Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 29th August 2024

1. India’s 2nd nuclear missile submarine INS Arighat has been commissioned by Rajnath Singh. 

• Indian Navy commissioned its second nuclear submarine, INS Arighat or S-3, at Visakhapatnam on 29th August. 
• INS Arighat is an upgraded version of India's first SSBN (Ship, submarine, Ballistic, Nuclear) INS Arihant. 
• INSArighat is the second boat of the Arihant class indigenous nuclear submarines. 
• The commissioning of Arighat is a significant advancement in India's naval capabilities, especially in strategic nuclear deterrence. 
• INS Arighat will embark on a long-range patrol of the Indo-Pacific armed with 750-km range nuclear ballistic missiles K-15.
• INS Arighat can achieve a maximum speed of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) on the surface and up to 24 knots (44 km/h) when submerged. 
• Itis part of a four-SSBN project, with two other are also under construction. 
• INS Arighat has been under construction and testing since its launch in 2017 at Visakhapatnam's Ship Building Centre (SBC). 

2. Karthik Venkataraman won the 61st National Chess Championship. 

• Karthik, Ganguly, and Neelash Saha finished at nine points from 11 rounds at the 61st National Chess Championship. 
• The tie was broken using the Buchholz System after they finished in that order. 
• The 61stNational Chess Championship was organized at RPS International School, Gurgaon, by the Haryana Chess Association. 
• Karthik received a trophy and a cash prize of six lakh rupees (approximately USD7,150). 
• 341players from all across India have participated in this tournament. 
• The prize fund for this tournament was thirty lakh rupees (approximately USD35,000). 
• All India Chess Federation was the chief guest and awarded the prizes to winners. 

3. India US pact for security of supplies 

• India and the US have signed a new Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA). 
• This agreement will prioritise supply of defence equipment and components to each other to meet urgent national security requirements. 
• The agreement, even though not legally binding, will open new avenues for cross investments and partnerships between Indian and US companies India and the US are also negotiating another pact– the Reciprocal Defence Procurement Agreement (RDP). 
• It will drastically increase opportunities for Indian manufacturers to engage with US defence majors. 
• Once RDP is finalised, India will join a list of 26 countries accorded the status of being Defence Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) compliant. 
• Only these countries are qualified to supply significant components and parts for American military orders. 

4.Master clock system today 

• In a first, the Indian Railways will develop a master clock system for synchronising time with the applications and systems across its network. It will help to keeping uniform time across all systems and applications involved in train operations arose following difficulties in accident. 
• Under the existing system, the Zonal Railways across the country use various systems, sourcing time from different sources.
• The time for the master clock system will be sourced from the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NAVIC) or the National Physical Laboratories (NPL) 

5. Jana Small Finance Bank won four awards at 2nd ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave. 

• It won the awards of Best Small Finance Bank, India, Best Performance on Profitability (Runners-up), Best Performance on Asset Quality, and Best Performance on Risk Management. 
• Gopal Tripathi, Head- Treasury and Capital Markets, attended the awards ceremony. 
• In 2024, the bank was awarded with Regional Winners: Asia by IBS Intelligence. 
• Jana Small Finance Bank is the 4th largest Small Finance Bank in India. It is a scheduled commercial bank. It was launched in March 2018. 
• J&K Bankhaswon “Best Performance on Profitability” award in the category of Private Sector Bank (Mid-Size) at the 2nd ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2024. 
• Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organised 2nd ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave on 22nd and 23rd August 2024 in New Delhi. 
• The theme of the conclave was Leading in the Digital Paradigm. 
• The conclave involved participation from thought leaders, regulators, and banking professionals from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) region. 
• 1st ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave was held in Goa in May 2023. 

6. Twelve new Greenfield industrial smart cities have been approved by the Union Cabinet as part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Program. 

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the Cabinet meeting that a total of 28,602 crore rupees are projected to be invested in these industrial areas. 
• Planned strategically along six important corridors, the projects are spread over ten states. 
• These include Orvakal and Kopparthy in Andhra Pradesh, Palakkad in Kerala, Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Dighi in Maharashtra, Khurpia in Uttarakhand, Gaya in Bihar, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Zaheerabad in Telangana, and Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Aplantoholde-auctions for 730 Private FM stations in 234 new cities has also received approval from the Union Cabinet. 
• Thegoaloftheinitiative is to increase employment opportunities and local content in the native tongue. 
• According to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, the decision will allow FM radio to reach tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The focus of the project will be on local talent. 
• For this auction, the reserve price is expected to exceed 784 crore rupees. 

