Current Affairs 10 August 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest  Current Affairs 10 August  2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

13th Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise ‘Ex Vajra Prahar 2022′ commenced at Bakloh, HP

On August 8, 2022, the 13th edition of the India-United States (US) Joint Special Forces exercise ‘Ex Vajra Prahar 2022‘ initiated at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh (HP).
Aim:

• To improve inter-operability between the special forces of both the countries.
• To improve bilateral defence cooperation between India and the US.

Representors:
Indian Army(IA) contingent: It is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS.
US contingent: It is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of the US Special Forces.
Key Points:
i.Ex Vajra Prahar is an annual exercise hosted alternatively between India and the US to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.
ii.The 12th edition of this exercise was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (US) in October 2021.
iii.The 2022 edition s a 21-day long exercise where both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, air borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.
iv.In addition to this exercise, the 18th edition of India-US Army exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ is scheduled to be held in October 2022 in high altitude area in Uttarakhand which falls in the Central sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Central Government’s ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ completes 3 years

i.The Central Government’s scheme of One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) completed 3 years of its operation on August 9, 2019. It is implemented all over the country with Assam being the last state (36th) to join the initiative in June 2022.
ii.It is implemented by Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
iii.ONORC was launched on August 9, 2019 as a pilot project in four states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
iv.It enables NFSA beneficiaries, particularly migrant beneficiaries, to get access to highly subsidized foodgrains under public distribution system, from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in India.
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal (Constituency- Maharashtra)
Ministers of State– Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Constituency- Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh); and Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Constituency- Buxar, Bihar)
>> Read Full News

12th DefExpo-2022 to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat – 18th-22nd October 2022

DefExpo 2022, The 12th edition of India’s prestigious biennial defence exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security System, is set to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between 18th and 22nd October 2022.
DefExpo 2022 which was earlier proposed to be held in March 2022 in Gandhinagar was postponed due to problems related to logistics.

• The expo will be held in a 3 venue format across, Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat; inaugural event & Seminars at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre and Live Demo at Sabarmati River Front.
• This is in line with the vision to achieve self reliance in defence and achieve export of USD 5 billion by 2025.

106 years old Astronomy Lab in Bihar is not on UNESCO’s Endangered heritage list

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced that the 106 years old Astronomical Observatory at Langat Singh College in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar has not been inscribed on UNESCO’s list of endangered heritage.
This announcement was made following several media reports stating that the site was included in UNESCO’s list of endangered heritage

• The first of its kind observatory in the eastern India was established in 1916 to impart astronomical knowledge to the students.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Nepal Approves  India’s Hydropower Board Study and Develop West Seti Project

On 8th August 2022, Nepal approved NHPC Limited (erstwhile National Hydroelectric Power Corporation ), India’s hydropower board to study and develop 750MW West Seti Hydropower Project and 450MW Seti River (SR-6), a total of 6 joint storage projects with a combined capacity of 1,200MW in western Nepal.

• The Nepal Investment Board (NIB), the government body which approves foreign investments, has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHPC for conducting study of the joint development projects.
• The project sites are located at elevations ranging from 550 to 920 metres and are spread across 6 districts with an estimated cost of USD 2.4 billion.
• This decision was made during the 52nd meeting of the NIB held in Kathmandu, Nepal chaired by Nepal Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Highlights:
i.The meeting also decided to organise Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Forum 2022 in September 2022 in Kathmandu for promoting investment in sustainable infrastructure development in Nepal.
ii.Background – The NHPC Limited under India’s Ministry of Power (MoP) had submitted a proposal in May 2022 to develop the West Seti Hydropower Project on the Seti River in the far west of Nepal.

• The proposed dam site is located 82 kilometres upstream of the confluence of the Seti and Katnali rivers which forms the part of Ganga basin.

Other projects:
i.In 2021 the Satlaj Jalavidyut Nigam (SJVN) has signed a MoU with the Nepal government to develop the 679 MW Lower Arun hydropower project with a USD 1.3 billion and is located in the Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts of Eastern Nepal.
ii.The three major Chinese Companies including Sichuan Provincial Investment Group, Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group and Qing Yuan Consulting Company have partnered with Butwal Power Company to develop the Upper Marsyangdi-2 project.

