Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2021

Notes:
The Government of India has approved development of 11 Industrial Corridors with 32 Projects which will be developed in four phases around the country as part of the National Industrial Corridor Programme (NICP). These include:

1. DMIC: Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor
2. CBIC: Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
3. Extension of CBIC to Kochi via Coimbatore
4. AKIC: Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor
5. HNIC: Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor
6. HWIC: Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor
7. HBIC: Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
8. BMIC: Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor
9. VCIC: Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor
10. OEC: Odisha Economic Corridor
11. DNIC: Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor

Notes:
India’s Consumption Expenditure Survey (CES) is conducted by National Sample Survey Office every five years. But, CES data has not been released since 2011-2012. Under this survey there are clear indications that Poverty in India is on rise again. CES was conducted in the year 2017-18 but its data was not made public by the Government. A new CES is likely to be conducted in 2021-22 for which data will be available by end of 2022.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet on 4th August, 2021 approved the continuation of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for school education for another five years. Provision of training of master trainers for Anganwadi workers, incinerator and sanitary pad vending machines in all girls’ hostels, addition of new subjects instead of stream in existing senior secondary schools, holistic progress card for each learner, and upgrade of all Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas up to class 12 are among the initiatives in the revised scheme. Samagra Shiksha Scheme covers the school education from preschool to Class 12.

Notes:
The India-Russia joint military training Exercise INDRA 2021 commenced at Prudboy Ranges, Volgograd on 4th August, 2021 with an opening ceremony that saw the unfurling of the national flags of both the countries. An official release stated that exercise INDRA 2021 will enhance interoperability between the Indian and Russian Armies.

Notes:
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is implementing, through States/Union Territories, “Support to Urban Street Vendors (SUSV)”, as a component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) Scheme. It aims to address the livelihood concerns of the urban street vendors by facilitating access to institutional credit, suitable spaces, social security, etc.

Notes:
Indian Visual Artist & Illustrator Anand Radhakrishnan has won the 2021 Eisner Award for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art). He shared the award with UK based colourist John Pearson for “Blue in Green,” a graphic novel authored by Ram V. Eisner Award is named after graphic novel legend Will Eisner and this award is known as the “Oscar of the comic field” and is presented in 32 categories.

Notes:
India and China have disengaged their troops in the Gogra region located in the Eastern Ladakh. The move comes following the twelfth round of talks held between the Corps Commanders of India and China and was held at Chushul Moldo Meeting Point in Eastern Ladakh on July 31. Since May 2020, the troops in this area have been in a face-off situation. The two sides had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on resolution of the remaining areas related to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas.

Notes:
On 7th August, 2021, Dr. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App. This portal and app has been developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with NeGD, to make skill development schemes accessible to the target groups of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis. From the year 2020-21 the Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Notes:
6th August, 2021 marked the 76th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing. The United States had dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima on 6th August, 1945, destroying the city and killing 1,40,000 people. Three days later USA dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki, killing another 70,000. Japan surrendered on 15th August ending World War II and it’s nearly half-century of aggression in Asia.

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.