AUGUST 2024

FIRST IN NEWS
1. The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at
a mine in Botswana.
2. India's first 24/7 Grain ATM, called 'Annapurti,' will be set up across
Odisha to provide food grains to beneficiaries with 24/7 access under the
National Food Security Act (NFSA).
3. The world's first deaths from Oropouche fever have been recorded in
Brazil.
4. The South India's first Adivasi library, 'Kaanu' (means evergreen forest),
was inaugurated at BR Hills in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka.

POLITY
1. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has inaugurated the
Digital Shakti Center in New Delhi to address the rising cybercrimes
against women.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is all set to table the Waqf
(Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposes to amend the Waqf Act, 1995 will
be introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
3. President Droupadi Murmu appointed Governors to nine states.
4. The government is set to replace the 30-year-old Cable TV Networks
Act 1995 with Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2024.

SCHEMES IN NEWS

Scheme Name Launched by Objective

Nandini Sahakar Ministry of Corporation It aims to assist women

Yojana cooperatives to take up
business model-based
 activities under the
purview of the National
Cooperative
Development
Corporation (NCDC).

PM-Surya Ghar: Muft The Ministry of New & Under the scheme
Bijli Yojana’ Renewable Energy component ‘Model Solar
(MNRE) Village,’ emphasis has
been made on creating
one model solar village
per district across India.

PM-PRANAM Government of India Prime Minister

Programme for
Restoration, Awareness
Generation,
Nourishment, and
Amelioration of Mother-
Earth

Deen Dayal SPARSH Department of Posts It will help to promotion

Yojana of aptitude and research
in stamps as a hobby for
generating interest
regarding philately
amongst students.

ECONOMY
1. India held onto its position as the world’s eighth-largest exporter of
agricultural products in 2023.
2. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has achieved a milestone by
advancing two positions in the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list, securing the
86th spot.
3. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) concluded its Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC) meeting, maintaining the benchmark interest rates at
6.5%.
4. Deloitte’s India Economic Outlook for August 2024 predicts strong
economic growth between 7.0% and 7.2% in FY25.
5. India is ranked as the 2nd largest Aluminium producer, 3rd largest lime
producer and 4th largest iron ore producer in the world.
6. Bike-taxi startup Rapido is the latest Indian startup to become a unicorn,
meaning it reached $1 billion in valuation.
7. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has received the first ever
order for the demonstration of methanol firing in a Gas Turbine at the
350 MW Kayamkulam Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) in
Kerala.

ENVIRONMENT
1. The Central Government has declared Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka
and Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary, as per IUCN red list,
the green peafowl classified as Near Threatened.
2. Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), has been included on the
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) official Red List of
threatened species.
3. New species of loach fish has been found in Sonarenga, Nakama, and
Chiabol caves of Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district.
4. Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary
(Tamil Nadu), Tawa Reservoir (Madhya Pradesh) India’s three more
wetlands added to Ramsar Sites List.
5. A four-ringed butterfly (Ypthima cantliei) is a species of Satyrinae
butterfly, belonging to a family with most members in China has
resurfaced in India after 61 years

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Researchers have identified Gymnema sylvestre, commonly known as
Gurmar, among several medicinal plants on Brahmayoni Hill in Gaya,
Bihar.
2. The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) has received the best
technology award for its pioneering work in the field of horticultural
sciences.
3. The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has issued an advisory
for potato farmers about risk of late blight disease.
4. IIT Indore has delivered ten pairs of Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator
(TENG) based shoe sole energy harvesting units to DRDO.
5. ISRO launched the EOS-08 Earth Observation Satellite onboard the Small
Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 from Sriharikota.
6. India’s second home-built 700 MW nuclear power reactor at Kakrapar
Atomic Power Station in Gujarat started operating at its full capacity.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The UNESCO World Heritage committee decided to register Japan's
controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site.
2. India selected Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
(Group Captains in the IAF) for Axiom-4 mission, fourth private astronaut
mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space.
3. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Mpox as a
public health emergency of international concern, primarily due to its
increasing prevalence in Africa.
4. The Government of India and the World Bank have entered into an
agreement for the construction of the Green National Highway
Corridors Project (GNHCP) of 781Kms.
5. The JUICE mission of the European Space Agency is set to complete a
new manoeuvre and break two records.
6. 2024 commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva
Conventions of 1949.

