Current Affairs Quiz 1st September 2024 Quiz

Exp. Union Cabinet approves rolling out Private FM Radio to 234 uncovered new cities & towns

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for e-auctions to set up 730 channels in 234 new cities across the country with an estimated reserve price of ₹784.87 crore, as part of the initiative to expand the reach of private FM Radio channels.

The Cabinet decision on the rollout of private FM Radio to 234 cities and towns will enhance access to diverse and local content, thus encouraging creativity and encouraging local languages as well as cultures.

Many of these cities and towns are located in aspirational districts and areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism. A maximum of 100 channels are to be provided in 32 cities/towns of Uttar Pradesh, followed by 68 across 22 cities/towns of Andhra Pradesh, 61 in 20 cities/towns of Madhya Pradesh, and 59 in 19 cities/towns of Rajasthan.

While 57 channels will be made available in Bihar, 53 channels have been proposed for Karnataka’s 16 cities/towns, 42 in West Bengal, 36 in Maharashtra, 33 in Tamil Nadu, 31 in Telangana, 28 in Punjab, 24 in Gujarat, 27 in Haryana and 19 in Jharkhand.

Exp. Cabinet approves 12 Industrial nodes/cities under NICD Programme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved 12 new greenfield industrial smart cities under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) to transform the country’s industrial landscape.

The combined estimated investment in these industrial areas will be 28,602 crore rupees. These projects will create ten lakh direct and up to 30 lakh indirect jobs.

The projects span across ten states and are strategically planned along six major corridors. These are Khurpia in Uttrakhand, Gaya in Bihar, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Dighi in Maharashtra, Orvakal and Kopparthy in Andhra Pradesh, Palakkad in Kerela, Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan, and Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Exp. Union Cabinet approved ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’ for progressive expansion

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approved the progressive expansion in the Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’ to make it more attractive, impactful, and inclusive.

The government has announced a series of measures to expand the scope of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme. These initiatives aim to expand the scope of eligible projects and integrate additional supportive measures to foster a robust agricultural infrastructure ecosystem.

Viable Farming Assets- To allow all eligible beneficiaries of scheme to create of infrastructure covered under ‘viable projects for building community farming assets’.

Integrated Processing projects- To include integrated primary secondary processing projects in eligible activities under AIF. However standalone secondary projects would not be eligible under MoFPI schemes.

PM KUSUM Component-A- To allow convergence of Component-A of PM-KUSUM with AIF for farmers/groups of farmers/ Farmer Producer Organizations/ Cooperatives/ Panchayats.

NABSanrakshan- In addition to CGTMSE, it is proposed to extend AIF credit guarantee coverage of FPOs through the NABSanrakshan Trustee Company Pvt. Ltd. also.

Since its launch by the Prime Minister in 2020, AIF has been instrumental in supporting the creation of 6623 warehouses, 688 cold stores, and 21 silos projects, resulting in additional storage capacity of about 500 LMT in the country. This includes 465 LMT of dry storage and 35 LMT of cold storage capacity.

In addition, infrastructure projects sanctioned under AIF have helped in generating more than 8.19 Lakh rural employment opportunities in the agriculture sector.

Exp. Sports Minister launches ‘Retired Sportsperson Empowerment Training’ (RESET) Programme

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has launched the “Retired Sportsperson Empowerment Training” (RESET) Programme on the occasion of National Sports Day in New Delhi.

RESET Programme is aimed at empowering retired sportspersons who have played for the country and brought immense laurels to the nation.

The programme will support retired athletes on their career development journey by empowering them with the necessary knowledge and skills and making them more employable.

The RESET programme will bridge the gap between generations, allowing the unique skills of our retired athletes to benefit the new generation of aspiring athletes.

The applications will be invited through a dedicated portal. Initially, the programmes will be of two levels based on educational qualifications of  Class 12th and above and Class 11th and below.