BANKING & FINANCE

IDFC FIRST Bank and LetsVenture Partners to Support Startups

IDFC FIRST Bank Limited and LetsVenture Technologies Private Limited, India’s leading early-stage platform for investors and founders have partnered to support the startup ecosystem by offering curated products and solutions to startups, founders and investors.

• Both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work on areas of mutual interest at LetsVenture’s flagship event, ‘LetsIgnite‘, for startups and founders in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Under this partnership, IDFC FIRST Bank will become a preferred bank for startups on LetsVenture’s Scalix, a newly launched platform that supports the startUp ecosystem through fundraising solutions, knowledge series, and investor connect.

About IDFC FIRST Bank:
i.IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merging erstwhile IDFC Bank, promoted by renowned infrastructure financing institution IDFC Limited and leading technology NBFC, Capital First.
ii.IDFC FIRST Bank offers customised solutions to startUps under its FIRST WINGS program.

• The program provides Zero Balance Startup Current Account with unlimited free Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions and doorstep banking for three years, uniquely designed Working Capital solutions for Pre-Profit startups, Business Credit Cards for Startups with step-up credit, a tailored Founder Success Program and 40 plus Beyond Banking offers from its partners.

iii.The Bank’s special program, Founder Success Program offers knowledge series, masterclasses and networking sessions to engage, groom and connect with startups to contribute towards its development.
About LetsVenture Technology Private Limited:
i.The LetsVenture team has been bridging the gap between startups and investors that supports startup founders in their entrepreneurial journey.
ii.LetsVenture is backed by Accel, Chiratae Ventures, Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Rishad Premji, Mohandas Pai, Sharad Sharma, and Anupam Mittal.
Co-founder & CEO – Shanti Mohan
Establishment – 2013

RBI prescribes norms for Small Finance Banks to deal in Forex

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set norms for the Small Finance Banks (SFBs) to become Authorized Dealer (AD) Category-I in Foreign Exchange (forex) Business. As per the RBI’s norms, SFBs who have completed two years of operations in Authorized Dealer (AD) Category-II and have a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore can deal in foreign exchange.
Key Points:
i.The eligible SFBs can approach Foreign Exchange Department, Central Office, RBI with their applications along with the supporting documents, and requisite for grant of Authorised Dealer Category-I license under Reserve Bank under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
ii.As a Category-I authorized dealer, the small finance bank will be allowed to deal in all other transactions in foreign exchange like bill of exchange, cheques, letters of credit, deposits, etc. While as a Category-II Authorized dealer the bank is allowed to offer only money changing facilities.
iii.With the objective of giving more flexibility to SFBs to meet their customers’ foreign exchange business requirement, it has been decided that all the scheduled SFBs will be eligible for Authorised Dealer Category-I license, subject to compliance with the eligibility norms given below

• The bank should have completed at least two years of operations as an Authorised Dealer Category-II.
• The bank should have been included in the Second Schedule to RBI Act 1934.
• It should have a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore.
• Its Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) should not be less than 15%.
• The net NPAs of the bank should not exceed 6%, during previous four quarters.
• It should have made profit in the preceding two years.
• It should not have defaulted in maintenance of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)/Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) during previous two years.
• It should have sound internal control systems.
• It should not have any major regulatory and supervisory concerns.

iv.AD Category II means entities which are authorised by RBI to deal in foreign exchange for specified purposes and may include Upgraded Full Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs); Select Regional Rural Banks (RRBs); Select Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs); and other entities.
Points to be noted :-
1.Who is an Authorized Dealer (AD)?
Ans. An Authorised Dealer (AD) is any person specifically authorized by the Reserve Bank under Section 10(1) of FEMA, 1999, to deal in foreign exchange or foreign securities and normally includes banks.
2.Who are authorized by the RBI to sell foreign exchange for travel purposes?Ans.Foreign exchange can be purchased from any authorised person, such as an AD Category-I bank and AD Category II. 

