Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Completes 9 Years of Successful ImplementationOn 28th August 2023, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), a National Mission for Financial Inclusion (FI) completed 9 years of successful implementation.

• PMJDY, the biggest financial inclusion initiative in the world, was introduced by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 15th August 2014 (Indepedence Day) and was launched on 28th August 2014.

Financial Inclusion:
i.FI is a comprehensive approach aimed at fostering economic development and ensuring that financial services are accessible to all segments of society.
ii.FI promotes equitable and inclusive growth by extending financial services at an affordable cost to vulnerable groups such as low-income groups and weaker sections that lack access to basic banking services.
About Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY):
i.PMJDY aims to ensure access to financial services, namely, basic savings & deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, and pension in an affordable manner to all households in India.
ii.Under the scheme, a basic savings bank deposit (BSBD) account can be opened in any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitra) outlet, by persons not having any other account.
Features:
i.One basic savings bank account is opened for unbanked people.
ii.There is no requirement to maintain any minimum balance (zero balance/zero charges) in PMJDY accounts.
iii.Interest is earned on the deposit in PMJDY accounts.
iv.Rupay Debit card is provided to PMJDY account holders.
Benefits:
i.Accident Insurance Cover of Rs.1 lakh (enhanced to Rs. 2 lakh for new PMJDY accounts opened after 28th August 2018) is available with a RuPay card issued to the PMJDY account holders.
ii.An overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible account holders is available.
iii.PMJDY accounts are eligible for all Government benefits (from Centre / State / Local Body) to the beneficiaries accounts such as:

• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.

Achievements:
i.As of mid-August 2023, the number of total PMJDY Accounts is 50.09 crore; 55.6% (27.82 crore) Jan-Dhan account holders are women and 66.7% (33.45 crore) Jan Dhan accounts are in rural and semi-urban areas.
ii.Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile (JAM) architecture has enabled the successful transfer of Government benefits in the accounts of the common man consistently.
iii.Jan Dhan Darshak App (JDD App), is a mobile application that provides a citizen-centric platform for locating banking touch points such as bank branches, ATMs, Banking Correspondents (BCs), Indian Post Payment Banks, etc. in India.

• Over 13 lakh banking touchpoints have been mapped on the JDD App.

 

PM Narendra Modi addresses B20 Summit India 2023 held in New Delhi From August 25-27, 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, Delhi.

• Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, addressed the summit on 27th August 2023.
• The theme of B20 India 2023 was ‘R.A.I.S.E’, an acronym for ‘Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable, Equitable‘.
• The B20 India 2023 Communique includes 54 recommendations and 172 policy actions for submission to G20.

B20 India:
i.Throughout India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, the B20 India Secretariat, represented by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), led the B20’s activities.

• The Secretariat was responsible for overseeing the development and execution of the B20 process.

ii.The chair of B20 India is Mr N Chandrasekaran, Executive Chairman, Tata Sons.
iii.At the culmination of the summit, N Chandrasekaran, Chair of B20 India handed over the B20 Presidency to Brazil.
Note: India officially assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022 after taking over from Indonesia.
Key Points:
i.It was attended by over 1500 policymakers, business leaders and experts.
ii.B20, during India’s Presidency, led the process of galvanizing global business leaders for their views on issues of global economic and trade governance.
iii.The Summit saw the culmination of the year-long outcomes of all the B20 India Taskforces and Action Councils.

 

Nitin Gadkari Launched World’s 1st BS 6 Stage II ‘Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle”Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways(MoRTH) launched the world’s first prototype of BS-VI(Bharat Stage Six) Stage II  compliant “Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle”, Toyota Innova Hycross.It is a variant of Toyota’s Innova, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited(Toyota Kirloskar).

• This is also India’s first flex-fuel electrified vehicle that can run in either electric mode or 100% ethanol. 
• This launch is in line with India’s target to increase ethanol blending in petrol by 20% by 2025-2026.

About the Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle: 
i.The new Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle(FFV) is based on the Innova Hycross and is designed and developed to comply with the emission standards of India.

• Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on petrol and any blend of petrol and ethanol.

ii.The upcoming stages of this prototype will include meticulous refinement, homologation and certification process.
iii.This innovative vehicle has an internal combustion engine and is capable of operating on petrol and any blend of petrol and ethanol.

• Until now, the maximum limit of mixing is set at around 83%.But but this model says to run on 100 per cent ethanol.

Key People:
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG), Union Minister Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Ministry of Heavy Industries; Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Toyota Kirloskar were presented during the launch.
Bharat Stage (BS):
Bharat stage(BS) emission standards are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from compression ignition engines and Spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles.
Bharat Stage Six(BS-VI):
i.Bharat Stage Six (BS-VI) or BS6 is the 6th emission benchmark or criterion in reducing pollution levels when compared to the BSIV or BS4 emission norms.

