23 August 2023 Daily Current Affairs
Summits & Conferences
1. UAE, Among 6 Countries Invited To Become New BRICS Members
- South African President and BRICS Chair Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the group has invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to become full members of the bloc from January 1, 2024.
- Aim: To open the doors for numerous interested countries to align with a coalition committed to championing the interests of the “Global South”.
- It can be an example of reforms in other global institutions that were established in the 20th century
Sport
2. Amanpreet Singh clinches gold in Men’s 25 metre at ISSF World Championship
- Indian shooter Amanpreet Singh won the gold medal in the Men’s 25 metre standard pistol shooting event at the ISSF World Championship 2023 in Baku.
- South Korea’s Gunhyeok Lee had to settle for silver while France’s Kevin Chapon secured a bronze
- In the Women’s 25-meter Standard Pistol shooting event, Tiyana, Yashita Shokeen, and Kritika bagged bronze.
- The two medals on the day took India’s tally in the Championship to nine – five gold and four bronze medals.
Science & Technology
3. LCA Tejas successfully test-fires ASTRA air-to-air missile
- Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa.
- ASTRA, a state of the art air-to-air missile to engage and destroy highly maneuvering supersonic aerial targets
- Aim: To enhance the combat prowess of Tejas and reduce the dependency on imported weapons.
- It is designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat and other laboratories of DRDO.
Summits & Conferences
4. 26th National Conference on e-Governance to begin in Indore
- The 26th National Conference on e-Governance is being organized in Indore to deliberate on providing better facilities to the citizens.
- Theme: ‘Developed India: Empowering Citizens’.
- Aim: To focus on 11 subjects including district level initiatives, emerging technologies for providing citizen-centric facilities and data governance.
- Organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Ministry of Electronics in collaboration with Gov of MP
State Affairs
5. Kerala launches its first AI school in Thiruvananthapuram
- Former (14th) President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Kerala’s first AI (Artificial intelligence) school at Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
- It is an innovative learning method that ensures international standards and quality learning opportunities for students with the help of artificial intelligence technology.
- It is designed and molded by one of the world’s most advanced educational platforms iLearning Engines USA in collaboration with Vedhik eSchool.
Science & Technology
6. ISRO’s Next Moon Mission In Collaboration With Japan Gathers Steam
- ISRO is preparing for one more lunar mission, in collaboration with the Japanese space agency, JAXA.
- This mission, called LUPEX, or Lunar Polar Exploration, is slated for 2024-25.
- Aim: To explore lunar polar region suitability for establishing a base on the Moon for sustainable activities; obtaining knowledge regarding the availability of lunar water-ice resources, and demonstrating lunar and planetary surface exploration technologies such as vehicular transport.
State Affairs
7. NTCA approved India’s 54th tiger reserve in Rajasthan
- National Tiger Conservation Authority approved India’s 54th tiger reserve in Rajasthan’s Karauli and Dholpur districts
- This is Rajasthan’s fifth tiger reserve after Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundra Hills, and Ramgarh Vishdhari
- The number of tigers in India has increased from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,682 in 2022, an annual rise of 6%
- The number of tigers in Rajasthan has increased from 32 in 2006 to 88 in 2022
- Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of tigers in the country (785)
Sports
8. Sports Minister Inaugurated 33 Khelo India Centres Across Rajasthan
- The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated 33 Khelo India Centres (KIC) in the State of Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
- He also announced that a National Center of Excellence with a sports science center will be set up in Rajasthan along with an additional 18 KIC, thus taking the total number of KIC in the State to 51.
- The total number of KICs across India is 960, out of which 715 are operational KICs
National Affairs
9. GeM crosses one lakh crore rupees Gross Merchandise Value in FY 23-24
- Government e-Marketplace, GeM has crossed one lakh crore rupees Gross Merchandise Value in the current financial year 23-24.
- The average GMV per day has also witnessed growth from INR 412 crore per day in FY 22-23 to INR 690 crore per day in FY 23-24.
About GeM:
- It is an online platform for the procurement of goods and services by government departments, public sector units, and other agencies
- It is working towards promoting the Make in India initiative.
Sports
10. Mastercard inks brand partnership with ICC for upcoming World Cup
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a sponsorship agreement with the American multinational financial services corporation, Mastercard.
- Under this deal, the brand has become a global partner for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which is set to be held in India from October 5 to November 19, 2023.
- The advantages are to interact with legendary cricketers, see the Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy up close, and gain special access to games.
Schemes
11. NESIDS with an approved outlay of Rs.8139.50 crore
- The cabinet approved the continuation of the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) with an approved outlay of Rs. 8139.50 crore.
- Objective: To support infrastructure development in identified sectors including connectivity in the North Eastern States.
- For the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26, Cabinet approved two components: NESIDS-Road and NESIDS-Other Than Road Infrastructure.
- The scheme is a central sector scheme with 100% central funding.
12. Narendra Modi participated in the 15th BRICS Summit held at South Africa
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the 15th BRICS Summit held under South Africa’s chairship, in Johannesburg.
- Aim: To discuss global economic recovery, partnership with Africa and the Global South, and review the progress made on the BRICS agenda so far.
- During his address, the PM called for a strengthened BRICS that is:
- B – Breaking barriers
- R – Revitalising economies
- I – Inspiring Innovation
- C – Creating opportunities
- S – Shaping the future
Science & Technology
13. India becomes first nation to reach South Pole of Moon as Chandrayaan-3
- India has created history as it became the first country to land (Vikram Lander) on the South Pole of the lunar surface on 23rd August 2023.
- The Lander Module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan), landed on the Moon.
- Aim: To study the composition of the lunar soil and probe for water and ice, while listening for small seismic tremors.
- India was the fourth nation to succeed at the task after the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.
22nd August 2023 Daily Current Affairs