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Current Affairs

August
Contents :-
1. Polity & Governance
2. International Relations
3. Nations & States
4. Economic Scenario
5. Environment & Ecology
6. Science & Technology
7. History , Art & Culture
8. Social Issues
Polity & Governance :

1.Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution

Recently, the Union Minister of Education has
informed the Lok Sabha about the various
initiatives / steps taken by the government to
promote the languages in Eighth Schedule.
Articles related to Eighth Schedule –
Article 344 : Constitution of commission by
President on expiration of five years.
Article 351 : Spread of Hindi Language
2. Secrecy of Vote
Recently, the Supreme Court of India held
that in any election, be it to Parliament or
State Legislature , the maintenance of
secrecy of voting is “ a must”.
It reiterated its 2013 judgement in the
People’s Union for Civil Liberties case.
3. Collegium System for the Appointment of
Judges
Recently, the Supreme Court Collegium , led by
the Chief Justice of India has recommended to
the government nine names for the
appointment as SC judges.
The collegium for the first time , in one single
resolution , recommended three women judges.
It thus sent a strong signal in favour of the
representation of women in the highest
judiciary.
4. Slow Pace of Criminal Justice System
Reforms
Recently, a group of experts under the National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has
expressed over the slow pace of reforms in the
criminal justice system to ensure speedy
justice.
NHRC is an independent statutory body
established on 12 Oct 1993 as per the
provisions of Human Rights Act, 1993 later
amended in 2006.
5. Supreme Court on Criminalisation of Politics
Recently, the Supreme Court in the two different
judgements has raised concerns about the
menace of criminalization in politics.
In one case , it found nine political parties guilty
of contempt for not following in letter and spirit
its February 13, 2020 direction.
In another case, it has issued directions that no
criminal case against MPs or MLAs can be
withdrawn without approval of the high court
of the concerned state.
6. Custodial Violence is biggest threat to human
rights : CJI
Recently, the Chief Justice of India noted that police
stations pose the highest threat to human rights and
dignity as custodial torture and police atrocities still
prevail despite constitutional guarantees.
He was speaking at the launch of a legal service
mobile application and the vision and mission
statement of the National Legal Services Authority’s
legal Services.
7. Supreme Court Judgement on Preventive
Detention
Recently, the SC ruled that a preventive
detention order can only be passed if the
detenu is likely to adversely affect the
maintenance of public order.
The SC also gave direction to governments
and to other courts for dealing with
detention under preventive detention.
8. Right to be Forgotten
Recently, a reality show contestant has
approached the Delhi HC with a plea seeking
the removal of his photographs, and articles ,
etc from the internet citing his “Right to be
Forgotten”.
In this plea, the petitioner also maintains that
the “Right to be Forgotten” goes in sync with
the “ Right to Privacy” which is an integral part
of Article 21 of the Constitution (Right to life).
9. Reservation Applicable in either of States after
Division : SC
Recently, the SC has ruled that a person belonging to
a reserved category ina n undivided state is entitled
to claim the benefit of reservation in either of the
successor states.
The ruling came after a Scheduled caste resident of
Jharkhand, filed an appeal against HC order denying
him an appointment in state civil service examination
2007 on the ground that his address proof showed
that he was a permanent resident of Patna, Bihar.
10. Census 2021
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has
said in the Lok Sabha that owing to the
outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Census
2021 and other Census- related field
activities have been postponed until
further orders.
In India, a census is conducted every
decade and census 2021 will be the 16 th

national census of the country.

