Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 August 2024

Topic: Committees/Commissions/Taskforces

1. The Indian government has formed a five-member committee to oversee situation on Bangladesh border.

• The committee will assess and monitor the present situation along the India-Bangladesh border.
• The Border Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made the decision.
• Ravi Gandhi, Additional Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command will chair the committee.
• The Inspector General (IG) of BSF Frontier Headquarters South Bengal, the IG of BSF Frontier Headquarters Tripura, a Member from the Planning and Development division of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and the Secretary of LPAI are other members of the committee.
• The committee has the task of maintaining open communication channels with counterparts in Bangladesh to make sure the safety and security of Indian citizens and minority communities in Bangladesh.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

2. Aaranyak has released the ‘HaatiApp’ and a handbook on solar-powered fences.

• These have been released as significant steps towards mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organization based in Guwahati.
• The ‘HaatiApp’ has been developed with support from the SBI Foundation.
• It is a mobile application that serves as an early warning system to notify communities when wild elephants are approaching their areas of habitation.
• It aims to help villagers avoiding possibly hazardous interactions with elephants.
• Additionally, the app will make it easier to request for ex-gratia compensation in situations when damage caused by elephants has occurred.
• Additionally, Aaranyak has created a comprehensive Assamese handbook on solar-powered fences, which are a useful tool for mitigating HEC. 
• This handbook is supported by the Darwin Initiative and the British Asian Trust.
• This handbook offers comprehensive instructions on how to install, maintain, and care for solar fences.
• This handbook is expected to be a useful tool for locals, employees of the forest service, and conservation groups engaged in HEC mitigation initiatives.

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces

3. Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has been established to review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

• A 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
• This committee has 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 members from Rajya Sabha.
• Prominent figures such as AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress MP Imran Masood will be members of this committee.
• The motion to form the JPC was approved by both Houses of Parliament.
• After strong objections from opposition parties, this bill has been sent to a joint parliamentary committee.
• The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will replace the existing Waqf Act of 1995.
• The Joint Parliamentary Committee is expected to submit its report by the end of the first week of the next parliamentary session.

Topic: Indian Polity

4. Second session of the 18th Lok Sabha concluded with the passage of four bills.

• The second session of the 18th Lok Sabha concluded after 15 sittings spanning approximately 115 hours.
• In this session, 12 government bills were introduced, and four were passed. The bills passed are as follows:
  • The Finance Bill, 2024
  • The Appropriation Bill, 2024
  • The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2024
  • The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024
• In this session, 86 starred questions were answered orally, and 400 matters of urgent public importance were raised during the Zero Hour.
• 65 Private Member’s Bills were introduced. A total of 358 matters were taken up under Rule 377.
• A resolution by MP Shafi Parambil for the regulation of airfare was discussed on July 26 but remained inconclusive.
• The House passed the Demands for Grants and the Appropriation Bill on August 5.

Topic: Sports

5. Aman Sehrawat won the bronze medal in the men's 57kg free-style category at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

• Aman Sehrawat won over Darian Toi Cruz of Puerto Rico with a 13-5 score. He is an Indian wrestler from Haryana.
• He was the only Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games.
• He is now youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic medal.
• He won a bronze medal in the 57 kg category at the 2022 Asian Games.
• In April 2023, he won a gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships.
• He won his first National Championship title in 2021.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 scheme has been approved by the Union Cabinet.

• The implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) during Financial Year 2024-25 to 2028-29 has also been approved by the Union Cabinet.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, three crore new houses will be constructed.
• Out of these, two crore houses will be constructed in rural areas and one crore houses will be built in urban areas.
• The budgetary provision on the scheme will be of 3 lakh 6 thousand 137 crore rupees.
• Under PMAY-U 2.0, government would provide financial assistance to one crore urban poor and middle-class families.
• Government will provide assistance through States, Union Territories and Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs).
• The assistance will be to construct, purchase or rent a house at an affordable cost in urban areas in five years.
• Under the scheme, government assistance of 2.30 lakh crore rupees will be provided.
• Under the scheme, there is a provision for working women hostel.
• The scheme has provision of an interest subsidy of 4% to 25 lakh rupees for Home loans in Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Low Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group (MIG) categories.
• Clean Plant Programme (CPP) proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has also been approved by the government.
• Modified Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana for financially supporting Advanced Biofuel Projects that use lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock has also been approved by the cabinet.
• The cabinet has extended the modified scheme for five more years till 2028-29.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

7. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved eight projects of the Ministry of Railways.

