Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of August 22nd to 31st August 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs August 22nd to 31st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition is celebrated on 23 August every year.
• Women’s Equality Day is observed on August 26 every year to commemorate the right of women to vote in the United States & the theme is #EmbraceEquity.
• National Sports Day or Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated on 29 August every year.
• The Small Industry Day is an annual celebration observed on 30th August.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has instructed regulated entities, including banks and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs), to offer personal loan borrowers the choice to switch from a floating interest rate to a fixed rate when resetting interest rates.
• Private lender YES Bank introduced its state-of-the-art mobile banking application named 'iris' with an aim to redefine digital banking for its customers.
• India's banking system liquidity has slipped into deficit for the 1st time this financial year(2023) after the Reserve Bank of India's temporary liquidity withdrawal move and tax outflows.
• Life Insurance Corporation announced that it has acquired 660 per cent shareholding in Jio Financial Services, the demerged financial entity of Reliance Industries that made its stock debut.
• Total banking transactions at GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) here reached USD 508 billion till July 2023.
• Cashfree Payments, India’s leading provider of payments and API banking solutions, introduced ‘Vendor Payments,’ a comprehensive platform that enables businesses to optimize and manage their purchase-to-pay cycle, increasing efficiency and lowering processing time.
• A Committee of Directors on Raising Capital Funds approved the raising of funds for an amount not exceeding Rs 5,000 crores through the issue of equity shares through Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP), Union Bankstated in a regulatory filing.
• On World Senior Citizens Day (Aug 21, 2023), Punjab National Bank (PNB), the nation’s leading public sector bank, has introduced the “Pensioner’s Lounge”, a dedicated space within the branch that serves pensioners and senior citizens with all their banking needs.
• SBI Life Insurance, one of the most trusted private life insurance companies in the country, launched its dedicated 24X7 inbound contact centre through toll-free number 18002679090 to address before and after purchase queries related to comprehensive insurance solutions provided by the company.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC),a member of the World Bank Group is set to invest up to $100 million in IIFL Home Finance Limited (IIFL HFL), a leading housing finance company, in a move aimed at increasing access to housing finance for economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG), including women borrowers in India.
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has reconstituted the New Delhi headquartered Advisory Board on Banking and Financial Frauds (ABBFF) to address fraudulent activities in the banking and financial sectors.
• CAMSfinserv, one of the first RBI-licensed Account Aggregators (AA) in India, has onboarded all 17 Asset Management Companies serviced by CAMS as financial information providers on the AA platform, making it the 1st in the industry to provide access to mutual fund data.
• Cleartrip, a subsidiary of Flipkart, has joined forces with Axis Bank, a prominent private sector bank in India, to introduce an innovative travel proposition for Axis Bank credit cardholders.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB), a state-owned bank, has launched the 'Video Re-KYC' service to simplify the periodic update of customer identity documents.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the merger of Akola Merchant Co-operative Bank Limited, located in Akola, Maharashtra, with The Jalgaon Peoples Co-operative Bank Limited, situated in Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
• As a part of the Reserve Bank of India's ongoing Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) initiative, Axis Bank has launched a new UPI interoperability functionality on its 'Axis Mobile Digital Rupee App' to enhance the use of Digital Rupee among its customers.
• HDFC Bank has become the 1st bank in India to launch the ‘Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card’, India’s first co-branded hotel credit card in partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel programme.
• State Bank of India (SBI) launched its non-callable term deposits called SBI ‘Sarvottam’ for deposits above Rs 15 lakh.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced an association, with Mastercard becoming a Global Partner for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be held in India between 5 October and 19 November 2023.
• To celebrate the 8th foundation day, Bandhan Bank opened its branch in the Leh district of Union Territory (UT), Ladakh, marking its presence in 35 of the 36 states and UTs of India.
• Airtel Payments Bank, a prominent player in the digital banking space, has introduced a Fastag-based parking payments, streamlined solution for parking payments at Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna.
• India in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to open a climate change and health hub in New Delhi.
• Airtel Payments Bank, in collaboration with Mastercard Center and Frontier Markets, has introduced a first-of-its-kind, transformative initiative named She Leads Bharat: Udyam, an initiative to elevate 100,000 women-owned small businesses.
• IDFC First Bank has secured the title rights to the home international series of the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for a duration of 3 years.
