Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 August 2024

Topic: National News

1. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav launched 25 challenges under the ‘Create in India Challenge-Season 1’.

• For the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav launched 25 challenges under the ' Create in India Challenge--Season 1'.
• These challenges cover different disciplines including animation, filmmaking, gaming, music and visual arts.
• These challenges are being hosted by industry associations as well as organisations.
• Some challenges include the Anime Challenge by the Media and Entertainment Association of India, the Comics Creator Championship by the Indian Comics Association, etc.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that a new creator’s economy has been created and recognized by the Prime Minister of India.
• The first-ever national Creators Awards were presented by in March 2024.
• The draft Broadcasting Bill 2024 has included social media accounts and online video creators alongside OTT content and digital news.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. In July, India surpassed China to become the world's largest importer of Russian oil.

• July saw a record import of 2.07 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude. This accounted for 44% of India's total imports.
• This is a 4.2% increase from June and a 12% increase from the same month last year.
• That was more than China's 1.76 million barrels per day of oil imports from Russia through pipelines and shipments in July.
• Since Russia started its war against Ukraine in February 2022, India's trade with Russia has grown, mainly as a result of imports of oil and fertiliser.
• Last month, Iraq remained India's second-largest oil supplier, followed by Saudi Arabia and UAE.
• India's crude purchases from Middle East increased by 4% in July, bringing the region's share in India’s overall mix to 40% from 38% in June.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

3. According to the latest Food & Drink 2024 report, Amul has been ranked as the strongest food brand in the world.

• Previous year, Amul was ranked at the second position. Amul is already ranked number one dairy brand in the world.
• According to the report, Amul has a brand strength index of 91 out of 100. It has an AAA+ rating, as per the report.
• As per the report, Amul’s brand value increased 11% to $3.3 billion.
• Brand Finance has published the annual report on the most valuable and strongest food, dairy & non-alcoholic drinks brands.
• Brand Finance is world’s leading brand consultancy.
• Amul has strongly performed in familiarity, consideration, and recommendation metrics.
• Amul’s brand value grew 11% over 2023. It now stands at $3.3 billion in the 2024 ranking.
• At $20.8 billion, Nestlé continues to be the most valuable food brand in the world.
• With a $12 billion valuation, Lay's has reached to the second spot.
• In the market for non-alcoholic drinks, Coca-Cola is the global leader, with Pepsi coming in second.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

4. National Conclave: Sangathan Swasthya Samriddhi has been launched by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi.

• The focus of conclave is on women’s collectives’ action on Food, Nutrition, Health & WASH (FNHW).
• The conclave is being attended by women, including self-help groups, from across the country.
• The Ministry of Rural Development under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), successfully carried out the National Conclave on FNHW.
• Additional Secretary, MoRD explained the three core words of the National Conclave.
  • Sangathan which represents the collective spirit and dedication of 10 crore women in 91 lakh SHGs;
  • Samridhi, i.e., economic transformation which will be unleashed through the attainment of 3 crore Lakhpati Didis target
  • Swasthya, i.e., health which is the link between Sangathan & Samridhi
• Key government Ministries and Departments including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Panchayati Raj took part in the conclave.
• Representatives from of State Rural Livelihoods Mission, community institutions international organisations and Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners also participated in the conclave.

Topic: National News

5. Guidelines for seaplane operations under RCS-UDAN issued by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on 22 August in New Delhi.

• The guidelines prioritise the safety of seaplane operations and clearly outline the responsibilities of each stakeholder, from operators to regulatory bodies.
• These guidelines will integrate seaplane operations into India's aviation landscape for transportation, and also drive employment creation and economic empowerment.
• These guidelines ensure seamless and efficient seaplane operations across the country.
• The guidelines are aimed at connecting remote areas of the country and making travel more accessible to all.
• The Union Civil Aviation Minister said that after the success of RCS-UDAN, the Government is considering proposing RCS-UDAN 2.0 for the next 10 years.
• The incorporation of seaplanes into the existing aviation system will provide last-mile connectivity to regions that have remained isolated due to geographical challenges.
• This new mode of transport will provide faster and more comfortable travel in these areas, and will also open new avenues for economic growth, especially in the tourism sector.

Topic: MoUs/Agreement

6. Supply Security Agreement signed by India and the United States.

• India and the United States have signed a bilateral, non-binding Supply Security Arrangement (SOSA).
• It will enable the two countries to obtain essential industrial resources from each other to resolve unforeseen supply chain disruptions to meet national security requirements.
• On August 22, the agreement was signed by Vic Ramdas, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, on behalf of the US Department of Defense, and Sameer Kumar, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Defence.
• Through SOSA, the US and India have agreed to provide reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defense.
• This arrangement will enable both countries to obtain required industrial resources from each other to resolve unforeseen supply chain disruptions to meet national security requirements.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

7. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal launched skilling program at Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

• The Minister also inaugurated beautification and rejuvenation projects in the vicinity of Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
• He further inaugurated three significant water bodies aimed at enhancing the ecological balance in the region.
• Letters of Intent for the recently e-auctioned Phase 7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, JNPA, Special Economic Zone were issued by the minister to the concessionaires.
• In the presence of Minister, two key Memoranda of Understanding were signed.
• The first MoU was between JNPA, Vadhvan Port, and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
• This MoU was for loan disbursement to support various infrastructure projects.
• Another MoU was between Gateway Terminals India and JNPA. This MoU was for implementing shore power supply for vessels.
• Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Vadhvan Skilling Program’s WhatsApp ChatBot. This has been developed by JNPA.
• This tool is designed to provide information about Vadhvan Port and facilitate access to skilling programs.
• Vadhvan Port is a proposed deep sea port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra.