• Full-Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs) are also permitted to release exchange for business and private visits.

India saw 9.36 billion transactions worth Rs 10.25tn in Q1 2022, UPI leads: Worldline Report
According to the Worldline India Digital Payments Report Q1 2022, India saw 9.36 billion transactions amounting to Rs 10.25 trillion in the first quarter (January-March period) via various payment modes led by Unified Payment Interface (UPI).
Other Highlights w.r.t. India:
i.The UPI P2M (person to merchant) transactions emerged as the most preferred payment mode among consumers with a market share of 64% in volume and 50% in terms of value.
ii.In Q12022, UPI increased over 14.55 billion transactions in volume and Rs 26.19 trillion in terms of value.
iii.The transactions volume and value has almost doubled since Q12021 recording about a 99% increase in volume and over 90% increase in value.
Note – The Average Ticket Size (ATS) for UPI P2P (peer-to-peer) transactions was Rs 2,455 and Rs 860 for P2M transactions (as of March 2022).
Top 5 Positions in Q1 2022:-
i.The top UPI apps in terms of volume were PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm Payments Bank App, Amazon Pay, Axis banks App.

• Phone Pe, Google Pay and Paytm accounted for 94.8% of UPI transactions volume and 93% of UPI transactions value as of March 2022.

ii.In Q1 2022, the top remitter banks were State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Bank of
Baroda, Union Bank and Paytm Payments Bank while the top Beneficiary Banks were
Paytm Payments Bank, State Bank of India, YES Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank.

ii.The top Payment Service Provider (PSP) UPI Players were YES Bank, Axis Bank, State Bank of (SBI) , HDFC Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank.

iii.States and cities with the highest number of transactions at physical touch points in Q1 2022 for Worldline India

• Top 10 States: 1. Maharashtra 2. Tamil Nadu 3. Karnataka 4. Andhra Pradesh 5. Kerala 6. Gujarat 7. Delhi 8. Uttar Pradesh 9. Telangana 10. West Bengal.
• Top 10 Cities: 1. Hyderabad 2. Bengaluru 3. Chennai 4. Mumbai 5. Pune 6. Delhi 7. Kolkata 8. Coimbatore 9. Ahmedabad 10. Vadodara.

iv.Card Issuance – The total number of credit and debit cards in circulation by the end of Q1 2022 was 991.28 million.On June 16, 2022, the RBI lifted business restrictions imposed on Mastercard Asia /Pacific Pte. Ltd.

• As of March 2022, the top credit card issuing banks were HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI
  Bank, Axis Bank and RBL Bank. Credit cards accounted for 7% of transactions, but 26% of value.
• the top debit card issuing banks were SBI, BOB, Union Bank, Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank. Debit cards account for 10% of transactions, but 18% in value.

v.Top Point of Sales (POS) deployers: HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, RBL Bank, Paytm Payments Bank, IndusInd Bank, Union Bank of India are the top acquiring banks with significant market share in terms of POS deployment.

• As of March 2022, the total number of POS (Point of Sale) terminals deployed by merchant acquiring banks were 6.07 million. The POS deployment witnessed over 28% growth in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021.

vi.As of March 2022, the total number of Bharat QRs were 4.97 million, a 39% rise as compared to March 2021 while UPI QRs stood at 172.73 million, registering an increase of 87% as compared to March 2021.

PFRDA Discontinues Credit Card Payment Facility in Tier-II NPS Account

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has decided to discontinue the facility to pay subscriptions/contributions in the Tier-II account of the National Pension System (NPS) using credit cards as a mode of payment on August 3, 2022.

