Today's News - August3,2024

 TODAY'S NEWS 

1.  President Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurates two-day Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan; Asks Governors to suggest ways for inclusive development of people of Scheduled and Tribal areas.  The conference will cover a wide range of issues that play a critical role in not only shaping the centre-state relations but also promoting welfare schemes for common people.

2.  Union Cabinet has approved 8 important National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects of length nine hundred 36 kilometres at a total cost of 50 thousand 655 Crore rupees to improve logistics efficiency, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity across the country. Union Information Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said. 

3.  To reduce academic pressure on students in Classes 6 to 8, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has proposed 10 ‘bagless days’. These days are meant to encourage hands-on learning and vocational experiences. 

4.  CM of Gujarat,  Bhupendra Patel has announced the creation of the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT), a state-level think tank modelled after the NITI Aayog.

5.  The GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) Division of the Union Ministry of Culture has orchestrated a significant three-day event in New Delhi from August 1-3, 2024.  The ‘State Museum Conclave on the upcoming Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum’ marks a pivotal moment in India’s cultural landscape, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the ambitious project of creating the world’s largest museum in the heart of the nation’s capital.

6.  The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024, introduced by Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu in the Lok Sabha, is a new law meant to replace the old Aircraft Act of 1934. 

7.  More than six thousand stranded pilgrims devotees rescued in Uttarakhand so far; Relief and search operations in full swing in landslide hit areas of Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

8.  President Smt Droupadi Mumru will visit Fiji From Aug 5-7.

9.  Centre has issued a fifth draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days.

10.  Telangana state government on Friday released a job calendar in the Legislative Assembly giving fixed time schedules for issuing job notifications and conducting recruitment exams for the year 2024-25 to fill vacancies across government departments on the lines of UPSC. 

11.  The Telangana state government has introduced a draft bill titled "New Record of Rights (NROR) Bill 2024." to amend the RoR Act to replace Dharani portal with Bhumata portal.

12.  Andhra Pradesh has started generation of hydro-electric power from the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Powerhouse at the rate of 0.5 million units per day, taking nearly 5,500 cusecs of water from the dam.

13.  Mizoram CM Lalduhoma requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to arrange a meeting with Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), an umbrella body of tribal organisations in Manipur, to discuss ways to end the conflict.

14.  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Nitin Gadkari for the approval of the multi-crore Guwahati Ring Road Project.  The 121-km Ring Road has immense strategic importance and ''exemplifies our commitment to decongest and sustainably expand Guwahati. 

LEGAL REPORT 

1.  The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is under investigation for possible unfair practices in giving out land as compensation for taking over private property. The issue became more serious when it was alleged that Parvathi, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, received 14 residential plots in a high-end area. This has raised questions about whether the process was fair and legal.

2.  On August 1, 2024, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgement that reframed the operation of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) quota for the first time since reservations were introduced in the Constitution in 1950.

The court held that any attempts to differentiate within the SC list would essentially amount to altering it, for which the Constitution does not empower states. Article 341 only empowers the President to issue such notifications and Parliament to make additions or deletions to the list. The court also noted that sub-classifying SCs violates the right to equality under Article 14.

3.  Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Friday strongly opposed any move to apply creamy layer criteria to reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, comments coming in the backdrop of a historic Supreme Court verdict on sub-classifications within these communities for wider quota benefits. 

4.  A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused in a case of cheating and forgery. The development came a day after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled the IAS Candidature of Khedkar and permanently debarred her from all future exams and selections. 

5.  The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has busted an illegal telephone exchange in Thane district that could route international calls and make them appear as local calls and arrested a 40-year-old man. 

6.  Officials say Hizbul Terrorist goes Missing From Kashmir on Friday,  

 He  was out on bail. He was involved in a grenade attack at the Jammu bus stand in March 2019.A high alert has been sounded in the Jammu region after Yasir Bhat, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, went missing from his residence. 

7.  A Pune court on Friday granted bail to former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama in an attempt to murder case which was filed after she was seen in a video allegedly brandishing a gun while confronting a group of people over a land dispute.

8.  Rau's IAS Study Circle has offered compensation of Rs 50 lakh each to the families of three UPSC aspirants who died after rainwater gushed inside the institute's basement in Old Rajinder Nagar last week in New Delhi.

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

Himachal cloudbursts: Rescuers, drones join search for 45 missing; 8 dead. Two bodies were found in Mandi's Rajban village and one from Kullu's Nirmand after three cloudbursts in three districts -- Kullu, Mandi and Shimla -- on Wednesday night triggered the flash floods.

