Daily Current Affairs Highlights and Quiz | 29 August 2023

Here is a comprehensive roundup of the most important current affairs from around the world on 29th August 2023, covering national and international affairs, banking and finance, appointments and resignations, science and technology, sports, obituaries, and state news.

National Affairs

MoD Signs to Acquire Five Indigenously Built FSS from HSL Worth 19,000 Crore

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, for the acquisition of five indigenously built Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy worth 19,000 crore (approximately). The FSS will be built with a length of 225 meters and a width of 32 meters and will have a displacement of 44,000 tonnes. They will be deployed for restocking ships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition, and stores. These ships can also be deployed for evacuation of people and human assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

Ministry of Jal Shakti Releases Report on 6th Census on Minor Irrigation Schemes

On 26th August 2023, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources (WR), River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) released the All India (volume-I) and State-wise (Volume-II) report on the 6th census on Minor Irrigation (MI) schemes. This report will be useful for planners, researcher scholars, agricultural and groundwater scientists, and all concerned with the development of irrigation and the agricultural economy of India.

International Affairs

Highlights of PM Narendra Modi visit to SA for 15th BRICS Summit; BRICS officially expands from 5 to 11 members

The Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, visited Johannesburg, South Africa (SA), from August 22-24, 2023, to attend the 3-day annual 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit 2023 at the invitation of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of SA. The event reviewed the ongoing initiatives and the identification of future prospects. During the summit, a loan agreement was inked between the BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) for the implementation of phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).

Overview of PM Modi Visit to Greece: Modi Honoured with Greece’s Grand Cross of the Order of Honour

Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, embarked on a one-day visit to Greece on 25th August 2023 at the invitation of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister (PM) of Greece. PM Modi’s visit to Greece marks the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Greece in 40 years. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece, honored PM Narendra Modi with The Grand Cross of the Order of Honour.

Science & Technology

Ex BRIGHT STAR-23: Maiden Multilateral Exercise of IAF Held in Egypt from August 27 to September 16, 2023

The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent participated in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23, a biennial multilateral tri-service exercise held at Cairo (West) Air Base, Egypt, from August 27 to September 16, 2023. This was the first time that the IAF participated in Ex Bright Star-23. The objective of the exercise was to practice planning and execution of joint operations.

Banking & Finance

DBS Bank Partners with Maptrasco to Complete First eBL Transaction Between India & Singapore

DBS Bank Ltd (formerly known as Development Bank of Singapore Limited) collaborated with Maptrasco (Khaitan International Private Limited – KIPL), a Singapore-based commodities trader, to complete the first “live” transaction of electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) for shipments between Singapore and India. The transaction was implemented under the TradeTrust framework, an initiative by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and supported by Enterprise Singapore.

Yes Bank Partnered with Zaggle to Launch Corporate Credit Card

Yes Bank Ltd launched a co-branded Corporate Credit Card named ‘YES BANK Zaggle Corporate Credit Card’ in partnership with Zaggle, a spend management platform. The card provides a solution by granting businesses direct authority over company expenses, including setting individual spending limits, applying merchant category restrictions, and implementing diverse controls.

Appointments & Resignations

Emmerson Mnangagwa Re-Elected As President for the Second Term

Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, was re-elected for the second and final term of 5 years (2023-28). He belongs to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) political party. He secured 52.6 percent of the vote against his opponent Nelson Chamisa of the political party Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), who secured 44 percent of the votes.

Sports

Kunlavut Vitidsarn Wins Men’s Singles Title at the BWF World Championships 2023

Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and An Se-young of South Korea won the men’s singles and Women’s singles titles, respectively, in the Badminton World Federation(BWF) World Championships 2023. The TotalEnergies Badminton World Federation(BWF) World Championships 2023 was held in Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark, from 21st to 27th August 2023.

Neeraj Chopra Wins Gold Medal in Men’s Javelin Throw at World Athletics Championships 2023

Neeraj Chopra, an Indian professional track and field athlete, won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2023 held in Eugene, Oregon, United States. He won the gold medal with a throw of 89.58 meters.

Obituary

Eminent Indian English Poet Jayanta Mahapatra Passes Away

Eminent Indian English poet Jayanta Mahapatra passed away at the age of 95 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was the first Indian English poet to win the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for his book of poems, “Relationship.” He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2009.

State News

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Launches Expansion of Breakfast Scheme for All Govt School Students

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) MK Stalin launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme for all government school students in the state. The scheme, which was earlier available only for students from classes 1 to 5, will now be extended to students from classes 6 to 12 as well.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Inaugurates India’s First International Women’s Trade Centre

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s first International Women’s Trade Centre (iWTC) in Kozhikode, Kerala. The iWTC, set up under the Gender Park’s Vision 2020, is aimed at accelerating women entrepreneurship and secure gender parity.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Launches ‘Maha Arogya’ Mobile App

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the ‘Maha Arogya’ mobile application. The app, developed by the state health department, aims to provide information about government health schemes, nearest health facilities, and other relevant information to the people of Maharashtra.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Launches ‘One State One e-Code’ Scheme

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launched the ‘One State One e-Code’ scheme. The scheme aims to simplify the process of obtaining various licenses and approvals required for starting and operating businesses in the state.

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Launches ‘YSR Asara’ Scheme

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘YSR Asara’ scheme. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to women self-help groups (SHGs) to enable them to repay their loans.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Launches ‘Duare Sarkar’ Outreach Programme

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the ‘Duare Sarkar’ (Government at the Doorstep) outreach programme. The programme aims to deliver government services to the doorstep of the people of West Bengal.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Launches ‘GARIMA’ Scheme

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘GARIMA’ scheme. The scheme aims to ensure the safety and dignity of core sanitation workers in the state.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Launches ‘Indira Rasoi Yojana’

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the ‘Indira Rasoi Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide nutritious food to the poor and needy people of the state at a subsidized rate.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Launches ‘Mission Shakti’ Campaign

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the ‘Mission Shakti’ campaign. The campaign aims to empower women and ensure their safety and security in the state.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to the farmers of the state.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Launches ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to cattle owners in the state.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to the laborers of the state.

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur Launches ‘Him Suraksha Abhiyan’

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the ‘Him Suraksha Abhiyan’. The campaign aims to create awareness about COVID-19 and other communicable diseases in the state.

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana’

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to the youth of the state to start their own businesses.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Launches ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to the poor and needy families of the state.

Manipur CM N Biren Singh Launches ‘School Fagathansi’ Mission

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched the ‘School Fagathansi’ mission. The mission aims to improve the infrastructure and quality of education in the government schools of the state.

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio Launches ‘Nagaland Career and Development Portal’

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched the ‘Nagaland Career and Development Portal’. The portal aims to provide career guidance and counseling to the youth of the state.

Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to the youth of the state to purchase smartphones.

Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang Launches ‘One Family One Job’ Scheme

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang launched the ‘One Family One Job’ scheme. The scheme aims to provide government jobs to one member of each family in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu Launches ‘Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board’

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched the ‘Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board’. The board aims to conduct examinations and interviews for the recruitment of Group C posts in the state government departments.

Mizoram CM Zoramthanga Launches ‘Solar Power Project’

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga launched the ‘Solar Power Project’. The project aims to harness solar energy for meeting the power requirements of the state.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma Launches ‘Walk to Work’ Campaign

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the ‘Walk to Work’ campaign. The campaign aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce carbon emissions in the state.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant Launches ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa’ Programme

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa’ programme. The programme aims to make the villages of Goa self-reliant and self-sufficient.

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