1. TOKYO PARALYMPIC GAMES
Sumit Antil set three world records on his way to winning the men’s Javelin Throw F64 gold medal on debut in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
About:
- He dominated the competition with the four best throws by any competitor, finally writing the world record at 68.55m with his fifth attempt.
- India also won a silver and a bronze medal in the F46 Javelin Throw through Devendra Jhajharia (64.35m) and Sundar Singh Gurjar (64.01m) respectively.
- Avani Lekhara, 19-year-old para shooter, made history on Monday by winning the elusive Tokyo Paralympic Games gold.
Source : PIB
2. MAPPING GROUNDWATER SOURCES
Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, mapping groundwater sources by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will help to utilise groundwater for drinking purposes and supplement Prime Minister Modi’s Har Ghar Nal Se Jal Mission.
About:
- CSIR in collaboration National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) have undertaken High Resolution Aquifer Mapping and Management in Arid Regions of North Western India to augment the groundwater resources.
- Heli-borne geophysical mapping technique of CSIR-NGRI provides high resolution 3D image of the sub-surface up to a depth of 500 metres below the ground.
- This technique is cost-effective, precise and is useful to map large areas within a short time to map the vast extent of groundwater resources in arid regions of our country.
- The entire work will be completed by 2025 with more than 1.5 lakh square kilometers of area with an estimated cost of 141 crore rupees.
- The ultimate aim of this project is to map the potential sites for groundwater withdrawal and conservation.
Source : All India Radio
3. RECCE TROOP
One soldier died and more than three dozen had to be hospitalised for heat stroke symptoms after taking part in a Corps Level Recce Troop Competition organised by the Army at the Mamum Military Station near Pathankot a week back.
About:
- The Mamun-based Infantry Division of the Army had organised a recce troop competition in which all armoured and mechanised units of the Corps were taking part.
- The Division falls under Army’s 9 Corps, which is headquartered in Yol, a cantonment town in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
- The competition was being held to judge the skills and fitness of the soldiers who form part of the recce troop in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion.
What is a recce troop?
- Reconnaissance or recce troop is a section level sub unit in every armoured regiment and mechanised infantry battalion of the Army.
- A section means that it comprises approximately one officer and 30 jawans.
- The recce troop is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the unit as well as the higher formations as, in a war, they are supposed to operate ahead of the main unit and keep an eye on the activities of the enemy.
- The recce troop is equipped with light four-wheeled vehicles and also have specialised equipment, which can help keep a tab on the enemy forces in the area.
Source : Indian Express
4. RIGHTS ISSUE
The board of directors of Bharti Airtel has approved the company’s plan to raise up to Rs 21,000 crore by way of a rights issue.
About:
- Under Company Laws, a rights issue is one of the many ways in which a company can raise additional capital when they need it.
- A rights issue gives investors the option, or a right to buy new shares of the company at a discount to the current market price.
- Only existing shareholders of a company can participate in the rights issue. This means that instead of going to the general public at large, only the existing shareholders of the company can buy additional shares in the company if they so wish to.
- Companies also declare a rights entitlement ratio when declaring a rights issue. For example, if a company declares an entitlement ratio of 1:4, it means that for every four shares that a shareholder already has, they can buy one more share in the rights issue.
Source : Indian Express
5. MOHANPUR SUB-STATION
Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs inaugurated the newly constructed 132/33/11 kV Mohanpur Sub-station in Tripura on 27th August, 2021, in presence of Chief Minister of Tripura.
North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP)
- This Sub-station has been constructed by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSU under Ministry of Power, Government of India for Tripura under North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP).
- NERPSIP is a Central sector plan scheme of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, envisioned to drive economic development of the North Eastern region of the country.
- The scheme is being implemented through POWERGRID, for six beneficiary North Eastern states namely, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.
- The main objective of the project is Government of India’s commitment for the total economic development of North Eastern Region and to strengthen the Intra-State Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure in the North East region.
Source : PIB
6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA TRAINING INSTITUTE (GSITI)
Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad, the training and capacity building wing of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines has recently launched its 24x7 website for round-the-clock accessibility of various online training courses on Earth Sciences to its stakeholders.
