Important Daily Current Affairs of 16th August 2021
In this article, we will discuss all the important current affairs of 16th August 2021 in detail.
National
1. PM Modi unveils a Rs 100 lakh crore national infrastructure plan.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Gati Shakti National Infrastructure Master Plan, worth Rs 100 lakh crore, with the goal of creating jobs for the youth and assisting in the development of new economic zones around the country.
- Modi also refused to say how long the Gati Shakti plan will take to implement or how much money it will cost. However, he stated that the scheme’s details will be revealed in the following days.
2. The Prime Minister announces the formation of the National Hydrogen Mission, with the goal of creating a new global hub for green hydrogen.
- On India’s 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the commencement of the National Hydrogen Mission (NHM), with the goal of making the country a global hub for the production and export of green hydrogen.
- Hydrogen’s potential as a game-changer in the energy arena has long been recognised — its versatility allows it to be used in transportation, power generation, and industry — and growing concerns about climate change are driving countries to quickly integrate it into their energy mix in order to meet their goal of becoming a low-carbon economy.
3. TAPAS is a MOOC platform launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- TAPAS, or Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services, is an online portal developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide massive open online courses (MOOC).
- The National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) created TAPAS (NISD).
- The Ministry will be able to reach out to an even wider number of persons working in the field of social defence thanks to the online learning medium.
4. The government introduces the ‘Prime Minister Gatishakti Scheme’ for comprehensive infrastructure development and job creation.
- While addressing the country on the 75th Independence Day from Red Fort on August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 100 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Gatishakti plan.
- The Pradhan Mantri Gatishakti scheme aims to take a holistic and integrated approach to infrastructure development and create jobs for the country’s youth. In addition, the plan will
5. PM Modi has set a goal for India to become “energy independent” by 2047.
- By 2047, when India celebrates its 100th year of independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the goal of being a “energy independent” country.
- For this, the Prime Minister has declared a ‘Mission Circular Economy,’ which will see India attain energy self-sufficiency by 2047 by replacing petroleum with other kinds of energy.
6. During the 75-week ‘Amrit Mahotsav,’ 75 Vande Bharat Express trains will connect every corner of the country.
- On August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the occasion of the country’s 75th Independence Day, announcing that 75 “Vande Bharat” trains would connect different areas of the country in 75 weeks of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
- In the 75 weeks of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ which runs from March 12, 2021 to August 15, 2023, the 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect every corner of the country.
7. Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar flags off ‘Operation Blue Freedom’ to create a World Record at Siachen Glacier
- The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar flagged off a pioneering world record expedition named ‘Operation Blue Freedom’ from Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on the occasion of 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2021.
- The Operation Blue Freedom expedition comprise of a team of people with disabilities from across the country to reach Siachen Glacier, to create a new World Record, for the largest team of people with disabilities reaching the world’s highest battlefield.
8. Chhattisgarh gains four new administrative districts, bringing the total number of administrative districts in the state to 32.
- Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, has announced the establishment of four new districts and 18 additional tehsils in the state.
- Mohla Manpur, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, Shakti, and Manendragarh are the four new districts.
International News
9. As Taliban militants seize power in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani resigns.
- President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan will resign on August 15, 2021, after the government succumbed to Taliban fighters who entered Kabul and demanded the central government’s complete surrender.
- Following this, a new interim government was announced, with Ali Ahamd Jalali, a US-based professor, set to lead it.
Banking & Finance News
10. KreditBee introduces the ‘KreditBee Card,’ a New Age Card for India.
- With the launch of the ‘KreditBee Card,’ KreditBee, one of India’s largest digital lending platforms, forayed into the card market. The card gives unserved and underserved banking customers access to short-term liquidity with several repayment options, avoiding the requirement for a separate loan.
- For the launch of this product, KreditBee has teamed with RuPay and RBL Bank. The KreditBee Card is a credit-line backed prepaid card for end users, in which the amount is loaded into the KreditBee card account when the user makes a transaction or requests a withdrawal.
