Today's News - August2,2024

TODAY’S NEWS

1.  The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha yesterday by Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai. The Bill seeks to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The purpose of the Act was to put in place necessary institutional mechanisms for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of disaster management plans.

2.  In Uttarakhand, 425 pilgrims stranded on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra route have been brought to a safe place by helicopter from Lyncholi and Bhimbali in Rudraprayag district so far. Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the disaster-affected area in Tehri district. He said that the government will provide all possible assistance to the affected people.

3.  The Lok Sabha has taken up the discussion on demands for grants related to the Ministry of Education. Initiating the discussion in the House, Tejasvi Surya of the BJP said the country witnessed significant improvement in the infrastructure and quality of education in the country in the last ten years.

4.  Former BJD leader Mamata Mohanta joined the BJP in New Delhi. She joined the party in the presence of Party General Secretary Arun Singh and party in charge for Odisha Vijay Pal Singh Tomar. Mamata Mohanta resigned from BJD and as a Rajya Sabha member recently. 

5.  In a big development for India’s atomic energy program, the country’s most advanced and complex nuclear reactor, 500 MWe sodium-cooled prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR), located at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, has finally got approval from atomic regulator Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to start operationalising the reactor by loading nuclear fuel and then initiating the chain reaction.

6.  The Government Provides Electricity to 2.86 Crore Households Under SAUBHAGYA Scheme, Aims for Universal Electrification.

7.  On July 30, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal and announced Rs 100 crore in stipends for apprentices. This money will be given directly to apprentices through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

8.  The Telangana state Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'job calendar' for issuing job recruitment notifications this year to fill vacancies in government departments. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will release the job calendar in the Legislative Assembly  on Friday.

9.  The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a Bill for setting up Young India Skill University-Telangana, inspired by the nameof Mahatma Gandhi’s journal for youths.

10.  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said he would press the Centre for construction of an iconic bridge and barrage on River Krishna near Siddeswaram to address the region’s water problem.

11.  The government is providing cashless treatment to victims of road accidents. The treatment is being provided on a pilot basis in Chandigarh and Assam in collaboration with the National Health Authority. Providing up to Rs 1.5 Lakh in Benefits.

12.  The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed the central universities to conduct their own entrance exams or admit students on the “basis of marks in the qualifying examination” if seats remain vacant in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses after admissions through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).

LEGAL REPORT

1.  The Supreme Court  ruled that sub-classification within the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes reservation is permissible to grant separate quotas for more backwards within the categories.

2.  The Allahabad High Court ruled that the trials for 18 cases connected to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura can continue. The court dismissed a petition from the mosque committee that challenged the maintainability of these lawsuits. Earlier, the high court had reserved its judgment related to the dispute. The court has now fixed the 12th of this month as the date for framing of issues.

3.  The Rajya Sabha has taken up discussion on working of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

4.  India  summons Sri Lankan Envoy to register protest over the death of an Indian Fisherman in north of Katchatheevu Island.

5.  The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached over 520 acres of land, valued at Rs 814 crore, from the Uttar Pradesh-based JVL Agro Industries Limited and its promoters, Satya Narayan Jhunjhunwala and Adarsh Jhunjhunwala. The properties, located in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Rohtas (Bihar), Palam (New Delhi), and Raigarh (Maharashtra), are linked to an alleged bank loan fraud. The company, which produced "Jhoola Dalda" vegetable oil, is currently in liquidation.

6.  Delhi Police Bans Para-Gliders, Drones & Other Aerial Platforms Ahead of Independence Day Celebrations.

"""""""""" MISHAPS """""""""

1.  In Kerala, the death in the massive landslide that devastated Wayanad has risen to 274.

2.  At least 10 people killed due to lightning strikes in Bihar; Heavy rains and cloudburst incidents lead to widespread destruction in Himachal Pradesh.

3.  Heavy rains and cloudburst incidents in various parts of Himachal Pradesh have caused significant damage to life and property. In these incidents, 55 people are missing, and 2 people have died. Relief and rescue operations are in full swing in the affected areas.

FINANCE

1.  The Government of India and the World Bank have signed an agreement for the construction of Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP) in an aggregate length of 781 km for the states of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, with loan assistance of US $ 500 million against total project cost of US $ 1288.24 million (Rs. 7,662.47 crore).

2.  The Bank of India, a prominent public sector bank in India, has increased the interest rates on its short-term and medium-term Fixed Deposits with tenures between 180 days and less than one year.

The bank is now providing the highest interest rate of 8.10% per annum on its 666 Days Fixed Deposit specifically designed for Super Senior Citizens under the Non-Callable Deposit scheme.

3.  Oil marketing companies (OMCs) on 01 August 2024) announced hike in the prices of 19 KG commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 6.50 per bottle of cyliner with immediate effect.