Exp. Gautam Adani replaces Mukesh Ambani as the richest Indian on Hurun list

With a wealth of Rs 11.6 lakh crore, Gautam Adani replaced Mukesh Ambani and clinched the no.1 spot in the 2024 Hurun India rich list.

The report says India minted a new billionaire every 5 days last year. Wealth calculations are a snapshot as of 31st July 2024.

India is emerging as Asia’s wealth creation engine! While China saw a 25% decline in its number of billionaires, India experienced a 29% increase, reaching a record 334 billionaires.

Mukesh Ambani has taken the second top spot in the 2024 Hurun India Rich List, with a wealth of Rs 1,014,700 crore. Shiv Nadar & family of HCL Technologies is in third place this year with a wealth of Rs 314,000 crore. Vaccine maker Cyrus S Poonawalla & family of Serum Institute of India holds the fourth position in the list followed by Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries.

Over the past five years, six individuals have consistently remained in the India Top 10. Leading the list is Gautam Adani & family, followed by Mukesh Ambani & family, Shiv Nadar, Cyrus S. Poonawalla & family, Gopichand Hinduja & family, and Radhakishan Damani & family.

The youngest on the 2024 Hurun India rich list is 21-year-old Kaivalya Vohra of Zepto, a $5 bn quick commerce startup. His co-founder Aadit Palicha, 22, is the second youngest in the list.

For the first time, Indian movie star Shah Rukh Khan made it to Hurun India Rich List, largely due to the rising value of his holdings in the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. Hurun India Rich Listers from the entertainment industry added Rs 40,500 crores in just one year, with seven new entrants.

Exp. India to host inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Goa

The Government of India will host the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) to bolster India’s media and entertainment industry and extend its global influence.

The Summit is being held in Goa from November 20th to November 25th this year.

The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw launched 25 Challenges under the ‘Create in India Challenge – Season 1’ on August 22nd.

WAVES is poised to become a significant platform for icons of the media and entertainment fraternity worldwide, focusing on entertainment economics and technology.

These challenges cover a wide range of disciplines including animation, filmmaking, gaming, comics, and music. From animation and gaming to music and emerging technologies, these challenges are designed to inspire and empower participants to explore new horizons, showcase their talents, and contribute to India’s evolving narrative in the global media and entertainment industry.

Exp. Rajesh Dhankhar takes over as DG of Project Seabird

Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar NM, assumed duties of the Director General Project Seabird, with a charter to oversee the largest defence infrastructure project currently progressing at the Karwar Naval Base, from Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti.

VAdm Rajesh Dhankhar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1990 and is a specialist in Navigation & Direction.

The Flag Officer is an alumnus of the prestigious Naval Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and has undergone the Higher Command Course in Japan.

During his illustrious career spanning 34 years, the Flag Officer has tenanted specialist appointments onboard warships Pondicherry, Godavari, Kora, and Mysore. The officer has also done instructional tenures in the erstwhile Project 15 Training Team, Navigation & Direction School and at the MIDS Wing Officer’s Cadet School, Singapore.

The Flag Officer is a recipient of the Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 2015 for Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) of Indian nationals from Aden and Al-Hodeida, Yemen.

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector

• DG of National Security Guard (NSG) – B Srinivasan (replace Nalin Prabhat)
• Additional DG of ITBP – Sanjeev Raina
• Chief of Enforcement Directorate (ED) – Rahul Navin
• Director General of Assam Rifles -Vikas Lakhera (22nd)
• Director General of BSF – Daljit Singh Chawdhary (additional charge)
• Additional National Security Adviser – Rajinder Khanna

Exp. India’s 2nd nuclear missile submarine ‘INS Arighat’ commissioned by Rajnath Singh

India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arighaat, was commissioned into service at Visakhapatnam in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

It joins the first such submarine, the INS Arihant, which was commissioned into service in 2016.

The INS Arihant was quietly commissioned into service in August 2016. It has a displacement of 6,000 tonnes and is powered by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor with enriched uranium. INS Arighaat retains the same reactor and dimensions, but has several technological upgrades.