• Yes Bank in collaboration with spend management platform Zaggle launched a co-branded Corporate Credit Card named Yes Bank Zaggle Corporate Credit Card to empower businesses to reimagine their payment processes, streamline reconciliation, and efficiently manage company expenditures.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited (Fourth Partner) an Independent Power Producer (IPP) signed a long-term loan of up to2 billion Indian rupees (about $14.7 million) to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant to increase clean and low-cost energy supply to commercial and industrial customers.
• Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India launched a first-of-its-kind new savings account variant – ‘Infinity Savings Account’ to cater to digitally savvy customers who are frequent adopters of subscription-based models.
• In a significant move, Bandhan Bank has received authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to serve as an authorised pension disbursement bank.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced new disclosure norms for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), which are set to be implemented from November 1, 2023.
• DBS Bank Limited, in collaboration with Singapore's commodities trader Maptrasco (Khaitan International Pte Limited-KIPL), has achieved a significant breakthrough by successfully executing the 1st "live" electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) transaction for shipments between Singapore and India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The G20 Pandemic Fund has sanctioned a $25 million proposal from the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) in India.
• Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, will unveil the much-anticipated Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP).
• Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India, in close collaboration with Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, is organizing the National Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Gram Panchayats through Adopting Thematic Approaches on Theme 8: Panchayat with Good Governance during 21-23 August 2023 in Srinagar J&K.
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, joined hands to lay the foundation stone for Datia Airport in the state.
• Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, inaugurated the 'Three-day National Thematic Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Panchayats' in Srinagar.
• Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the 5th edition of ‘National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs’, which provides a detailed overview of the status of e-service delivery across States/UTs.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued recommendations concerning License fees and Policy Matters for Direct-to-Home (DTH) Services.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) announced 100 microsite projects for accelerated adoption of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) across the country.
• The 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting will begin in Varanasi culminating in the Culture Ministers’ Meeting (CMM).
• Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate Mukhyamantri Seekho-Kamao yojna.
• India will receive USD 25 million from the G20 Pandemic Fund for strengthening the animal health system of the country.
• India and the ASEAN countries agreed to review their free trade pact for goods by 2025.
• Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), a leading Major Port on the West Coast of India in Gujarat, is signing a concession agreement for the development, operation and maintenance of a new mega container terminal at Tuna-Tekra, Gujarat (near Kandla) with DP World, a multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• The Union Government will launch Tele-Law - 2.0 which Integrates Tele-Law and Nyaya Bandhu App to ensure access to Justice in New Delhi.
• The 26th National Conference on e-Governance began in Indore to deliberate on providing better facilities to the citizens.
• The B20 Summit India 2023 will commence in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, in collaboration with the Australian Government, successfully hosted a roundtable on "Enhancing Health Workforce Training and Skill Pathways" on August 21, 2023, in New Delhi.
• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to use National Waterways-2 (Brahmaputra) and Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) for export of petroleum products to Bangladesh and other south east Asian countries in Guwahati, Assam
• The Government of India, in association with State Governments, is launching an ‘Invoice incentive Scheme’ by the name ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar’ to encourage the culture of customers asking for invoices/bills for all purchases.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India is committed to ensure a safe and secure nation by strengthening all aspects of national security mechanisms.
• The Third International Conference on Structural Integrity (ICONS 2023) was inaugurated at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu virtually by Dr. N Kailaiselvi, Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research & Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
• PUNE-based College of Military Engineering (CME) with the commissioning of a 5-megawatt (MW) solar power plant taking its solar power generation capacity to 7 MW has become India’s first carbon-negative garrison or military formation.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia released a coffee table book on traditional and local architecture of various terminal buildings at AAI airports.
• The Income Tax Department has revamped its National website www.incometaxindia.gov.in with a user-friendly interface, value-added features, and new modules.
• The Union Government has proposed to start a Tribal University in the Parvatipuram Manyam district of the northern region of Andhra Pradesh.
• The Embassy of India in Bahrain hosted an open house session under the guidance of Ambassador Designate Vinod Kurian Jacob.
• The Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired the 26th meeting of the Western Zonal Council at Gandhinagar, in Gujarat.
• The second G20-Chief Scientific Advisers’ Roundtable meeting began in Gandhinagar.
• India has handed over the B20 presidency to Brazil to host G20 in 2024.
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is organizing a conference on “Review of PLI-Auto Scheme - Excellence through Aatmanirbharta” at India Habitat Centre.
• Road Transport and Highways Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the world's first 100% Ethanol-fueled car in New Delhi,
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur graced the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala with his presence.
• Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Textile and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution of India and Hon Damien O’Connor, Minister for Trade and Export Growth of New Zealand, had a bilateral meeting at New Delhi.
• President Droupadi Murmu released the commemorative coin on NT Rama Rao on his centenary year at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
• The environment and India's economy are seriously threatened by illegal coal mining & the government has launched the Khanan Prahari App in response to this problem.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented India in the 20^thASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ meeting held on 21^st August 2023 in Semarang, Indonesia and co-chaired the meeting with Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade, Indonesia.
• The United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Abrysvo (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine), the first vaccine approved for use in pregnant individuals to prevent lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) and severe LRTD caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants from birth through 6 months of age.
• Pakistan President Arif Alvi denied signing the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 into law due to his strong disagreement with the legislation.
• The Saudi Environment Ministry has launched a program to combat desertification using artificial intelligence (AI).
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was conferred with the prestigious Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by Greek President Katerina N Sakellaropoulou, a special honour reflecting the strength of the India-Greece partnership.
• The 15th BRICS summit was held from the 22nd to 24th August,2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa.
• China and Bhutan held their first meeting of the Joint Technical Team on the Delimitation of the China-Bhutan Boundary in Beijing.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the BRICS (encompasses Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue in Johannesburg,South Africa.
• Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD), Shri Parshottam Rupala chaired the 2nd National Advisory Committee meeting for Animal Husbandry and Dairying formed under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda launched the ‘Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers’ as a part of the ‘Mission for Elimination of Sickle Cell Anaemia' in New Delhi.
• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur launched the 3rd edition of the Fit India Quiz, among other initiatives, at an event at the JLN Stadium.
• The Centre has extended the mixed route of wage payment including the National Automated Clearing House and Aadhaar Based Payment System- ABPS route till the 31st of December, 2023..
• The government will provide a grant-in-aid of up to Rs 50 lakh for startups and individuals to promote innovation in the niche technical textiles segment.
• The Indian government has extended the deadline for the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile and auto component industry by another year, until 2027-28.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited ("BPCL"), a prominent 'Maharatna' and Fortune Global 500 Company, unveiled its ambitious roadmap for the next 5 years at the 70th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held &the company has planned a capex outlay of around 1.5 Lakh Crore in the next 5 years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), inaugurated multiple Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) initiatives during his visit to Tamil Nadu.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after holding a meeting with Durga Puja committees announced an increase of ₹70,000 grant to puja committees in the state.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a meeting with officials of his advisory group constituted with an aim to provide guidance for the upcoming Global Investors Summit, 2023.
• Kerala got its first Artificial Intelligence (AI) school at Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The Tamilnadu Government began the breakfast Scheme in 31 thousand schools.
• To ensure transparency, the Gujarat government launched a new software that will make online payment compulsory for Panchayati Raj institutions in the state, ending the practice of cheque payment to contractors and vendors.
• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government introduced the 'Manav Sampada Portal' with the objective of instilling transparency and accountability in the functioning of officers and employees across all 74 departments in the state.
• The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITE&C) Department of the Government of Telangana has joined hands with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to implement the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by signing a Letter of Intent to drive efforts and action.
• Sri Lanka hosted its very first Karnataka cultural festival organized by the International Cultural Council of India in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre and E Global Peace Foundation.
• The Madhya Pradesh (MP) government has increased the financial assistance provided to women under the Ladli Behna scheme from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250 per month.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Foreign Investors pumped over 13,000 crore rupees into the Indian capital markets so far in August.
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) recorded an impressive growth of 17 lakh and 89 thousand net members in June 2023.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured an order worth ₹2,500 crore for the fabrication and supply of pipe rack modules for a 2.3-MMTPA urea plant for Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilizers Pty in Australia.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has decided to decrease the minimum capital requirement for Foreign Reinsurance Businesses (FRBs) from Rs 100 crores to Rs 50 crores with an aim to attract more foreign reinsurers to operate in India and participate in the Indian insurance market.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Neelkanth Mishra has reportedly been appointed by the Union government as the part-time chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the nodal body in charge of issuing Aadhaar numbers.
• SBI chairman Dinesh Khara is likely to get an extension until August 2024, giving him almost another year at the helm as his current tenure is to end in October.
• Citigroup stated Ravi Kapoor will retire as head of banking, capital markets and advisory (BCMA) for South Asia and India after 18 years with the U.S. bank.