• The eight projects worth 24 thousand 657 crore rupees have been approved by the Union Cabinet.
• These projects will cover 14 districts in Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal.
• Aspirational districts and tribal areas will get a major push of development through these projects.
• These projects include the Gunupur-Therubali New Railway Line route and Junagarh-Nabrangpur line, Malkangiri-Pandurangapuram line and Buramara-Chakulia rail route.
• The bikramshila-Katareah rail route will be developed in Bihar while the Jalna-Jalgaon project in Maharashtra will provide connectivity to Ajanta Caves.
• These routes are important for the transportation of commodities such as agricultural products, fertilizer, coal, iron ore, steel and cement.

Topic: International News

8. India to open a consulate in Auckland to strengthen diplomatic ties.

• India will soon open a Consulate in Auckland to further strengthen diplomatic ties with New Zealand.
• Indian diaspora has played a key role in the development of New Zealand.
• As per the 2018 census, there are 2,50,000 members of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand
• Indian-origin people constitute six per cent of New Zealand's population.
• President Droupadi Murmu reached Wellington, New Zealand, on the second leg of her three-nation visit.
• Bilateral relations were established between India and New Zealand in 1952.

Topic: International Appointments

9. Tan Su Shan became the first female CEO of DBS Bank.

• Tan Su Shan will take the place of Chief Executive Piyush Gupta upon his retirement in March.
• She will be the first female CEO of Singapore’s biggest bank.
• Tan Su Shan will serve as the deputy CEO until March.
• Tan’s appointment will also make her the first internal candidate to succeed as CEO.
• DBS Bank is a Singaporean multinational banking corporation. It is headquartered at the Marina Bay Financial Centre in the Marina Bay district of Singapore.
• DBS is the largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets and among the largest banks in Asia.

Topic: Geography

10. Three Indian Ocean structures named Ashoka, Chandragupta and Kalpataru.

• Names for three underwater geological structures located in the Indian Ocean have been proposed by India.
• The Ashoka seamount and the Chandragupt ridge are named after the rulers of the Maurya dynasty.
• The Kalpataru Ridge is the third structure for which the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO have recently approved names proposed by India.
• In total, there are now seven structures in the Indian Ocean named primarily after Indian scientists or proposed by India in this region of the Indian Ocean.
• Recently, all the three named structures were discovered by oceanographers of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.
• These are located in the Southwest Indian Ridge region of the Indian Ocean and were discovered during an international survey exploration programme.
• In 2012, the Russian Sea vessel Akademik Nikolay Strakhov discovered the Ashok Seamount, an oval structure spanning 180 sq km, and discovered the Kalpataru Ridge same year, an elongated feature covering 430 sq km.
• Later, in 2020, vessel MGS Sagar identified the Chandragupta Ridge, an elongated and oval-shaped body with an area of ​​675 square km.

Topic: Government Schemes and Intiatives

11. Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign will be celebrated from 9th to 15th August.

• To bolster the feeling of patriotism among citizens, Har Ghar Tiranga campaign will be celebrated across the country from 9th to 15th August.
• Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat urged people to hoist the tricolour at their homes, take selfies with the tricolour and upload them on the Har Ghar Tiranga website.
• In 2022, Har Ghar Tiranga campaign was started  under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• More than two hundred cultural programs will be organized across the country.
• On 13th August, Tiranga Bike Rally will be organized with Members of Parliament and Minister.

Topic: International News

12. India and Zambia held their 4th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC).

• At the 4th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) of India and Zambia, they decided to boost bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation.
• During the meeting, both sides reviewed many bilateral issues, including institutional mechanisms, scholarships, training and capacity building, and collaboration in higher education.
• They also discussed trade and commercial relations, and cooperation in key sectors such as defence, health, agriculture, mines, mineral resources, and small and medium enterprises.
• Both countries’ delegations express satisfaction with the current state of their bilateral ties.
• Additionally, regional and international issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
• They discussed holding the next FOC in New Delhi.

Topic: National News

13. Ayush Standardisation Department will be established by the BIS.

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will create a new dedicated department for standardising Ayush practices.
• This is announced by the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.
• Its main aim is to enhance the safety, efficacy, and quality of Ayush products.
• This department will cover Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homeopathy.
• The Ayush department will form seven sectional committees, each focusing on a specific system within Ayush.
• Evidence-based standards will be aligned with national and international guidelines.