11. National Commission for minorities
Recently, the Delhi HC directed the centre
to nominate persons to all the vacant
positions in the National Commission for
Minorities by 30th September 2021.
This is to ensure that the commission
functions efficiently and the purpose of the
commission as envisaged under the
National Commission for Minorities Act,
1992 is also fully given effect to.
International Relations

1. India assumes UNSC Presidency

Recently, India assumes the presidency of the UN
Security Council for the month of August 2021.
This will be India’s first presidency during its
2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of
Security Council.
India begins its two year tenure as a non
permanent member of the UNSC in January 2021.
This is India’s eighth term on the UNSC.
2. India’s case of Permanent Seat in UNSC
In the past, the Obama and Trump
administrations had supported a
permanent seat for India on the UNSC.
However , the recent statements by the
State Department under the new US
President Joe Biden, reflects an ambiguous
or half hearted view on this issue.
3. Taliban Controls Kabul
Recently, the Taliban has seized Kabul, the
capital city of Afghanistan , raising
questions over the US and NATO trained
Afghan Forces.
The Taliban have proclaimed that there
will be no witch hunt, that it will respect a
transitional process, and that it will work
for a future Islamic system that is
acceptable to all.
4. IBSA Forum
Recently, India organized the IBSA (India,
Brazil and South Africa) Tourism Ministers’
virtual meeting.
India is the current IBSA Chair.
5. SCO Defence Minister’s Meeting
Recently, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation SCO Defence Ministers’
Meeting took place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The Defence Minister of India addressed
the grouping and said India is committed
to working within the SCO framework for
helping create & maintain a secure &
peaceful region.
6. US Secretary of State’s Visit to India
Recently, in his visit to India, the US
Secretary of State mentioned that actions by
India and the US will shape the 21st century.
The visit reciprocates the visit reciprocates
the visit by India’s External Affairs Minister
to the US in May 2021.
The US Secretary of State and India’s EAM
have also had detailed conversations in the
UK and Italy.
Nation & States:

1. Initiatives on 75th Independence Day

Commemorating the 75th Independence Day ,
PM announced a slew of measures and called
for making the next 25 years a glorious one
for India.
A day before Independence Day, PM also
declared 14th August would now be observed
as Partition Horrors Rememberance Day.
2. 100 Years of Madras Legislative Council
Recently, the President addressed the
commemoration of the 100 year of the
th

Tamil Nadu Assembly, formerly known as

Madras Legislative Council in Chennai.
3. Constitution ( Schduled Tribes ) order
Amendment Bill, 2021
Recently, Rajya Sabha has passed the
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) order
Amendment bill , 2021.
The bill provides for modifying part-XVIII
of the Schedule to the Constitution (ST)
Order, 1950 relating to the state of
Arunachal Pradesh.
4. Upheaval in Meghalaya
Recently, a former militant of the
Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council
(HNLC) was killed in a police encounter
that has led to a crisis in Meghalaya.
The encounter was reportedly carried out
by the police team of East Khasi Hills and
East Jaintia Hills.
5. Funds lapsed in MPLADS
Recently, the Standing Committee on
Finance has criticized the decision of the
Ministry of Finance for giving barely a
week’s time to the Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Implementation for
funding ongoing Member of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme projects
owing to which 50% funds lapsed.
6. Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act
1996
The Adivasi self-governance system has
disappeared from most of the areas in Jharkhand.
During most of the time in history, most of the
Adivasis had their own federal governance
system.
The Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act
1996, was supposed to uphold the traditional
decision making process.
7. Community Policing
Recently, the Delhi Police Commissioner
inaugurated a community policing
programme ‘Umeed’.
Basic principle underlying this scheme is
that ‘A Policeman is a Citizen with Uniform
and a Citizen is a Policeman without
Uniform’.
8.NEET’s All India Quota
Recently, the Union Health Ministry has
announced 27% reservation for OBCs and
10% quota for the Economically weaker
section in the All India Quota scheme for
undergraduate and postgraduate medical
dental courses from 2021-22 onwards.
9. Creamy layer: OBC
Recently, some MPs have raised the issue of
defining Creamy Layer in the ongoing
Monsoon session of Parliament.
The Justice Rohini committee is
considering the sub categorization of OBC
quota and if any particular community are
benefitting most from OBC quota and how
to iron out anomalies.
10. E-Prisons Project
The Ministry of Home Affairs has provided
financial assistance of Rs. 99.49 crores to
the States and Union territories for the E-
Prisons Project.
ePrisons application suite has been
developed by National Informatics Centre,
Ministry of Electronics & IT.
Economic Scenario :

