Daily Current Affairs and GK | 31 August 2023

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. Government has extended deadline for mandatory Aadhaar-based wage payments for MGNREGA till December 31.

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme is still not prepared for Aadhaar-based wage payments.
• The government has decided to extend the mandatory Aadhaar-based wage payments for the MGNREGA scheme till the end of the year.
• This is the fifth time Aadhaar-based wage payment date for MGNREGA has been extended.
• Out of a total 14.33 crore active workers, Aadhaar has been seeded and authenticated for 13.34 crore.
• This means that 81.89% of active workers are eligible for the Aadhaar-based wage payments system (ABPS).
• About 88.51% of women received wage payments through the ABPS.
• Aadhaar-based wage payments use a 12-digit Aadhaar number as their financial address.
• Government is adopting ABPS to curb corruption and weeding out fake beneficiaries.
• However, no worker will be denied work based on the non-availability of Aadhaar number.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA):
• It was passed on 23 August 2005.
• It provides at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household.
• It gives a guarantee of the 'right to work' in rural areas.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

2. India will host the first-ever global AI summit in October.

• First-ever Global India AI 2023 Summit will be hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on October 14 and 15.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) players, researchers, startups, and investors from across the world will participate in the event.
• India assumed the chairmanship of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in 2022.
• Global IndiaAI 2023 Summit will promote local innovation and AI-deployed public infrastructure tools will be showcased.
• This conference will cover many topics including Next Generation Learning and Foundation AI models.
• At the summit, global experts will showcase AI’s applications in healthcare, governance, and next-generation electric vehicles, future AI research trends.
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, said that the main aim is to ensure a collaborative and participatory approach to use AI in governance and transforming lives.
• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is an international initiative to guide the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Topic: Defence

3. The deals signed by the Army for 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators.

• The contracts signed by the Army for the procurement of 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators under Emergency Procurement (EP). It will be delivered in 12 months.
• Currently, the Armed Forces implemented the 4th tranche of EP sanctioned by the Ministry of Defence.
• With an approximate value of ₹250 crore, the long-endurance tether drone systems will be acquired from Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research & Technologies Pvt Ltd.
• Over the past few months, the Army has issued a number of tenders for various drones and technologies, including logistics, payload drones, anti-drone systems, and munitions, among others.
• Noida-based start-up Rafe mPhibr Pvt Ltd also received two separate orders from the Army, for 48 mR-20 logistics drones and 100 quadcopter drones for the armored corps.
• Earlier, the Army had contracted target attack drones with 5-10 kg of explosives from Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt Ltd.
• Under the fourth tranche of the EP, the Army has so far signed 49 contracts worth ₹7,600 crore, and another 34 contracts of similar amount are in the queue.

Topic: State News/ Assam

4. Assam’s Chokuwa rice has received a GI tag.

• The Chokuwa rice, fondly called the "magic rice" of Assam, has recently bagged the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• This recognition highlights the exceptional qualities and historical legacy of rice, making it a culinary gem of the region.
• In 2016, a group called Seuj Satirth of Dimow from Sivsagar submitted an application in order to get the GI tag for Chokuwa rice.
• Magic rice has been the staple food of the soldiers of the powerful Ahom dynasty.
• This unique and healthy rice is cultivated around the Brahmaputra region.
• It is cultivated in many parts of Assam like Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Nagaon, Morigaon.
• Chokuwa rice is basically semi-glutinous winter rice, which is known as Sali rice.
• The sticky variety of rice is classified as bora and chokuwa based on their amylose concentration.
• This can be consumed after soaking rice in cold or lukewarm water.
• This variety of rice is widely used because of its nutritional value and is easy to cook.

Topic: Important Days

5. World Sanskrit Day 2023: 31 August

• Every year, World Sanskrit Day is celebrated on Sawan Purnima, according to the Hindu calendar.
• In the year 2023, the day has been celebrated on 31 August.
• It is celebrated to raise awareness and revive the ancient Sanskrit language.
• In 1969, this day was first celebrated.
• Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language and belongs to the group of Indo-European languages. It is also called Dev Vani i.e. God language.
• Sanskrit is the mother of all Indian languages and it was one of the first languages spoken in India.
• It is believed that the Sanskrit language originated in India 3500 years ago.
• Sanskrit language is divided into two parts which are Vedic and Classical.
• 'Sudharma' is the only Sanskrit newspaper in the world. The Sanskrit language is the second official language of Uttarakhand.

Topic: Art and Culture

6. Sri Lanka hosted its first Karnataka cultural festival on 25 August.

• The International Cultural Council of India organized the festival in collaboration with the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre and the M.E Global Peace Foundation.
• The event featured a mesmerizing lineup of performances including dance, folk songs, multilingual poems, ballet, and captivating puppet shows by over 30 artists from Karnataka.
• The program showcased the Karnataka's heritage, highlighting talented artists like Madhuri Bondre and her troupe.
• The event celebrated cultural diversity and marked an important moment in the shared cultural heritage of India and Sri Lanka.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has signed a MoU with the NSKFDC.