• Both are the maximum emission norms which set the maximum pollution from the exhaust of the motor vehicle.
• India shifted to BS VI vehicular emission norms by 1st April 2020 from BS IV.

ii.As per the previous Auto fuel Policy, BS-II, BS-III and BS-IV quality auto fuels were introduced in India by 1sy April 2017. The Committee proposed the implementation of BS-V emission norms by 1st April 2020 and the BS-VI emission norms from 2024.
iii.Due to the increasing pollution, the Government implemented the BS-IV and BS-VI emissions with effect from 1st April 2020.
iv.The fuel quality has improved from BS-IV to BS-VI norms by reducing the permissible Sulphur content from 50 Parts Per Million (ppm) in BS-IV to a maximum of 10 ppm in BS-VI-compliant fuel.
Additional info:

• India has reduced the dependence on oil imports with an aim to become self-reliant. At present, India imports fossil fuels worth Rs 16 lakh crore every year.
• Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, or alcohol) is a biofuel with the chemical formula C2H5OH. It is naturally made by the fermentation of sugar.

 

President of India Released Rs.100 Coin Commemorating Late Shri NT Rama RaoGovernment of India(GoI) introduced a commemorative Rs.100 silver coin featuring the image of the Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (N.T. R),a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and a legendary Indian actor.President of India Droupadi Murmu released the coin to mark the 100th birth anniversary (centenary Year) of N.T.Rama Roa at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre(RBCC) in New Delhi,Delhi.
Specifications of Rs.100 Silver coin:-

• The coin is 44mm in diameter and it is made from 50 percent Silver, 40 per cent Copper, 5 per cent Nickel and 5 per cent Zinc.
• It has three lions and the Ashoka Chakra on one side and an image of NTR on the other side, along with the inscription ‘Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Satha Jayanthi’.
• NTR’s centenary, the coin also has the inscription 1923-2023.

About N.T.Rama Rao
i.He served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three terms and was well known as Anna Garu (Elder Brother) by the fans and supporters.He made his debut in Telugu language movies.
ii.N.T.Rama Rao was honored with three National Film Awards for his involvement in the production of Telugu movies Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) and directing Varakatnam (1970).He was also honoured with India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri in 1968 in the field of arts and films.
iii.He became familiar in 1950s for his portrayal of Hindu Gods such as Lord Krishna,Lord Rama and Lord Shiva in his movies.
iv.He is also recognized for his role for the initiatives such as Telugu Cultural Renaissance and the Telugu language movement.
The Government Mint

• India Government Mint, Mumbai (‘IGM Mumbai’) is engaged in the manufacture of circulation coins, commemorative coins, medals and medallions, and weights & measures standards. The IGM Mumbai, established in 1829, is one of the oldest mints in India.
• It is part of the Union Finance Ministry and is operated by the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL).
• The first Mumbai Mint rupee was coined in the year 1672.

 

ADB Signs Agreement with Fourth Partner to Set up Solar Power Plant in Tamil NaduThe Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement of worth Rs 1.2 billion (about  USD 14.7 million) with Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) Private Limited (Fourth Partner), an Independent Power Producer(IPP)  to build and operate a solar photovoltaic power plant in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

• The 25 Megawatt(MW) power plant will produce electricity of  about 50.7 GigaWatt-hours(GWh) annually.

Note: ADB for the first time provides direct financing for a renewable energy plant.
Aim:

• The solar photovoltaic power plant aims  to provide clean and affordable energy to commercial and industrial users.
• The plant will prevent the emission of nearly 41,700 tons of carbon dioxide(CO2) per year.

About Open access energy procurement:
i.Open Access enables heavy users with a connected load exceeding 1 MW to purchase affordable electricity from the open market.
ii.India’s open access renewable energy policy allows businesses to buy electricity directly from IPP.

• This can help them to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve net zero emission target.

Additional Info:
Other projects of Fourth Partner:  Construction of solar and wind parks across Ottapidaram, Tuticorin and Nandikundu, Virudhunagar  in Tamil Nadu.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters –  Manila, Philippines
Established in – 1966
Members –  68 member countries
Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) Private Limited (Fourth Partner)
Fourth Partner Energy, a premier Renewable Energy firm dedicated to the advancement of solar, wind, hybrid, battery storage, and e-mobility projects/solutions. Catering to the diverse needs of commercial, industrial, and institutional entities, the company has positioned itself as a beacon of innovation and progress.
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
Established in – 2010

 

‘Infinity Savings Account’ , First-Of-Its-Kind Fixed Fee-Based Savings Account Launched by Axis BankAxis Bank Limited launched ‘Infinity Savings Account’, a first-of-its-kind fully Digital fixed fee-based savings account with no paperwork or branch visits.We can able to open completely in digital through the Video Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

• This account is designed for customer who are comfortable using digital services and often sign up for subscription-based services.

