Daily Current Affairs 2 August 2024, MPSC Exam Current Affairs

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International

India elected Vice-Chair of Indo-Pacific Supply Chain Council

• In a significant milestone, India and 13 other Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) partners have established three supply chain bodies under the landmark Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience. The inaugural virtual meetings of the Supply Chain Council (SCC), Crisis Response Network (CRN), and Labor Rights Advisory Board (LRAB) marked a major step forward for cooperation among partner countries to strengthen supply chain resilience in the region.
• Through these inaugural meetings, 14 IPEF partners reaffirmed their commitments and collective resolve to facilitate closer cooperation to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of critical supply chains and better prepare for and respond to supply chain disruptions that pose a risk to economic prosperity while strengthening labor rights.

• The first-of-its-kind IPEF Supply Chain Resilience Agreement was signed by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal along with the Ministers from other IPEF partner countries in November 2023 in Washington D.C. to make IPEF supply chains more resilient, robust, and well-integrated, and contribute towards economic development and progress of the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. The Agreement was ratified in February 2024 and has been in force since then. On earlier occasions, Minister Goyal has highlighted India’s global production capacities in many critical sectors, which provide supply diversification opportunities for IPEF partners.
• Earlier in June 2024, Secretary, of the Department of Commerce, Sunil Barthwal, at the IPEF Ministerial meeting held in Singapore, highlighted that India, with its skilled manpower, natural resources, and policy support, aims to become a major player in the global supply chain.  Government initiatives are proactive in finding solutions and ensuring India’s participation in diverse and predictable supply chains.
• Under the Supply Chain Agreement, the IPEF partners established three supply chain bodies – a Supply Chain Council to pursue targeted, action-oriented work to strengthen the supply chains for those sectors and goods most critical to national security, public health, and economic well-being; a Crisis Response Network to provide a forum for a collective emergency response to exigent or imminent disruptions; and a Labor Rights Advisory Board that brings together workers, employers, and governments at the same table to strengthen labor rights and workforce development across regional supply chains.
• India shared its views on the importance of a resilient supply chain network and the ongoing consultations with stakeholders on sectors that are critical to it from the perspective of national security, public health, and economic well-being. India also emphasised the need for collaboration in the skill development sector. It was stressed that identifying gaps and ensuring the right skills across our economies will be a priority, including technical assistance for workforce development and digitalization for a resilient supply chain ecosystem.

• Supply Chain Council:- USA (Chair) and India (Vice Chair)
• Crisis Response Network:- Republic of Korea (Chair) and Japan (Vice Chair)
• Labor Rights Advisory Board:- USA (Chair) and Fiji (Vice Chair)
• The Supply Chain Council adopted Terms of Reference and discussed initial work priorities, to be further explored at its first in-person meeting to be held in Washington, D.C. in September 2024 on the margins of the Supply Chain Summit. The Crisis Response Network discussed near and longer-term priorities, including conducting a tabletop exercise, and planned its first in-person meeting to be held alongside the Supply Chain Summit. The Labor Rights Advisory Board discussed priorities for strengthening labor rights across IPEF supply chains. The convening not only will advance the work of the Labor Rights Advisory Board but also focus on the labor provisions in the IPEF Clean Economy Agreement and Fair Economy Agreement.
• The IPEF partners also underscored the significance of the upcoming in-person meeting to be held in Washington, D.C. in September 2024 on the margins of a Supply Chain Summit.

National

Women Entrepreneurship Program launched by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

• Significant advancements for women entrepreneurs were announced on July 31, 2024, by Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. This is mostly accomplished through brand-new initiatives like the Women Entrepreneurship Program, which was introduced by Britannia Industries and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

• Its goal is to equip 25 lakh women entrepreneurs with resources, financial grants, expertise, and other assets.
• Through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), NSDC and the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) will provide free online self-learning courses on entrepreneurship.
• Under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), NIESBUD and SIDH are in charge of offering possibilities for apprenticeship and training.
• A public limited company with no profit objective is NSDC.
• Economic: Job generation (according to NITI Aayog, women-led businesses could generate 170 million jobs),
• GDP growth (50% of women in the workforce may add 1.5% to the GDP, according to the World Bank),
• encourage creative business methods.
• Social: Empowerment (dismantling preconceptions and gender norms); more chances for networking, education, and awareness; etc.
• Political: Promoting strong female agency and advocating for policies.
• Cultural: Engaging in customary arts and crafts can promote India's rich cultural legacy.

Economic

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its report on currency and finance for 2023–2024

• On July 29, 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) published its "Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for 2023–2024." The study emphasizes the difficulties that arise from the banking sector's quick adoption of digital technologies inside an economy.
• The RCF 2023–24 report has "India's Digital Revolution" as its theme.
• India's digital economy, which accounts for 10% of GDP presently, is predicted to grow to 20% of GDP by 2026, according to the RCF 2023–24.