The completion of the nuclear triad was announced in November 2018, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on social media that INS Arihant had returned from its first deterrence patrol.

The advanced technology project began in the 1980s and its first product, the Arihant vessel, was launched in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and eventually commissioned in 2016.

INS Arihant is presently armed with a 750 km range K-15 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) while a 3,500 km range SLBM K-4 is under development, having been tested for the first time in 2020. The K4 will become the mainstay of India’s undersea nuclear deterrence, as it gives the stand-off capability to launch nuclear weapons while submerged in Indian waters.

Exp. Shannon Gabriel retires from International Cricket

Shannon Gabriel of the West Indies has announced his retirement from international cricket.

Since his West Indies debut in 2012, the right-arm quick played 59 tests, 25 ODIs and two T20 Internationals finishing with 202 wickets across the three formats.

Gabriel was more successful in test matches and became a regular member of the West Indies team in 2017.

He last played for West Indies in a test match against India in July 2023.

Recently Retired Players

• Shikhar Dhawan (India) – All forms of Cricket
• Ilkay Gundogan (Germany) – International Football⚽
• Andy Murray (UK) – International Tennis
• PR Sreejesh (India) – International Hockey
• James Anderson (England) – International Test Cricket
• Dinesh Karthik (India, RCB) – IPL

Exp. Avani Lekhara wins gold medal in para shooting at Paris Paralympics

India’s Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal won the gold and bronze respectively in the women’s 10m Air Rifle competition.

Avani bettered her previous record set in the Tokyo Games to finish at the top. She finished with a total of 249.7 to achieve the new Paralympic record in the category. Her previous best was 249.6 in the Tokyo Paralympics.

Mona won the first medal for the country in the Paris Paralympics on her debut in the Games.

Manish Narwal clinched a silver medal in the men’s 10-meter Air Pistol with a score of 234.9. The 22-year-old, who bagged a gold in the Mixed 50-meter Pistol event in the Tokyo Paralympics, held the first spot in the final after an initial round of shots in stage 2, but eventually lost his lead to finish second.

Preeti Pal bagged bronze in the women’s 100-meter sprint as she achieved her personal best timing of 14.21 seconds to finish third in the final.

Exp. Aarti wins Bronze Medal in Women’s 10000m race walk event at World U20 Athletics Championships

In the World U20 Athletics Championships, Aarti won a Bronze medal in the Women’s 10000m race walk event with the National U20 record time to open India’s medal account at Lima in Peru.

She clocked 44 minutes 39.39 seconds to finish third in the gruelling event on the penutimate day of competitions.

The 17-year-old Aarti broke her own earlier national record of 47 minutes 21.04 seconds which she had clocked in March this year in the National Federation Cup U20 Championships in Lucknow.

Chinese race walkers Zhuoma Baima won the gold while and Meiling Chen clinched silver.

Exp. Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 to begin from 11th Nov at Rajgir

Hockey India has announced that the 8th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 will begin at Rajgir in Bihar on November 11th this year.

The event, a joint effort between Hockey India and the Bihar Government, will take place at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium between 11th November and 20th November.

Last year, Hockey Jharkhand hosted the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi, where India emerged as the champion.

Besides the defending champions, India, reigning Olympic silver- medallists China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand are expected to participate in this tournament.

Exp. Dawid Malan retires from International Cricket

Dawid Malan, England’s former world No. 1 T20I batter, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 37.

The left-handed batter announced his decision in an interview with British Daily ‘The Times’, following his omission from the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.

Malan is one of only two England men’s players, alongside Jos Buttler, to have scored centuries in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Despite this remarkable achievement, Malan had not featured for England since last year’s 50-over World Cup in India.

Exp. 31 August – International Day for People of African Descent

International Day for People of African Descent i observed every year on 31 August.

The International Day for People of African Descent marks a significant milestone in the global recognition of the contributions and challenges faced by individuals of African descent worldwide.

On June 19, 2020, the Council adopted a resolution on the “Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers.”