In Current Affairs for 21 August 2024, we will see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be beneficial for your upcoming NDA, CDS, CDS OTA, AFCAT, TA, Agniveer Army, Agniveer Navy, Agniveer Air Force, Women Military Police, INET, MNS, ACC exams, SCO, PCSL, CAPF, and SSB interviews, and direct entries for Army, Navy, and Air Force like SSC Tech, TGC, JAG, NCC, TES, 10+2 Cadet. Download a PDF file about current events at the end of this article. Let us now see the Current Affairs.
Current Affairs 21 August 2023
India & Malaysia
- India and Malaysia have signed agreements in the fields of labor and employment, Ayurveda and traditional medicines, digital technologies, culture, tourism, and cooperation in youth and sports.
- The two countries also inked agreements in the area of public administration, governance reforms, and mutual cooperation. The agreements were signed after delegation-level talks held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart, Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, in New Delhi.
- Mr Modi said that the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between the two countries is going to complete its 10 years, and in the last two years, there has been a new momentum and energy in their partnership.
- Mr Modi said, both sides have also discussed new possibilities of mutual cooperation in the defense sector. He said, India and Malaysia are also unanimous in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
- Prime Minister also emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in new technology areas such as fintech, semiconductors, the defense industry, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology.
- He added that both sides will work on linking India’s UPI with Malaysia’s PayNet. Mr Modi said, trade between India and Malaysia can now be settled in Indian Rupee INR and Malaysian Ringgits MYR.
- Malaysia is an important partner of India in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region. He said, India gives priority to ASEAN centrality.
- Mr Modi said, both sides agreed that the review of the Free Trade Agreement between India and ASEAN should be completed in a timely manner.
- India will extend full support to Malaysia’s successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.
Power Sector Efficiency
- Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal Khattar has launched three online platforms to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of power sector in New Delhi.
- The portals are named as Portal for Online Monitoring of Projects – Thermal (PROMPT), Disaster Resilient Infrastructure for Power Sector (DRIPS) and JAL VIDYUT DPR.
- Minister emphasised that the launch of these three online portals will enable transparent, coordinated, and effective working of the power sector in the country.
- He further highlighted the importance of power sector as the key element towards achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
- Mr Khattar remarked that the electricity is the key driver for the ongoing economic activities in the country. He added that the demand for power is also increasing therefore completion of ongoing schemes and a thermal project in time bound manner is extremely critical.
Power Exports from Nepal
- India’s Designated Authority for Cross-Border Trade has approved an additional 251 MW of power exports from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal. For the first time, Nepal would be exporting power to Bihar through a medium-term power sales agreement.
- This takes the total allowed quantum from 690 MW from 16 projects to 941 MW from 28 projects.
- Even before this 251 MW approval, Nepal had already become a net exporter of electricity and net revenue generator in the last fiscal year selling NPR 16.93 billion worth of electricity.
- In October 2021, India approved 39 MW of power exports from Nepal to India for the first time. In less than 3 years, this figure has grown by more than 24 times.
- Nepal first began its power exports by selling in the Day Ahead Market of the Indian Energy Exchange. Since then, India has also granted access to the Real-Time Market.
- Nepal Electricity Authority has also entered into medium-term power sales agreements with distribution companies in Haryana and Bihar. India has also opened the provision of counting hydropower imports from Nepal as a part of the Hydropower Purchase Obligation (HPO) for buyers in India, which further incentivises buyers to purchase power from Nepal.
- The Agreement for Long-Term Power between India and Nepal envisages the sale of up to 10,000 MW of power from Nepal to India in the next 10 years. This is the first year of the Agreement and around 1000 MW exports have already been reached.
- With these developments, Nepal is on track to become the leading hydropower exporter of the South Asia region.
- An Agreement for the sale of 40 MW of power to Bangladesh has also been finalised and was planned to be signed on 28 July 2024 but got postponed due to recent political developments in Bangladesh.
National Task Force for Medical Professionals
- Supreme Court has set up a national task force to ensure the safety of medical professionals. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, while hearing the case regarding the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Hospital Kolkata, directed the task force to submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.
- The CJI said that the Court is creating a National Task Force comprising doctors from across the country to provide recommendations on the modalities to be followed nationwide to ensure the safety of women.
- The bench directed the immediate removal of all social media content including any references to the name, pictures and videos of the Kolkata rape and murder victim.
- Additionally, the Court has also directed the deployment of CISF for the protection and safety of resident doctors, especially female doctors at the RG Kar Hospital Kolkata. The bench also voiced strong dissatisfaction with both the West Bengal government and the authorities at the hospital for their handling of the case.
- The task force will comprise Surgeon Vice Admiral R. Sarin, Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Dr. M. Shreenivas, Dr. Pratima Murty, Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Prof. Anita Saxena (Head of Cardiology, AIIMS Delhi), Prof. Pallavi Sapre (Dean, Grant Medical College Mumbai), and Dr. Padma Srivastava (Neurology Department, AIIMS). The bench also noted that several states, such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, etc., have framed state laws to deal with violence against doctors.
Ministry Of Textile
- Ministry of Textiles is implementing the National Handloom Development Programme and Raw Material Supply Scheme across the country.
- Under the National Handloom Development Programme, financial assistance is provided to eligible handloom organisations/workers for upgraded looms & accessories, solar lighting units, construction of workshed, product & design development, technical and common infrastructure, marketing of handloom products in domestic/overseas markets, etc.
