Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 August 2023

Topic: International News

1. 5th meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Trade Sub-Commission (JTSC) held in New Delhi.

• It was organized on 7th-8th August 2023 in Vanijya Bhavan, New Delhi.
• This meeting was held after a gap of more than four years. The 4th JTSC meeting was held in January 2019.
• Both sides reviewed the progress on bilateral trade and economic cooperation. They also discussed ways to unlock the vast untapped potential of bilateral trade.
• Both sides identified potential sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, textiles, footwear, pharmaceuticals, and the automobile industry.
• The Indian side highlighted the potential in service sector cooperation and suggested cooperation in IT, financial services, education sector, tourism, etc.
• Both sides also discussed logistics challenges affecting bilateral trade.
• Vietnam is the 23rd largest global trade partner of India. It is the 5th largest partner of India among ASEAN countries.
• India mainly imports iron & steel and agricultural and animal products, cereals and marine products to Vietnam.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

2. Filmmaker Siddique passed away.

• He mainly worked in Malayalam cinema.
• His journey in the world of Malayalam cinema started with his directorial debut, “Ramji Rao Speaking”.
• He along with his friend Lal created some of the Malayalam film Industry’s biggest comedy blockbusters.
• He also directed films in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

3. Aditi Swami has become the first Indian to win an individual World Title at Word Archery Championships.

• Aditi Swami won the Title at the World Archery Championships final in Berlin.
• Aditi became the senior world champion when she defeated Andrea Becerra of Mexico.
• With this win, she became the first Indian world champion in an individual event at the Senior World Championships.
• India's Ojas Deotale defeated Lukasz Przybylski of Poland in a final to become the new world champion in Men’s individual compound event.
• On 04 August 2023, Aditi Swami, Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha Vennam won India’s first-ever gold at World Archery Championships by winning the compound women’s team final.
• India came up in first place in among the highest medal winners at the 2023 World Archery Championships. It won 3 gold medals and 1 bronze medal.
• South Korea came in second place with a total of three medals. Host Germany came in third place with 2 medals.
• World Archery Championships are a series of competitions in Archery. They are organised by the World Archery Federation.
• The 2023 World Archery Championships was organized from 31 July to 6 August 2023 in Berlin, Germany.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

4. International Whaling Commission (IWC) has issued an extinction alert for Mexico's threatened vaquita porpoise.

• Its population is estimated to have declined to less than a dozen.
• The critically endangered vaquita is the world's smallest porpoise.
• It is native to Mexico's Gulf of California. It is at risk by illegal gill net fishing for an endangered fish known as the totoaba.
• The bladder of totoaba is highly valued in Asia.
• In a report, IWC's scientific committee highlighted an 83% drop in the vaquita's population between 2015 and 2018.
• International Whaling Commission is an international organisation. It was founded in December 1946. It is headquartered in Impington, United Kingdom.
• The vaquita is a species of porpoise. It is endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California in Baja California, Mexico. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
• It is the smallest of all living cetaceans. Cetaceans include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Topic: Sports

5. India won 26 medals including 11 gold, five silver, and 10 bronze in the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China.

• The World University Games was the 31st edition of the biennial multi-sport event held in China's sixth-largest city.
• India finished seventh in the medal tally.
• China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea ranked first, second, and third with 178, 93, and 58 medals, respectively.
• This multi-sport meet was conducted from July 28 to August 8.
• The 2021 edition was postponed due to COVID-19.
• Indian teams competed in archery, athletics, badminton, fencing, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and volleyball.
• In the previous edition in Naples 2019, Japan was the top-performing nation by topping the table with 82 medals.
• The FISU World University Games is an international multi-sport event organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) for university athletes.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

6. Russia will launch its first moon lander Luna-25 on 11 August.

• The Luna-25 mission will take off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which is a Russian spaceport.
• It is part of an international race to explore the Moon's South Pole. It is a region believed to contain significant amounts of ice that could potentially support human habitation in the future.
• This launch has been planned just four weeks after India sent its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander into space.
• Despite the close timing, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has assured that there will be no interference between the two missions as they have different landing zones planned.
• The Luna-25 spacecraft is weighing 1.8 tonnes and carries 31 kg of scientific equipment.
• It will spend five to seven days in lunar orbit before landing at one of three possible landing sites near the South Pole.
• Its primary task will be to collect rock samples from depths of up to 15 cm to test for the presence of frozen water.
• The launch of Luna-25 is an important milestone for Russia, which has restarted its lunar exploration program after a gap of nearly 50 years.

