23rd August, 2023

1. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)is developing Radio thermoelectric generators (RTGs), in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), aimed at surpassing the constraints of conventional chemical engines for interplanetary voyages.
2. Chief Justice of India (CJI) has released a Handbook on Gender Stereotypes, offering guidance on how to avoid utilising harmful gender stereotypes, in particular those about women, in judicial decision making and writing.
3. 20th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ Meeting has been concluded in Semarang, Indonesia.
4. Ministry of Finance has imposed a 40% export duty on onions to check the rise in their prices.
5. Canara Bank has launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application, called the “Canara Digital Rupee app”, as a part of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
6. Yes Bank Limited (Ltd) has launched ‘iris by YES BANK’, a state-of-the-art mobile banking application which was developed in collaboration with customer feedback.
7. Indian Bank has become the First Public Sector Bank (PSB) to extend facility of execution of on-line locker agreement through Digital Document Execution (DDE) Platform of National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).
8. Indian Army has inducted the first Swathi Mark II Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), a lighter and compact version WLR for mountains & high-altitude areas.
9. India’s first long-range side swing revolver ‘Prabal’ has been launched at the Small Arms Factory (SFA) in Kanpur, for civilians and arms dealers.
10. Second Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, known as Yard 76 (LSAM 8) has been launched in Andhra Pradesh.
11. 19 August- World Humanitarian Day 2023
12. 19 August- World Photography Day
13. 20 August- Sadbahavana Diwas or Harmony Day
14. 20 August- World Mosquito Day
15. 21 August- International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
16. School textbooks named “Kuwi Primer” and “Desia Primer” have been launched in Kuwi and Desia languages at an event held in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) to simplify primary education for tribal children in Odisha.

National News

1. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)is developing Radio thermoelectric generators (RTGs), in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), aimed at surpassing the constraints of conventional chemical engines for interplanetary voyages.
   • Chemical engines work well for satellite thrusters, but they are inadequate for deep space travel due to fuel limitations and lack of solar power in distant regions.

   What is the Radio Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)?

   • RTGs are innovative power sources designed to address challenges in deep space missions.
   • RTGs utilize radioactive materials, such as Plutonium-238 or Strontium-90,which emit heat as they decay over time.
   • Thisheat is harnessed and converted into electricity, enabling the propulsion and power of spacecraft.
     Source: TH

2. Chief Justice of India (CJI) has released a Handbook on Gender Stereotypes, offering guidance on how to avoid utilising harmful gender stereotypes, in particular those about women, in judicial decision making and writing.
   • It highlights common stereotypical words and phrases that are often used to describe women in legal documents.
   • It also provides specific examples of language that should be replaced with more neutral and accurate terms.

Source: SCI

International News

1. 20th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ Meeting has been concluded in Semarang, Indonesia.

Highlights of the meeting

• India and the ASEAN countries have reached an agreement to review their free trade pact for goods and set a 2025 target or concluding the review aimed at addressing the “asymmetry” in bilateral trade.
• The ASEAN–India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) is a free trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
  • The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed and entered into force in January
  • The ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement was signed in November
  • The trade with ASEAN accounts for 3% of India’s global trade in 2022-23.

What is a free trade agreement (FTA)?

• FTA is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them.

Source: TH

Banking and Economy

1. Ministry of Finance has imposed a 40% export duty on onions to check the rise in their prices.

Why are the onion prices rising?

• The present price rise has two aspects to it-
  • First is the shortage in stored produce
  • Second is the lower-than-expected acreage of the onion.
• India is largest exporter of Onions in the world (12% of global onion trade)

Previously,

• Ban on export of Wheat in May 2022
  • India is the world’s second-biggest wheat producer after China.
  • Accounts for less than 1% of the global wheat trade.
  • Its top export markets are Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• Ban on export of Non- Basmati Rice in July 2023
  • India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world, after China.
  • India has become the largest rice exporter globally, accounting for nearly 40% of global rice exports in 2022.
  • Non-basmati white rice constitutes approximately 25% of the total rice exported from the country.

What has export to do with the present price rise?

