Today's Current Affairs 5th August 2023

NATIONAL

Ministry implemented ‘Naya Savera’ or ‘Free Coaching and Allied’ scheme

• The Ministry implemented ‘Naya Savera’ scheme also known as ‘Free Coaching and Allied’ scheme to assist students/candidates belonging to the six minority communities namely Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Parsi by way of special coaching for qualifying examinations.
• The primary objectives of the scheme are to provide specialized coaching to students from the notified minority communities in the following areas:
• Preparing for qualifying examinations for admission into technical/professional courses like engineering, medical, law, management, information technology, etc., and language/aptitude examinations required for seeking admission to foreign universities.
• Assisting with competitive examinations for recruitment to Group ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ services, as well as other equivalent positions under the Central and State governments, including public sector undertakings, banks, insurance companies, and autonomous bodies.

NHAI launches a mobile application called 'Rajmargyatra'

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched a citizen-centric integrated mobile application named 'Rajmargyatra' to enhance the highway user experience. The 'Rajmargyatra' app is available for download on Google Play Store and iOS App Store and currently supports Hindi and English languages.
• 'Rajmargyatra' provides comprehensive information on Indian National Highways, including real-time weather conditions, broadcast notifications, nearest toll plazas, petrol pumps, hospitals, hotels and other essential services for safe and seamless travel. The app has an efficient complaint redressal system, which allows users to report highway-related issues with geo-tagged videos or photos. The complaints are dealt with in a time bound manner, any delay is reported to the higher authorities. Users can track the status of their complaints for transparency.
• 'Rajmargyatra' integrates FASTag services with various bank portals, enabling users to recharge FASTags, avail monthly passes and access other related banking services within the app. The app also provides over-speed notification and voice assistance to promote responsible and safe driving behaviour. ' It aims to create a user-friendly experience for highway commuters, thereby ensuring a safer and more enjoyable journey on Indian National Highways.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Launches Port Health Organisation (PHO) under Sagar Setu

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, introduced the Port Health Organisation (PHO) module as part of the Sagar Setu – National Logistics Portal (Marine). The goal is to create a quicker and simpler system that promotes Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in the maritime sector.
• The PHO module will be responsible for monitoring diseases, conducting health inspections, and implementing quarantine measures to ensure the safety of citizens and port workers. This digital initiative was launched in the presence of Shri T K Ramachandra, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, and other senior officials of the ministry.
• This new system aims to streamline health-related processes and enhance efficiency in the maritime industry, ultimately benefiting businesses and improving the overall logistics ecosystem.

SPORTS

World Archery Championships 2023: Indian women’s compound team wins historic gold medal

• The Indian women's compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Gopichand Swami won the gold medal at the World Archery Championships 2023 in Berlin, Germany. It was India’s first-ever gold at the archery world championships in any category.
• The triumphant team comprised Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Gopichand Swami. In the final round, they showcased an exceptional performance against the Mexican team, consisting of Dafne Quintero, Ana Sofia Hernandez Jeon, and Andrea Becerra. The Indian trio emerged victorious with a score of 235-229, demonstrating their prowess and precision in the sport.
• In the semi-finals, the Indian trio, seeded second in the qualification round, had knocked out defending champions Colombia 220-216 to enter the title clash. Earlier, the Indian women’s compound team defeated Chinese Taipei and Turkey in the quarter-finals and the pre-quarterfinals, respectively after receiving a bye in the first round. Heading into the Berlin meet, India had won 11 medals – nine silvers and two bronze – at the World Archery Championships.

OBITURY

N Vittal, architect of India’s IT sector passes away

• The Padma Bhushan awardee and IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, 1960 batch, N Vittal passed away in Chennai. With the passing of N Vittal, 85, former Telecom Secretary and Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) on Thursday, the country has lost the person who had sown the seeds for the growth of the information technology sector four decades ago
• His experience of more than 40 years covered a wide spectrum with focus on industrial administration, science and technology and security. As Secretary of the Department of Electronics (1990-1996), he initiated policies for boosting software, setting up software technology parks and strategic alliance with the industry. This eventually led to the formation of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).
• As Chairman of the Telecom Commission, he also initiated the process of liberalisation in the telecom sector and played a major role in getting the National Telecom Policy 1994 approved.

Nitin Desai a renowned art director passes away

• Art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai was found dead at his ND Studio in Karjat. He was known for his work in films such as Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar.
• Postmortem of Bollywood art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai was conducted by a team of four doctors on Wednesday. As per preliminary findings, the cause of death is due to hanging,

AGREEMENT AND MOU,S

PNGRB partners with World Bank to chalk out roadmap for hydrogen blending in natural gas

• The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and the World Bank have joined forces to develop a comprehensive roadmap for integrating hydrogen blending in natural gas and establishing the infrastructure for their transmission through gas pipelines in the country.
• The primary objective of the study is to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the rapid implementation of hydrogen blending in India. The study covers the following aspects:
• Analysis of hydrogen demand and supply.
• Technical assessment of the current pipeline network’s compatibility for hydrogen blending.
• Evaluation of the commercial potential of the pipeline sector.
• Identification of policy and regulatory bottlenecks.
• The study’s recommendations include proposing amendments to the regulatory frameworks to align with the national objective of achieving a hydrogen consumption target of 5 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030. The study is scheduled to be completed within 16 weeks.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

IndusInd Bank partners with Tiger Fintech to launch co-branded credit card

• IndusInd Bank and Tiger Fintech a Bajaj Capital Group company, announced the launch of the IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card, a co-branded credit card powered by Visa. With this launch, customers will get access to best-in-class credit card to meet their lifestyle needs, IndusInd Bank said in a statement.
• The credit card comes with benefits including ‘Magnificent Rewards Program’ where customers earn up-to 6X accelerated rewards. Cardholders will also be able to convert their rewards points to air miles and enjoy discounted foreign currency mark-up of 1.5 percent on international spends.
• This co-branded credit card offers access to complimentary benefits like 24x7 concierge facility, domestic and international lounge access at the airports, games/lessons of golf, assured movie tickets and many other entertainment benefits