Topic: Indian Polity

7. Parliament passed National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill 2023 and National Dental Commission Bill 2023.

• Rajya Sabha had approved the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill 2023 on 08 August 2023. It was already passed by Lok Sabha.
• It provides for the maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals.
• It provides for the constitution of the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission.
• National Nursing and Midwifery Commission will consist of 29 members.
• Every state government, according to the Bill, shall establish a State Nursing and Midwifery Commission if no such commission exists under state law.
• The central government will set up the Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Council.
• The Chairperson of the National Commission will be the Chairperson of the Council.
• The Lok Sabha had already passed the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
• It is intended to regulate the profession of dentistry in the country. It is also intended to provide quality and affordable dental education.
• It repeals the Dentists Act, 1948. It constitutes the National Dental Commission and the Dental Advisory Council.
• It also constitutes three autonomous Boards for regulating dental education and standards of dentistry.
• According to the bill, the central government will constitute a National Dental Commission.
• National Dental Commission will consist of 33 members. It will be chaired by an eminent and experienced dentist.
• As per the bill, state governments shall constitute State Dental Councils within one year of the enactment of the Act.
• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said the number of MBBS seats in the country has crossed 1,07,000 mark, which were 54,000 seats before 2014.
• He said the medical colleges have also increased from 350 to 704.

Topic: National News

8. Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign launched on 09 August 2023.

• It is a nationwide campaign to pay tribute to the bravehearts who laid down their lives for the country.
• It will continue till 30 August 2023. As part of the campaign, programmes will be held at national, state, village and block levels as well as local urban bodies.
• It will feature programmes like the establishment of memorial plaques or Shilaphalakams dedicated to freedom fighters and security forces.
• It will also feature initiatives like Panch Pran Pledge, Vasudha Vandan, and Veeron ka Vandan.
• Under the campaign, Shilaphalakam or memorial plaques saluting the spirit of sacrifice of local bravehearts from the village, panchayat, block, town, city, and municipality are to be erected across urban and rural areas.
• As part of the campaign, an 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' will also be conducted, carrying soil from all corners of the country in 7,500 kalash to create an 'Amrit Vatika' in Delhi.
• The campaign is the concluding event of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav which started on 12th March, 2021.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

9. Defence Ministry will replace Microsoft OS in all computers with locally built Maya OS.

• Defence Ministry has decided to replace the Microsoft Operating System (OS) in all computers connected to the Internet with a new Maya Operating System (OS).
• Maya Operating System (OS) based on open-source Ubuntu has been developed indigenously.
• Maya has the interface and all functionality like Windows and the users will not feel much difference.
• The main objective of replacing the Microsoft Operating System (OS) is to protect from increasing cyber and malware attacks on defence as well as the critical infrastructure of India.
• Maya Operating System will be installed on computers connected to the Internet in South Block before August 15.
• It will be currently installed only in Defence Ministry systems. The Navy had already approved it and the Army and the Air Force are evaluating it.
• Maya has been developed by government agencies within six months. Maya would prevent malware attacks and other cyberattacks.