- Under Weavers’ MUDRA Loan/Concessional Credit Scheme, margin money assistance for individual weaver and Handloom Organizations; interest subvention and credit guarantee fees on loans for a period of three years are provided.
- Provision has been made for welfare of handloom workers through life & accidental insurance cover, scholarships for higher education to their wards etc. The guidelines also provide for financial support for Awardee weavers above 60 years of age in indigent circumstances.
- Under the Raw Material Supply Scheme, the Ministry provides transport subsidy, for transportation of yarn to the doorstep of the beneficiary, and 15% Price Subsidy on Cotton Hank Yarn, Domestic Silk, Woollen and Linen yarn and blended yarn of natural fibres.
- For export promotion of handloom products, Handloom Export Promotion Council has been participating/organizing international marketing fairs/events for providing prominence to Indian handloom products globally.
Krishi-DSS Digital Geospatial Platform
- Indian government introduced the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS), a digital platform designed to manage agricultural data across the country.
- This tool provides a wide range of information, including satellite images, weather data, and soil health details, all accessible from anywhere at any time.
- Krishi-DSS was created through a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Space. It collects detailed data about farming, from large-scale agricultural areas down to specific soil characteristics, helping farmers and policymakers make better decisions.
Satya Prakash Sangwan
- Paralympic Committee Of India Appointed Satya Prakash Sangwan As The Chef De Mission Of Indian Contingent For Upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Sangwan Will Lead India’s Largest-ever Contingent Of 84 Para-athletes Competing Across 12 Sports Disciplines.
Current Affairs 21 August 2024 Question
- Maharashtra Government Launched First ‘Solar Village’ In Which District
A. Wardha
B. Satara
C. Amravati
D. Konkan
ANSWER: B - Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Is Located In Which State
A. Rajasthan
B. Odisha
C. Bihar
D. Jharkhand
ANSWER: A - Which Institution Is Associated With RISE Accelerator Program
A. Reserve Bank of India
B. National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
C. Atal Innovation Mission
D. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
ANSWER: C - In Which Country Were Plastic Eating Fungi Capable Of Breaking Down
Polyurethane Discovered
A. Japan
B. Canada
C. Germany
D. Australia
ANSWER: C - Who Appointed As New Head Coach Of India’s Junior Men’s Hockey Team
A. Manpreet Singh
B. PR Sreejesh
C. Dhanraj Pillay
D. Sardar Singh
ANSWER: B - Which State Became The First In India To Introduce Digital Health Education
For All Medical Students
A. Karnataka
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Gujarat
D. Maharashtra
ANSWER: D - Which Company Developed India’s First Indigenous Dengue Vaccine, “
DengiAll,” Currently In Phase 3 Trials
A. Bharat Biotech
B. Panacea Biotec
C. Serum Institute of India
D. Zydus Cadila
ANSWER: B - In Which Country World’s Oldest Solar Calendar Discovered At Gobekli Tepe
A. Egypt
B. Turkey
C. Greece
D. Iraq
ANSWER: B - Which Date Partition Horrors Remembrance Day Observed Annually In India
A. August 14
B. August 15
C. August 16
D. August 17
ANSWER: A - Which Indian State Known For Successfully Using Bio Fertilisers For Cotton Cultivation
A. Karnataka
B. Andhra Pradesh
C. Maharashtra
D. Telangana
ANSWER: D - Which Company Has Launched India’s First eSIM services
A. Jio
B. Airtel
C. Vodafone Idea
D. Matrix Cellular
ANSWER: D - Which Indian Airline Has Launched An Enhanced Flying Returns Loyalty
Program With Arrivia
A. Jet Airways
B. SpiceJet
C. Vistara
D. Air India
ANSWER: D - In Which Country Did Lei Muzi Perform A Historic Bharatanatyam “Arangetram”
A. China
B. Japan
C. South Korea
D. Thailand
ANSWER: A - Which Country Has Recently Test-flown Its Largest Civilian Cargo Drone With
A 2 Ton Payload
A. India
B. China
C. United States
D. Japan
ANSWER: B - Who Has Been Appointed As India’s New Cabinet Secretary
A. Rajiv Gauba
B. Subhash Chandra Garg
C. Amitabh Kant
D. T.V. Somanathan
ANSWER: D - Who Was Posthumously Awarded Kirti Chakra For Their Sacrifices In Jammu
And Kashmir’s Anti Terror Operation
A. Colonel Manpreet Singh
B. Deputy Superintendent of police
C. Major Dharmendra Singh
D. Sepoy Pardeep Singh
ANSWER: A - What Position Did India Finish In The Medal Tally At The Paris Olympics 2024
A. 48th
B. 71st
C. 65th
D. 56th
ANSWER: B - What Position Did Natwar Singh Hold In Indian Government During 2004-05
A. Home Minister
B. Finance Minister
C. External Affairs Minister
D. Defense Minister
ANSWER: C - Which Country Recently Reported Its First Confirmed Case Of A Dangerous
Mpox Virus Variant Outside Africa
A. Germany
B. Sweden
C. United States
D. France
ANSWER: B - River Mithi Flows Through Which Of The Following Indian Cities
A. Mumbai
B. Ahmedabad
C. Kolkata
D. Delhi
ANSWER: A
