Daily Current Affairs 10th August, 2023

Daily Current Affairs 10 August for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Rajasthan government gives free smartphones to women
The Rajasthan government has launched a new initiative to distribute free mobile phones to women across the state. The scheme was inaugurated by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the Birla Auditorium in Jaipur.

• Under the first phase of the scheme, 40 lakh female beneficiaries who possess a Janadhar Card will receive mobile phones. 
• The government plans to extend this benefit to 1.35 crore women in the state. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the move, claiming it is an attempt to woo voters with outdated phones.

ISB Inks MoU With Goa To Start Knowledge Partnership
The Indian School of Business’ (ISB’s) Bharti Institute of Public Policy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Goa government to commence a knowledge partnership with a focus on evidence-based policy formulation and its impact in the State.

• According to the MoU, Bharti Institute will facilitate furthering the State government’s objectives to improve the social and economic prosperity indicators through evidence-based public policy interventions, capacity-building workshops, and citizen-centric governance-based initiatives as a knowledge partner.

Bihar, UP, TN top 3 states with maximum Jan Dhan beneficiaries
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the top three states with the highest number of beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMMY) in 2022-23.

• During 2022-23, a total of 6.23 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened. According to Finance Ministry data, Bihar tops the list of states with maximum beneficiaries of the scheme, which stood at 84,89,231 in 2022-23.
• Uttar Pradesh held the second position with 68,08,721 beneficiaries, while Tamil Nadu stood third with a total of 64,06,513 PMMY beneficiaries.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India ranks 6th in South Asia region for Internet Resilience
India achieved an overall score of 43 percent in the Internet Resilience Index (IRI), ranking sixth in the South Asian region, a report said.

• According to the global non-profit organisation Internet Society, India’s security is ranked above average, attributed to having the highest IPv6 (the newest Internet Protocol to accommodate growing networks) adoption globally.
• Counties like Bhutan (58 percent), Bangladesh (51 percent), Maldives (50 percent), Sri Lanka (47 percent), and Nepal (43 percent) are ahead of India in the IRI ranking.
• Broken down further, India’s mobile performance (29 percent) is nearly less than half of the fixed network performance (55 percent), according to the report.

APPOINTMENTS

AWARDS

Srinagar Tops JJM Implementation Among Har Ghar Jal Certified Districts
The Srinagar district has become the highest-performing district under the Jal Jeevan Survekshan (JJS-2023), outshining 114 Har Ghar Jal certified villages across India.

• This remarkable recognition solidifies Srinagar’s commitment to the successful implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a visionary initiative aimed at ensuring universal access to clean and safe drinking water.

Rajouri’s chikri wood craft, Anantnag’s Mushqbudji rice receive GI tag
In a significant developments, Rajouri Chikri Wood Craft from Rajouri district and Mushqbudji Rice of Anantnag district of have received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.

• Chikri is a pale, honey colored , fine grained soft wood found in hill ranges of Rajouri district of Jammu province. The Chikri woodcraft of Rajouri is characterized by intricate carving and detailing.
• Similarly, Mushqbudji Rice is a premium variety of short bold aromatic rice grown in higher reaches of the Kashmir valley especially in Anantnag district. The cooked Mushqbudji Rice is unique and possesses a harmonious blend of taste, aroma and rich organoleptic properties.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Russia set to make historic return to Moon with Luna-25
Russia will launch its first lunar landing spacecraft in 47 years in a race with India to the south pole of the moon, a potential source of water to support a future human presence there.

• The launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow, will take place four weeks after India sent up its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, due to touch down at the pole on Aug. 23.
• The Luna-25 is to take samples of moon rock and dust. The samples are crucial to understanding the moon’s environment ahead of building any base there, “otherwise we could be building things and having to shut them down six months later because everything has effectively been sand-blasted.

Australia to be testing ground for US missiles
Australia could be a testing ground for U.S. hypersonic and other long-range precision weapons under the AUKUS pact, a top Pentagon official told.

• The pact was signed in late 2021 and is seen as a way of countering China’s growing clout in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Work under AUKUS has so far focused on supplying Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, a fleet capable of travelling stealthily over vast distances and striking foes at long range.

NewSpace India Limited partners with Tata Play to commission GSAT-24
With an Indian-built satellite GSAT-24 having formally commenced its operations, from around 36,500 km above the earth’s surface, subscribers of India’s Tata Play DTH Service would have the option to view 300 more television channels.

• Prior to the operationalisation of GSAT-24, Tata Play (formerly Tata Sky) was able to broadcast only 600 channels, and that number would now increase to 900 channels.
• GSAT-24 has been the first Demand Driven communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL post space sector reforms. The GSAT-24 satellite is ready to usher in a new era of satellite television for India.

ENVIRONMENT 

Number of elephants in Karnataka has gone up by 346
The number of elephants in Karnataka has increased by 346, from an estimated 6,049 in 2017 to 6,395 now, which is the highest in the country, according to an interim report on Asian Elephant population and demography estimates — 2023. Their population range is estimated to be between 5,914 and 6,877.

• The report was released by Minister for Forests Eshwar Khandre, ahead of the World Elephant Day being observed on August 12 to create awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting these animals that are classified as endangered species.
• The census, which was taken up in 23 forest divisions, shows that the State has an average elephant density of 0.34 per sq km. Bandipur Tiger Reserve with 1,116 elephants has accounted for the highest density of 0.96 per sq km followed by Nagarahole Tiger Reserve that has 831 elephants with a density of 0.93.

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