Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of August 01st to 07th August 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• World Wide Web Day is observed all over the world on August 1st each year dedicated to web browsing, the online activity that brings the whole world to your fingertips, and places a wealth of knowledge at your feet.
• Breastfeeding week is celebrated every year during the first week of August(August 1 to 7).
• Every year August 6 is celebrated as Hiroshima Day.
• National Handloom Day is observed every year on August 7.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The Union government has granted in-principal approval to import 470 aircraft to Air India Limited and 500 aircraft to Interglobe Aviation Limited (Indigo).
• The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as the Think20 Secretariat under India’s G20 Presidency, will host the Think20 Summit in Mysuru till August 2.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware was notified vide notification No. CG-DL-E-30052023-246165 dated May 29, 2023, with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 17,000 crore.
• The G20 EMPOWER Summit is set to take place on August 1, 2023, at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar,
• The Prime Minister inaugurated Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on the 3rd anniversary of NEP 2020.
• The 50th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was held under the chairmanship of DG, NMCG, Shri G. Asok Kumar where Seven projects worth around Rs. 692 crore were approved.
• The Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment under the G20 Indian Presidency, chaired by Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani is set to take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 2nd to 4th August 2023.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off metro trains marking the inauguration of completed sections of Pune Metro.
• Government of India under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) introduced the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign.

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in his address to the people of the country during the popular programme ‘Mann ki Baat’ has always accorded prominence to the beautiful cultural fabric of the country and how diversity also acts as a unifying force.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched India’s first Indigenously developed, Affordable, lightweight, Ultrafast, High Field (1.5 Tesla), Next Generation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner in New Delhi.
• The union minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power has informed that under Green Energy Corridor Phase-II, a project has been approved for setting up of 624 km of transmission lines and 2200 MVA capacity substations by FY 2025-26, for evacuation of renewable energy power of approx. 4000 MW capacity in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• India will be hosting a World Coffee Conference for the first time, with its fifth edition promoted by the International Coffee Organisation to be held in Bengaluru from September 25 to September 28.
• The Union Government will launch the e-CARe (e-Clearance for Afterlife Remains) portal to facilitate the swift transfer of mortal remains of Indians who die abroad.
• The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated ‘Unmesha’ – International Literature Festival and ‘Utkarsh’ – Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Union External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar jointly launched Study in India Portal in New Delhi.
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) takes a significant stride towards improving the highway user experience with the launch of 'Rajmargyatra,' a citizen-centric unified mobile application.
• Union Minister of Steel and Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia unveiled the new logo of NMDC in New Delhi.
• Under the waste-to-wealth concept given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Coimbatore Smart City Mission has taken the initiative of cleaning the waste accumulated over decades and earning from it.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country through video conferencing.
• The government has allocated one lakh 39 thousand 579 crore rupees to extend Bharat Net in six lakh 40 thousand villages across the country.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) has announced the extension of its Digital Health Incentives Scheme (DHIS) under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission till the 31st of December this year.
• Union Minister for State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be taking part in the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ Symposium, being organised by IIT Madras and IIT-M Pravartak Technologies Foundation in Chennai.
• The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the ‘Festival of Libraries’ in New Delhi.
• Ministry of Law and Justice organised the second edition of the Inter-Ministry Bar & Bench Badminton Championship at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region announced that Bhutan and Timor-Leste have successfully eliminated rubella, a highly contagious viral infection that can cause severe illness and irreversible birth defects in newborns when contracted during pregnancy.
• Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar virtually addressed the 1st India-Japan Skill Connect conference, held in Tokyo at the Indian Embassy.
• In a significant stride towards bolstering Sri Lanka's digital transformation, India has provided financial assistance of 45 crore rupees to support the island nation's unique digital identity project.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (AP-Genco) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) will soon be floating a Joint Venture (JV) for implementing Pumped Storage Hydropower Projects (PSPHs) with a total generation capacity of 6,000 Megawatt (MW) in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• In a significant move to support the agricultural community and boost productivity, the Odisha State Cooperation Department announced the implementation of the State Sector Scheme "Interest Subsidy-Subvention."
