CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 19th AUGUST, 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 19^th AUGUST, 2023

1. United Nations’ World Humanitarian Day is observed on 19 August every year across the globe to honor the remarkable efforts of humanitarians who tirelessly work to improve the lives of crisis-affected populations. The theme for World Humanitarian Day 2023 is “No Matter What,”. 
2. World Photography Day is annually observed on 19 August across the globe to mark the celebration of photography’s rich history and its role as both an art form and a scientific achievement. The theme of World Photography Day 2023 is “Landscapes”.  
3. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of 1990-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service, Kamlesh Varshney and Executive Director at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Amarjeet Singh as SEBI Whole-Time Members.  
4. The Eg.5 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus named as Eris, which is currently circulating in various regions, including India, has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a ‘variant of interest’.
5. Myra Grover, author and secretary of the New Delhi Social Workers Association (NDSWA), has been awarded with the esteemed Women Icon Award as author on Mental Wellness by the House of Lords, UK Parliament.
6. The Reserve Bank of India has increased the per transaction limit for UPI Lite to 500 rupees from 200 rupees to promote digital transactions.
7. PepsiCo India partnered with The Social Lab (TSL) to launch its flagship program on plastic waste management ‘Tidy Trails’ in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
8. Brazil forward Neymar Jr has signed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
9. In a significant step towards preserving and celebrating India’s rich socio-cultural heritage, Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant unveiled a groundbreaking initiative, the Biodiversity Atlas of Mayem Village.
10. Indian sprinter Dutee Chand, renowned as India’s fastest female athlete and holder of the national 100m record, has been handed a significant blow with a four-year ban following her failure in an out-of-competition dope test.
11. Paradip Port achieved a major milestone by clocking record cargo throughput of 50.16 MMT Cargo, by exhibiting 6.5% growth over the corresponding period of previous fiscal.
12. Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos has commenced the integration process of its groundbreaking launch vehicle, Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technological Demonstrator), with its private launchpad situated at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
13. Viacom18, a prominent player in the Indian media and entertainment industry, has made significant strides in merging its two Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, JioCinema and Voot.
14. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is launching its first solar mission, Aditya-L1, to study the Sun. The mission will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1), which is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.  
15. AU Small Finance Bank has achieved an unprecedented feat with the launch of its groundbreaking initiative of customer service 24x7 via Video Banking.
16. Michael Parkinson, the seasoned British chat show host renowned for his conversations with notable personalities, passed away on 17 August 2023, at the age of 88.