• Former real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin of Pheu Thai Party (PTP) has been elected as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand, succeeding Prayuth Chan-Ocha who retired from politics in July 2022.
• Infosys has roped in tennis icon Rafael Nadal as an ambassador for the Infosys brand and its Digital Innovation.
• Tata Capital, a prominent financial services entity under the Tata Group, has announced the selection of Shubman Gill, a promising young cricket talent, as its brand ambassador.
• Former Chief Justice (CJ) of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Prakash Shrivastava has been appointed as the new chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
• Indian multinational consumer goods company, Dabur India Limited has signed the youth sensation Kartik Aaryan as the face of its newly launched gel toothpaste- Dabur Red Bae Fresh Gel.
• New York-based one of the world's largest mutual life insurance companies, Guardian Life Insurance of America has appointed Shiney Prasad as Country Head - India, who will report to Chief Information and Operations Officer Dean Del Vecchio.
• Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected for a second and final 5-year term (2023-2028).
• The Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC), the representative body of asset and loan financing of the Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) in India, has appointed Umesh Revankar as its new chairman for a 2-year term.
• Indian Forest Service officer & Chief conservator of forests Dr Sonali Ghosh set to become the 1st woman field director of 118-year-old Kaziranga National Park in Assam from Sep 1, 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONOURS

• The Jury for the 69th National Film Awards announced the winners for the year 2021 & the Best feature film award has been given to Rocketry: The Nambi Effect and the Best Non-Feature Film has been bagged by Ek Tha Gaon directed by Srishti Lakhera.
• SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj won the National Award for e-Governance 2023 (GOLD) for Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen Centric Services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• Indian Naval Ship INS Visakhapatnam docked at Al-Shuwaikh Port as part of a three-day stay in Kuwait.
• The 2023 edition of Defence Correspondents Course (DCC), a three week course conducted by the Ministry of Defence for select journalists from National and Regional Media organisations, commenced at Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam on 21 August 2023.
• A Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, held under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs 7,800 crores.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to host a significant multilateral military exercise named 'Tarang Shakti' in the upcoming year(2024).
• During a conference commemorating Defence Industry Day, Iran’s Defence Ministry unveiled its new domestically built drone named Mohajer-10 , resembling America’s armed MQ-9 Reaper.
• An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent departed, for participating in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23, a biennial multilateral tri-service exercise scheduled to be held at Cairo (West) Air Base, Egypt from 27 August to 16 September 2023.
• In a major boost to indigenisation, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP) for the acquisition of 5 indigenously built Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy at an overall cost of around Rs 19,000 crore.
• The 5th edition of AUSINDEX, a significant bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), was conducted from 22-25 August 2023 in Sydney, Australia.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

• The first tropical storm to hit Los Angeles in more than 80 years unleashed floods across parts of Southern California.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Russia’s Moon mission ended in failure after its spacecraft, Luna-25 spun out of control and crashed into the moon.
• The Indian Navy submarine, INS Vagir, a Kalvari-class submarine, has embarked on an extended-range deployment that began in June 2023.
• ISRO Chairman Dr S. Somnath met Atomic Energy and Space Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and apprised him about the status and readiness of Chandrayaan-3 for the moon landing.
• India has created history as it became the first country to land on the South Pole of the lunar surface.
• China has successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite Gaofen-12 04 into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China
• Next-Generation Photonic Analog-to-Digital Converters (NG-PADC) was developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras with support from the IMPRINT programme, which is equipped with a time-stretched photonic ADC.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), categorized as a Mini Ratna (Category – I) enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, has entered into a performance-based Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• NHPC Limited, India's leading hydropower company, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RITES, a Miniratna Schedule 'A' Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.
• In a significant step towards bolstering the bilateral cooperation between India and the Philippines, the Indian Coast Guard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on enhanced maritime cooperation.
• The United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region signed an MoU formalising the collaboration
• NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) Limited (an undertaking of the Government of Andhra Pradesh) for the implementation of Pumped Hydro Storage Projects and Renewable Energy Projects in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• India and Greece plan to double their bilateral trade by 2030, announced Prime Minister Modi during his official visit to the country.
• IIT Bombay has partnered with HSBC to pursue technological advancements towards making green hydrogen production more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable
• Deendayal Port Authority and DP World have signed a concession agreement in the presence of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi.