NATIONAL NEWS

1. Prime Minister lays foundation stone for Vadhvan Port under Sagarmala
Program.
2. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved the
PM-PRANAM scheme, aimed at restoring and nurturing the Mother Earth
through the use of biofertilizers.
3. India is ranked as the 2nd largest Aluminium producer, 3rd largest lime
producer and 4th largest iron ore producer in the world FY 2023-24.
4. The railways have approved the installation of the “Kavach-4.0” anti-
collision device on 10,000 locomotives.
5. Ration shops will soon have a new name as the Centre launched a pilot
project to rechristen 60 FPS in various parts of the country as ‘Jan
Poshan Kendra’.
6. Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) has started its first executive
training program for the aviation sector at the Asian Institute of Transport
Development (AITD) at Dwaraka, New Delhi.
7. Kasturi Cotton Bharat programme of Ministry of Textiles is a
pioneering effort in traceability, certification and branding of Indian cotton
8. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the meeting of the 44th edition
of PRAGATI, the ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active
Governance and Timely Implementation, involving Centre and State
governments
9. Nagaland has become the first state in India to start a disaster
management insurance scheme by signing an agreement with SBI
General Insurance.
10. The Maharashtra cabinet recently cleared the ambitious Nalganga-
Wainganga River linking project.
11. India celebrated its first National Space Day on August 23, 2024,
commemorating the one-year anniversary of the successful landing of
Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface.

Tamil Nadu News

1. An ancient observatory is found at the State’s first astro-archaeological

site in Ellanthankarai, Sivagangai.
2. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on August 9, launched the Tamil Pudhalvan
scheme in Coimbatore, boys of the state government schools who join
colleges will get ₹1,000 per month.
3. The Athikadavu-Avinashi project in Tamil Nadu, which was conceived
67 years ago, is finally commissioned
4. Tamil Nadu government has appointed senior IAS officer N.
Muruganandam as the Chief Secretary, replacing Shiv Das Meena.
5. Tamil Nadu’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) recorded a significant
drop during 2023-24, declining by over six points to reach 45.5 per one
lakh live births.
6. One ‘Vattezhuthu’ and eight Tamil inscriptions were found on the
walls of Thaleekeeiswarar Temple at Kovilpalayam near Koduvai in
Tirupur.
7. Mudhalvarin Kaakkum Karangal programme extends loans to military
personnel up to ₹1 crore to start a business.
8. ‘Mudhalvar Marundhagam’ (Chief Minister’s Pharmacy) scheme, aimed
at providing generic medicines to citizens at subsidised rates in the State.
9. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam award was presented to ISRO scientist P.
Veeramuthuvel.
10. More than 1,300 artefacts have been unearthed during the
excavations at Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district.

CULTURE
1. India’s Moidams of Assam was inducted as India’s 43rd World Heritage
Site.
2. India’s first sunken museum at the Humayun’s Tomb complex, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be inaugurated in Delhi.
3. VIRAASAT, a fortnight long exhibition dedicated to celebrating 10th
National Handloom Day began at Handloom Haat in Janpath on 3rd
August, 2024
4. Hariyali Teej (August 07) celebrated mainly in Rajasthan and parts of
North India, this festival is dedicated to marital harmony and the
monsoon season.
5. Parsi New Year (Navroz) (August 15) The Parsi community celebrates
Navroz with prayers, feasts, and family gatherings in Maharashtra,
Gujarat, and other regions.
6. Raksha Bandhan (August 19) Celebrated across India, this festival
honors the bond between siblings.
7. Madras Day (August 22) Celebrated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, this festival
marks the founding of the city with events like heritage walks, exhibitions,
and cultural performances

AWARDS/PRIZE
Award Awarded by Awarded to Known for

V Venkayya Tamil Heritage V. Vedachalam Eminent Tamil

Epigraphy Trust epigrapher and
Award for historian,
2024

‘Thagaisal Tamil Nadu Kumari Ananthan Veteran

Tamizhar’ government Congress leader
award 2024 and politician

70th  Rishab Shetty  Best Actor

National  Nithya Menen  Best
Film Awards  Aattam Actress
 Best
Feature
Film

PERSONS IN NEWS

Person Why in news?

T V Somanathan Finance Secretary was named as the new

Cabinet Secretary by the government for a
tenure of two years.

Rahul Navin Appointed as Director of the Enforcement

Directorate (ED)
 IMPORTANT DAYS

Day Date Theme

World Wide Web Day 2024 August 01

National Mountain Climbing August 01

Day

World Breastfeeding Week August 01 to

07

World Lung Cancer Day August 01 Close the Care Gap:

Everyone Deserves
Access to Cancer Care

Muslim Women rights Day August 01

Earth Overshoot Day August 01

14th Indian Organ Donation August 03

Day

10th National Handloom Day August 03

National Bone and Joint Day August 04

Hiroshima Day August 06

National Javelin Day August 07

Nagasaki Day August 09

August Kranti Day August 08

International Day of World’s August 09

Indigenous People

World Lion Day August 10

World Steelpan Day August 11

World Biofuel Day August 10 Sustainable Biofuels:

Fuelling a Greener Future

World Elephant Day August 12

International Youth Day August 12

World Organ Donation Day August 13 Be the Reason for

Someone's Smile Today

Partition Horrors August 14

Remembrance Day

World Humanitarian Day August 19 -

World Sanskrit Day August 19 -

World Mosquito Day August 20 -

World Senior citizen Day August 21 -

National Space Day August 23 -

Telugu Language Day August 29 -

DEFENCE IN NEWS
1. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carries
out successful maiden flight test of Long-Range Glide Bomb ‘GAURAV’
from Su-30 MK-I platform.
 2. DRDO successfully test-fired indigenously built Man-Portable Anti-Tank
Guided Missile (MPATGM).
3. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) unveiled its new ‘Suvidha Software
Version 1.0’ during the inaugural ‘Annual Operational Sea Training
Conference’ held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on July 30, 2024.
4. Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair has become the first woman to
be appointed the Director General of Medical Services.
5. The Indian Army has launched the first phase of Project NAMAN, aimed
at providing dedicated support and services to Defence pensioners,
veterans, and their families

Exercise Parties involved Exercise type

Ta rang Shakti First multinational air Air

exercise, Sulur (Tamil
Nadu) and Jodhpur
(Rajasthan).