• The beautiful Indian state of Goa has been chosen to host the world's biggest and most prestigious national pageant for men, the Rubaru Mr India competition.
• Nagaland has been officially declared as a Lumpy Skin Disease Positive Stat
• To reach out to 5,000 children, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government decided to expand the ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ to all 75 districts.
• Jharkhand Chief Minister (CM) Shri Hemant Soren launched Jharkhand elephant tracker, a mobile application-based elephant movement tracking system on the occasion of the 74th Van Mahotsav in Ranchi to reduce human-elephant conflicts in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• Union Finance Minister Tmt. Nirmala Sitharaman visited Adichanallur, an ancient and historical Iron-age burial site located in Thoothukudi District Tamil Nadu, set along the banks of the Tamirabarani (Porunai) river and also laid the foundation stone for the 'Iconic Site Museum' at the Adichanallur site.
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah will launch the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune.
• The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup kicked off in Kokrajhar, Assam, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh graced the opening ceremony, which marked the grand beginning of the annual football competition for the first time in the Assamese city.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 8.2 per cent (provisional) in June 2023 as compared to the Index of June 2022.
• The gross GST revenue collected in the month of July 2023 is ₹1,65,105 crore of which CGST is ₹29,773 crore, SGST is ₹37,623 crore, IGST is ₹85,930 crore (including ₹ 41,239 crores collected on import of goods) and cess is ₹11,779 crore (including ₹ 840 crores collected on import of goods).
• The Ministry of Coal has achieved a substantial surge in overall coal production during the month of July 23, reaching 68.75 Million tonnes (MT), surpassing 60.25 MT of the month of July 22, representing an increase of 14.11%.
• MOIL Limited, the largest producer of manganese ore in India, has recorded its best-ever performance for the month of July since its inception.
• Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has said, 28 per cent GST on casinos and online gaming will be levied on the face value.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• The Government of India (GoI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $200 million loan as additional financing for the ongoing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project to expand water supply and sanitation systems and enhance urban resilience and heritage living in selected towns.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated the submission of legal entity identifier (LEI) details for all non-individual foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
• The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI), a measure of the extent of digitisation of payments across the country, rose to 395.57 in March 2023 from 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022.
• Payments and banking platform for businesses Razorpay launched a MoneySaver Export Account specifically for small and mid-size exporters.
• Russia's largest lender Sberbank's branch in India has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to establish an information technology (IT) unit in Bengaluru,Karnataka where it plans to employ up to 200 IT specialists.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, announced its partnership with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad’s (IIM-A) startup incubator Centre for Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship (CIIE) to set up a SIDBI Accelerator Fund at the incubator with an initial corpus of Rs 20 crore.
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. (Max Life) has been appointed as the “Lead Insurer” for the State of Uttar Pradesh (UP) by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Fino Payments Bank Limited has approved a proposal to transition into a small finance bank (SFB).
• As per the Finance Ministry, over 65% growth has been seen in 2022 from 2021 in the frauds reported for ATMs and others.
• Foodtech giant Swiggy has launched a co-branded credit card in partnership with HDFC Bank to lure customers and get an upper hand over its rival Zomato.
• Fintech firm CRED in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), introduced RuPay credit card-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments for its members.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised India's GDP growth forecast for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) by 20 basis points to 6.1% from earlier 5.9% after the country's stronger-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter of 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• The Ministry of Steel, Government of India confers National Metallurgist Awards to recognise outstanding contributions in the metallurgical field, covering Operations, Research & Development, Waste Management and Energy Conservation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• A 2005 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Lokesh M took over as the Noida Industrial Development Authority’s (NOIDA) chief executive officer (CEO) from Ritu Maheshwari.