• NITI Aayog and UNDP India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise a framework of cooperation on a range of areas, including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.
• The Government of India and the Government of New Zealand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in civil aviation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• India secured the second rank at the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) held in Chorzów, Poland from August 10 to 20, 2023.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has focused initiatives in place for each dimension of the ESG framework under the Environment (Transitioning towards Green and Sustainable Operations), Social (Empowering Employees, Adopting Customer Centricity, and Helping Communities) and Governance (Enabling Robust Governance Structure and Effectively Managing Risks) pillars.
• Amul has been ranked as the world’s strongest dairy brand by the Brand Finance Food and Drink Report
• The central government declared 66 winners of the fourth edition of the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) which was launched in April 2022 at the Smart Cities-Smart Urbanisation event in Surat.
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti released the report on the sixth census on minor irrigation schemes & as per the report, 23.14 million minor irrigation (MI) schemes have been reported in the country, out of which 21.93 million are Ground Water (GW) and 1.21 million are Surface Water (SW) schemes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• HDFC Capital Advisors and the House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) have formed an alliance to set up a joint venture platform with investments of over Rs 1,500 crore to undertake land projects including plotted developments and low-rise projects across key property markets in India.
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and Mumbai-headquartered Saraswat Cooperative Bank have entered into a partnership under which the bank will sell the insurance major’s products.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

• Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched a novel comic book titled "Let’s Move Forward." at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• The Indian Men's Cricket team for the Asia Cup 2023 has been announced with Rohit Sharma as captain and Hardik Pandya as Vice Captain.
• In Football, Spain made history by defeating England 1-Nil to lift the FIFA Women's World Cup title in Sydney for the first time.
• India’s Anahat Singh clinched the gold medal in the U-17 category of the Asian Junior Squash Individual Championships, held in Dalian, China from August 16-20.
• Lionel Messi, After leading his country to its third FIFA World Cup title last year, Lionel Messi shone again for Inter Miami, finding the net in a tense penalty shootout against Nashville SC and helping his team clinch their maiden Leagues Cup title.
• The India Junior Men's Hockey team secured a resounding victory over England, emerging triumphant with a scoreline of 4-0 in the four-nation Tournament held in Dusseldorf, Germany.
• The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated 33 Khelo India Centres in the State of Rajasthan this morning at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
• Bharat Ratna Awardee, Legendary Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been declared the National Icon of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to create awareness among voters and encourage their participation in the electoral process.
• Indian powerlifters Honey Dabas and Rahul Jograjiya created history as they made an extraordinary start to the Dubai 2023 World Para Powerlifting Championships by clinching the gold and silver medals
• The Arunachal Pradesh League has been launched in New Delhi.
• The United World Wrestling (UWW) has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with immediate effect for failing to conduct elections on time.
• Indian shooter Amanpreet Singh won the gold medal in Men’s 25-metre standard pistol shooting event at the ISSF World Championship 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has announced that the Khelo India Women’s League will officially be known as the Asmita Women's League.
• In shooting, Rajeshwari Kumari has secured another shooting spot for India in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
• In Chess, Magnus Carlsen of Norway beat India's R. Praggnanandhaa in tie-breaks to win the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 title at Baku in Azerbaijan.
• Indian women's visually impaired team won the T-20 final of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games at
• The fourth and final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open tennis tournament will kick off in New York.
• Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won India's first-ever gold at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
• In hockey, India defeated Thailand 5-4 at the Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier in Salalah, Oman.
• In badminton, India's ace shuttler HS Prannoy had to settle for a bronze medal as he registered a loss to Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals of the ongoing Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships 2023.
• In Cricket, the Indian men's visually impaired team settled for a silver medal after a defeat against Pakistan in the final of the men's T20 cricket event at the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games 2023 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
• The Sri Lanka Football Federation (FFSL) is no longer prohibited by the world's football governing body FIFA.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

• Zimbabwean cricket icon Heath Streak has passed away at the age of 49 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
• Renowned Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi, aged 40, has passed away at a private hospital in Hisar after battling jaundice.
• An Indian-American mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, commonly known as C. R. Rao passed away at the age of 102.
• Renowned lyricist and poet Dev Kohli Passed away at the age of 80 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against Russia's military leadership in June, was killed in a plane crash.
• Renowned Odisha-born English poet & the 1st Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi (the 4th highest civilian honour in India) award for English poetry in 1981, passed away at the age of 95 in Cuttack, Odisha.