Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2021

Notes:
Two major projects, developed under Smart City initiative of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), are ready for inauguration in Visakhapatnam. Under the smart city initiative, VMRDA Park (also known as VUDA Park) on Beach Road and Multi Level Car Parking (MLCP) Project at Jagadamba Junction has been completed.

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Noted Dogri author and poet Padma Sachdev died in Mumbai on 4th August, 2021 at the age of 81. She authored many books in Dogri and Hindi, and her poetry collections, including Meri Kavita Mere Geet, won her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. She received the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2001 and was awarded the Kabir Samman for poetry for 2007-08 by the Madhya Pradesh government.

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Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam programme was launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin in Samanapalli village in Krishnagiri on Thursday to deliver essential healthcare at the doorstep of the people. Under this scheme those above 45 years of age and others with infirmities will be screened through routine door-to-door check-ups and detect non-communicable diseases that are also seen to cause sudden mortalities and impact the quality of life. The plan will depend on public health workers, woman health volunteers, physiotherapists and nurses who will provide medical services at the doorstep.

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SBI General Insurance partnered with Manipal Business Solutions, the initiator of SahiPay, to expand its penetration of non-life insurance in rural areas of the country. As SahiPay provides digital and financial services in semi-urban and rural areas, SBI General will leverage this customer base to maximize its non-life penetration rate in rural areas by providing a variety of non-life insurance solutions. . Over 65% of the Indian population lives in rural areas and hence this partnership will let them understand the benefits of the insurance, affordable and technology-based products that this association provides.

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A parliamentary group recommended renegotiating the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan to address the impact of climate change on water supply in the basin and other challenges not covered by the agreement. On 5th August, 2021, the Standing Committee on Water Resources tabled the report before the Lok Sabha. According to the Indus Waters Treaty which was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960, all waters of the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers are allocated to India for unrestricted use. Most of the waters of the western Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers are allocated to Pakistan

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On 7th August, 2021 Wrestler Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the Tokyo Olympics after defeating Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov in the match between losing semi-finalists.

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PV Sindhu became the only female sportsperson from India, to win two successive Olympics medals – silver at Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2020. Over the course of her career, Sindhu has won medals at multiple tournaments including Olympics and on the BWF circuit including gold at the 2019 World Championships. She is the first Indian to become the Badminton World Champion and only the second individual athlete from India to win two consecutive medals at the Olympic Games.

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The Parliament has passed the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to encourage the start-up ecosystem and further boost the ease of doing business. The bill seeks to decriminalise 12 offences under the law and help improve the ease of doing business by amending the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 9, 2021 and Rajya Sabha on August 4. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that with the passage of the bill, criminal offences will be brought down while ease of doing business will go up and partners will have more flexibility.

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Uttar Pradesh government has renamed a landmark freedom movement called “Kakori Train Conspiracy” as “Kakori Train Action” and paid tributes to the revolutionaries who were hanged for robbing a train at Kakori in Uttar Pradesh. Revolutionaries had robbed the train in order to buy weapons in 1925. Freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh were hanged to death on December 19, 1927 for their involvement in Kakori robbery.

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The Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 22 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union) catalyzing investment in research, development and demonstration to make clean energy affordable, attractive and accessible for all. Mission Innovation was launched during 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in November 2015. India, During Phase I played crucial role in MI Activities at global level by participating through DBT, DST and CSIR in eight Innovation Challenges and co-leading three challenges (Smart Grids, Off-Grid access to Electricity and Sustainable Bio fuels). The Ministry of Science and Technology, through Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) have played a key role in developing global Science & Technology partnerships in critical areas including energy, water, health and astronomy.