• The domestic price rise comes at a time when demand for Indian onion in the international market has been quite high.
  • The majority of the demand is from Bangladesh and West Asia.
• With a 40% export duty, the price parity of the trade will be destroyed.
  • Many traders had already signed contracts for exports at a lower price and this duty would have to be incurred by them.
  • Around 4,500 tonnes of onion are in transit for which the exporters would have to suffer the losses.
• Increased export duty, the government feels would stem the onion from leaving the country and would allow more availability in the local market.
• This will ensure smoother supply and lower prices.
  Source: IE
2. Canara Bank has launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application, called the “Canara Digital Rupee app”, as a part of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
   • Canara Bank is the first among the public and commercial sector bank to provide this feature in its CBDC mobile app.
   • The app has been created in accordance with RBI guidelines and is powered by advanced blockchain technology.

   Benefits-

   • Customers will be able to scan merchant UPI Quick Response (QR) codes using the Canara Digital Rupee app and make digital currency payments.
   • It enables merchants to accept digital currency payments in addition to UPI-based payments, utilising their existing UPI QR codes without the need for a separate onboarding process for CBDC.
     Source: ET

3. Yes Bank Limited (Ltd) has launched ‘iris by YES BANK’, a state-of-the-art mobile banking application which was developed in collaboration with customer feedback.
   • It is the bank’s first Direct to Consumer platform, allowing new and existing customers to access more than 100 features and services.
     Source: ET
4. Indian Bank has become the First Public Sector Bank (PSB) to extend facility of execution of on-line locker agreement through Digital Document Execution (DDE) Platform of National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).

Source: ToI

Defence News

1. Indian Army has inducted the first Swathi Mark II Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), a lighter and compact version WLR for mountains & high-altitude areas.
   • The Swathi Mountains WLR is an advanced electronically scanned phased array radar.
   • It is specifically designed for operations in mountainousand high-altitude areas.
   • Swathi Mk II is developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru, under the Ministry of Defence (MoD

2. India’s first long-range side swing revolver ‘Prabal’ has been launched at the Small Arms Factory (SFA) in Kanpur, for civilians and arms dealers.
   • The revolver with “twice the range of other revolvers” is manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd. (AW&EIL), government-owned enterprise ultimate weapon system provider.
     Source: HT

3. Second Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, known as Yard 76 (LSAM 8) has been launched in Andhra Pradesh.
   • The barge has been built by M/s SECON Engineering using mostly indigenous equipment and parts.
   • MCA barges will provide impetus to operational commitments of Indian Navy as they facilitate transportation, embarkation and disembarkation of ammunition to Naval ships.

Source: PIB

Important Days

1. 19 August- World Humanitarian Day 2023
   • Purpose- To pay tribute to humanitarian people around the world, who have committed their lives in order to support or help others, particularly in times of crisis and conflict.
   • The 2023 WHD Campaign tagline is #NoMatterWhat.
   • WHD is a campaign by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
   • The first World Humanitarian Day was observed in 2009.
   • This year marks the 20th anniversary of the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
     Source: UN
2. 19 August- World Photography Day
   • Theme: “Landscapes”.
   • Purpose- To celebrate the art, craft, science, and history of photography.
   • History– It was first celebrated in 1839, after the French government introduced the daguerreotype process – a revolutionary photographic methodology developed by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
     Source: ET
3. 20 August- Sadbahavana Diwas or Harmony Day
   • Purpose- To celebrate the birth anniversary of India’s 6th Prime Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi.
     Source: HI
4. 20 August- World Mosquito Day
   • Purpose- To commemorate Sir Ronald Ross, a British doctor who discovered the relationship between mosquitoes and the transmission of malaria between humans in 1897.
   • He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for this work.
     Source: MMV
5. 21 August- International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
   • Purpose- To honour and support the victims and survivors of terrorism and to promote and protect the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
   • Theme: “Legacy: Finding Hope and Building a Peaceful Future.”
     Source: UN

Miscellaneous

1. School textbooks named “Kuwi Primer” and “Desia Primer” have been launched in Kuwi and Desia languages at an event held in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) to simplify primary education for tribal children in Odisha.
   • The launch is a collaborative effort of Central University of Odisha, Koraput, Department of Posts, and National Council of Educational Research and Training.
     Source: FE

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