• In India, the digital economy is expected to account for one-fifth of GDP by 2026.
• According to a report by the RBI, by 2026, the growing usage of digitalization in the financial markets and payments system—which today makes up a tenth of the GDP—will account for a fifth or 20% of the GDP.
• Although the Internet's coverage was only 55% in 2023, the number of users has climbed by 199 million in the last three years.
• India has one of the highest mobile data consumption rates in the world, with an average per-user monthly consumption of 24.1 GB in 2023. The country also has the lowest cost per gigabyte of data consumed globally, averaging Rs 13.32 ($0.16) per GB.

• The paper states that throughout the last seven years (between 2017–18 and 2023–24), digital payments have had a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 50% in volume and 10% in value terms.

• In 2023–2024, digital payments—such as credit and debit cards, NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer), and UPI (Unified Payments Interface)—recorded 164 billion transactions valued at Rs. 2,428 lakh crore.

• Value-wise, NEFT transactions accounted for the largest portion of all retail payments in 2023–2024 (49.4%), with UPI coming in second with a 25.3% share.
• Over the last four years, UPI has experienced a tenfold increase in transactions by volume, from 12.5 billion in 2019–20 to 131 billion in 2023–2024 (or 80% of all digital payment volumes).
• By June 2024, the UPI will have 424 million unique users and record close to 14 billion transactions monthly.
• Between 2005–05 and 2023–24, the average transaction value per capita for all digital payments grew from Rs. 0.4 lakhs to Rs. 16.8 lakhs.

Appointment

Sanjay Shukla assumes charge as managing director of National Housing Bank

• On July 30, 2024, Sanjay Shukla took over as the National Housing Bank's managing director. Sanjay Shukla took up the position after his name was authorized by the Indian government, according to the National Housing Bank.

• Sanjay Shukla held the positions of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Centrum Housing Finance, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), before joining National Housing Bank as a Managing Director.
• Sanjay Shukla is a chartered accountant who began working at LIC Housing Finance Limited as an official in 1991. He has more than thirty years of experience financing retail and residential assets.

• Founded:- 9 July 1988
• Headquarters:- New Delhi, India

Defence

Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair assumes charge as Director General of Medical Services (Army)

• On August 1, 2024, Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair took over as the Director General of Medical Services (Army), a move that will further empower women in the armed forces. She is the first woman to occupy this esteemed position in the Medical Services of the Indian Army. Lt General Sadhna Saxena Nair is a third-generation member of a family that has spent the last 70 years serving in the Indian Armed Forces in a variety of roles.

• After completing her studies at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair was commissioned into the Indian Army Medical Corps in December 1985.
• She held the position of Director General of Hospital Services (Armed Forces) before to taking on the role of Director General of Medical Services (Army). In addition, she holds the unique distinction of being the first female director general of hospital services (Armed Forces).
• The Indian Air Force's Training Command and Western Air Command appointed Lt. General Sadhna Saxena Nair as their Principal Medical Officer, making her the first female in both roles.
• A highly skilled officer, Lt General Sadhna Saxena Nair trained in Biological, Chemical, Radiological, and Nuclear Warfare in the Israeli Defense Force.
• In Spiez, Switzerland, she completed training with the Swiss Armed Forces in Military Medical Ethics.
• Throughout her distinguished career, the President of India has bestowed upon her the Vishisht Seva Medal, Western Air Command, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations.

• The government of India set up an Armed Forces Medical Service in 1948.
• Current Director General Armed Forces Medical Services: Lt Gen Daljit Singh

Award

KIIT DU Awarded Prestigious UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status

• The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) has awarded the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be a University (DU) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Special Consultative Status. This recognition demonstrates KIIT'S commitment to the UN's Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• At the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States of America (USA), on July 23, 2024, during the UN ECOSOC Management Segment Meeting, this acknowledgment was made.

• 19 organizations, including KIIT DU, were chosen for this accolade out of 476 worldwide applications.
• This status permits the President of the General Assembly to participate in special events, ECOSOC, its subsidiary bodies, and UN human rights mechanisms.
• UN Volunteers (UNV) and KIIT have an agreement in place that will allow students to work with a variety of UN organizations.
• As a result, KIIT is now the first private institution in South Asia to obtain UNV status for internships for students.
• As a result, KIIT DU students are eligible to participate in various UN agency development projects as "National University UN Volunteers."
• In addition to receiving a salary, this involvement gives students professional experience in international development.

• Establishment:- 1945
• Headquarters:- New York, (USA)
• President :- Robert Bob Rae(Canada)

Sport

Swapnil Kusale earns third bronze medal for India in shooting

• At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Indian shooting team won its third medal. At the men's 50-meter rifle 3 Positions final held on August 1, 2024, at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux, Paris, shooter Swapnil Kusale of Maharstra took home the bronze medal. With a final score of 451.4, he had to settle for a bronze.
• World record holder Liu Yukun of China took home the gold medal with 463.6 points, while Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine took home the silver with 461.3 points. Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine had also taken home the silver medal in the same competition during the Rio Olympics in 2016.