1. World Economic Outlook : IMF

The latest edition of the International Monetary

Fund’s World Economic Outlook has cut its 2021
growth forecast for India to 9.5% from 21.5%
estimated earlier in April 2021.
While re-calibrating its forecast IMF considered two
major factors which are access to vaccines and risk
of new Corona-variants.
2. New Development Bank
Recently, during BRICS meet, India proposed
that NDB’s (New Development Bank) scope be
expanded to strengthen Social Infrastructure
besides promoting industry.
It includes the construction and mainatenance
of facilities that support social services such as
healthcare, education, and housing.
India is the chair of the BRICS grouping for
2021.
3. Financial Inclusion Index
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has
unveiled the first composite Financial
Inclusion Index .
The annual FI-index for the financial year
ended March 2021 crossed the halfway
mark to 53.9 as compared to 43.4 for the
year ended March 2017.
4. New facilities under Strategic Petroleum
Reserves
Recently, under the Strategic Petroleum
Reserves programme, the government has
given approval for establishing two
additional facilities.
In 2020, India filled its strategic petroleum
reserves in view of the slump in crude
prices.
5. Periodic Labour Force Survey 2019-20
Recently, the National Statistical Office
released the third annual report on the
Periodic Labour Force Survey, conducted
between July 2019 and June 2020.
Labour indicators recorded an all round
improvement in 2019-20 compared with
the previous two years i.e. 2017-18 and
2018-19.
6. PLI scheme for Speciality Steel
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the
Production Linked Incentive scheme for
manufacturing Speciality Steel with a
budgetary outlay of Rs.6322 Crore over a
period of five years from 2023-24.
7. DICGC bill , 2021
Recently, the Union Cabinet has cleared the
Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Cooperation Bill, 2021.
The failure of banks such as Punjab and
Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, Yes Bank
and Lakshmi Vilas Bank reignited the
debate on the low level of insurance
against the deposits held by customers in
Indian banks.
Environment & Ecology

1. India decides to ratify the Kigali

Amendment
Recently, the Union Government approved
the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to
the Montreal Protocol on phasing down
climate-damaging refrigerant
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
2. Land degradation and desertification in
India
Recently, a document published by ISRO
named Desertification and Land
Degradation Atlas shows that Land
Degradation and Desertification has
increased signifiacantly in recent years.
3. Four New Ramsar Sites : India’s
Wetlands
Recently, four more Indian sites – two each
from Haryana and Gujarat have been
recognized as wetlands of international
importance under the Ramsar Convention.
According to recent estimates by Wetlands
International South Asia , nearly 30% of
the natural wetlands in India have been
lost in the last three decades .
4. Geo-Tourism in Northeast
Recently, the Geological Survey of India has
identified certain geological sites across
the Northeast for the promotion of geo-
tourism.
12 locations in the Northeast have been
included in the 32 approved geo-tourism
or geo-heritage sites in the country.
5. Gross Environment Product
Recently, the UK state government has
announced that it will initiate valuation of
its natural resources in the form of ‘Gross
Environment Product’.
It is along the lines of GDP.
6. Surangam System
The Karez System of Afghansistan is in
threat whereas a similar system named
Surangam in South India is thriving.
Surangams resemble the Karez System
both in structure and spread.
7. Plastic Crisis: Sundarbans
The unregulated inflow of relief to the
Sundarbans has resulted in a new crisis in
the cyclone-battered region as plastic has
been accumulated in the area.
Plastic pollution is caused by the
accumulations of plastic waste in the
environment.
8. Cloudbursts
Recently, cloudburst have been reported
from several places in India.
Consequences of Cloudbursts are:-
Flash floods
Landslides
Mudflows
Land caving
9. International Tiger Day [29th July]
Recently, at the virtual meeting celebrating
International Tiger Day , the PM of India
reiterated India’s commitments to
ensuring safe habitats for its tigers and
nurturing tiger-friendly ecosystems.
10. World Lion Day, 2021
Every year, World Lion Day is observed on
10 August to raise awareness about the
th

conservation of lions.
11. World Elephant Day [12th August]
On the occasion of world Elephant Day the
Union Environment Minister made public
the population estimation protocol to be
adopted in the all-India elephant and tiger
population estimation in 2022.
12. Earth Overshoot Day, 2021
According to the World Wide Fund for
Nature, Humanity has again used up all
biological resources that our planet
regenerates during the entire year by 29th
July, 2021.
Humanity uses 74% more than what the
planet’s ecosystems can generate .
Science & Technology:

