Daily Current Affairs 2 August for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NOTE: To read complete Current Affairs, subscribe to our plan. All important news are not covered here.
NATIONAL NEWS
U.P. Cabinet approves education service selection commission, water tourism and adventure sports policy
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Bill 2023.Â
- The Selection Commission will act as an integrated State Education Service Selection Commission for recruiting teachers in government-aided educational institutions, apart from appointments in other government educational institutions.
- It will be a corporate body with its headquarters at Prayagraj. In this commission, 12 members and a chairman will be appointed by the State government. They shall hold office for three years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier
BANKING & FINANCE
Paytm introduces innovative products enabling on-the-go payment alerts for merchants
One97 Communications Limited (OCL), which owns the Paytm brand, launched two innovative payment devices that are 4G enabled — Paytm Pocket Soundbox and Paytm Music Soundbox.Â
- The first-of-its-kind portable device, Paytm Pocket Soundbox, can fit in a person’s pocket and is as small as a debit card, and empowers merchants who are always on the move with instant audio payment alerts.
- Paytm Music Soundbox doubles up as a speaker that issues payment notifications and can also be connected to the phone to play music, cricket commentary etc. through bluetooth.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
GST collection rises 11% to over ₹1.65-lakh crore in July
Gross GST collection rose 11 per cent to over ₹1.65 lakh crore in July, crossing the ₹1.6 lakh crore mark for the fifth time since the rollout of the indirect tax regime.
- Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collected last month was ₹1,65,105 crore of which CGST was ₹29,773 crore, SGST ₹37,623 crore, IGST ₹85,930 crore (including ₹41,239 crore collected on import of goods) and cess was ₹11,779 crore (including ₹840 crore collected on import of goods).
Foxconn inks ₹1,600-crore deal with T.N. to set up electronic components manufacturing facility in Kancheepuram
Foxconn Technology Group, a prominent Taiwanese company and a key supplier to Apple Inc., has pledged to invest ₹1,600 crore in establishing a manufacturing facility in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.
- A letter of intent was signed in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Foxconn Chairman Young Liu. This was also Mr. Liu’s first visit to Tamil Nadu.
- Mr. Liu also signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT-M) and Guidance (the nodal agency instrumental in bringing investments to the State).
SPORTS
Moeen Ali announces Test retirement after Ashes 2023
England all-rounder Moeen Ali confirms his test cricket retirement after the end of the Ashes series and he will play in other formats of cricket. On the request of England Test captain BenStokes, he played the Ashes series. But he retired from test cricket in September 2021.
- He played for England in 68 test matches taking 204 wickets and scored 3094 runs. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in June 2023 for his services to cricket.
Diego GodÃn retires from professional football
Diego Godin retired from professional soccer, ending a 20-year career at age 37.
- Godin played in four World Cups and spent much of his club career in Spain, notably at Atlético Madrid from 2010 to 2019. This season, he played in Argentina for Velez Sars field.Â
APPOINTMENTS
Microsoft appoints Puneet Chandok to lead India operations
Microsoft has appointed Puneet Chandok as the new Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India and South Asia, effective from September 1, 2023.Â
- He will take over operational responsibilities from Anant Maheshwari and will lead the integration of Microsoft’s businesses across South Asia, including countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Puneet aims to strengthen Microsoft’s presence in the region and focus on key industries through a customer-centric approach, with generative AI as a core technology.
AWARDS
PM conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award at an event in Maharashtra’s Pune.Â
- The Prime Minister, who is in the city to launch various development projects, received the award that was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983.
- The award is given to people who have worked for the progress and development of the nation and whose contribution can only be looked upon as remarkable and extraordinary.Â
GI tags for Goan mangoes and bebinca, crafts from Rajasthan and U.P.
The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has recently granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags to seven products from different regions of India, including four traditional crafts from Rajasthan. The GI tags provide recognition and protection to these unique products, highlighting their distinctiveness and origin.
- The GI tags were secured by ‘Jalesar Dhatu Shilp’ (a metal craft), ‘Goa Mankurad Mango’, ‘Goan Bebinca’, ‘Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft’, ‘Bikaner Kashidakari Craft’, ‘Jodhpur Bandhej Craft’, and ‘Bikaner Usta Kala Craft’.
Western Lane, Indian-origin author Chetna Maroo’s debut novel, on Booker Prize longlist
Indian-origin writer Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane, a story about a young girl’s brutal training regime on the squash court, has made it to the Booker Prize 2023 longlist.
- She is one of the four debut novelists in the Booker Prize 2023 longlist announced.Â
- The other debuts in the list of 13 include Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow’s All the Little Bird-Hearts, about a mother-daughter relationship upended by new neighbours; Siân Hughes’s Pearl, the story of a girl illustrating a medieval poem in hopes of solace; and Jonathan Escoffery’s If I Survive You, which takes one through the turbulence in the life of a Jamaican family fleeing political violence to America.