National Sports Day: 29 August
Every year, 29th August has been observed as National Sports Day in India. The first National Sports Day was celebrated on 29th August 2012, on the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand who was the star of hockey team of India. The day is used as a platform to launch various sports schemes as well as organise various sporting events and seminars to spread awareness about the importance of physical activities and sports in life.
History of National Sports Day
National Sports Day is also called with the name Rashtriya Khel Divas in some parts of India. In 1979, the Indian Postal Department paid tribute to Major Dhyan Chand after his death and renamed the National Stadium of Delhi as Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi. In 2012, it was announced that a day must be celebrated as National Sports Day with the motive of spreading awareness about the spirit of sportsmanship and propagating the message of various sports. And for this again a tribute was given to Major Dhayan Chand on his birth anniversary and announced 29th August as National Sports Day in India.
About Major Dhyan Chand:
Major Dhyan Chand was born on 29th August 1905, in Allahabad and was a great hockey player of his time. He was known as the star or wizard of a hockey player as during his period, his team gained hat-trick of gold medals in Olympics during years- 1928, 1932, and 1936. He played internationally for 23 years from 1926 to 1949. He total played 185 matches in his career and scored 570 goals. He was so passionate about hockey, that he used to practise for the game at night in the moonlight which led him to the name, Dhyan Chand. In 1956, Dhyan Chand was awarded Padma Bhushan Award, he was the third civilian to get the honour.
Important note:
- Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will be renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Paralympics 2020: Bhavinaben Patel wins silver in table tennis
In table tennis, Indian paddler Bhavinaben Patel has claimed the historic silver medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games at Tokyo, in the women’s singles summit clash. The 34-year-old Patel lost to Chinese paddler Ying Zhou, 0-3, in her maiden Paralympic Games. This is the first medal for India at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Patel is the only second Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics, after Deepa Malik, who claimed silver in shotput at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
National Small Industry Day: 30 August
In India, the National Small Industry Day is celebrated on 30 August every year, to support and promote small Industries for their overall growth potential and opportunities received for their development in the year. The industry day is a medium to provide balanced growth to existing small, medium and large scale enterprises and render assistance for setting up new industries to boost the state’s financial health.
About the Small scale Industry:
Small scale businesses and cottage industries have worked a vital part in the Indian economy. The best quality gains have been produced in the base and cottage manufacturers of India. Although this area like other Indian businesses experienced a huge drop in British rule, it has grown at a very fast step after independence.
Max Verstappen wins Belgian Grand Prix 2021
Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has been declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix 2021. The Belgian Grand Prix was stopped due to rain and only two laps were completed. The winner was decided based on progress made in these two laps. George Russell Williams came second and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes came third.
Paralympics 2020: Avani Lekhara wins gold in Shooting
Shooter Avani Lekhara has scripted history as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record-equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.
Avani is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
United Nations observes International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances globally on the 30th of August every year. The day is being observed to express deep concern about the rise in enforced or involuntary disappearances in different regions of the world including the incidents of arrest, detention and abduction.
All of the above incidents result in an increasing number of reports pertaining to harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of persons who have disappeared. UN General Assembly declared the 30th of August as International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances and the day was observed for the first time in the year 2011.
Paralympics 2020: Nishad Kumar wins silver in men’s high jump
India’s Nishad Kumar has clinched a silver medal in the men’s high jump T47 event at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. This is the second medal for India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. The 23-year-old Nishad made a jump of 2.06m, and in doing so created an Asian record. He also equalled his jump with USA’s Dallas Wise, who also took home silver.
Another American, Roderick Townsend, won the gold with a world record jump of 2.15m. T47 class is meant for athletes with a unilateral upper limb impairment resulting in some loss of function at the shoulder, elbow and wrist.
World’s Highest Altitude Movie Theatre open in Ladakh
The world’s highest movie theatre has recently been inaugurated in Ladakh, which got its first-ever mobile digital movie theatre in the Paldan area of Leh, at an altitude of 11,562 feet. The inflatable theatre can operate in -28 degrees Celcius. The initiative aims to bring cinema watching experience to most remotest areas of India. It must be noted that four such theatres will be established in Leh in the coming period.
Revision:
- Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has built one of the world’s highest mobile air traffic control (ATC) towers at the Advanced Landing Ground in Ladakh.
SP Sethuraman Wins 2021 Barcelona Open Chess Tournament
In Chess, Indian Grandmaster S P Sethuraman has won the 2021 Barcelona Open chess tournament title, remaining unbeaten through the nine rounds, winning six matches and drawing three. Chennai-born Sethuraman collected 7.5 points after the ninth and final round to tie the score with Daniil Yuffa of Russia. However, the Indian player emerged as the winner on the basis of a better tie-break score. India’s Karthikeyan Murali finished third.