About:
- With the intent of providing induction-level orientation training to the new incumbents of GSI, the Training Institute was established in 1976.
- Over the last 45 years, GSITI has expanded to nine (09) training sites of GSITI located at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Shillong, Raipur, Zawar (Rajasthan), Chitradurga (Karnataka), and Kuju (Jharkhand).
- Hyderabad Centre, with a full-fledged campus of its own, is designated as headquarters for all other eight centres.
Source : PIB
7. NATIONAL SMALL INDUSTRY DAY
Every year on August 30, the country celebrates National Small Industry Day. On August 30, 2000, a comprehensive policy package for the SSI (Small Scale Industry) sector was launched, providing significant support to small firms in India.
Some of the key reforms introduced by Ministry of MSME are:
- Revision of MSME definition: Government of India approved the upward revision of MSME definition on 1st June 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package. The Government revised the MSME classification by inserting composite criteria of both investment and annual turnover.
- Udyam Registration: Udyam is an online and simplified procedure of filing of registration which enables MSMEs to obtain registration without any documentation and fees.
- Champions Portal: It is an ICT based technology system aimed at making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding throughout the business lifecycle. The platform facilitates a single window solution for all needs of MSMEs.
- National SC-ST Hub (NSSH): National SC-ST Hub has been launched to promote entrepreneurship culture in the SC-ST community and fulfill the 4% procurement target mentioned in the Public Procurement Policy order, 2018.
- Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund: The scheme is expected to facilitate equity financing of Rs.50,000 crore in the MSME Sector. The infusion of equity will provide an opportunity to get MSMEs listed in stock exchanges.
- Procurement Policy: For providing marketing support to MSEs, all Central Ministries/Government Departments and CPSEs are required to procure 25% of their annual requirements of goods and services from MSEs including 4% from MSEs owned by SC/ST and 3% from MSEs owned by women entrepreneurs under the Public Procurement Policy.
- Establishment of Enterprise Development Centers (EDCs): Till date Ministry of MSME has set up 102 EDCs across India. The aim of these centers is to build a network of entrepreneurial leaders by providing professional mentoring and handholding support services to existing as well as aspiring MSMEs with special focus on rural enterprises on continuous basis.
Source : PIB
8. LADDU DISTRIBUTION SCHEME
Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah launched nutritious a ‘Laddu Distribution Scheme’ for pregnant women in his Parliamentary constituency Gandhinagar.
About:
- Around 7,000 pregnant womenin Gandhinagar area will be provided 15 nutritious laddu each, free of cost, till birth of their child, through NGOs
- There will be no expenditure by the Government, as the responsibility for this will be borne by the NGOs.
Source : The Hindu
9. BUDDHADEB GUHA
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the passing away of eminent writer, Shri Buddhadeb Guha.
About:
- Buddhadeb Guha (29 June 1936 – 29 August 2021) was an Indian writer of fiction in Bengali language.
- His early life is depicted in his Rivu series. Some of the Rivu books are dedicated to friends from his youth.
- He was also the creator of Rijuda, an imaginary character who explores jungles with his sidekick Rudra. The jungles that he wrote about were mainly in Eastern India.
- Guha received Ananda Puraskar in 1976.
Source : The Hindu
10. ONLINE GAMING ADDICTION
Chinese regulators slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an hour of gameplay on Fridays, weekends and holidays, in response to growing concern over gaming addiction.
About:
- The rules, published by the National Press and Publication Administration, said users under the age of 18 will only be able to play games from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time on those days.
- Online gaming companies will be barred from providing gaming services to them in any form outside those hours and need to ensure they have put real name verification systems in place, said the regulator, which oversees the country's video games market.
- Previously, China limited the total length of time minors could access online games to three hours on holiday or 1.5 hours on other days.
- The National Press and Publication Administration also told Xinhua it would increase the frequency and intensity of inspections for online gaming companies to ensure they were putting in place time limits and anti-addiction systems.
Source : The Hindu