7. Siemens Healthineers gets India nod for Mpox test kit 

• German healthcare firm Siemens Healthineers AG received the Indian drug regulator’s approval to manufacture mpox detection kits in the country, a significant step to help screen and prevent the spread of the viral infection. 
• The kits will be manufactured by the company’s molecular diagnostics manufacturing unit in Vadodara, which has a production capacity of one million tests per annum. 
• With the RT-PCR kits, the test results will be available in 40 minutes, which is significantly faster than traditional methods that take one to two hours. This will help reduce the turnaround time for reporting, leading to quicker responses. 
• The IMDX Monkeypox Detection RT-PCR Assay is a molecular diagnostic test that targets two distinct regions in the viral genome, spanning both clade I and clade II variants of the virus.This ensures thorough detection across various viral strains, providing comprehensive results. 

8. Union Cabinet approved ₹4,136 crore to northeast states for hydropower expansion. 

• The Union Cabinet approved equity support of ₹4,136 crore to North Eastern states for developing hydropower projects, totalling 15,000 MW capacity for the next eight years. 
• Union Cabinet also approved a proposal for central financial assistance to the northeastern states for up to 24% equity stake in hydropower projects to be developed through a joint venture with the Centre. 
• This scheme has an outlay of ₹4,136 crore to be implemented from 2024-25 to 2031-32. 
• This scheme will be funded through 10% gross budgetary support (GBS) for the northeastern region from the total outlay of the Ministry of Power. 
• The equity portion of the state government of NER would be capped at 24 per cent of the total project equity with a maximum of ₹750 crore per project. 
• The equity ratio of the CPSU and state government in the JV will be maintained at the time of disbursing of the grant. 
• The development of hydroelectric projects would help in achieving India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) of establishing 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. 

9. Union Cabinet approved the expansion of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. 

• The expansion of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has been approved by the Union Cabinet. 
• The main aim of this step is to boost agricultural infrastructure across India and to make it more attractive, impactful, and inclusive. 
• The scheme, worth ₹1lakh crore, would be redesigned to include financial support for Farmers’ Producers Organisations (FPOs). 
• Rs47,575crore has been sanctioned for 74,508 projects under AIF till date. 
• These sanctioned projects have mobilised an investment of ₹ 78,596 crore in the agriculture sector. 
• The infrastructure projects sanctioned under AIF have helped in generating more than 8.19 lakh rural employment opportunities in the agriculture sector. 

10. Scientists founded microplastics in human brains and called for worldwide action. 

• The widespread use of plastic has caused serious environmental pollution, and microplastics are now entering vital human organs, including the brain. 
• Growingevidence shows that these tiny plastic particles—less than 5 millimeters in size—are accumulating in the air, water, food, and even human tissues. 
• A recent study by researchers discovered that brain samples collected in early 2024 had an average of 0.5% plastic by weight. 
• The work will soon be peer-reviewed and published by the National Institutes of Health. 
• A world wide microplastics expert reiterated these concerns and said the situation demands the declaration of a global emergency. 
• Microplastics are now found in the lungs, placenta, and other vital organs, so urgent global action to reduce plastic pollution is needed more than ever. 

11. For the first time in the world, trials of the lung cancer vaccine launched in seven countries. 

• Doctors have begun testing the world's first mRNA lung cancer vaccine on patients. 
• Experts have praised its "unprecedented" potential to save thousands of lives. 
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world, with approximately 1.8 million deaths occurring from the disease each year. 
• Survival rates are particularly poor in people with advanced forms of the disease, where the tumor has spread. 
• Now experts are testing a new jab that instructs the body to seek out and kill cancer cells — and then prevent them from coming back. 
• Thev  vaccine, known as BNT116 and developed by BioNTech, is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of the disease. 
• Phase1clinical trials, the first human studies of BNT116, have begun at 34 research sites in seven countries: the UK, the US, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. 

12. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana completed 10 years. 

• The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched on 28thAugust 2014 by Narendra Modi. 
• PMJDY is the largest financial inclusion initiative in the world.
• It provides support to the marginalised and economically backward sections through its financial inclusion interventions. 
• The total number of PMJDY accounts reached 53.13 crore as of 14th August 2024. 
• 55.6%(29.56 crore) of Jan-Dhan account holders are women.
• 66.6%(35.37 crore) of Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in rural and semi-urban areas. 
• Total deposit balances under PMJDY Accounts stand at Rs. 2,31,236 crore. 
• The average deposit per account is Rs 4,352 as of 14th August 2024. 
• 36.14 crore RuPay cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders. This scheme has revolutionized financial inclusion in India. 

