Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 19th August 2024

International news 

1. Jaishankar calls on Kuwaiti PM, Crown Prince to discuss ties 

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday called on Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled Al-Sabah and discussed ways to take the bilateral ties to a higher level. Mr. Jaishankar arrived here on Sunday on a day-long visit. 
• "Pleased to call on His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Conveyed the greetings of PM narendramodi. Appreciated his perspectives on the deepening of India Kuwait ties. Valued his views in regard to further economic cooperation," Mr. Jaishankar said in a post on X. 
• He earlier called on Kuwait's Crown Prince and sought his insights on taking the bilateral ties to a higher level. "India and Kuwait share centuries-old bonds of goodwill and friendship. Our contemporary partnership is expanding steadily. Thank him for his guidance and insights on taking our ties to a higher level," Mr. Jaishankar wrote. 
• Thevisit comes nearly two months after an Indian died in a fire at a building. 

 2. Nepal's new Foreign Minister begins five-day India visit 

• Nepal's new Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana on Sunday embarked on a five-day official visit to India. During her stay, she will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and promote cooperation. 
• Ms. Rana is visiting India at the invitation of Mr. Jaishankar, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. This is her first official visit to a foreign country after assuming charge. 
• As part of the regular exchange of high-level visits between Nepal and India, Ms. Rana's trip will further consolidate the age-old, multi-faceted relations between the two neighbours, the statement said. 
• "Nepal is a priority partner of India in its Neighbourhood First policy. The forthcoming visit will provide both sides an opportunity to discuss and review the progress in bilateral cooperation and help in advancing our ties further," the Ministry of External Affairs said. 

 3. India’s CAG and Uzbekistan’s Chamber of Accounts signed a MoU. 

• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chamber of Accounts, Republic of Uzbekistan. 
• The aim of this agreement is to enhance collaboration and exchange of expertise in the field of auditing between the two nations. 
• The signing of the MoU is a significant step in promoting closer ties and collaboration among the SAIs of India and Uzbekistan. 
• This MoU will establish a collaboration platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience amongst auditing professionals to develop capacity for conducting audits. 
• This MoU will encapsulate the urgency for institutions to embrace a new phase of collaborative engagement. 

Defence news 

4. Armyfields tactical assault canine' Zac at bilateral exercise in Sri Lanka 

• The Armies of India and Sri Lanka have deployed canines "K9s" in military parlance in the bilateral exercise Mitra Shakti under way in the island nation. The Indian Army has deployed Zac, a Belgian Malinois, while Sri Lanka has fielded two canines. 
• The10thedition of Exercise Mitra Shakti is being held from August 12-25 at the Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka. 
• "Two-and-half-year-old Zac is trained in specialised tactical operations such as cordon-and-search, search-and-destroy, fighting in built-up areas, jungle search, and area-sanitisation among others," an Army official said. It has additionally been trained in specialised skills such as laser-guided assault and weapon retrieval, which greatly augment the "K9 capabilities" of our forces, the official stated. 
• Zac, an "assault K9", was trained at the dog training facility of Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College, Meerut. "He is a force multiplier and first responder in the majority of tactical operations," said Major Rishi Sharma, the K9 Detachment Commander. 
• Armydogtrainer (ADT) Pranjal Sakiya is also part of the K9 Detachment. 
• During the joint exercise, Zac will participate in a range of activities, including house intervention, jungle searches, laser-guided assaults, area sanitisation, and other facets of counterinsurgency operations. In one of the scenarios, Zac intercepted an assailant who was trying to run away from a road- block. 
• Army dogs are routinely. employed in urban operations such as vehicle checks, search-and-assault operations and explosive detection. The Indian contingent comprising 106 personnel is represented by a battalion of Rajputana Rifles along with personnel from other arms and services. The Sri Lankan contingent is being represented by personnel from Gajaba Regiment of Sri Lanka Army. 
• "The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate," the Army said in a statement at the start of the exercise. 

5. On August 18, the Coast Guard's new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Chennai. 

• At the event, through video conferencing, he also inaugurated two new Coast Guard units- Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre (RMPRC) at Chennai and Coast Guard Air Enclave at Puducherry. 
• The new MRCC will facilitate better coordination for rescue of mariners and fishermen in distress at sea. 
• It has cutting-edge communication systems and has been installed with the latest equipment for distress monitoring through terrestrial and satellite systems. 
• It will also serve as a nodal centre for coordination of all maritime rescue operations along the East Coast of India and beyond and ensure safety and well-being of fishermen and mariners. 
• The RMPRC, located at Chennai Port, is the first of its kind facility for coordinating response to marine pollution in the waters adjoining coastal states in the Indian Ocean Region. 
• The Coast Guard Air Force Enclave in Puducherry will be equipped with Chetak and Advanced Light Helicopter Squadrons. 
• Both these helicopters are built with indigenous technology and can carry out maritime patrol, search and rescue and other such missions from land and from Coast Guard ships patrolling the sea. 

