Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 31st August 2024

 

1. India’s largest Aero Lounge to be launched at Cochin Airport. 

• Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate CIAL's new venture, 0484 AEROLOUNGE, at Cochin Airport on September 1. This Lounge will be at Terminal 2 of the Cochin Airport. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) will have world-class airport experience at budget rates for its passengers. This AERO LOUNGE is a combination of the tradition, art, backwaters, landscape and flora that present the unique beauty of Kerala. 
• It is spread over 50,000 square feet with 37 rooms, 4 suites, 3 boardrooms, and 2 conference halls. It has also a co-working space, gym, spa, library, an exclusive cafe lounge and a restaurant. 

2. Nepal Tourism Board has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award. 

• Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) won this award in the category of Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project (STLRP). NTBhasreceived a PATA award in community-based tourism for the third time. PATA Gold Award recognizes STLRP’s efforts in creating tourism employment opportunities. 
• It also recognizes STLRP’s efforts in enhancing sustainable tourism development in all seven provinces of Nepal. NTB’s STLRP earlier won the PATA Gold Award in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, STLRP got recognition for Tourism Destination Resilience. In 2023, STLRP got recognition for its initiatives in women’s empowerment through tourism, sustainability, and social responsibility. Kerala Tourism of India has received the PATA Gold Award 2024 in the Digital Marketing category. 
• Winning entry in this category was Kerala’s Department of Tourism online contest of Holiday Heist. PATA Gold Awards were presented on August 28 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Pacific Asia Travel Association is a not-for-profit membership-based association. 

3. Global Development Compact 2024 

• India hosted the third edition of the Global South Summit. 
• Thesummitwasjoinedby123countries including heads of state and government of 21 nations. 
• Indian Prime Minister has proposed the creation of a human-centric "Global Development Compact" for the Global South. 
• It aims to facilitate trade, sharing of technologies and concessional financing based on India's growth journey. 
• The'Compact' will be in line with the priorities of developing countries even as he urged the Global South to work unitedly in confronting food and energy security crises and the challenge of terrorism and extremism. 

4. An industrial City will be developed by Uttar Pradesh government between Jhansi and Kanpur. 

• This city will be developed on an area of about 36 thousand acres to boost the industrial development in the region. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the city will get a special airport also. 
• Incentives of about rupees 1300 crores have been distributed by the Chief Minister to over two dozen industrial units. Letters of Comfort certificates were distributed for 28 investment proposals worth Rs 10,715 crore. Chief Minister personally handed out certificates to 10 proposals with investments of more than Rs 4500 crore. Aspecial programme to distribute incentives to the state’s industrial projects has been organised for the first time. 

5. Avani Lekhara won India's first gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at 2024 Paralympics in Paris. 

• Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she became the country's first female shooter to win a medal in shooting. She successfully defended her title, setting a Paralympic Games record with 249.7 points in the final standings. 
• At the same event, Indian para-shooter Mona Agarwal also won the bronze medal, finishing last with 228.7 points. Yunri Lee of the Republic of Korea team won the silver medal in this event. The Paralympic Games 2024 will take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September. 

6. Polaris Dawn Mission 2024 

• SpaceX launched its Polaris Dawn mission with US billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into space. 
• The mission aimst reach an unprecedented orbital altitude for a commercial flight, potentially ascending 1,400 kilometers above Earth's surface. 
• This would surpass the record set by the Gemini 11 mission and mark the highest Earth orbit flown by humans since the Apollo program. 
• The mission faces unique challenges like, lack of an airlock on the Crew Dragon capsule. 
• This is the company’s attempt at the world’s first private spacewalk. 
• The20-minute spacewalk, scheduled for the third day of the mission. 
• It will take place 434 miles (700 km) above Earth. 

7. For the 2024–25 academic year, the Central government has reserved four MBBS seats especially for families affected by terrorism. 

• Spouses and children of civilian victims of terrorism are entitled to these seats. The government aims to help people who have been affected by violent crimes by offering them support and educational possibilities. The reserved seats are present across three medical institutions given below. 
• AN Magadh Medical College in Gaya, Bihar Grant Medical College in Mumbai, Maharashtra Pt. JNM Medical College in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pt. JNM Medical College has been allocated two seats. The MHAhasspecified a priority scheme for the distribution of the seats. Children who have lost both parents to terrorism are given priority, followed by those whose families have lost their sole breadwinner. 
• Third on the MHA priority list are the wards of victims who suffered severe injuries or permanent impairments as a result of terrorist acts. The eligibility criteria for these seats are the same as those for regular MBBSadmission. Candidates must be at least 17 years old by December 31 of the admission year and must be Indian nationals. Candidates can submit their applications to the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 
• The applications must be with all necessary documents attested by their state or UT Home Department. September 17, 2024 is the deadline for submission of applications. 

8. The Charter and an MoU for the setting up of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat in Colombo have been signed by four countries. 