13. ICAR-CIFE and VAMNICOM signed MoU to enhance Cooperative management in Fisheries.

• The Central Institute of Fisheries Education (ICAR-CIFE) and the Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration in the field of cooperative management within the fisheries sector. 
• The main aim of the MoU is to enhance synergies between ICAR-CIFE and VAMNICOM. 
• Under this partnership, the institutions will collaborate on research, training, and development initiatives. 
• VAMNICOM(Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management) is a National Institute under the Ministry of Cooperation. 
• ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) is a leading Fisheries University has nurtured many illustrious scholars and leaders over the years. 

14. C-DAC Inaugurates Model EV Charging Station and Hardware Emulation Facility 

• The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S. Krishnan has inaugurated the Model Indigenous Electric Vehicle Charging Station at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, Technopark Campus. 
• This center will have various AC and DC fast chargers for vehicles ranging from 2W to Heavy vehicles and, Play a crucial role in catalyzing an ecosystem for the promotion of the charging infrastructure with indigenous EV chargers research, development, commercialization, and manufacturing through industries. 
• Apart from this the Secretary also inaugurated the Hardware Emulation Facility at C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram for the Start-ups under the C2S program and DLI Scheme of MeitY. 
• This center will have development, testing, and validation of hardware designs, for VLSI and SoC technologies. This facility provides resources for emulating hardware designs on reconfigurable platforms like FPGAs. 

15. Amazon launches AI assistant chatbot ‘Rufus’ in India 

• Ecommerce major Amazon India has launched its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered shopping assistant ‘Rufus’ in India. 
• Rufus is currently available in beta mode in India, and available only to some customers. 
• The assistant can help shoppers get product recommendations, access shopping list advice, compare product categories and see what other customers have said in response to their specific questions. 
• The chatbot was first announced in the US in February this year, after which it was rolled out widely to all customers in the US in July. 

16. Himachal Govt. launched Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana 

• The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, in a meeting at Shimla chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved a new scheme, “Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana”. 
• The scheme aims to provide financial support to identified socially and economically vulnerable women and parents of disabled children so as to enable the education and well-being of their children. 
• The state cabinet has approved Rs 53.21 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana for the financial year 2024-25. 
• Parents of children under 18 years will receive monthly financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month from the state government to cover the child’s educational, nutritional, and health expenses. 

About Himachal Pradesh 

• Capital– Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter) 
• Chief Minister– Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu 
• Deputy Chief Minister– Mukesh Agnihotri 
• Governor– Shiv Pratap Shukla 

17. Senior IPS officer B Srinivasan appointed as DG of NSG 

• Senior IPS officer B Srinivasan has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the National Security Guard (NSG). 
• Srinivasan is a 1992 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Bihar cadre. 
• \Hewill take over as NSG director general after Nalin Prabhat’s departure to being deputed as Jammu and Kashmir’s Special Director General of Police. 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Srinivasan as Director General, NSG, from the date of joining the post and up to August 31, 2027. 

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector 

• Additional DG of ITBP– Sanjeev Raina 
• Chief of Enforcement Directorate (ED)– Rahul Navin 
• Director General of Assam Rifles-Vikas Lakhera (22nd) 
• 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 

18. Subhasri appointed MD & CEO of Shriram Capital 

• Shriram Capital Pvt Ltd, the holding company of the Shriram Group, has appointed Subhasri as the company’s Managing Director and CEO. 
• Subhasri who has been serving as the joint managing director, will take over the new role with a vision to drive the company towards greater heights of success. 
• Her journey with Shiram Group began in 1991 as an officer in the NBFC business and over the years Subhasri has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and expansion. 
• Shriram Capital is the holding company of the Shriram Group, which is amongst the largest non-bank financiers in the country. 
• Subhasri is a fellow member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India and Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• Deutsche Bank Head of global corp. coverage for India, Sri Lanka– Manik Chhabra 
• MD& CEO of Tamil nadu Mercantile Bank– Salee Sukumaran Nair 
• MD of SBI–Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh 
• CEO of NPCI Bhim Services Ltd (NBSL)– Lalitha Nataraj 
• MD & CEO of MCX–Praveena Rai

19. Iran appoints Fatemeh Mohajerani as First Female Government Spokesperson 

• In Iran, for the first time, a woman will be the government spokesperson. 
• At the suggestion of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, Fatemeh Mohajerani was appointed as the first female government spokesperson. 
• Mohajerani, 54, is a Doctor of Business Administration from Edinburgh and has earlier served as the head of the Technical and Vocational Training University of Shariati (for women). 
• This is the latest appointment of a woman to a senior position. Besides her, three women hold high positions in the government including Shina Ansari who was appointed last week as head of the Department of Environment. 

