Daily Current Affairs 31st August, 2023

Daily Current Affairs 31 August for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog and UNDP Collaborate to Accelerate SDGs in India
NITI Aayog and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will create a framework to better cooperate in various areas to help progress India’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).

• The two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalise the cooperation on areas including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, and aspirational districts & blocks, among others.
• The MoU has been signed for a period of five years. NITI Aayog will coordinate the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at a national and sub-national level. While the UNDP will play an “integrator role” in coordinating efforts to fast-track progress on the SDGs within the UN system.

Maharashtra Leads in Attracting FDI During 1st Quarter of FY 2023-24
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, proudly announced that the state has achieved a significant milestone by securing the top position in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

• According to Fadnavis, the state’s FDI inflow amounted to a remarkable Rs 36,634 crore, surpassing the combined investments received by Delhi, Karnataka, and Telangana over the same period.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Former CJI NV Ramana appointed as member of International Mediation Panel
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana has been appointed as a member of the prestigious International Mediator Panel of Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC). SIMC chairman George Lim presented the letter of appointment to Justice Ramana in Singapore

• Justice Ramana took part in the ‘Singapore Convention Week’, the annual convention organised by Singapore’s Ministry of Law, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and over 20 partner organisations.

BANKING & FINANCE

Axis Bank Introduces ‘Infinity Savings Account’ with Zero Domestic Transaction Fees
Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India announced the launch of 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.

• This innovative savings account offers Axis Bank’s customers exclusive privileges, such as waived Average Monthly Balance (AMB) requirement, complimentary debit cards, and waiver of all the domestic charges against a small monthly recurring fee of ₹150 or annual fee of Rs1650.

Bandhan Bank Authorized by RBI for Civil Pension Disbursement
In a significant development, Bandhan Bank has been granted authorization by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to serve as an authorized pension disbursement bank. This authorization is in association with the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO), a part of the Ministry of Finance.

• This said authorisation entitles the Bank to disburse pensions to the Central Government employees in Civil Ministries and Departments (other than Railways, Posts, and Defence), the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Union Territory Administrations without legislatures, retired Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court, and All India Service Officers.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Tata Steel and ACME Group Join Forces For India’s Largest Green Hydrogen Project
Renewable energy company ACME Group has partnered with Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Ltd. (TSSEZL) to establish a green hydrogen and green ammonia project at the Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP) in Odisha.

• This project will be India’s largest manufacturing facility for green hydrogen and its derivatives in the country, according to TSSEZL.The estimated total investment by ACME Group for this project is Rs 27,000 crore, which will be invested in phases
• ACME Clean Energy Private Ltd. (ACME Group) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 343 acres of land in TSSEZL’s Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP) in the Ganjam district of Odisha. This land will be used to set up the green hydrogen and derivatives unit.

SPORTS

India win inaugural Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier, beat Thailand 7-2 in final
India defeated Thailand 7-2 in the final to win the inaugural Women’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier and seal their berth in the next year’s World Cup.

• Mariana Kujur (2nd, 8th minutes) and Jyoti (10th, 27th) scored a brace for India, while Monika Dipi Toppo (7th), skipper Navjot Kaur (23rd) and Mahima Choudhary (29th) were the other goal scorers.
• India, thus, qualified for the inaugural edition of the Hockey 5s World Cup to be held in Muscat from January 24-27 next year.

APPOINTMENTS

Geetika Srivastava becomes India’s First Woman Charge d’Affaires In Pakistan
Indian government has appointed Geetika Srivastava, joint secretary (Indo-Pacific) in the external affairs ministry, to head the post of chargé d’affaires in the Indian high commission in Islamabad, said a report by Hindustantimes.com citing people familiar with the matter.

• She will be the first woman diplomat to hold this post in the Indian high commission in Islamabad.
• Suresh Kumar, the current Indian chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, is expected to return to New Delhi soon, said the report citing the people.

AWARDS

Rajasthan’s Priyan Sain Crowned Miss Earth India 2023
Rajasthan’s Priyan Sain clinched the title of Miss Earth India 2023 during the Miss Divine Beauty 2023 national final held in New Delhi.

• The 20-year-old student, dancer, and taekwondo player from Jaipur, Rajasthan succeeds last year’s winner Vanshika Parmar, and will now prepare to represent India at the Miss Earth 2023 pageant in Vietnam this December.
• She received her crown from reigning Miss Earth from Korea Mina Sue Choi who was invited as a special guest along with Miss Earth Air from Australia Sheridan Mortlock.
• At the same event, Praveena Aanjna was named Miss International India 2023 while Pema Choden Bhutia and Tejaswini Shrivastava were both announced as runners-up.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Mahendragiri, India’s New Warship, to be launched in Mumbai on September 1
India’s latest warship, Mahendragiri, will be launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai,  marking a major step in the country’s defence indigenisation programme, the defence ministry said.

• Mahendragiri, named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in the state of Odisha, is the seventh ship of the Project 17A Frigates. These warships are follow-ons of the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.

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