Economy news 

6. Unemployment rate in April-June (Q1) declined to 6.6 percent from 6.7 percent. 

• The unemployment rate in April-June (Q1) declined to 6.6 percent from a four-quarter high of 6.7 percent in January-March FY24. 
• The female unemployment rate increased to 9 per cent in Q1FY25 from 8.5 per cent in Q4FY24. 
• The jobless rate for young males has declined, and the unemployment rate for young females has increased. 
• The share of people either working or seeking employment in the urban population registered a decline to 50.1 per cent in Q1FY25 from 50.2 per cent in Q4FY24. 
• The survey showed the share of people engaged in self-employment declined to 40 per cent from 40.5 percent in the preceding quarter. 

7. Government cut down the windfall tax on crude to Rs 2,100/tonne. 

• The central government has decided to reduce the windfall tax on petroleum crude from Rs 4,600 per tonne to Rs 2,100 per metric tonne. 
• The government has also scraped windfall tax on export of diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF). 
• The central government started imposing a windfall tax on crude oil producers in July 2022. 
• Itwaslater extended to the export of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. 
• Itencouraged private refiners to sell fuel internationally to get refining margins. 
• Oil prices have dropped by about 2 per cent and Brent crude is trading at just below $80 per barrel. 
• Awindfall tax is a higher tax levied by the government on specific industries when the industry experiences unexpected and above-average profits. 

Science and technology news 

8. Neutron Stars/strange dead stars 

• Astronomers have uncovered ten mysterious neutron stars near the Milky Way's core. 
• All are spinning rapidly and classified as pulsars. 
• These enigmatic stars are nestled in a dense globular cluster 18,000 light-years away. 
• Theycould possess bizarre and twisted forms due to their unique environment. 
• Thesepulsars have been uncovered in the globular cluster Terzan 5. 
• Hundreds of thousands of different stars that are 12 billion to 4.5 billion years old can be found there. 
• Terzan 5 is one of the most crowded regions in the Milky Way, with at least 39 known pulsars already swarming it. 
• Threenewrare spider pulsars have also been seen in the region. 
• They are Classified as "Redbacks" or "Black Widows," they cast a high-energy radiation "web" on stars that come too close. 
• Redback spider pulsars are those that prey on companion stars with masses between 10 per cent and 50 per cent of the Sun's mass. 
• Black Widow spider pulsars are those that prey on smaller stars with less than five per cent of the Sun's mass.

9. TENGtechnology 

• IIT Indore has delivered ten pairs of Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG) based shoe sole energy harvesting units to DRDO. 
• These shoes are designed to harness energy from human motion, providing a sustainable power source for electronic devices. 
• Theseshoes utilize advanced tribo-pairs to generate power with each step. 
• The shoes are also equipped with sophisticated tracking technology, including RFID and a satellite-based GPS module for live location tracking. 

Infrastructure and energy news 

10. First 'Solar Village' launched by Maharashtra with Manyachiwadi. 

• The state's first 'solar village' inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on August 18. 
• Manyachiwadi village in Patan taluka of Satara district has become Maharashtra's first 'solar village'. 
• Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the state government is committed to promoting the use of renewable energy and reducing dependence on conventional energy sources. 
• The state's burden with electricity bills has decreased because to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
• Under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Pump Yojana, the state government provides 90 to 95% subsidy to farmers for installing solar pump sets.
• In the next one and a half years, 12 thousand MW of electricity will be generated in the state from solar energy. 
• An ambitious plan to provide 100% solar-powered electricity to two villages in each district has been announced by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL). 
• After Manyachiwadi, over 70 other villages across Maharashtra will also be part of the projects 

Miscellaneous news

11. A powerful typhoon ‘Ampil’ hit Japan. 

• Apowerful typhoon ‘Ampil’ struck the eastern region of Japan. 
• Japangrounded hundreds of flights and urged people to evacuate. 
• Typhoon Ampil has been categorized as very strong" by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). 
• Japan Meteorological Agency has two higher categories- "very strong" and "violent" for typhoons. 
• Ampil had wind speeds of 45 metres per second with a maximum gust of 60 metres per second (216 kph/134 mph). 
• Acyclone is called a ‘hurricane’ in the American continent. In Japan, it is called a ‘typhoon’. 
• Acyclone is a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. 