Topic: International News

8. Beginning on October 1, Sri Lanka will grant free visa access to 35 nations, including India.

• 34 other countries are included in the list in addition to India.
• The United States, United Kingdom, China, Israel, New Zealand, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and Australia are a few of the well-known countries.
• On September 21, Sri Lankans will cast ballots to choose a new president.
• Following the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe took office as Sri Lanka's eighth President in July 2022.
• In July, he declared his candidature for the presidential elections.
• But the largest party in parliament, SLPP, chose not to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
• Instead, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) nominated a candidate of their own.

Topic: State News/Karnataka

9. Karnataka has the highest number of public electric vehicle charging stations (PEVCS) in India.

• As per a recent report by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Karnataka has the highest number of public electric vehicle charging stations (PEVCS) in India.
• There are 5,765 PEVCS in Karnataka, of which 4,462 are in Bengaluru Urban.
• The energy department is working to develop model EV cities across Karnataka.
• Karnataka was the first state to introduce EV policy in 2017.
• The charging stations have been funded through the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme and other sources.
• The state government proposed the establishment of nearly 2,500 new EV charging stations across the state in the 2024 budget.
• The government is also planning to invest Rs 35 crore in setting up 100 charging centres.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

10. President Droupadi Murmu presented the first Vigyan Ratna Puraskar to Govindrajan Padmanabhan.

• President Droupadi Murmu conferred the first-ever Vigyan Ratna Puraskar on noted biochemist and former director of the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science Govindrajan Padmanabhan.
• Vigyan Ratna Puraskar is India’s top science award.
• The Vigyan Ratna Award is presented to scientists who have made lifetime contributions in any field of Science and Technology.
• President also conferred 13 Vigyan Shri Puraskar, 18 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes and one Vigyan Team award.
• Vigyan Shri Awards are presented to scientists for their path-breaking research in their respective domains.
• The Vigyan Team Award has been presented to a team of three or more scientists for making groundbreaking research contributions.
• It has been presented to the Chandrayaan-3 team for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the south pole of the moon.

Topic: Important Day

11. National Space Day 2024: August 23

• The first National Space Day was celebrated in India on August 23, 2024.
• On August 23, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission completed the safe and soft landing of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface.
• President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the main function, which was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
• The theme of National Space Day 2024 is "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga."
• More than a thousand events were organised across the country in the last one month to celebrate National Space Day.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon and ISRO Robotics Challenge were organised as part of the celebrations.
• Bengaluru-based Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium organised a series of events to celebrate National Space Day to commemorate India's soft landing of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander on the Moon's south polar region.
• On this occasion, painting, pick and speak, JigSaw puzzle and walk in quiz were also organised for children.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: India and its Neighbor

12. Nepal will export 251 MW additional hydropower to India from 12 new projects.

• Export of additional 251 MW power from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal was approved by India's designated authority for cross-border trade.
• For the first time, Nepal will export electricity to Bihar through a medium-term power sales agreement.
• With this approval, the total sanctioned quantity has increased from 690 MW from 16 projects to 941 MW from 28 projects.
• Even before the approval of this 251 MW, Nepal had become a net exporter of electricity, earning net revenue of 16.93 billion Nepalese rupees by selling electricity in the last financial year.
• In October 2021, for the first time, India approved the export of 39 MW of electricity from Nepal. In less than three years, this figure has increased more than 24 times.
• Nepal Electricity Authority has also signed medium term power sales agreements with distribution companies of Haryana and Bihar.
• The long-term power agreement between India and Nepal envisages sale of up to 10,000 MW of power from Nepal to India over the next 10 years.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

13. Paytm has decided to sell the entertainment ticketing business to Zomato.

• Zomato will acquire movie and event ticketing businesses from Paytm worth Rs 2,048 crore.
• Paytm says it will strengthen its focus on core payments and financial service distribution.
• The transfer will also include 280 existing employees from the entertainment ticketing business at the company.
• Paytm built movie ticketing and acquired TicketNew and Insider for Rs 268 crores between 2017 and 2018.
• This is the second-largest acquisition by Zomato after the acquisition of Blinkit in 2021.

Topic: Personality in News

14. Former CSIR chief Girish Sahni passed away at the age of 68.

• Dr. Sahni was famous for his research on the formation and alleviation of blood clots and ‘clot buster’ drugs.
• He had developed clot-specific streptokinase, which is a drug whose licensing rights were sold to Nostrum Pharmaceuticals.
• He also led a team that developed India’s first indigenous clot-bluster drug, named ‘STPase’ by Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
• His term as CSIR director-general ended in August 2018.
• He was also a recipient of the National Biotechnology Product Development Award (2002).