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FINANCE 

1.  In July, UPI (Unified Payments Interface)  transactions surpassed Rs 20 lakh crore for the third consecutive month, reaching Rs 20.64 lakh crore. Transaction volume grew by 45% year-on-year, with 14.44 billion transactions. 

2.  In July 2024, India’s GST collections increased by 10.3% to ₹1,82,075 crore, up from ₹1,65,105 crore last year. 

3.  The RBI has reported that 97.92% of ₹2,000 notes have been withdrawn as of 31  July 2024, leaving ₹7,409 crore in circulation.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

1.  Bigg Boss OTT 3 concluded its successful run on August 2. The grand finale showcased a fierce competition between Sana Makbul and rapper Naved Shaikh, also known as Naezy. After a suspenseful wait, Anil Kapoor declared Sana Makbul as the winner of the third season. The actress, who had garnered significant support from the audience, not only won the trophy but also a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh. 

2.  Prabhas's film 'Kalki 2898 AD' is on the verge of exhausting its run at the box office. The film will soon be available to watch on an OTT platform. As per various media reports, the Nag Ashwin-directorial is going to be released on Prime Video on August 23.

DEFENCE 

1.  The Indian Air Force (IAF) is getting ready to host its largest-ever multilateral military exercise called ‘Tarang Shakti,’ planned for August and September 2024. This exercise shows India’s commitment to building strong international defense relationships and military partnerships. 

2.  The Indian Army completed the construction of the crucial 190-foot Bailey bridge from Chooralmala to Munadkkai in record time on Thursday.

Major Sita Shelke, a woman Army engineer, who led a team of 140 jawans that built the crucial Wayanad bridge on Friday said that she is a soldier and does not consider herself only a woman.

3.  The Centre on Friday removed Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Nitin Agrawal and his deputy Special DG (West) YB Khurania and sent them back to their state cadres "with immediate effect", according to a government order. 

4.  Two battalions of the Assam Rifles (AR) will be moved from Manipur to Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terror operations, sources have said. The move is routine as the military works to deploy forces including the AR in the most efficient manner for neutralising terrorists in the Union Territory. 

5.  India Selects Two Astronaut-Designates For Upcoming Axiom-4 Mission To International Space Station : Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair  and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla India has shortlisted two astronaut-designates for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. 

6.  Indian Air Force's Chinook and MI17 helicopters on Friday joined the rescue operations in Uttarakhand to evacuate pilgrims still stranded on the rain-ravaged trek route to Kedarnath. 

✈ INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

1.  Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir City was awarded the prestigious Certificate of World Craft City by the World Crafts Council International. 

2.  India maintained its position as the eighth-largest global exporter of agricultural products in 2023, despite a decrease in exports to $51 billion from $55 billion in 2022.

3.  India International Hospitality Expo 2024, from August 3-6 in Greater Noida, is set to be a major success with over 1000 exhibitors and 20,000+ B2B buyers.

4.  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million loan to improve how solid waste and sanitation are handled in 100 cities across India. This project is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0.

5.  Air India announces suspension of all Flights To and From Tel Aviv until August 8 due to tensions in West Asia region.

6.  Chinese Consul General in Mumbai Kong Xianhua has said his country is ready to work with India to bridge the gap between the people of the two neighbours, recalling the Indian help during the Sino-Japanese war. 

🌎 WORLD NEWS 🌍

1.  US President Joe Biden reaffirms  commitment to Israel's security against all threats from Iran. 

2.  UNICEF has expressed deep concern over the death of at least 32 children as well as many arrests and detentions in last month’s violence in Bangladesh.

3.  In Bangladesh, thousands of demonstrators under the ‘Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’ took to roads and streets in different parts of the country on Friday. In Dhaka, hundreds of students from different educational institutions brought out processions, demanding justice for those who were killed during the recent Quota Reform Movement. They were joined by teachers and cultural activists.

4.  Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed regional developments in West Asia over the phone.

🚣🚴🏇🏊 SPORTS 

1.  1st ODI

Friday, 02 Aug 2024

Colombo, R.Premadasa Stadium

Sri Lanka

SL: 230-8 (50)

Vs

India

IND: 230 (47.5)

Match tied

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

3.  On July 31, 2024, the cricket world lost one of its most respected figures with the death of Coach Anshuman Gaekwad at the age of 71.

4.  Paris Olympics 2024: USA sets new world record in mixed 4x400m relay : The United States broke their own world record in the 4x400 mixed relay in the opening heats at the Olympics on Friday, crossing the line in 3min 07.41seconds