 

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

1.  Vicky Kaushal’s Bad Newz continues its triumphant run at the box office. The film has officially entered the coveted 100 crore club, a testament to its widespread appeal and strong word-of-mouth.

2.  Indian 2, a highly anticipated sequel featuring Kamal Haasan and directed by Shankar, was expected to be a major hit. However, the film has turned out to be a massive disaster at the box office.

Despite the high hopes pinned on it, the movie has performed poorly, grossing just 85 crores domestically and 50 crores overseas, totaling 135 crores worldwide.

3.  Actor -politician Kangana Ranaut has voiced strong criticism regarding the recent boxing match between Italy's Angela Carini and Algeria's Imane Khelif. Ranaut labeled the match unfair, focusing on Khelif's controversial victory. Khelif, disqualified from the 2023 World Championship due to an unspecified gender eligibility test, has sparked significant debate with her participation in the Paris Games.

DEFENCE

1.  Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera on Thursday assumed charge as the new director general of the Assam Rifles, which is known as the "Sentinels" of the northeastern region.

2.  Historic First – Bangladesh Air Force To Operate From India For 1st Time During IAF’s ‘Tarang Shakti’ Exercise :  So far, Bangladesh Air Force aircraft have never operated from Indian soil. They will participate in the second phase of the exercise at Jodhpur Air Base in Rajasthan, home to the Indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’.

The first squadron of the LCH, 143 Helicopter Unit, was raised at the Jodhpur Air Base. It is the only attack helicopter in the world that can operate in Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield.

3.  Kuki-Zo tribals oppose Centre’s move to replace Assam Rifles battalion with CRPF in Churachandpur : The Centre’s decision to replace the 9th Assam Rifles battalion with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Manipur’s sensitive Churachandpur district has met with criticism from several groups.

4.  Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police busted a terrorist hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Kalakote region of Rajouri district. The search operation began late Wednesday night in response to reports of suspicious activity.

✈ INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  The Embassy of India in Beirut has advised all Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Lebanon until further notice in view of the recent developments and potential threat escalations in the region.

2.  India and Vietnam signed nine agreements to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership and enhance cooperation in the fields of customs, agriculture, legal, radio and television broadcast, culture, and tourism.

3.  A group of 25 “concerned” citizens, which includes former judges, diplomats, activists, writers and economists, have written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to cancel licences for the export of arms and ammunition to Israel as it is in violation of India’s commitment under international law and the Constitutional mandate.

4.  India and China on Wednesday held the 30th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi during which the discussion was “in-depth, constructive and forward-looking”, and both sides agreed to maintain the momentum through established diplomatic and military channels.

5.  PM Modi  met the speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, Nukaga Fukushiro, and his delegation of Japanese Parliament and business leaders. During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the conducive business environment and reforms undertaken in India for more investment and technology from Japan.

6.  India is ranked 39th among 119 countries, according to the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 report published by the World Economic Forum.

7.   A four-day comprehensive capacity-building workshop organised by the Indian Embassy in Bhutan on food import regulations and requirements has concluded. The workshop was held as a part of awareness sessions led by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

8.  India summoned Sri Lankan Envoy over the death of one Indian Fisherman after a Sri Lankan Naval Vessel collided with an Indian fishing vessel.

🌎 WORLD NEWS 🌍

1.  Bangladesh on August 1 banned the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir under anti-terrorism law following nationwide unrest, citing the threat posed by the fundamentalist party to public security. Government accusing it of exploiting the movement that left at least 150 people dead.

2.  The mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, along with his two accomplices, accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks in the USA, have agreed to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty. The U.S. Defence Department said.

3.  Israel’s army confirmed that the head of the Hamas military, Mohammed Deif, was killed in its air strike in southern Gaza last month.

4.  The United Nations Security Council countries have called for increased diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader Middle East conflict after the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran.

5.  The US Federal Reserve has left interest rates unchanged at 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent, as inflation continues to cool, hinting that a rate cut might come as soon as September.

🚣🚴🏇🏊 SPORTS

1.  1st ODI cricket

Friday, 02 Aug 2024

Colombo, R.Premadasa Stadium

Sri Lanka

Vs

India

Today @ 2:30 PM

 

2.  OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 (26 JULY 2024 – 11 AUGUST 2024)

In Paris Olympics on Day 6, Shooter Swapnil Kusale clinches third Bronze medal for India; Shuttler Lakshya Sen enters Men's Singles quarterfinal, defeating compatriot HS Prannoy.

 

3.  Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today felicitated six shooters for their impressive performances at the Paris Olympics. During the ceremony, Dr. Mandaviya awarded a cheque of 22.5 Lakh rupees to Sarabjot Singh who secured a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Manu Bhaker.

4.  President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have congratulated Swapnil Kusale on winning a bronze medal at Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Government has announced a cash reward of one crore rupees for Swapnil Kusale.