• As a result, all Points of Presence (POPs) have been directed to discontinue accepting credit cards as a means of payment for the NPS Tier-II account with immediate effect.

i. NPS was the only saving instrument that permitted account holders to invest using credit cards via the eNPS.
ii.While the NPS Tier-I account can still be paid for using credit cards, the NPS Tier-II account does not accept credit card payments.
iii. A NPS Tier-II account functions as a voluntary savings account, and only NPS Tier-I account holders are eligible to open a NPS Tier II account.
About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):
Chairman – Supratim Bandyopadhyay
Establishment – 2003
>> Read Full News

Axis Bank Becomes the First Bank in India to Introduce ARS, A One-Stop Cash Management Solution

Axis Bank, India’s third largest Private Sector Bank, has become the first in India to introduce the Axis Receivables Suite (ARS), an innovative Cash Management Proposition.
Axis Receivables Suite (ARS)

• ARS streamlines receivables reconciliation, increases cash flow, enhances the client experience, and lowers the cost of doing business.
• It serves as an end-to-end solution, together with a mobile app, to automate the reconciliation of receivables against sales invoices raised by clients.

Key Points:
i. Axis Bank clients can use ARS to fully customize and automate what has previously been a time-consuming, costly, manual, and error-prone task.
ii.Clients also benefit from knowing their upcoming/pending payments, which gives them real-time management over all of their receivables.
About Axis Bank Limited:
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment – 1993
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

Divestment: RBI Allows IDBI Bank Bidders to Own More than 40% Stake

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-financial institutions and non-regulated entities to own more than 40 percent stake of  IDBI Bank Limited.

• The Union government and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) wanted to sell 51 percent – 74 percent stake in IDBI through the strategic divestment process.

Key Highlights:
i.In the 2022 June quarter, 8 major banks faced losses, out of which, only 2 have escaped losses.’
ii.IDBI Bank has been categorised as a private lender for regulatory purposes by the RBI, with effect from 21st January 2019, subsequent to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) acquiring 51% of its total paid-up equity share capital.
iii.What is Divestment? – Divestment is the process of selling subsidiary assets, investments, or divisions of a company in order to maximise the value of the parent company.
About IDBI Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & CEO – Rakesh Sharma
Establishment – 2004

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS    

Ahmedabad University prof Ramadhar Singh Becomes First Indian Psychologist on US Heritage Wall of Fame

Prof. Ramadhar Singh, professor at Amrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad University has become the first Indian Social Psychologist to be inducted to the ‘Heritage Wall of Fame’ of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in the United States(US).

Highlights:
Duane T Wegener, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States (US) has nominated Ramadhar Singh for the honour and has also written Ramadhar Singh’s biography.

• The nomination was supported by 9 social psychologists across China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the US.

Note – On 25th March 2022, he was also awarded with the Distinguished Alumni Award in Psychological Sciences by the College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University.
About Ramadhar Singh:
i.Professor has been a part of many breakthrough researches in the field of psychology and management while he showed how humans have cognitive ability and dynamic thoughts.
ii.He was also interested in affordable early education in his ancestral village of Balara, Sarlahi in Nepal by extending the existing primary school to a secondary school.

• In India, he has also contributed to two new institutions for the improvement towards delivering quality education across India.

iii.To advance psychology as a science in Asia, He played critical roles in India through the University Grants Commission (UGC) and in Asia through the Asian Association of Social Psychology.

• At the international level, he served as a consulting and associate editor of several journals and a member of the Mentor Award Committee of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), US.

Awards & Recognition:

About Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP):
SPSP is the world’s largest organisation of personality and social psychologists in the World that is focused on promoting scientific research about thinking, behaviour and interaction of humans.
President – Laura A. King
Establishment – 1974
Headquarters – Washington DC, United States (US)    

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS        

Nitish Kumar Resigns as Chief Minister of Bihar

On August 09, 2022, Nitish Kumar tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister (CM) of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar to Governor Phagu Chauhan.
Background
Nitish Kumar’s resignation came shortly after former national president Ramchandra Prasad (RCP) Singh, who resigned when his party, the Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)], issued a notice demanding an explanation on corruption charges lodged against him.

• As a result, the coalition between the JD(U) and the BJP, its coalition partner in Bihar, has come to an end.