• The purpose of the MoU is to enhance the socio-economic upliftment of Safai Karamcharis.
• The MoU has been signed for the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The partnership also aims to enhance the socio-economic upliftment of Manual Scavengers, Waste Pickers and their dependents.
• NSKFDC will collaborate with the Ministry to ensure the transparent and effective utilization of allocated funds.
• National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC):
  • It is a wholly owned Government of India Undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
  • It was set up on 24th January 1997 as a "Not for Profit" Company. It has been in operation since October, 1997.

Topic: Defence

6. The warship ‘Mahendragiri’ will be launched on 01 September 2023.

• It is being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.
• It is the 7th stealth frigate under Project 17A of the Indian Navy.
• The warship will be launched by the wife of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, Dr Sudesh Dhankar.
• Vice President will be the Chief Guest at the ceremony.
• He will also visit Dharohar- the Heritage Museum of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
• Mahendragiri is a technologically advanced warship.
• On 17 August, President Droupadi Murmu launched Vindhyagiri, the sixth warship of Project 17A.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. NITI Aayog and UNDP signed MoU to accelerate Sustainable Development Goals.

• NITI Aayog and UNDP India signed a MoU for fast-tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The MoU has been signed to formalise a framework of cooperation in different areas including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks.
• The MoU has been signed in the presence of B. V. R. Subrahmanyam CEO, NITI Aayog.
• The MoU has been signed for five years.
• NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for coordinating the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national levels.
• UNDP plays an important role in coordinating efforts to fast-track progress on the SDGs within the UN system.
• UNDP will also provide support for NITI Aayog’s work on women's livelihoods, innovation, and Mission LiFE.

Topic: India and its neighbours

10. China included Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in its new map.

• China has released the 2023 edition of its “standard map”.
• China has included Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region in its official “standard map”.
• In this map, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea have also been included in the Chinese territory.
• China’s Ministry of Natural Resources released the map during the celebration of Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and the National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week.
• The map also included Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
• This map is based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world.
• Earlier this year in April, China released the name of Arunachal Pradesh in Chinese, Tibetan and Pinyin characters.

Topic: State News/ Jammu and Kashmir

11. Bhaderwah Rajma & Ramban Sulai Honey of Jammu and Kashmir have been granted GI tags.

• Bhaderwah Rajma & Ramban Sulai Honey, two world-famous local speciality products of Jammu and Kashmir, get the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
• The process for getting GI Tagging of these products was started by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Jammu.
• Bhaderwah Rajma is mainly cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir. It is also known as Kashmiri Rajma.
• Ramban Sulai Honey is the honey of Sulai produced in Ramban district.
• After the GI tag, only authorized users will have the exclusive rights to use the Geographical Indication of these products.
• It will prevent the unauthorized use of these registered Geographical Indication goods.
• It will also help in the export of the products and promotion of their brands at the international level.
• GI tagging will also promote the economic development of the local people of the Jammu Kashmir region.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

12. Fifth Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Bangladesh held in Dhaka.

• India and Bangladesh organized the fifth Annual Defence Dialogue on 28th August in Dhaka.
• The Annual Defence Dialogue is the highest institutionalised interactive mechanism between India and Bangladesh.
• Both countries have reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation activities. They also expressed satisfaction at the increasing defence cooperation engagements.
• The talks between both countries covered the existing bilateral exercises and they also agreed to increase the complexity of these exercises.
• The Armed Forces of both sides agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in multiple fields and increase engagements for the future of the relations of both countries.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

13. Karnataka government launched the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme.

• Under this scheme, a monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 will be provided to about 1.1 crore women who are heads of their households.
• The Gruha Lakshmi scheme will ensure gender equality and empower women of Karnataka state.
• The "Gruha Lakshmi" scheme is one of the five pre-poll 'guarantees' of the Congress government.
• This scheme will initially cover beneficiaries in Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Kodagu districts. It will also be introduced in other districts.
• The state of Karnataka has allocated a substantial Rs 32,000 crore annually.
• The government has already implemented three of the five 'guarantees' (pre-poll promises).
• Under the Yuva Nidhi (Youth Fund), Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 a month will be provided to the unemployed graduates and diploma holders, respectively. It will be launched in December.

Topic: International News

14. Australia will hold a national referendum on 14 October.

• Australia is all set to hold a landmark national referendum in October.
• The main aim of the referendum is to recognize Australia's Indigenous people in its constitution.
• Around 17 million voters will vote to decide whether to amend the Constitution.
• This historic referendum has been named as "Voice to Parliament".
• If the referendum gets passed it would recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country's constitution.
• It will also establish a permanent body for them to advise on laws that relate to them.
• This referendum will need support from a majority of Australians. For passing the referendum, at least four of six states majority will be required.
•  Australia is the only Commonwealth country that has never signed a treaty with its Indigenous people.
• About 3.2% of Australia's population are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Any constitutional amendment in Australia requires a national referendum. This will be the first referendum since 1999 in Australia.

(Source: News on AIR)