Govt introduces “Bharat series (BH-series)” registration
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. “Bharat series (BH-series)”. The vehicles bearing the BH-series mark will not have to require the assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
Earlier, under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, if a person moves from one state to another, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered, but a new registration with the new state- registering authority has to be made within the stipulated time of 12 months.
Who can apply for “BH-Series”?
This facility is available on a voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State Public Sector Undertakings and private sector companies/organizations, which have their offices in four or more States/Union territories.
Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark:
- YY – Year of first registration
- BH- Code for Bharat Series
- ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
- XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)
- The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two. This scheme will facilitate the free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.
Rajnath Singh names Army Sports Institute, Pune as “Neeraj Chopra Stadium”
Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh visited the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune and named the Army Sports Institute stadium as “Neeraj Chopra Stadium”. The focus of the Indian Army (in the field of sports) is to identify and train promising sportspersons in 11 disciplines. The Indian Army’s “Mission Olympics” programme was launched in 2001 with the intent to deliver medal-winning performances in the Olympics and other international events.
Revision:
- Neeraj Chopra has won a Gold medal for India in the javelin throw event at Tokyo Olympics. With a throw of 87.03 metres in his first attempt, Neeraj killed the competition. In his second he improved it to 87.58m and that turned out to be the golden throw.
- The Athletics Federation of India has decided that javelin throw day will be on 7th August every year in honour of Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started a public awareness campaign to warn people against digital banking frauds. For the new campaign, RBI has roped in Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.
RBI enhances limit under Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility to Rs 2 lakh
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the limit of fund transfer under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility Scheme from Rs 50,000 per transaction to Rs 2 lakh per transaction. Earlier there was a ceiling limit of 12 transactions in a year. Now, this limit has also been removed. However, for cash-based transfers under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility, the per transaction limit of Rs 50,000 will still be present with a maximum number of transfers in a year allowed at 12.
About the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility:
Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility is a fund transfer mechanism from India to Nepal (not otherwise) that operates on NEFT. It was started by RBI in the year 2008. It is managed by SBI in India and Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) in Nepal.
Rajnath Singh Commissions Indigeneously built ICGS ‘Vigraha’
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has dedicated to the nation, the indigenously built Coast Guard Ship ‘Vigraha’ in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. According to the defence ministry, the 98-meter vessel will be based in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and will be operated by a company of 11 officers and 110 sailors. The ship has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro Ship Building Limited. With the joining of this ship, the Indian Coast Guard now have 157 Ships and 66 Aircraft in its inventory.
About the ICGS Vigraha:
- The ICGS Vigraha, is the seventh and final ship in the series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), the agreement for which was signed in 2015.
- The Vigraha is equipped with advanced radars, the latest in navigation and communication technology.
- The sensors and machinery present in the ship make it capable of operating in tropical sea conditions.
- Moreover, in a significant boost to the defence capabilities of the armed forces, the Vigraha indigenous vessel has also been designed to carry one twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats for the purpose of boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime patrol.
India and Germany conducts joint maritime exercise in Gulf of Aden
The Indian Navy and the German Navy carried out a joint exercise in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, in the Indian Ocean leg of Indo-Pacific Deployment 2021. The Indian Navy was represented by frigate “Trikand” while the German Navy was represented by frigate “Bayern”.
The exercise included helicopter (cross deck helo) landings and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations. The joint exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability and exchange of best practices between the navies of the two countries in the maritime domain.
LIC launches ANANDA mobile app for Agents
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched the mobile application of its digital paperless solution, “ANANDA” for LIC agents. ANANDA stands for Atma Nirbhar Agents New Business Digital Application. The ANANDA mobile app was launched by LIC Chairperson MR Kumar, through Video Conferencing.
About the ANANDA app:
- The ANANDA Digital application was launched in November 2020 for LIC Agents / Intermediaries.
- With Mobile App in place, the usage level of ANANDA among the Agents / Intermediaries will go up and help LIC to take the New Business fortunes to bigger heights.
- The ANANDA tool enables LIC agents to register new LIC policies from the comfort of their homes.
- Prospective customers can avail the facility of taking a New Life Insurance Policy in the comfort of their homes/offices without having to meet the agent in person.
- It is built on a paperless KYC process using Aadhaar based e-authentication of the Life Proposed.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- LIC Headquarters: Mumbai;
- LIC Founded: 1 September 1956;
- LIC Chairman: M R Kumar.
PM Modi dedicates renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak in Punjab’s Amritsar, to mark 102 years of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The historic garden is a memorial of national importance, preserved in the memory of countless revolutionaries, sacrificers, fighters, who were killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, which occurred on the festival of Baisakhi on 13 April 1919.
Apart from this, PM Modi also inaugurated four museum galleries developed at the Smarak, to showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab in 1919. PM also announced multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex.