Key Points:
i.The resignation of Nitish Kumar, the state’s CM, caused the Council of Ministers (CoM) to collapse, which led to the dissolution of the Government.
ii.He has filed a letter of support to the Governor with support of the entire opposition —Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Left parties, and a few others—in order to establish a claim to form the next Government.

• Currently, the BJP holds 77 seats in the Bihar Assembly. The Left led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) [CPIML (L)] holds 16, the Congress holds 19, the JD (U) holds 45, and the RJD holds 79.

Note:
Article 164 of the Indian Constitution states that: The Chief Minister (CM) shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the CM, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.
About Bihar:
Governor – Phagu Chauhan
UNESCO Heritage site – Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya; Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda
Airport – Jogbani Airport, Jogbani; Muzaffarpur Airport, Muzaffarpur  

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape Sworn in for 2nd term

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister (PM) James Marape, leader of the Pangu Party, was elected unopposed and sworn in for a second term.
The oath was administered by the newly re-elected speaker Job Pomat. Voting in the general election was started on July 4 and ended on July 22, 2022.
Highlights:
i.James Marape won support from a majority of members in the newly elected parliament in Papua New Guinea. The Parliament resumed despite the election outcome being declared for only 105 of 118 seats.
ii.Among the newly elected members were Rufina Peter and Kessy Sawang, the first female candidates confirmed to have secured a seat in parliament.

• Their victories marked a return of women to national politics after no women won seats in the previous election of 2017.

About James Marape :
i.James Marape is a Papua New Guinean politician serving as the 8th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea elected by the National Parliament in May 2019.
ii.He served as a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007 representing the electorate of Tari-Pori Open in Hela Province.
iii.He was appointed as Minister for Education from 2008 to 2011 and as Minister for Finance from  2012 to 2019.
About Papua New Guinea:
Capital- Port Moresby
Currency- Papua New Guinean kina

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

OneWeb and Eutelsat signs a MoU to combine its fleet of satellites in an all-share deal

British satellite firm OneWeb, backed by Bharti Group, and France-based Eutelsat Communications SA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)for merger, entailing an all-share transaction.
Post closing of the deal, Bharti Group will become the single largest shareholder of Eutelsat.
The transaction values OneWeb at USD 3.4 billion (over Rs 27,000 crore),

About the MoU:
i.Eutelsat, a French geo-stationary satellite operator will combine its fleet of 36 Geostationary Orbit (GEO)satellites with OneWeb’s 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, to create a leading player in global satellite connectivity.

• Currently, 428 of OneWeb’s LEO satellites are already in space.

ii.The transaction of OneWeb shares (other than the 24% stake already owned by Eutelsat), along with new shares issued by Eutelsat, such that, at closing, Eutelsat would own 100% of OneWeb (excluding the ‘Special Share’ of the UK Government).
iii.it is subject to clearance from regulatory authorities and is also conditional on approval of Eutelsat’s shareholders at general meeting which will be held in the first half of 2023.
Transtraction & Settlement:
i.OneWeb will continue to operate its LEO business based out of the UK, trading under its existing name.

• Eutelsat will continue to be headquartered and domiciled in Paris. It will also apply to trading on the London Stock Exchange.

ii.OneWeb shareholders would receive 230 million newly issued Eutelsat shares representing 50% of share capital, with the two entities ends up with 50% share each in the combined entity.
iii.The potential transaction builds on top of the 24% stake already acquired by Eutelsat in April 2021, and a global distribution agreement signed between the two in March 2022.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Russia Successfully Launches Iranian Satellite into Orbit

On 9th August 2022, Russia launched Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying Iran’s high resolution, remote sensing Khayyam satellite from the Russia-controlled Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

• The satellite was named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Features:
i.The Iranian satellite is fitted with a high-resolution camera which will be used for non-military and environmental monitoring with complete control.