12. ‘Kisano Ki Baat’ radio programme will be launched by the government. 

• Thegovernment will start a programme called ‘Kisano Ki Baat’ once a month to ensure that farmers get the benefits of science immediately. 
• UnionAgriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that this program will start next month. 
• Thisprogrammewill be broadcast on radio. 
• Scientists, and officials from the agriculture department, and Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfar will also be present and whatever information is necessary will be provided to the farmers. 
• There is a need to connect the Krishi Vigyan Kendra with the farmers completely. 
• Efforts will be made to ensure that the scientific benefits reach the farmers immediately. 
• Apartfromthis, Mr Chouhan said that earlier the budget for farmers was only Rs 27 thousand crore, which the Prime Minister has increased to Rs 1.52 lakh crore. 

13. A project launched by FSSAI to eliminate microplastic contamination in Indian food items. 

• A groundbreaking initiative has been launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to tackle the growing problem of microplastic contamination in the Indian food supply. 
• On August 18,the project was announced, titled “Micro- and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices.” 
• Itaimstodevelop and standardize methods for detecting micro- and nanoplastics in food products, as well as assess their prevalence and potential risks to consumers. 
• Theinitiative, launched in March, is being run in collaboration with leading research institutions across India, including CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi) and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani). 
• Theseinstitutions will work together to develop standardized protocols for the analysis of micro- and nano-plastics, allow for comparisons within and outside the laboratory, and generate critical data on micro-plastic exposure among Indian consumers. 
• Growingconcern about microplastic contamination in food is underlined by a recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which identified microplastics in common food items such as sugar and salt. 

Sports news 

14. India's student team has won several prestigious medals at the 17th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO). 

• The 17th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) was held from August 8 to 16, 2024 in Beijing, China. 
• A four-member Indian team, consisting of students from Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, achieved remarkable success by securing three gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals. 
• They won medals across three competition categories: Theory and Practical, Earth System Project, and International Team Field Investigation. 
• International Earth Science Olympiad is one of the most successful student-centric initiatives under the REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training and Outreach) scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. 
• The IESO is a global competition for secondary school students that was founded in 2003 during the International Geoscience Education Organisation Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada. 
• It aims to raise awareness of Earth sciences through teamwork, collaboration, exchange of ideas and competition. 
• Since 2007, India has been participating in IESO and had the honour of hosting its 10th edition in Mysore. 
• This year's 17th IESO witnessed participation of 35 countries, of which 32 reached the finals. 
• The competitions were held in four categories: theory and practical, Earth science project, international team field investigation and data mining. 

15. Morne Morkel appointed bowling coach of Indian men's team. 

• Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has been appointed as the bowling coach of the Indian men's cricket team. 
• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that Morkel will be part of the two-Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19. 
• Morkel, who was Gambhir's teammate at Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, was appointed by Lucknow Super Giants as the bowling coach, while Gambhir was the team's mentor. 
• Before being appointed as head coach last month, Gambhir had pushed for Morkel's inclusion in the squad along with Abhishek Nair and Ryan ten Doeschate. 
• Apart from his experience as a bowling coach in franchise cricket around the world, Morkel also served as the bowling coach of the Pakistan men's team during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. 

Obituary news 

16. Indian Coast Guard Director-General passes away at 59 

• Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Rakesh Pal passed away in Chennai on Sunday. He was 59. 
• The Coast Guard chief, who was in Chennai to take part in an official function scheduled to be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, died after a cardiac arrest. 
• Mr. Pal reportedly collapsed at the Chennai airport while receiving Mr. Singh was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital around 3.30 p.m. 
• E. Theranirajan, Dean of the hospital, said efforts were made to revive Mr. Pal at the airport. At the hospital, he was taken to the operation theatre where doctors put him on inotropic medicines and his heart regained function, the dean said. Doctors found that the left anterior descending artery was fully occluded. After an angiogram, angioplasty was performed. Mr. Pal, however, developed a massive cardiac arrest and passed away at 7 p.m. 
• Condoling his death, the Defence Minister said, "Deeply saddened at the untimely demise of Shri Rakesh Pal, DG, Indian Coast Guard in Chennai today. He was an able and committed officer under whose leadership made big sti strengthening Ind time security.”