• With his bronze, Swapnil Kusale gave India its third medal in the history of the Olympics in the rifle competition.
• When it came to rifle shooting, Abhinav Bindra took home the first medal for India. In 2008, he took home a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in the 10m air rifle.
• At the 2012 London Olympics, Gagan Narang took home a medal in the 10m air rifle competition.
• In the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions team event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in 2023, 28-year-old Swapnil Kusale took home the gold medal.
• Additionally, Kusale took home three medals from the 2023 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan—one gold and two silver.
• India's shooters have taken home three medals from the Olympics in Paris thus far. With a maximum of 29 athletes and 21 shooters, India has sent a squad of 117 athletes to the Olympics in Paris.
• From July 26 to August 11, 2024, Paris, France, will host the 33rd Summer Olympics.

Book

PM Modi Praises Parimal Nathwani’s Book ‘Call of the Gir’ on Asiatic Lions & Conservation Efforts

• At a small family gathering at the PM's house on July 31, Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi the first copy of his new book, "Call of the Gir." Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani's book, Call of the Gir, has been well-received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Nathwani's second similar coffee-table book is called "Call of the Gir." The well-known worldwide publisher QUIGNOG is the one who publishes it.
• He wrote "Gir Lions: Pride of Gujarat" earlier in 2017, and Times Group Books (TGB) released it.
• The Asiatic lions that may be found in Gir's landscapes served as the inspiration for the book. The book emphasizes the necessity of conservation efforts through a combination of narratives and striking imagery.

Obituary

Former India cricketer Aunshuman Gaekwad dies at 71

• Anshuman Gaekwad, a former cricket player and coach of the Indian men's team, passed away on July 31, 2024. He had blood cancer and was seventy-one years old.
• He had just returned to Vadodara, Gujarat, from King's College London, England, where he was receiving treatment for blood cancer. Anshuman Gaikwad received Rs 1 million from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to help pay for his medical care in London.

• In a 1974 Test match at Kolkata's Eden Garden against the West Indies, Anshuman Gaekwad made his debut for India. In 1984–85, he participated in his final Test match at Kolkata's Eden Garden against England.
• During his career, which lasted from 1975 to 1987, he played for India in 40 Test matches and 15 One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
• During the 1975 World Cup, he made his debut for India in the ODIs against England.
• In the Tests, he amassed 1985 runs, his best being 201 against Pakistan in Jalandhar during the 1982–1983 series. At the time, his double-hundred in 671 minutes was the slowest ever in test cricket history.
• Anshuman Gaekwad coached the Indian men's cricket team twice after retiring, from 1997 to 2000.
• When Anil Kumble was the Indian team's coach, he amassed 10 wickets in a test innings against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on February 7, 1999.
• In addition, Anshuman Gaekwad presided over the Baroda Cricket Association and was a national selector. He was a representative of the ICA and a member of the BCCI Apex Council before being unwell.
• He received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award from the BCCI in 2018. The BCCI established the award in 1974, and it is the highest honor bestowed upon a former Indian cricket player.
• In 2023, his autobiography ‘Guts Amid Bloodbath' was released.

Important Day

World Lung Cancer Day 2024 – August 1

• World Lung Cancer Day is observed annually on August 1st, it is dedicated to raising awareness about lung cancer which is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The day serves as a critical event for education, advocacy, and support, emphasizing the importance of early detection, advanced treatment options, and comprehensive care for patients.
• World Lung Cancer Day aims to unite individuals, organizations, and governments in the fight against lung cancer, ensuring that every person has access to the care they need. Here in this article, we will see the objective, history, and significance of World Lung Cancer Day.
• The global theme for World Lung Cancer Day 2024 is ‘Close the care gap: Everyone deserves access to cancer care’. The Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) is observing World Lung Cancer Day 2024 with the theme “Stronger Together: United for Lung Cancer Awareness.” This theme emphasizes the power of unity and collaboration in the fight against lung cancer.

• World Lung Cancer Day was established to bring global attention to the prevalence and impact of lung cancer. The day was first recognized in 2012 through a collaboration between the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Since then, it has grown into a significant global event observed annually on August 1st.
• The day serves as a platform for organizations, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates to unite in their efforts to raise awareness, promote early detection, and support those affected by lung cancer. Through various activities and campaigns, World Lung Cancer Day has successfully highlighted the importance of ongoing research and innovation in the fight against lung cancer.

• World Lung Cancer Day is a crucial event dedicated to raising awareness about lung cancer, one of the most common and deadly cancers globally. The significance of this day lies in its focus on educating the public about lung cancer prevention, risk factors, and the importance of early detection.
• It aims to reduce the stigma associated with lung cancer, support those affected by the disease, and advocate for better policies and increased funding for research and treatment. By highlighting the latest advancements in lung cancer research and treatment, World Lung Cancer Day plays a crucial role in driving global efforts to combat this devastating illness.