year in the Gobi Desert. 
• The reactor does not need water for cooling because it uses liquid salt and carbon dioxide to transfer heat and generate electricity. 
• China has enough thorium reserves to meet its energy needs for 20,000 years. 
• The world’s first thorium-based molten salt reactor was built and operated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States in the 1960s for four years. 
• The United States has 93 nuclear power units, significantly more than China’s 56. 
• Currently, China is growing at a rate of six to eight nuclear reactors per year using self-developed new technologies. 
• In fact, Beijing’s plan is that by 2035, the number of advanced reactors in China will reach 150, surpassing the combined total of the United States and France. 

Sports 

18. Neeraj Chopra won Silver at Paris Olympics 2024 

•  Neeraj Chopra has won the Silevr Medal in the men’s javelin throw event with a best throw of 89.45 meters at the Paris Olympics. 
• Following his performance, Chopra became the second male athlete post-independence to win two Olympic medals in an individual event. 
• Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won gold with a throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record and surpassing Denmark’s Andreas Thorkildsen’s mark from Beijing 2008. 
• Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters. 

19. India defeats Spain to clinch bronze medal at Paris Olympics 

• The Indian men’s hockey team led by Harmanpreet Singh won the bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, beating Spain 2-1.
• The match to decide the bronze medal was held at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in Paris, France. Earlier in the semi-final, India lost to Germany 3-2. 
• This is the second back-to-back bronze medal for the Indian men’s hockey team after their bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 
• The match against Spain was also the last international match for the veteran Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who had an outstanding Olympics. 
• Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh scored both goals in the match, and Miralles scored the only goal for Spain. 
• The Indian captain finished the Paris Olympics as the highest goal scorer in the Paris 2024 men’s hockey tournament with ten goals. 
• The bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was the 13th medal won by the Indian men’s hockey team in the Summer Olympics. 
• It was the first time since the 1972 Munich Olympics that India had won back-to-back medals in the Olympics. Indian men’s hockey team has won 8 gold,1 silver and 4 bronze in the Olympics. 

20. Vinesh Phogat announces retirement from wrestling 

• Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Haryana has announced her retirement from wrestling a day after she was disqualified from the 50kg category Paris Olympics finals. 
• The seasoned wrestler was disqualified after weighing 100 grams more than the permissible limit in the morning weigh-in ahead of the final. 

Recently Retired Players 

• Rohan Bopanna (Karnataka, India) – International Tennis 
• Thomas Muller (Germany) – International Football 
• Ravindra Jadeja (India) – T20 International cricket 
• Rohit Sharma (India) – T20 International cricket 
• Virat Kohli (India) – T20 International cricket 
• Trent Boult (New Zealand) – International cricket 

Important day 

23. 9 August – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 

• The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed annually on August 9. 
• The day is intended to raise awareness about the needs of indigenous peoples. 
• The day also gives Indigenous peoples the opportunity to communicate their thoughts and issues on a worldwide scale. 
• Theme 2024 – Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact 
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared this special day in 1994, with resolution 49/214. The UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations met for the first time on this date in 1982. The UNGA’s primary goal is to strengthen international cooperation so that Indigenous peoples’ problems can be solved. 

24. 9 August – Quit India Movement Day 

• Every year, on August 9th, India commemorates the Quit India Movement, a pivotal moment in the country’s struggle for independence from the British rule. 
• Launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942, the movement called for the British to leave India, marking the beginning of the final phase of the freedom struggle. 
•  The Quit India Movement, was marked by widespread non-violent protests advocating for an “orderly British withdrawal” from India. Gandhi’s speeches inspired the masses with his call for Indians to be their own guides in the struggle for freedom. 
• On August 9, 1942, Gandhi issued the famous “Do or Die” exhortation, urging all Indians to expel the British. The movement originated from Gawalia Tank in Mumbai. This day is annually commemorated as August Kranti Day 

Indian polity 

25. The two-child policy for individuals contesting local body elections abolished by Andhra Pradesh. 

• On August 7, the Andhra Pradesh government decided to do away with the rule barring persons with more than two children from contesting local body elections, amid concerns over the low fertility rate in the state. 
• The decision to do away with the two-child norm for people contesting local body elections was taken by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during a state Cabinet meeting.
•  As per the reports, the fertility rate in Andhra Pradesh is 1.5. In 1994, the two-child policy was first implemented in united Andhra Pradesh under which persons with more than two children were barred from contesting urban local body elections. 
• Under the two-child norm, persons with more than two children were also barred from holding government jobs or availing certain government benefits in some states. 

26. Union govt. amends CAA guidelines on documents to prove foreign origin

•  The Union Home Ministry has amended a provision of the rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 that required applicants seeking citizenship to submit a document by any government authority in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan establishing their roots in these countries. The CAA requires applicants to declare that they are foreigners. The requirement under 
• Schedule 1A, or the list of nine documents issued by any government authority in the three countries to prove that the applicant, or ancestors, is/are a national of Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, has been expanded to include any document issued by the State of the Union government or any quasi-judicial authority in India. An "etc." (et cetera) has been added in the order, which would give discretion to government officials while processing CAA applications if there are any shortcomings in the documents. 
• The CAA rules also enable local priests or a "locally reputed community institution" to issue the mandatory certificates certifying the faith of an applicant. CAA facilitates citizenship to six non-Muslim communities from the three countries that en- tered India before December 31, 2014. Union government officials belonging to the Directorate of Census, Postal Department, Railways, National Informatics Centre, and Intelligence Bureau have been informed by the Ministry that "CAA is a facilitative law and its spirit has to be understood while processing the applications". 
• Schedule 1A has not been a problem for Hindu migrants from Pakistan as most entered India on va- lid documents such as passports and visas. 
• In December 2019, the Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended to facilitate citi- zenship through registra- tion and naturalisation to undocumented migrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities. 

Obituary news 

27.Former Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee dies 

• Former West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran Communist leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, 80, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday. Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Mohammad Salim said the former Chief Minister fell ill in the morning and passed away at 8.20 a.m. 
• Mr. Bhattacharjee became Chief Minister of the State in 2000 and led the CPI(M)-led Left Front to power for two terms in 2001 and 2006. He is survived by his wife Meera and daughter Suchetana. 
• On Thursday, thousands came out on the streets of Kolkata and assembled outside his Palm Avenue residence and followed the body to a city mortuary. The body will be taken to the West Bengal Legislative 
• Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee 
• Assembly and the CPI(M) State headquarters on Friday. It will then be donated to the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital. 
• Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences on the sudden demise of the former Chief Minister and visited his residence.