• The images received from Khayyam with a resolution of one-metre-per-pixel definition, will be used to boost management and planning capacities in various industries such as agriculture, natural resources, environment, water resources, mining, disaster management and border monitoring.

ii.The data received from the satellite will be encrypted and controlled by a team of Iranian engineers and scientists in Iran.
About Russia:
President – Vladimir Putin
Capital – Moscow
Currency –  Rouble

OBITUARY

Pulitzer-winning Author & Historian David McCullough passed away

Pulitzer Prize winning American author and historian David Gaub McCullough passed away at the age 89 of years in Hingham, Massachusetts, United States.
About David Gaub McCullough:
i.He was born on July 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
ii.He was an American author, narrator, popular historian, and lecturer.
iii.He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for “Truman”, a biography of Harry S. Truman 33rd President of US and again in 2002 for “John Adams”, a biography of the 2nd US President.
iv.He won the National Book Awards for “The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal” in 1978 for History and “Mornings on Horseback.” in 1982 for Autobiography/Biography.
v.In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the United States’ highest civilian awards.
Famous books by David Gaub McCullough :

• The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870–1914 (1977)
• Mornings on Horseback (1981)
• Truman (1992)
• John Adams (2001)
• The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (2011)
• The Wright Brothers (2015)

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Jitendra Singh Launched poetry book titled “Rusty Skies and Golden Winds” by 11 year old Sannidhya Sharma

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has launched A 100-page poetry book titled “Rusty Skies and Golden Winds”, written by  11-year-old Sannidhya Sharma in Jammu of  Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). The book, published by Blue-rose publishers, is an anthology of 40 poems that defines the nature of the world.
Sannidhya Sharma hails from a remote village in Kharah in Jammu, J&K.

ZSI Publishes New Book “Field Guide, Birds of India” on 1331 Bird Species Found in India

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has published a new book titled “Field Guide, Birds of India”, dealing with 1331 avian species found in India, their present status, and distribution details.

• The book highlights quality photographs of birds, unlike other books that uses drawings, to help birders to compare the species of birds they sight in the field for easy identification.
• ZSI has also organised 2 events to promote the book. One the event was held in Kolkata(West Bengal) and another event is set to be held in Mumbai(Maharashtra).

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022 – August 9

The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (IDWIP) is annually celebrated on 09th August across the world to highlight the role of indigenous people and the importance of preserving their rights, communities and knowledge they gathered and passed down over centuries.

• Theme of IDWIP 2022- “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge.”
• The day is also known as World Tribal day.

i.The main focus was to work on the issues related to education, culture, economic and social development, environment, and health of these communities.
ii.2022 marks the beginning of a new decade for the indigenous community, the celebration of the Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022 – 2032.
>> Read Full News

Nagasaki Day 2022 – August 9

Nagasaki Day is annually observed on August 9th to promote peace among nations and to create awareness about the devastating results of nuclear weapons.
The day is also observed to remember innocent civilians who lost their lives in the devastation of nuclear blasts during World War II.
Background:
i.On 9th August 1945, the United State(US)’s Bockscar, piloted by the 393d Bombardment Squadron’s commander, Major Charles W. Sweeney, dropped the plutonium bomb code name ‘Fat Man’ at 11.02 am the second atom bomb on Japan’s Nagasaki.

• The copilot was Capt. Charles D. Albury.
• The primary target was Kokura Arsenal, but because of unacceptable weather conditions and anti aircraft gunfire at Kokura, Maj. Sweeney decided to switch to his secondary target, Nagasaki.

ii.When the bomb hit the ground, the temperature of the surface reached 4,000 degrees Celsius, and radioactive rain poured down. This claimed the lives of over 80,000 people living in the hills surrounding the city and nearby by the end of 1945.
iii.Similar events was taken place three days before on August 6, when a bomber dropped  uranium bomb, coded ‘Little Boy’, in the city of Hiroshima.
iv.These two consecutive nuclear attacks on Japan forced it to surrender unconditionally in the world war on August 15 1945.
About the bomb
i.The bomb named ‘Fat Man’, which destroyed the city of Nagasaki was more powerful than the bomb ‘Little Boy’ used in Hiroshima.
ii.It weighed around 10,000 pounds and was built to produce a 22-kiloton blast. The destruction was limited to 2.6 square miles because the city lies in the valleys between mountains.

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