1. GSLV-F10 Failure: ISRO’s EOS-03

Satellite Mission
Recently, ISRO suffered the loss of an
important Earth Observation Satellite
during launch when the GSLV rocket
carrying it malfunctioned about five
minutes from the lift-off.
2. Fusion Ignition
Recently, researchers at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory appeared
to have demonstrated “fusion ignition” for
the first time.
This breakdown has brought the world
closer to the dream of near-limitness clean
energy through nuclear fusion.
3. Near-Surface Shear layer of the Sun
Recently, Indian astronomers from
Aryabhatta Research Institute of
Observational Sciences and the Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore have for the
first time given the theoretical explaination
of the existence of a near-surface shear
layer in the Sun.
4. Nauka module of Russia
Recently, the Russian Space Agency
Roscosmos, launched its biggest space
laboratory named Nauka to the
International Space Station (ISS).
Earlier, four astronauts were launched to
the ISS from Florida as part of a
collaboration between NASA and SpaceX
under the Commercial Crew Program.
The mission is called crew-2.
5. NASA’s Boeing Starliner Spacecraft
Recently, the launch of Boeing’s uncrewed
Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 has been
postponed once again.
The spacecraft which is called the Crew
Space Transportation-100 is part of an
uncrewed test flight to the International
Space Station.
This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial
Crew Station.
History , Art & Culture :

1. Linguistic Culture of Indus Valley

A new research paper has provided some
new insight on the linguistic culture of the
Indus Valley Civilization.
Earlier, a study found that the diet of the
people of IVC had a dominance of meat,
including extensive eating of beef.
2. India’s 40 World Heritage Site :
th

Dholavira
Recently, In July 2021, UNESCO announced
the Harappan City of Dholavira in Gujarat
as India’s 40th world heritage site.
It is the first site of IVC in India to be
included in the coveted list.
India now enters the Super-40 club for
World Heritage Site incriptions.
3. PRASHAD Scheme
Recently, the Prime Minister has
inaugurated various projects in Somnath,
Gujarat under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage
Augmentation Drive) scheme at a total cost
of over Rs. 47 Crore.
4. Moplah Rebellion
Recently, a political leader claimed that the
Moplah rebellion also known as the
Mappila riots, of 1921 was one of the first
manifestations of the Taliban mindset in
India.
5. Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Recently, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit
singh which was installed in 2019,
vandalized by a member of radical outfit
Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a religious
organization at the Lahore Fort in
Pakistan’s Punjab province.
6. Shankarcharya Temple
Recently, as per the age-old tradition
related to the annual Amarnath pilgrimage,
the holy mace of Lord Shiva was brought to
the ancient Shankaracharya Temple.
Social Issues:

1. India’s Water crisis & Women

India is water-stressed due to changing
weather patterns and repeated droughts.
The worst sufferers of this crisis are mostly
women..
Water scarcity in India is expected to worsen
as the overall population is expected to
increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2050.
2. SAMVAD initiative
Recently, the Ministry of Women and Child
Development has launched the 2nd phase of the
SAMVAD programme.
The second phase was launched on the
completion of one year of programme.
The programme is aimed at mental health
outreach for children who are abandoned and
orphaned, child survivors of trafficking or in
conflict with law.
3. Polio
Recently, India has decided to vaccinate
Afghanistan returnees against Polio for
free as a preventive measure against the
Wild Polio Virus.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two
countries in the world where polio is still
endemic.
4. Pneumonia
Recently, the Ministry of Health and family
Welfare reported that Pnemonia
contributes 16.9% of infant deaths and it is
the 2nd highest cause of infant mortality
(after prematurity and low birth weight).
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