Topic: National News

10. CBI Academy joined Interpol Global Academy Network.

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Academy becomes the 10th member of the Interpol Global Academy Network.
• It will help in the development and delivery of joint training programmes and research projects.
• The CBI Academy is located in Ghaziabad. It is a premier training institution in the fields of crime investigation, prosecution and vigilance functioning.
• DIG (Training) Mohit Gupta of the CBI Academy signed a letter of acceptance with his counterpart in a virtual ceremony.
• The letter of acceptance has been signed after detailed deliberations with Interpol in consultation with the Union Home Ministry, External Affairs Ministry and the Department of Personnel and Training.
• Interpol Global Academy Network's aim is to support Interpol in leading a global approach to Law Enforcement Training. It was launched in 2019.
• CBI is the nodal body for all matters related to Interpol. It conducts several international training programmes through its academy.
• Previously, CBI has conducted several training programs with foreign agencies like US Homeland, French Embassy, FBI, NCCU UK, NCA UK, etc.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

11. Scientists have found a new species of plant-eating dinosaur in Jaisalmer's fossils.

• Scientists from IIT-Roorkee and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the oldest fossil remains of a long-necked, plant-eating dacryosaurid dinosaur in Jaisalmer.
• This shows that India was a major center of dinosaur evolution.
• The study, published in 'Scientific Reports', an international journal by the publishers of Nature, showed that the remains are 167 million years old and belong to a new species, hitherto unknown to scientists.
• It has been named 'Tharosaurus indicus', with the Tharo referring to the 'Thar Desert' where the fossils were found, and the second referring to its country of origin.
• According to scientists, fossils of dacryosaurid dinosaurs have previously been found in North and South America, Africa, and China, but such fossils were not known in India.
• GSI initiated a systematic fossil exploration and excavation program in 2018 in the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan in the Middle Jurassic rocks that led to the discovery.

Topic: Important Days

12. August Kranti Day (Quit India Day): 8 August

• Every year on 8 August, August Kranti Day (Quit India Day) is observed to celebrate the anniversary of the Quit India movement.
• This year marked the 81st anniversary of the Quit India movement.
• On August 8, 1942, the Quit India Movement began. On this day, Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan of “Do or Die”.
• Quit India movement was started from Gawalia Tank in Mumbai. British arrested the main leaders of the movement, but the movement continued. There was violence during the movement.
• During the movement, parallel governments were formed at places such as Balia in UP, Tamulak in Bengal, Satara in Maharashtra, and Talchar in Orissa.
• About 1,00,000 people were imprisoned and about 1,000 people were killed during the movement.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

13. 132^nd edition of the Durand Cup has been inaugurated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

• The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup started in Kokrajhar, Assam on August 05, 2023.
• The tournament is being organised by the Armed Forces and supported by the Government of Assam.
• The main attractions of the opening ceremony included a flypast by Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft and Mi-17 helicopter, martial displays, Gatka and Bhangra dance.
• The opening match of the tournament was played between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC.
• A total of 24 teams, including two foreign teams from Nepal and Bangladesh, are participating in the tournament.
• The matches will be played in Kolkata, Guwahati and Kokrajhar.
• Durand Cup:
  • It is an annual domestic football tournament.
  • It was first held in 1888 in Shimla and is the oldest existing club football tournament in Asia.
  • It has been named after its founder, Sir Henry Mortimer Durand.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

14. Union Minister Piyush Goyal participated in the 7th BRICS Industry Ministers’ meeting.

• The 7th BRICS Industry Ministers’ meeting was hosted virtually by South Africa.
• Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India will launch the BRICS Startup Forum in 2023.
• The main aim of the forum will be collaborating and sharing best practices among startups, investors, incubators, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• He also said that India can help other BRICS members and other international communities in developing the startup ecosystem.
• The Industry Ministers of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa also attended the meeting.
• A joint Declaration was also adopted during the meeting.
• The Ministers re-emphasized the need for digitalization, industrialization, innovation, inclusiveness, and investment among BRICS countries.
• They also affirmed their commitment to deepen industrial cooperation and expedite the recovery and growth of the Industrial Economy by jointly creating an open, fair, vibrant, resilient and non-discriminatory environment.
• The Ministers also emphasized the need for creating market opportunities within the BRICS countries for inclusive growth of projects owned/managed by women, youth and disadvantaged groups.

(Source: PIB)