Eligibility:
Any Resident Indian who is 18 years and above with Initial Funding of Rs 5,000.
Benefits:
i.Customers need to pay a fixed amount of fee at a predefined interval of time.

• There are no service charges or no Average Monthly Balance (AMB) requirement

ii.No charges on any domestic transactional fees.
iii.Free Debit Card with unlimited Automated Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals.
iv.No charges on cheque book usage or transactions/withdrawals above limits.
Plans offered:
i.Monthly plan: The customers need to pay Rs 150 every month.The plan should be in active for a minimum of 6 months.
ii.Annual plan: The annual plan is charged at Rs.1650 (inclusive of GST) and offers Infinity benefits for 360 days.
About Axis Bank Limited:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 1993
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

 

Highlights of RIL’s 46th AGM 2023; Jio AirFiber Launchedi.On August 27, 2023, the 46th Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was held through video-conferencing where Managing Director (MD) and Chairman Mukesh Ambani of RIL made key announcements.
ii.RIL’s consolidated revenues stood at Rs 9,74,864 crore, while Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for FY23 was Rs 1,53,920 crore. The net profit was Rs 73,670 crore.
iii.Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) is all set to launch ‘Jio AirFiber’, a new Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) internet service for homes and offices, on September 19, 2023 i.e. on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
iv.RIL will set up 100 Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants to convert agri-waste into gas. It already has set up two demo units for Compressed Biogas (CBG) at Jamnagar while it has commissioned the first commercial scale CBG plant at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
CMD– Mukesh D. Ambani
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1958

 

Winners of India Smart Cities Awards Contest 2022 On 25th August 2023, The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has announced the winners of the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM).

• Indore(Madhya Pradesh) topped the National Smart City Award, followed by Surat(Gujarat) and Agra(Uttar Pradesh) in second and third place respectively.
• Madhya Pradesh topped the State Award, followed by Tamil Nadu in the second place, and Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the third place.
• Chandigarh has awarded best Union Territory award.
• In the Project Awards category, Coimbatore took the top spot for built environment, Ahmedabad for the culture and Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) theme, Jabalpur for economy, Chandigarh for governance and mobility, Indore for sanitation, water and urban environment, Vadodara for social aspects.

About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA):
Union Minister– Hardeep Singh Puri(Rajya Sabha- Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Kaushal Kishore (Constituency- Mohanlalganj, Uttar Pradesh)

 

Shriram Finance’s EVC Umesh Revankar Appointed as FIDC Chairman 
Umesh Revankar was appointed as the chairman of the Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) for a period of 2 years with effect form 23rd August 2023. He is currently serving as the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of Shriram Finance Limited.

• FIDC is a  Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) cum Representative Body of Asset and Loan Financing of the Non-Banking Financial Corporation (NBFC) registered with the Reserve Bank of India(RBI).

Other Appointments:
Kamlesh Gandhi, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of MAS Financial Services Limited, and K. V. Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Profectus Capital Pvt Limited, will act as co-chairmen of FIDC.
About Umesh Revankar:
i.Umesh Revankar joined as an executive trainee with Shriram Group in 1987, and he has risen through the ranks, assuming various responsibilities and key leadership roles in business operations.
ii.Revankar also serves as a director for several companies within the Shriram Group, including Shriram Automall India, Shriram General Insurance company, and Shriram Life Insurance company.
About Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC):
Chairman– Umesh Revankar
Established -2004
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

 

BHEL Manufactures First Set of Indigenous SCR Catalysts to limit NOx emission
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has manufactured India’s first set of Indigenous Catalysts for Selective Catalyst Reactors (SCR) for limiting oxides of nitrogen (NOx).This production is in line with the government’s “Make in India” Initiative.

• Ms. Renuka Gera, Director (Industrial Systems & Products), BHEL flagged off the first set of indigenously manufactured SCR catalysts for the 5×800 Mega Watt(MW) Yadadri Thermal Power Station in Telangana, from the company’s Solar Business Division (SBD) unit in Bengaluru,Karnataka.
• Combustion of coal converts the nitrogen bound in coal to form various products such as nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O).These products are collectively called oxides of nitrogen (NOx) which are significant major pollutant.

