1) Indian flag unfurled in space to marks 75 Years of Independence
•The Indian national flag was unfurled in space at an altitude of over 30 km as the country marked its 75 years of Independence. The tricolour was sent to the edge of space on a balloon by Space Kidz India, which describes itself as an aerospace organisation creating young scientists for the country. The unfurling of the flag was part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations that mark the completion of 75 years since India became Independent.
2) Odisha Government Signed An MoU With NIOT For Protecting It’s Coastline
•The Odisha Government has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for the protection of coastal areas from various natural calamities like flood, cyclone, soil erosion and high tide, etc. The Odisha coastal areas face natural calamities every year due to the effects of climate change. Seven districts namely Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Baleswar and Jagatsinghpur will get benefitted out of the initiative.
3) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveils statue of Marwari warrior Veer Durgadas Rathore
•Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled the Statue of “Veer Durgadas Rathore” on his 385th birth anniversary in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. The Raksha Mantri paid glowing tribute to Veer Durgadas Rathore on the occasion, terming him as the symbol of social harmony, honesty, bravery and devotion. He stated that people, irrespective of caste or religion, should take inspiration from Veer Durgadas Rathore, who strived for peace and harmony against divisive elements in society.
4) Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveils India’s first Saline Water Lantern
•Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first saline water lantern, ‘Roshini’, which uses seawater to power Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. The minister unveiled the first-of-its-kind lantern during his visit to Sagar Anveshika, a coastal research vessel operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai for marine research.
5) Simon Stiell of Grenada named as new UNFCCC Executive Secretary
•UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Simon Stiell as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat based in Bonn, Germany. The appointment has been endorsed by the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
6) William Ruto is declared Kenya’s next president
•Kenyan Deputy President, William Ruto is now the country’s president-elect after he was declared the winner of the last presidential election over five-time contender Raila Odinga. Before Wafula Chebukati, the chair of Kenya’s electoral commission could announce Ruto’s victory. Ruto received 50.49% of the vote, the chairman said, while Odinga received 48.85%.
•Ruto, who has promised a break from the “dynasties” that have dominated Kenyan politics since independence, projected a conciliatory tone in his acceptance speech, urging unity. Kenya is a model of democracy in East Africa, a region where authoritarianism has been ascendant. These elections had been hailed as a step forward for Kenyan democracy because the campaign was marked by political maturity. Politicians focused on economic issues, instead of the tribal mobilization that has been a feature of every Kenyan election since independence.
7) India Can Be USD 5 Trillion Economy By FY29 If GDP Grows At 9% For 5 Years
•India may become a USD five trillion economy by 2028-29 only if the GDP grows at nine per cent per annum consistently for the next five years, former RBI Governor D Subbarao said on Monday. Speaking at Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry on India @75- Marching Towards USD 5 Trillion Economy on the occasion of 75 years of Indian Independence.
8) India To Start Supplying Petrol With 20% Ethanol From April 2023
•India will start supplying petrol with 20 per cent ethanol at select petrol pumps from April next year and will ramp up supplies thereafter as it looks to cut oil import dependence and address environmental issues. E20 petrol (petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol) in some quantity will be available from April 2023 and the rest to be covered by 2025.
9) Covid booster vaccination approved first in the United Kingdom
•British health authorities stated that the UK has become the first nation to approve a bivalent Moderna Covid booster vaccination. Covid booster vaccination targets both the original strain of COVID-19 and the more recent Omicron version. The Moderna Covid booster vaccination was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a “sharpened instrument” against the new coronavirus after it was determined to meet its requirements of safety, quality, and effectiveness.
10) 4 independent directors reappointed by GoI to RBI’s central board
•Satish Kashinath Marathe, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Revathy Iyer, and Sachin Chaturvedi have all been renominated by the national government to serve as part-time, non-official directors on the RBI’s central board or central board of the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI said on its website that Gurumurthy and Marathe have been renominated for another term of four years, until further instructions for RBI’s central board.
11) Nation Celebrates 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo
•India is celebrating the 75th year of its Independence and to add more glory to this day, India is also celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, who is a spiritual icon. Sri Aurobindo was one of the greatest revolutionaries in India and later became a legendary Spiritual Master. He has left behind great philosophical and political writings to learn from.
•For the 150th Birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, over 10,000 devotees across the world paid their tribute to one of the greatest spiritual leaders of India. Several devotees stood in long lines to visit the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and some visited Sri Aurobindo’s room. The residents of Auroville held various events and a light mandala and sacred fire offering at the Inuksuk near the Visitors Centre at Auroville.
12) Wholesale Price Index (WPI) declines to 13.93% in July
•According to figures issued by the commerce ministry, Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation in India decreased to 13.93% in July. The WPI inflation rate dropped from a record-breaking 16.63 percent in May to 15.18 percent in June. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation was 11.57 percent in July 2021. The wholesale price index increased by double digits in July, marking the 16th consecutive month that the WPI has risen above the 10-percent threshold.