Recent Appointment in Foreign 

• CEO of Nestlé– Laurent Freixe (replace Mark Schneider) 
• India’s Permanent Representative to UN– Parvathaneni Harish (replace Ruchira Kamboj) 
• CEO of Boeing– Robert “Kelly” Ortberg (replace Dave Calhoun)  
• Head of the EU assembly– Roberta Metsola;2nd time (Malta) 
• UK’s First woman Finance Minister– Rachel Reeves 
• President of FATF– Elisa de Anda Madrazo (replace T. Raja Kumar)

About Iran 

• Capital– Tehran 
• Currency– Rial 
• President– Masoud Pezeshkian 
• Supreme Leader– Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei 

20. Pakistani Christian becomes first in Goa to get citizenship under CAA

• Joseph Francis A. Pereira, a Christian from Pakistan, has become the first person in Goa to receive Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). 
• Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presented Pereira with his citizenship certificate during a ceremony in Panaji, the state capital. 
• Pereira, who now resides in Cansaulim, South Goa, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for introducing the CAA. 
• Pereira, 78, retired in 2013 after working for 37 years in Bahrain. He settled in Goa with his wife, Martha Pereira, who was already an Indian citizen. 
• The Citizenship Amendment Act allows Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Buddhists from neighboring countries—Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan—who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship after verification. 

21. Mother Teresa International Awards Celebrated in Dubai 

• The 24th International Mother Teresa Awards Ceremony took place at the Millennium Plaza Dubai, commemorating the 114th birth anniversary of the revered humanitarian. 
• This prestigious event, organized by the All-India Minority and Weaker Sections Council, was held outside India for only the second time, with both international ceremonies having taken place in Dubai. 
• The awards, established after Mother Teresa’s passing in 1997, recognized exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields including education, science, culture, sports, social work, medicine, industry, and politics in India. 
• This year’s ceremony featured a diverse group of awardees from different countries and sectors. Notable recipients included the late João Bernardo Vieira II, from Guinea-Bissau , Sidharth Srivastava and Namit Bajoria from the industry sector, and Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, Chairman of NRB Bank Limited. 
• The arts were represented by Irka Bochenko, while education saw MP Rozario honored, among others. 
• Social work awards went to Murli Panjabi and Sureandar Singh Khandari from the UAE. The ceremony also recognized young talent, with Ahmed al Hashemi receiving an award as a promising musician and child prodigy. 

22. 25-29 August– World Water Week 

• The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is organising the next World Water Week on 25-29 August 2024. 
• World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues, held every year since 1991, and the theme for this year’s conference is “Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future “. 
• This powerful theme encapsulates the urgent need for global cooperation in addressing water-related challenges that transcend national boundaries. 
• The role of governance is critical when it comes to defusing tensions and preventing conflicts from escalating. It is important to learn from experiences from different contexts and analyze how governance structures can be more dynamic, flexible, and participatory.” 

23. 29 August– National Sports Day 

• National Sports Day is celebrated every year on 29 August. 
• The day commemorates the birth anniversary of greatest field hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. 
• Theme 2024– Sports are an enabler to an inclusive and fit society. 
• The Indian government officials announced to celebrate National Sports Day in 2012 marking August 29 as a day to recognise sports excellence. The date was selected to pay tribute to Major Dhyan Chand, also known as the ‘Wizard of Hockey’. 
• Major Dhyan Chand was born on August 29, 1905, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. His career spanned from 1926 to 1948, when he played 185 matches for India scoring over 400 goals. 
• His excellent performance brought the golden period for Indian hockey as he led India to win three gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936. 
• Tohonour him, the Indian government renamed Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021, presented by the president of India. 
• The President of India annually recognised the achievement and contributions of Major Chand in hockey. Last year, In 2023, badminton players Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were awarded this prestigious honour.