Current Affairs - 25 August 2021 =========================== | UPSC Notes EPFO Labour Law
Current Affairs - 25 August 2021
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1. World Water Week 2021: 23-27 August
The World Water Week is an annual event organized by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991 to address the global water issues and related concerns of international development. The World Water Week 2021 has been organised from 23-27 August, in entirely digital format. The theme for World Water Week 2021 is ‘Building Resilience Faster’.
2. India’s highest herbal park inaugurated in Uttarakhand
India’s highest altitude herbal park has been inaugurated at Mana village in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The herbal park is situated at a height of 11,000 feet was and is close to the Indo-China border. Mana is the last Indian village in Chamoli bordering China and is adjacent to Badrinath temple. The herbal park has around 40 species found in high altitude alpine areas in the Himalayan region.
3. Finance Ministry launched ‘Ubharte Sitaare Fund’
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched an ambitious ‘Ubharte Sitaare Fund’ -USF for export-oriented firms and startups in a program at Lucknow. The Fund aims at arranging funds for the promotion of micro, small and medium companies. The fund has been set up by Exim Bank and SIDBI.
4. IIT Madras develops India’s first indigenous motorised wheelchair ‘NeoBolt’
IIT Madras has developed India’s first indigenous motorized wheelchair vehicle named ‘NeoBolt’, which can be used not only on roads but even on uneven terrains. It has a maximum speed of 25 kmph.
5. India, ADB sign $500 million loan to expand Metro Rail Network in Bengaluru
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $500 million loan to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with the construction of two new metro lines totalling 56 km in length.
6. Paytm & HDFC Bank tie up to provide solutions across payment gateway
HDFC Bank and Paytm have partnered to build comprehensive solutions across payment gateway, point of sale machines and credit products. This includes Paytm Postpaid which is a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solution, Eazy EMI and Flexi Pay.
7. World’s First fossil-free steel manufactured in Sweden
Swedish green steel venture HYBRIT, which had made the ‘world’s first’ customer delivery of steel produced without using coal. The steel was made using Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology, which uses 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke.
8. Nakul Chopra appointed as Chief Executive Officer of BARC India
Nakul Chopra has been appointment as chief executive officer of Television monitoring agency Broadcast Audience Research Council.
9. Jitendra Singh launches “Yuktdhara” portal to facilitate planning of new MGNREGA assets
Jitendra Singh launched a new Geospatial Planning Portal under Bhuvan named “Yuktdhara” to enable the planning of new MGNREGA assets using Remote Sensing and GIS-based information. The portal has been jointly developed by ISRO and the Ministry of Rural Development.
10. La Ganesan appointed as Manipur Governor
La. Ganesan, has been appointed as the new Governor of Manipur. The post was lying vacant after the retirement of Najma Heptulla on August 10, 2021. Since then Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad was holding the additional charge of the position.