11. RuPay has started a campaign to promote contactless payments.
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that RuPay has initiated a strategic effort to promote contactless payments.
- #FollowPaymentDistancing is a campaign that encourages people to start ‘payment distancing’ and transition to contactless digital payments with RuPay Contactless Cards.
- While it emphasises that “payment separation” is a critical element, the campaign also encompasses all social distancing safety rules.
12. The Indian Bank and the Paralympic Committee have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
- The government sector Indian Bank announced that it has inked an MOU with the Indian Paralympic Committee to become one of the banking partners for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
- The Paralympic Games will begin on August 24, 2021, and will last for two weeks.
Appointments News
13. In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani resigns.
- Following the Taliban’s advance in Kabul, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani stood resigned and departed the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh, on his part, has stated that he will remain in the country.
- The Taliban have made a fast rush across the country, with government forces crumbling without the help of the US military, which is completing its pullout in accordance with President Joe Biden’s August 31 deadline.
Sports News
14. Harshit Raja, 20, has been named India’s 69th Grandmaster.
- Harshit Raja is India’s 69th Grandmaster. Harshit, who is pursuing a dual degree in economics and finance at the University of Missouri in Columbia, earned his third and final GM norm following a draw with Dennis Wagner at the Biel Masters Open.
- Harshit Raja, a 20-year-old Pune resident, has a long list of remarkable accomplishments to his credit. In 2014, he took silver in the U-13 National Chess Championship in Jamshedpur and gold in the SGFI Nationals in Tamil Nadu.
15. India wins 15 medals at the World Archery Youth Championships.
- India won a record 15 medals in the Archery Youth World Championships in Wroclaw, Poland, including eight gold.
- Komalika Bari, the reigning under-18 world champion, made a seamless transition to the under-21 age group, earning the junior championship at the Archery Youth World Championships to become only the second Indian to do so after Deepika Kumari.
Awards & Honours News
16. Mohammad Azam of Telangana’s Karimnagar district received the National Youth Award.
- Mohammad Azam of Telangana’s Karimnagar district was recently honoured by Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur in Delhi with the National Youth Award for demonstrating excellent leadership abilities.
- He stated that he has been imparting skills to youth and running personality development camps for them in his district’s villages of Chintakunta and Rekurthy.
17. Four more Indian sites have been added to the Ramsar list of internationally significant wetlands.
- Under the Ramsar Convention, four more Indian sites – two each from Haryana and Gujarat – have been designated as wetlands of international importance, bringing the total number of such sites in the country to 46, according to the Union Environment Ministry.
- Two wetlands in Haryana, Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar, have been added to the Ramsar list for the first time.
Obituary News
18. Chinmoy Chatterjee, a former India defender, died at the age of 68.
- Chinmoy Chatterjee, a legendary Indian footballer who played for the three Maidan heavyweights during his pomp in the 1970s and 1980s, has died. He was 68 years old at the time.
- He was a member of the Indian team that finished fourth in the quarterfinal round at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.
19. Gerd Müller, a German football legend, has died at the age of 75.
- Gerd Muller, a former West German forward and Bayern Munich star, died recently. He was 75 years old at the time.
- He played for West Germany at the international level, scoring 68 goals in 62 appearances, and for Bayern Munich at the club level, scoring a Bundesliga-record 365 goals in 427 games.
Important Days
20. De Jure Transfer Day is observed in Puducherry.
- On August 16, 2021, Puducherry commemorated its De Jure Transfer Day. R. Selvam, Speaker of the Puducherry Assembly, laid floral tributes at a memorial created in Kizhur, a small hamlet in Puducherry, where the power transfer occurred on the same day in 1962.
- In 1954, Puducherry gained de facto independence, and in 1962, the Treaty of Cession signed by the then-French and Indian governments was approved, resulting in the de jure transfer of the French installations to the Indian Union.
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