Note – Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian Maharatna central public sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Heavy Industries. Established in 1956, BHEL is based in New Delhi
i.As per the recent environment protection notification of Ministry of Environment and Forest,Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO) had placed an order for SCRs for 5×800 MW Yadadri thermal power station,Telangana.
ii.Further, Maharashtra State Power Generation Co Ltd (MAHAGENCO) for 1×660 MW Bhusawal thermal power station in Maharashtra, West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) for 1×660 MW Sagardighi thermal power station in West Bengal and National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is a Navratna CPSE under Ministry of Mines for 1×18.5 MW Damanjodi thermal power station in Odisha.

 

F1 Dutch GP: Max Verstappen Wins 11th Title of 2023 SeasonMax Verstappen, the Red Bull driver (Dutch-Belgian) won the title at the Formula 1 (FI) Heineken Dutch Grand Prix(GP) held at Circuit Zandvoort, Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 25th to 27th August 2023.

• Spain’s Fernando Alonso(Aston Martin ) won second place and France’s Pierre Gasly finished in third place for the first time with Alpine.
• This also marks Verstappen’s 11th victory of the 2023 season out of 13 and 46th of his career.

Max Verstappen Records:
i.This marks his 9th consecutive F1 win of the 2023 season equals German  racing driver Sebastian Vettel’s record in 2013 with Red Bull.
ii.In 2023, Max won 11 GP including the Spanish GP, Monaco GP, Miami GP, Australian GP, Bahrain GP, Canadian GP, Austrian GP, British GP, Hungarian GP, Belgian GP and Dutch GP.

• The other 2 titles of 2023 were won by Mexican racing driver Sergio Perez (Red Bull) in Saudi Arabia GP and Azerbaijan GP.

iii.This was  Verstappen’s third consecutive Dutch GP including 2021, 2022 and 2023.
iv.It was Red Bull’s 14th consecutive win starting from  Max Verstappen win at the final race of November 2022 in Abu Dhabi and 13th win  of the season.
F1 2023 Dutch GP Results:

• After the time gap, Dutch GP returned in 2021.

ii.About the circuit Zandvoort:

• Circuit Length – 4.259km
• Number of Laps – 72
• Race Distance – 306.587 km

 

National Sports Day 2023 – August 29The National Sports Day, also known as Rashtriya Khel Divas, is annually celebrated across India on 29th August to mark the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, the legendary Indian field hockey player, who is regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history.

• He was popularly known as “The Wizard” or “The Magician of hockey” for his skill in ball control.  He was born on 29th August 1905 in Allahabad, British India (Present day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh).

29th August 2023 marks the celebration of the 12th National Sports Day(Rashtriya Khel Divas).
Background: 
The government of India(GoI) declared that 29th August of every year will be observed as National Sports Day, starting from 2012, to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

• The first National Sports Day was celebrated on August 29, 2012.

 

International Day against Nuclear Tests 2023 – August 29The United Nations (UN) International Day against Nuclear Tests is annually observed across the globe on 29th August to create awareness about the harmful effects of nuclear weapon tests or other nuclear explosions.

• The day also promotes the cessation of nuclear tests as one of the vital parts of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/64/35 on 2 December 2009 and proclaimed the 29th August of every year as the International Day against Nuclear Tests.
ii.The resolution was initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan along with several sponsors and cosponsors.
iii.The first-ever International Day against Nuclear Tests was observed on 29th August 2010.
Why August 29? 
The observance of  International Day against Nuclear Tests commemorates the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site in Kazakhstan on 29 August 1991.
About the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) :
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of the UN

• Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago elected 78th UNGA president

77th UNGA President– Csaba Korosi
Headquarters–  New York, United States of America(USA)

 

Gujarat CM Launches Online Platform for Panchayati Raj InstitutionsChief Minister(CM) 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 ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh‘campaign in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• Panchayati Raj institutions & local self-governed bodies will be handling their financial transactions worth Rs 34,000 crore in PRAISA to increase transparency.

Key Points:
i.Instead of cheques, PRAISA  is used by Panchayati Raj institutions to make payments to contractors or vendors.
ii.This software can also issue work orders, make payment to and maintain the accounts.
iii.This portal facilitate all financial and accounting transactions for 33 districts and 248 taluka panchayats through this online platform, making the administration paperless and more effective.
iv.Dashboards such as Gujarat CM Dashboard, Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and Public Financial Management System (PFMS) will be connected with PRAISA.
V.Quick Response (QR) codes and schedules are mandatory for making payments through PRAISA.PRAISA allows real-time monitoring of any panchayat’s transactions at taluka, district and state level
About Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign:

• “Meri Maati Mera Desh“, is a nationwide and people led “Jan bhagidari” initiative to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence.
• It is the final event of Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav program.
• Tagline: `Mitti ko naman, veeron ka vandan`.

About Gujarat:
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
WildLife Sanctuary – Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Dholera International Airport

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