• These four countries are India, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka hosted the signing ceremony in Colombo. The documents were signed on 30 August 2024 by the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the representatives of the Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka on behalf of the respective Member States. 
• Core objective of CSC is to promote regional security through addressing transnational threats as well as challenges of common concern to the Member States. There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC. The pillars are given below. 
• Maritime Safety and Security Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief On July 10, CSC’s eighth Deputy NSA-level meeting was held virtually. India, Mauritius, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka welcomed Bangladesh as the fifth member state of the CSC. Seychelles participated as an observer. 

9. Indian Army launched Project Naman to support Veterans and their families. 

• The Indian Army has launched the first phase of Project NAMAN. It will provide dedicated support and services to Defense pensioners, veterans, and their families. Under the first phase of Project NAMAN, 14 Common Services Centers have been established at different locations. 
• Common Services Centres have been established at New Delhi, Jalandhar, Leh, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jodhpur, Bengdubi, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Secunderabad, Saugor, Guntur, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore. The project will expand significantly and aim to establish approximately 200 centres nationwide over the next 2 to 3 years. 

10. Cyclone Asna formed over the Kutch coast in Gujarat. 

• Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch coast in Gujarat and adjoining areas of Pakistan. Cyclone Asna has brought heavy rainfall to different places in Gujarat. This is the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. Between 1891 and 2023, only three cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea in August. 
• Cyclone Asna is only the fourth such occurrence in August since 1891. The Arabian Sea’s current temperature of 27–28 °C is around the threshold temperature required for cyclone formation. 

11. Bangladesh achieved a historic victory in the SAFF U-20 Championship football tournament. 

• Bangladesh has been declared the new champion of the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Under-20 Championship football tournament. On 28August, Bangladesh won the title by defeating hosts Nepal 4–1 in the final match held at the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) ground in Satdobato, Lalitpur. 
• The first time in the history that Bangladesh has won this championship. Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Bhutan, also participated in the competition, which began on August 18, 2024. Earlier, India had won SAFF U-20 in 2019, 2022, and 2023. 
• Organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), the SAFF Under-20 Championship is a biennial football championship for male footballers under the age of 20. In August 2015, this championship was held for the first time in Nepal. 

12. An MoU signed by India and Saudi Arabia to enhance bilateral cooperation in public sector audit in Riyadh on 30 August. 

• Shri Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Dr. Hussam Al-Angari, President of the Saudi General Court of Audit, signed the agreement. The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation and facilitate exchange of expertise between the two countries in the field of public sector audit. 
• Under this, key areas of cooperation include conducting joint training programs on financial, performance and compliance audit, as well as exchange of audit manuals and methodologies. The signing of this Agreement is expected to further strengthen the already close working relationship between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Saudi General Court of Audit. 
• This development is significant because Saudi Arabia is preparing to take over the chairmanship of the Association of Asian Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) from India next year. At present, India holds the Chair of ASOSAI. 

13. Pacific Islands Forum’s annual meeting was held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. 

• The annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) was started on 26th August in Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga. More than 1,500 delegates from around 40 countries have attended the meeting. 
• Climate change and the China-US battle for influence over the strategic region issues and other issues were discussed. What is the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)? The Pacific Islands Forum is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 18 countries located in the Pacific region. 
• Australia and New Zealand are among the wealthiest and largest countries in this forum. Papua NewGuinea, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, etc. are also members of this forum. The main aim of the forum is economic growth, enhanced political governance, and security for the region. Its vision is for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity. 

14. Scheme for trading and settlement of sovereign green bonds (SGrBs) in IFSC has been introduced by RBI. 

• The scheme covers investments in sovereign green bonds issued by the Government of India to eligible investors in the IFSC in India. Investors can take part in the primary auctions of securities carried out by the Reserve Bank. Investors can transact in the secondary market for securities in the IFSC. 
• As part of the scheme, investors are not allowed to repackage or write any derivative instrument on underlying securities they hold. 
• They also are not allowed to undertake repo transactions in such securities. Eligible IBUs are not allowed to take part in the primary auctions under the scheme. However, they are allowed to take part in the secondary market. IBUs (IFSC Banking Units) are banking units set up in the IFSC. Investors are allowed to conduct trade in the secondary market in the IFSC with other investors and eligible IBUs. 
• However, transactions between two eligible IBUs are not allowed. Eligible IBUs are allowed to trade with investors such that the transactions will be carried out on a ‘back-to-back’ arrangement. As per the RBI, the scheme will come into force with immediate effect. IFSC Authority will issue the operational guidelines for participation in the scheme by entities in the IFSC. 

15. International Day of the victims of Enforced disappearance 2024- August 30 

• It draws attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives. 
• The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006. 
• By the end of 2023, morethan 239,700 missing persons were registered by the Family Links Network. 

16. World Water Week- August 25/29 

• It aims to be an inclusive, cooperation for people who want to use water as a tool to change the world and promote opportunities for effective water cooperation. 
• It is organized every year since 1991 by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). 
• The theme for 2024 is ‘Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future’. 

17. Biggest diamond in over a century 

• The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana. 
• The huge 2,492-carat diamond is the second-biggest ever discovered in a mine. 
• It is the biggest diamond found since 1905. 
• Botswana is the second-biggest producer of natural diamonds behind Russia.