DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 8th – 9th August 2021
Wrestler Bajrang Punia Bags Bronze Medal
- Wrestler Bajrang Punia won the bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 65 Kg category at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
- He defeated his opponent from Kazakhstan with 8-0 in the bronze medal match.
- This was India’s sixth medal in the Tokyo Olympics thus equaling the London Olympic (2012) record of six medals.
- Started wrestling at the age of 7, the 27-year-old hails from Sonipat, Haryana has made the nation proud.
Neeraj Chopra Scripts History at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
- The 23-year-old Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra created history by wining gold medal in men’s javelin throw at Tokyo Olympic.
- Chopra gave his best throw of 87.58 to bag the gold medal.
- With this, he has become the first Indian athlete to win gold ever and India’s second ever individual Olympic gold medalist after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who bagged gold in Beijing 2008.
- He hails from Haryana and is a Subedar with 4th Battalion Rajputana Rifles in the Indian Army.
- This took India’s medal haul to seven in the Tokyo Olympics – the country’s highest ever, beating the tally of six medals won at the London Games in 2012.
“PM-DAKSH” Portal & Mobile APP Launched
- Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launched ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App.
- Through ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal, all information related to skill development are available at one place for Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.
- Skill development training has been imparted to 2,73,152 persons of target groups in the last five years.
- During the year 2021-22, a target has been set to provide skill development training to approximately 50,000 persons of the target groups.
- PM-DAKSH stands for Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana. This scheme is being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the year 2020-21.
- Some of the features of this portal are as follows:
- Availability of all information related to skill development at one place for Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.
- Facility to register for the training institute and program of their interest.
- Facility to upload desired documents related to personal information.
- Facility to register the attendance of the trainees through face and eye scanning during the training period.
- Monitoring facility through photo and video clip during training etc.
79th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement
- India commemorates the 79th anniversary of the Quit India Movement on 8th August.
- Also known as the August Kranti Din, the mass civil disobedience movement is one of the most significant events in the history of India’s freedom struggle.
- On 8th August 1942, a meeting of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai was followed by the launch of the movement by Mahatma Gandhi.
- Attaching the clarion call, “Do or Die” to the movement, Mahatma Gandhi delivered a speech in Gowalia Tank Maidan, also referred to as the August Kranti Maidan. In it, he demanded that the British leave the country immediately and grant India freedom.
- In a bid for co-operation in the war, Britain was ready to offer distribution of power from the Crown. However, the talks held in March 1942 failed as India wanted nothing but complete freedom from British rule.
- The call for mass agitation coupled with the arrests of leaders led to the outbreak of violence in various parts of the country.
PM to Release Next Instalment of PM-KISAN on 9th August
- The next instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme will be on 9th August 2021.
- This will enable the transfer of an amount of more than Rs. 19,500 crores to more than 9.75 crores beneficiary farmer families.
- Under the PM-KISAN scheme (Launched Dec 1st, 2018), a financial benefit of Rs. 6000/- per year is provided to the eligible beneficiary farmer families, payable in three equal 4-monthly installments of Rs.2000/- each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In this scheme, Samman Rashi of over Rs. 1.38 lakh crores has been transferred to farmer families so far.
Rail Madad: One-stop Solution for Customer Grievance
- Several helplines that earlier existed on the Railways for various purposes have been merged into one helpline i.e., 139 which can be used for all enquiry needs and for complaint making. 139 helpline facility is available round the clock in 12 languages.
- 99.93% complaints received through 139 helplines get closed and 72% of the feedback given by complainants is ‘Excellent’ or ‘Satisfactory’ in FY 2020-21.
- Minister of Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnav informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question.
Over 1.12 cr houses sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
- Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that more than 1 crore 12 lakh houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), out of which in 50 lakh houses have already been completed and the beneficiaries have moved in.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (2015) aims to provide affordable housing to the urban poor. It has a target of building 2 crore affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
Mandatory Blood Sugar Test for Feto – Maternal Health
- Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh has advocated for mandatory blood sugar test for every pregnant woman, regardless of any symptoms for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).
- The call for an early detection for GDM in pregnant ladies is significant as in India alone, GDM complicates nearly four million pregnancies annually.
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus is a medical condition in which a hormone produced by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin effectively. Placenta is an organ that provides important nutrients and oxygen to the growing baby.
- When the body is unable to use the insulin effectively, the condition is called as insulin resistance. Thus, the glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells, which can lead to high blood sugar level in the expecting mother.
- Gestational diabetes is different from Type 1 diabetes. GDM is not caused by the lack of insulin, but by other hormones produced during pregnancy that can make insulin less effective. Gestational diabetic symptoms disappear following delivery.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- Which movement is also called as “August Kranti”
- Non-Cooperation Movement
- Civil Disobedience Movement
- Quit India Movement
- Swadeshi Movement
ANSWER: C
- The “Do or Die” slogan was first given at
- Bombay
- Kanpur
- Madras
- Calcutta
ANSWER: A
- The Congress Working Committee authorized Gandhiji to take charge of the non-violent mass movement at _____ in 1942
- Wardha meeting
- Kanpur meeting
- Faizpur meeting
- Lahore meeting
ANSWER: A
- The Resolution of Quit India was ratified at the Congress meeting at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, on ______.
- August 8, 1942
- August 12, 1942
- July 8, 1942
- July 12, 1942
ANSWER: A
- He was not a member in the cabinet mission (1946)
- Stafford Cripps
- Pethick-Lawrence
- A.V. Alexander
- Mountbatten
ANSWER: D
- Sir Stafford Cripps belonged to which political party in Britain.
- Conservatives
- Labour
- Scottish National Party
- Liberal Democrats
ANSWER: B
- After the _____ mutiny, the British realized that it could no longer hold on to India under them.
- Meerut Mutiny (Revolt 1857)
- Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22)
- Quit India (1942)
- Royal Indian Navy Mutiny (1946)
ANSWER: D
- ______ is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan, Bombay during a Quit India Movement in 1942.
- J P Narayan
- Aruna Asaf Ali
- Sarojini Naidu
- Madam Bhikaiji Cama
ANSWER: B
- Who was the British Prime minister at the time of Cripps mission?
- Clement Atlee
- Winston Churchill
- Anthony Eden
- Neville Chamberlin
ANSWER: B
- Who was the British Prime minister at the time of Indian Independence?
- Clement Atlee
- Winston Churchill
- Anthony Eden
- Neville Chamberlin
ANSWER: A
