CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 31st AUGUST, 2023
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United Nations’ International Day for People of African Descent is annually observed across the globe on 31 August to promote the extraordinary contributions of African descent people all around the world and to promote and protect the human rights of people descended from African victims of enslavement. It was first observed in 2021.
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World Sanskrit Day, also referred to as International Sanskrit Day, Sanskrit Diwas and Vishwa Samskrita Dinam is annually observed on the day of Shravana Poornima in the Hindu calendar, which is also marked as Raksha Bandhan to honour Sanskrit, one of the world’s oldest known languages. This year Sanskrit Diwas was celebrated on 31 August.
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The Indian city of Kolkata become the third city in India to take a significant step forward by adopting an Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) based in Pune, which is aimed at addressing the increasing air pollution levels within the urban area.
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On 25 August 2023, the Indian Cricket Board announced that the IDFC First Bank has acquired the title rights for home international series of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for three years.
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Alia Bhatt for the film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and Kriti Sanon for the film ‘Mimi’ won the Best Actress award in 69th National Film Awards.
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In a significant step towards elevating the status of football in Maharashtra, the state government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the renowned German professional football league, Bundesliga.
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully testing its innovative device named ‘Nabhmitra’ developed at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, which aims to enhance the safety of fishermen during their sea expeditions.
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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recently taken a stern stance against Bharti Airtel, imposing a penalty of Rs 1 crore for its failure to adhere to the stipulations outlined in Section 6(2) of the Competition Act, 2002.
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India is all set to open a climate change and health hub in the national capital Delhi in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
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Madan Lal and Karsan Ghavri were awarded the Lifetime Achievement award outstanding achievements in cricket at CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Awards 2023.
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Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel launched a software called the Panchayati Raj Accounting Information System Automation (PRAISA), to make online payment compulsory for Panchayati Raj institutions at a state-level ‘Mera Mati Mera Desh’ campaign in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently switched to indigenously developed software for psychological screening of personnel prior to their induction in dignitary protection teams.
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Reliance Retail, the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd, has taken a significant step in the fashion retail sector with the introduction of its new brand, Yousta. The brand’s debut was marked by the opening of its flagship store in Hyderabad’s Sarath City Mall.
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Online grocery delivery startup Zepto has successfully raised $200 million in a Series-E funding round, achieving a valuation of $1.4 billion. This achievement marks Zepto as the first unicorn of 2023. The funding was led by StepStone Group, a US-based private markets investment firm, and is StepStone Group’s inaugural direct investment in an Indian company.
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SECL’s Pelma mine will become the first opencast mine in Chhattisgarh under MDO (Mine Developer and Operator) mode.
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From 25-27 August 2023, the Business 20 (B20) Summit India 2023, an official G20 (Group of Twenty) dialogue forum with the global business community, was held in New Delhi.