1 Javelin thrower Neeraj wins silver in Paris: Third Indian to win medal in 2 Olympics
Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal for India in the javelin throw event of Paris Olympics . 26-year-old Neeraj threw the javelin 89.45 meters and secured second place. With this, Neeraj became only the third Indian player to win medals in two consecutive Olympics. Before Neeraj, wrestler Sushil Kumar and shuttler PV Sindhu had won medals in two consecutive Olympics. Pakistan ‘s Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal with a new Olympic record in javelin throw . He threw the javelin 92.97 meters . Arshad’s 2 throws were more than 90 meters. Grenada’s Anderson Peters won the bronze medal by throwing the javelin 88.54 meters.
2 Every home tricolor campaign will be run across the country from 9th to 15th August
To promote the spirit of patriotism among the countrymen, Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan will be run across the country from 9 to 15 August . Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat requested the people to hoist the tricolor at their homes and take a selfie with the tricolor and upload it on the Har Ghar Tiranga website. He said that the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan was started in the year 2022 under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
3 Andhra Pradesh scraps 2-child policy for individuals to contest local body elections
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to do away with the two-child norm for contesting local body elections in view of the declining fertility rate in the state . The decision was taken at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on August 7.The state Cabinet approved a proposal to make necessary amendments in the AP Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 and the Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The earlier law barred people with more than two children from contesting elections to local and civic bodies. The government believes the move will help in better demographic management of the declining Telugu population.
4 India’s renewable energy capacity grew 165% in a decade
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that India’s installed renewable energy capacity has increased by 165 percent in the last decade . It has increased from 76.38 gigawatts (GW) in 2014 to 203.1 GW in 2024. Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the demands for grants related to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Joshi said that India now ranks fourth globally in renewable energy capacity. Also, there has been significant progress in solar and wind energy. Pralhad Joshi said in the Upper House that more than Rs 21 thousand crore has been allocated for the new and renewable energy sector in the Union Budget 2024-25. He said that Rs 1 lakh 60 thousand crore has been allocated for renewable energy related schemes like Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar, Pradhan Mantri Kusum and National Green Hydrogen Mission.
5 RBI: Repo rate kept at 6.50 percent for the ninth time, GDP growth rate estimated at 7.2 percent
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das held a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Thursday . In which, giving importance to inflation instead of growth, no change has been made in the policy interest rate repo rate . RBI has maintained the repo rate at 6.50 percent for the ninth consecutive time. Loans will not become expensive and EMI will also not increase. The Reserve Bank last raised the repo rate by 0.25 percent to 6.5 percent in February 2023. Das said that the central bank has retained the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate forecast for the current financial year 2024-25 at 7.2 percent . The estimate of retail inflation rate of 4.5 percent in the current financial year has also been maintained. The interest rate at which RBI gives loans to public, private and commercial sector banks is called repo rate. Consumers get relief when the repo rate is cut, but difficulties increase when the repo rate increases. When the repo rate increases, banks get loans at a higher interest rate, which makes the loan expensive. But when the repo rate decreases, loans become cheaper.
6 Delegated payment facility will start on UPI, you will be able to give the right to make payment from your bank account to another person
RBI has given a big relief to UPI users . The Reserve Bank has increased the limit for making tax payments through UPI from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh . Giving information about the decision taken in the three-day bi-monthly meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Thursday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that UPI has become the most preferred method of payment with its convenient features. He said that MPC has increased the limit of payment through UPI to Rs 5 lakh. At present, the limit of tax payment for UPI is Rs 1 lakh. It is worth mentioning that according to RBI, the user base of UPI has reached 42.4 crores. The proposal to introduce ‘ Delegated Payments ‘ in UPI is expected to increase the reach and use of digital payments across the country. ‘Delegated Payments’ will enable a person (primary user) to allow another person (secondary user) to make UPI transactions up to a limit from the bank account of the primary user.
7 Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapoor takes over as Director General, Hospital Services (Armed Forces)
Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapoor took over as Director General , Hospital Services (Armed Forces) in the office of Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services . The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 27 June 1987. Prior to assuming charge as DGHS (Armed Forces), the Flag Officer served as Command Medical Officer, Western Naval Command. He has also commanded premier hospitals of the Indian Navy, INHS Asvini and INHS Sanjivani.