Mitra Shakti India and Sri Lanka Military

'Parvat Prahaar' High-altitude warfare and Military

exercise operations, Ladakh

Exercise Udara India and Malaysia. Air

Shakti

Places in News

Place Name State/Country Known for

Meppadi in Wayanad Kerala, India The massive landslides

district occurred due to extremely
 heavy rain.

Vijayawada Floods Andhra Pradesh, Floods due to breaches in

India the Budameru Bund,
inundating parts of the city.

Gujarat Floods Gujarat, India Heavy rains triggered

severe floods impacting
districts such as Kachchh,
Devbhoomi Dwarka, and
Rajkot.

Landslides in Himachal The region suffered

Himachal Pradesh Pradesh,India significant infrastructure
damage

INDICES

Report Released by Note

Travel and World India is ranked 39th among 119

Tourism Economic countries
Development Forum
Index 2024 report

9th NIRF Ranking Indian Institute of Technology,

2024 Madras ranks best education
institution.
World's Greatest TIME magazine  Manam Chocolate in
Places' for 2024. Hyderabad Naar in Himachal
Pradesh
 The Museum of Solutions
(MuSo) in Mumbai.

Travel and World India has secured the 39th position

Tourism Economic among 119 countries in the 2024
Development Forum (WEF)
Index (TTDI) 2024

SUMMITS

Summit Name Hosted in Purpose of Summit

BIMSTEC (Bay of New Delhi 1st Business Summit

Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral
Technical and
Economic
Cooperation)

Global South Summit India It aims to facilitate trade,

sharing of technologies and
concessional financing based
on India's growth journey.

46th World Heritage Bharat UNESCO has added 25 new

Committee Mandapam in landmark sites to the World
New Delhi. Heritage List during this
 event.

32nd International New Delhi Transformation Towards

Sustainable Agri-Food
Conference of
Systems
Agricultural
Economists (ICAE)

6th India-Australia Canberra Sustain a safe and secure

maritime environment
Maritime Security
conducive for inclusive
Dialogue growth and global well being

World's Greatest TIME magazine Indian destinations

Places 2024
 Manam Chocolate in
Hyderabad
 Naar in Himachal
Pradesh
 The Museum of
Solutions (MuSo) in
Mumbai.

PORTAL IN NEWS

Portal Purpose

e-Sankhyiki portal. Ministry of Statistics and Programme

Implementation (MoSPI) launched to
streamline the sharing of official statistics
through a comprehensive system designed
 to enhance ease of access and analysis

Jiyo Parsi Scheme Central Sector Scheme to arrest the

portal population decline of the Parsi community in
India.

She Box Portal The Ministry of Women and Child

Development launched to make Workplaces
safer for Women.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Book Name Author Name Note

Breaking Rocks and Sudipta Sengupta Ground-breaking

Barriers achievements in
geology and
mountaineering

Call of the Gir Parimal Nathwani Indian politician and

industrialist

India@100: Prof. K V Indian economist

Envisioning Subramanian
Tomorrow’s
Economic
Powerhouse

75 Great Harivansh Narayan Rajya Sabha Deputy

Revolutionaries of Chairman
 India Singh highlighting lesser-
known freedom
fighters

SPORTS IN NEWS
1. The Indian men’s hockey team beats Spain and win the bronze medal at
the Paris 2024 Olympics.
2. Paris 2024 Olympics aims to hold the eco-friendliest Games ever.
3. The Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified before the women's
50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics after failing to make weight.
4. Neeraj Chopra of Haryana won the silver medal in the men’s javelin
throw competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
5. India's Kush Maini achieved a milestone by winning his first Formula 2
Sprint Race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
6. Novak Djokovic of Serbia secured his first Olympic gold medal at the
Paris 2024 Olympics.
7. The first-ever Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League is scheduled
to take place in Haryana.

OLYMPICS 2024

Athlete Medal Event

Manu Bhaker Bronze Women’s 10m air pistol

shooting

Manu Bhaker-Sarabjot Bronze Mixed team 10m air

Singh pistol shooting

Swapnil Kusale Bronze Men’s 50m rifle 3

 positions shooting

Indian hockey team Bronze Men’s hockey

Neeraj Chopra Silver Men’s javelin throw

Aman Sehrawat Bronze Men’s 57kg wrestling