Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2021

Notes:
Avinash Sable finished seventh in 3000m steeplechase event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He took 8 minutes 18.12 seconds (8:18.12s) to finish the race and set a national record by breaking his own record of 8:20.20s  that he set during the Federation Cup in March. He became the first Indian after 1952 to qualify for the Olympics in 3000m steeplechase event.
Avinash Sable belongs to Beed district of Maharashtra.

Notes:
On 1 August 2021, Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Chawla has been appointment as the Director General of Artillery. He takes over the appointment from Lt Gen K Ravi Prasad, PVSM, VSM who completed thirty nine years of distinguished service in the army.
Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Chawla, AVSM is an alumnus of St. Thomas High School and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into a Field Regiment of Artillery in June 1984. He has also served as a Military observer at the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL).

Notes:
A virtual meeting “BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group” was oraganised recently on July 28-29 under the chairmanship of India. It was the 6th meeting of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group.
The main outcome of the meeting was the finalisation of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan containing specific measures for the implementation of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Strategy adopted by BRICS leaders in 2020.
BRICS includes five major emerging economies : Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs. It was founded in 2006.

Notes:
Lyu Xiaojun is the oldest man to win an Olympic gold medal at the age of 37. He won Gold medal at Tokyo Olympics recently. He participated in 81 kilogram category. He belongs to China. Till 2018, he participated in 77 Kg category and was two time Olympic champion and five time world champion in this category. After 2018, he started participating in 81 Kg category as the International Weightlifting Federation recognized this category after 2018.

Notes:
Shri Bhupendra Singh, Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister launched “Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi” public awareness campaign on August 1, 2021. The campaign will end on August 15, 2021.
The main idea behind the initiation of this campaign is to spread awareness about wearing masks as an preventive step towards controlling the spread of Covid-19. Mask Banks will be established under this scheme where people can donate new masks for poor and needy people. Citizens can donate mask or funds with the help of NGOs also.

Notes:
In the month of July, 2021, India has recorded the highest ever monthly merchandise export. The merchandise exports rose to 35.17 billion dollars. According to the provisional data of the commerce industry, there was a healthy growth in the shipment of petroleum, engineering goods and gems and jewellery.
Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS) is notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Notes:
‘Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana’  has been recently launched by Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Under this scheme, Rs. 3000 will be directly transferred into accounts of children who lost  their parents or the earning member of their family during the Covid-19 pandemic. Free education, ration and health facilities will be provided to them till the age of 21.
State Minister Rekha Arya was also present when this scheme/programme was launched.

Notes:
The Eighth Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will be held on 6th August, 2021 and it will be attended by Kiren Rijiju who is the Union Minister of Law & Justice. The Ministers of (Law and) Justice and senior officials/experts from the Ministries of Law & Justice of India, China, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Russian Federation and Uzbekistan will be participating in the Meeting.

Notes:
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the highest motorable road in the world at a height of 19,300 ft at Umlingla Pass in the Eastern Ladakh region. This construction has created a record in high-altitude road construction. BRO has constructed a 52-km long tarmac road through Umlingla Pass, bettering the record of a road which is in Bolivia at 18,953 ft. This newly constructed road by BRO will now connect the important towns in Chumar sector of Eastern Ladakh.

Notes:
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore with the aim to boost export of agricultural and processed food products, especially from the state of Karnataka.  The key areas of cooperation will be developing technologies jointly with APEDA for efficient & precision farming, advance alertness, enhancing quality exports, diversifying the export basket, boosting high-value agri exports, etc.