8 China launches first satellite of constellation to compete with Starlink
China is close to launching its first batch of satellites, aimed at rivalling US company SpaceX ‘s Starlink internet network . State-run Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) has launched the first components on the network, Xinhua reports. SSST’s constellation is codenamed “ Thousand Sails ”. The project, also known as the G60 constellation , was set up last year to establish a Chinese-based global low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet network, a competitor to Starlink. Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary, has a broadband constellation of about 5,500 satellites used by consumers, companies and government agencies.
9 Indian economy expected to grow at 7 to 7.2 percent in the current financial year: Deloitte India
Deloitte India recently said that India’s economy is expected to grow at a rate of seven to 7.2 percent in the current financial year 2024-25 due to strong economic fundamentals and continuation of domestic policy reforms . According to Deloitte’s August India Economic Outlook, several initiatives taken in the Union Budget 2024-25 to improve agricultural productivity, create employment for youth, manufacturing and address the challenge of access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will help improve supply side demand, curb inflation and boost consumer spending, especially in rural areas.
10 Indian Army conducts ‘Mountain Prahar’ exercise in Ladakh
The Indian Army has conducted a strategic military exercise ‘ Parvat Prahar ‘ in Ladakh , which focuses on high-altitude warfare and operations. The exercise is crucial for maintaining the readiness and effectiveness of the army in the region close to the India-China border.
11 India’s first GI-tagged fig juice exported to Poland
Purandar Highlands Farmers Producer Company Limited has achieved a significant milestone by exporting India’s first GI-tagged fig juice to Poland . Earlier, the first commercial consignment of GI-tagged Purandar figs from India was successfully exported to Hong Kong in February 2023. Purandar Highlands has become the first company to export Indian fig juice to the European market and the first company to export commercial quantity of Purandar figs to Hong Kong.
12 Kiren Rijiju introduced Wakf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on August 8. Congress, SP, NCP (Sharad Pawar), AIMIM, TMC, CPI (M), IUML, DMK, RSP opposed this bill . After the amendment bill in the Waqf Act, 1995 is passed , the Waqf Board will not be able to claim any property as its own . Currently, the Waqf has the power to declare any land as its property . If this bill is passed, then verification will have to be done before claiming the land and this will stop the arbitrariness of the board. The reorganization of the board will also increase the participation of women including all sections in the board. Groups like Muslim intellectuals, women, Shia and Bohra have been demanding changes in the existing laws for a long time. When the Babri demolition took place in 1992, the atmosphere of the country deteriorated. After that, the PV Narasimha Rao government formed at the Center made changes in the Waqf Board Act to give a better message to the Muslims. In the year 1995, the powers of the Waqf Board were increased and it was given unlimited powers to acquire land.
13 Indian hockey team won bronze medal in Paris Olympics
The Indian hockey team has won the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics . India defeated Spain 2-1 in a brilliant match thanks to captain Harmanpreet Singh . Harmanpreet scored goals for India in the 30th and 34th minutes and then India’s defense showed strength throughout the match and stopped Spain from scoring. Marc Miralles Portillo scored the only goal for Spain from a penalty stroke. India had also won a bronze medal in the last Tokyo Olympics when it defeated Germany . Earlier , India had won bronze medals twice in a row in Mexico Olympics in 1968 and Munich Olympics in 1972 .
14 Former West Bengal Chief Minister Budhadev Bhattacharya passed away in Kolkata
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya passed away in Kolkata. He was 80 years old and was suffering from many diseases. Buddhadeb is known for the industrial revolution of West Bengal . After he became the Chief Minister, the economy of Bengal improved a lot, a lot of foreign investment came, many new industries and IT companies came. During the industrialization drive, he was working to set up factories in West Bengal. Apart from this, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s government was heavily criticized for the police action against the protesters in Nandigram in East Midnapore . In the year 2022, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was announced to be given Padma Bhushan , but he refused to accept it. He is survived by his wife Meera and daughter Suchetana. In the year 2023, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s daughter Suchetana decided to change her gender.