• Justice Ashish J Desai was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
• The United States Senate confirmed Indian-American policy expert and businesswoman Nisha Desai Biswal as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has appointed educationist Professor Ganesan Kannabiran as its new director for 5 years.
• Shivendra Nath, a distinguished 1994-batch IAS officer, has been chosen by the esteemed Public Enterprises Selection Board (PSEB) panel to assume the pivotal role of Chairman & Managing Director at Engineering Projects India Ltd (EPIL), a significant Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.
• Indian-American Shohini Sinha has been appointed as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office in Utah state, United States (US) by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
• Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN), the premier association and RBI-recognised Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) for the microfinance industry elected Udaya Kumar Hebbar as Chairperson and Manoj Kumar Nambiar as the Vice Chairperson of the organisation in its 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Delhi.
• Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been given a one-year extension till 22nd August 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed 106 MoUs with various esteemed organizations and institutions in New Delhi.
• The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to upskill students in cloud computing, data annotation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), to boost their capabilities and employability.
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU).
• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to initiate the technical assessment of the AIIMS New Delhi campus for converting it into one which is powered by solar energy.
• NHPC Limited and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, under which NHPC will provide CSR support for the distribution of aids and assistive devices to around 1,000 Divyangjans (Persons with Disabilities) in the vicinity of NHPC Projects located in North and North Eastern states.
• Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Standards Body of India signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with 35 prestigious institutions across the country for fostering collaboration in standardization and conformity assessment.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• The Indian Army implemented a common uniform for Brigadier and above rank officers irrespective of the parent cadre and appointment.
• The air forces of China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will conduct their first joint training exercise FALCON Shield-2023 in China's Xinjiang in August 2023.
• Members of Myanmar’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) decided to extend the state of emergency in the country and the term of the junta led by Min Aung Hlaing for another 6 months.
• National Security and Defense Services think tank, the United Services Institution of India (USI), is organising a historic Military Heritage Guided Tour to illuminate the country's rich military legacy among the citizens.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited (FGILI) has tied up with JM Financial Services, a prominent financial services group with an aim to elevate its insurance product offerings and extend its market presence across the country.
• Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest automaker, has announced a significant strategic move to acquire Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) from its Japanese parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel secured a multi-crore rupee grant from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to manufacture miniaturised multi-payload satellites for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS) company, announced its JUPITER 3 ultra high-density satellite has successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from historic Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39A in Florida, United States of America (USA).
• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has introduced an on-demand streaming platform, name NASA+.
• The United States (US) will help Australia to produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by
• The Indian Space Research Organisation has all set for the Lunar Orbit Injection of Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• In Hockey, the Indian women’s team won the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament in Terrassa, with a 3-0 victory over hosts Spain.
• Indian shooters and archers bagged six medals including four golds at the World University Games in Chengdu,
• In an enthralling turn of events, a Norwegian woman named Kristin Harila, 37 and her guide, Nepal’s Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, 35, have bagged the record as the fastest climbers to ascend all 14 highest peaks in the world.
• In hockey, the 7th Men's Asian Champions Trophy will begin in Chennai.
• Asia's oldest football tournament Durand Cup has begun.
• For the first time, Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society (SMSES) signed MoU with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to promote football at the grassroots level.
• DD Sports will start the air State Final Rounds of Fit India Quiz 2022.
• In FISU World University Games 2023 in Chengdu, India have won 26 medals including 11 gold, five silver, and 10 bronze.
• Aditi Swami created history by becoming the first-ever Indian to clinch the individual World Title at the World Archery Championships final in Berlin.
• Sports Authority of India (SAI) under the Umbrella Campaign 'Cheer4India' has launched a short movie series ‘Halla Bol’ on the journey of Asian Games-bound athletes to motivate them for the Hangzhou Asian Games and spread awareness about the upcoming Asian Games.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Noted Bollywood production designer & renowned art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai has passed away at the age of 58.