DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Aug. 25, 2023

Government of India launches 'My Bill Mera Adhikar' scheme to encourage customer bill requests

Tags: Government Schemes

The government of India is launching a scheme called 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar', which is an ‘Invoice Incentive Scheme’.

An Overview of the News

• The scheme called 'My Bill My Right' aims to promote the practice of customers requesting bills for all their purchases. This initiative is being launched in collaboration with various state governments.

• The scheme includes two grand prizes of Rs 1 crore each, which will be awarded to the lucky winners every quarter. In addition, there will be 800 lucky draws with prize money of Rs 10,000 each, as well as 10 draws on a monthly basis with prizes of Rs 10 lakh each.

• To participate, bills with a minimum value of Rs 200 can be submitted through the mobile application 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar', which is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

• Bills can also be uploaded through the web portal 'web.merabill.gst.gov.in'.

• The pilot phase of the scheme is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2023. Initially, it will be launched in specific regions, namely Puducherry, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu, as well as in the states of Assam, Gujarat, and Haryana.

Indian Chess Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa Finishes 2nd In FIDE World Cup

Tags: Sports

Indian genius Praggnanandhaa finished second with a win over Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Chess Cup 2023 final.

An Overview of the News

• Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious in the FIDE World Cup for the first time in his career.

• The final match between Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa lasted three days and featured four intense games played in two formats.

• After a one-match draw in the tiebreaker round, Carlsen's decisive victory was confirmed after the second tiebreaker game.

Significance of Praggnanand's achievement:

• Praggnanandhaa, who celebrated his 18th birthday during the World Cup, created history by becoming the youngest-ever World Cup finalist.

• Seeded 31st, Praggnanandhaa also holds the distinction of being the lowest-seeded player to reach a World Cup final.

• He achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 12.

About Rameshbabu Praggnanandha:

• He gained international recognition by earning the title of International Master at the age of 10, making him the youngest player to achieve this feat at that time.

• At the age of 12, he earned the coveted title of Grandmaster, becoming the second youngest player to hold that title up to that time.

• On February 22, 2022, at the age of 16, he achieved another milestone in the Airthings Masters rapid chess tournament by defeating the current world champion Magnus Carlsen in a rapid game. (This record was later broken by Gukesh D on 16 October 2022.)

Women's Equality Day - 26 August

Tags: Important Days

Women's Equality Day is celebrated every year on 26 August.

An Overview of the News

• The day acknowledges the ongoing global struggle for equal rights and opportunities for women.

• It serves as a tribute to the universal suffrage movement and celebrates the progress of women.

• The day reinforces the commitment to achieve gender equality at the global level.

The theme of Women's Equality Day 2023:

• The theme for Women's Equality Day 2023 is "Embrace Equality".

• This theme is in line with the Strategic Plan from 2021 to 2026.

• "Embracing Equality" underscores the importance of achieving gender equality.

• Gender equality is seen not only as a driver of economic development but also as a fundamental human right.

History of Women's Equality Day

• It begins with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which gives women the right to vote.

• Its importance is attached to 26 August 1970, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of this important amendment.

• The National Organization for Women (NOW) took advantage of this opportunity by advocating a "strike for equality".

• More than 100,000 women participated in strikes organized by NOW in more than 90 major US cities.

• The wide participation in the strike highlighted the importance of continuing efforts toward gender equality.

• In 1971, the US Congress officially established Women's Equality Day to honor the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and the ongoing pursuit of full women's rights.

Rajeshwari Kumari secures Olympic shooting slot for India at Paris 2024 Games

Tags: Sports

Rajeshwari Kumari secured an additional shooting slot for India in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.

An Overview of the News

• Rajeshwari Kumari participated in the women's trap final at the ISSF World Championship 2023 held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

• Due to her impressive performance, she finished fifth in the event.

Qualification for the Paris Olympics:

• The ISSF World Championship 2023 is an important qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

• Rajeshwari Kumari's achievement in the women's trap final secured India's representation in the women's trap event at the Paris Olympics.

National Quota Seats:

• At the ISSF World Championships 2023, the top four finishers from different countries in each of the 12 Olympic individual shooting events earned quota seats for their respective national teams.

• This allocation will result in a total of 48 shooters competing at the Paris Olympics.

Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan Rover Begins Lunar Mobility Operations

Tags: Science and Technology

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed that the mobility operation of Pragyan Rover on Chandrayaan-3 has begun.

An Overview of the News

• The payload has been activated on the lander module. Both the lander and the rover instruments will now analyze the mineralogical composition of the Moon and detect seismic activities in its atmosphere.

• Indigenously developed Pragyan Chandra Rover successfully de-lighted from Vikram Lander.

• Pragyan Chandra Rover begins the exploration of the lunar surface, making India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon.

About Chandrayaan:

• Chandrayaan-3 is ISRO's third lunar mission after Chandrayaan-1 (2008) and Chandrayaan-2 (2019).

• Chandrayaan-1 revealed lunar insights, including the presence of water ice.

• Chandrayaan-2 was intended to land on the Moon but faced challenges, which led to the deployment of the rover from lunar orbit.

Chandrayaan-3's enhancements and objectives:

• Chandrayaan-3 builds on the successes of earlier missions and addresses the challenges.

• The lander has an advanced braking system for controlled landing.

• The rover boasts advanced capabilities and scientific instruments as compared to the rover of Chandrayaan-2.

B20 Summit India 2023 begins in New Delhi

Tags: Summits

B20 Summit India 2023 began in New Delhi on 25 August.

An Overview of the News

• During the three days, the summit will be attended by various prominent personalities, including Union Ministers like Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Dr. S Jaishankar.

• The first day of the summit will host seven sessions covering topics like B20 India's priorities, global alignment, Artificial Intelligence's role in business and society, trade opportunities and regulations, resilient global trade's inclusive value chains, and a session with Trade Ministers.

• Eminent leaders including Tata Sons Executive Chairman and B20 India Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Mastercard CEO Michael Meibach, and World Economic Forum President Borge Brende will be present.

• The theme of the summit is "B20 India R.I.S.E." which is a symbol of responsible, agile, innovative, sustainable, and equitable businesses.

• Under the chairmanship of India, seven task forces were set up, covering areas such as global value chains, future of work, skill development, mobility, digital transformation, financing economic reforms, climate change, technology, innovation, and financial inclusion for empowerment.

• Summit discussions expanded to two Action Councils focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters related to business and African economic integration.

Shooter Amanpreet Singh won the gold medal at the ISSF World Championships in Azerbaijan

Tags: Sports

Indian shooter Amanpreet Singh won the gold medal in the men's 25m standard pistol shooting event at the ISSF World Championship 2023 held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

news overview

• In the women's 25m standard pistol shooting event, participants Tiana, Yashita Shokeen and Kritika Sharma could not qualify for the individual medal rounds. However, they managed to secure the team bronze medal with a combined score of 1601.

• With this achievement, India's total medal tally at the championships reached a total of nine medals, including five gold medals and four bronze medals.

About ISSF World Shooting Championships

• The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is responsible for overseeing the ISSF World Shooting Championships.

• Following the success of the 1896 Summer Olympics, the World Shooting Championships began in 1897. Despite the ISSF's founding in 1907, these early competitions are considered the start of an unbroken series of championships.

• Implementing this perspective, the event held in Zagreb in 2006 was named the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships.

• The program of these championships, covering all ISSF shooting disciplines, consists of a quadrennial event since 1954.