Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2021

Notes:
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has notified about a New Central Sector Scheme for industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir with an amount of Rs. 28,400 crore. This scheme is applicable for any eligible industrial (manufacturing) entity or eligible service sector enterprise other than those run departmentally by Government.

Notes:
Chief of Staff of US Army General James C McConville is on a two-day visit to India. On 4th August, 2021, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the South Block. General McConville called on Army Chief General M. M. Naravane and discussed issues of mutual interest.

Notes:
As part of one year celebration of transformative reforms under the government’s National Education Policy, 2020, the Government of India is organising a series of theme-based webinars on different aspects of National Education Policy, 2020. Indian Knowledge System, Language, Arts & Culture being one of the innovative thrust areas of NEP, Indian Knowledge System at AICTE under Ministry of Education organised a National Webinar on Transforming Education in the Light of Indian Knowledge System, Language, Arts & Culture. Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Employment Shri, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Notes:
Khel Ratna Award, which is India’s highest sporting honour, and was named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was on 6th August, 2021 rechristened in the honour of hockey legend Dhyan Chand. The award will now be called as ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’. Goal is the title of the autobiography of Major Dhyan Chand.

Notes:
On 7th August, 2021 navies of India and UAE conducted exercise ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ off the coast of Abu Dhabi. INS Kochi, with two integral Sea King MK 42B helicopters, deployed in the Persian Gulf, participated in the exercise. UAE participated with UAES AL – Dhafra, a Baynunah class guided missile corvette and one AS – 565B Panther helicopter. As part of the exercise, the ships undertook tactical manoeuvres, Over the Horizon Targeting, Search and Rescue and Electronic Warfare exercises to enhance interoperability and synergy between the two navies. Helicopters were extensively used all through the exercise ranging from Search and Rescue serial to passing of targeting data to ships for simulated missile engagement drills.

Notes:
Indian Bank has partnered with NSRCEL (N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning), the entrepreneurship Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) to provide funding for identified start-ups under Indian Bank’s ‘Ind Spring Board’ Scheme. In the year 2020, Indian Bank had launched ‘IND Spring Board’ in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Madras Incubation Cell to provide a credit facility of Rs 50 crore to Start-Ups.

Notes:
The Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate than other oceans, the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated, with scientists warning that India will witness increased heat waves and flooding, which will be the irreversible effects of climate change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”, said the warming of the ocean will lead to a rise in sea levels, which will contribute to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-level areas. The report also observed that it is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change, making extreme climate events, including heat waves, heavy rainfall and droughts, more frequent and severe.

Notes:
Nethra Kumanan is an Indian sailor. She won Bronze medal in World Cup sailing in Miami in 2020. She is the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for Olympics. In January, 2020, Nethra Kumanan became the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal at the Sailing World Cup. Kumanan competed in this year’s Tokyo Olympics in the laser radial class of sailing. The laser radial is a small boat, just big enough to carry one person, who has to navigate the boat.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami has appointed Vandana Katariya, Indian Women’s Team Hockey Player, as the Brand Ambassador of the State’s Department of Women Empowerment & Child Development. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she became the 1st Indian Woman to score an Olympic hat-trick in hockey. The Uttarakhand Government had also announced a cash reward of INR 25 Lakh to Vandana Kataria for her performance at the Tokyo Olympics.