24 august 2021 current affairs

1. Current Affairs
24 August 2021
Dr.A.PRABAHARAN
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2. India's first mRNA COVID vaccine gets DCGI nod
for Phase 2/3 trials
• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given a go-
ahead to the Phase 2/3 trials of India's first mRNA-based
COVID vaccine, HGCO19.
• The vaccine has been deemed to be safe by the Vaccine
Subject Expert Committee (SEC), which had reviewed the
interim Phase I trial data. The committee found the vaccine to
be safe, tolerable and immunogenic in the participants of the
study.
• HGCO19: India's first mRNA-based vaccine
• •The mRNA-based vaccine has been developed in partnership
with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
• •Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., which is a Pune-based
biotechnology company, had submitted the interim clinical data
of the Phase I study to the Central Drugs Standard Control
Organisation (CDSCO) and the Centre's National Regulatory
Authority (NRA).
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3. North Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22 to be
launched on August 26
• NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
(MoDoNER) will launch the first edition of the North Eastern
Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 2021-
22 on August 26, 2021.
• The Ministry and MoDoNER have collaborated with United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) to develop a NER District SDG
Index and Dashboard that will aid the State government of 8
northeastern states in monitoring the progress of their districts.
• The North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and
Dashboard 2021-22 is a significant milestone in NITI Aayog’s efforts
in localizing the SDGs from ‘global to national to local’.
• The Index report is the result of the SDG Conclave of the eight
Northeastern states that was held in Guwahati in February 2020 by
NITI Aayog and MoDoNER.
• The State Indicator Frameworks of all eight Northeastern states
were launched during the SDG Conclave.
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4. India, ADB sign $500 million loan to expand
metro rail network in Bengaluru
• The Central Government and the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) on August 23, 2021, signed a $500 million
loan for the expansion of the metro rail network in
Bengaluru. As per the Finance Ministry, two new metro
lines will be constructed totaling 56 km in length.
• The agreement for Bengaluru Metro Rail Project was
signed between Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional
Secretary, Economic Affairs Department in the Ministry
of Finance who signed for the Government of India, and
Mr. Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India
Resident Mission.
• The Asian Development Bank has been committed to
achieving an inclusive, prosperous, sustainable, and
resilient Asia and the Pacific while also sustaining its
efforts of eradicating extreme poverty.
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5. Ukrainian plane hijacked from Kabul, flown to Iran,
claims Ukraine’s Deputy FM Yevgeny Yenin; Iran denies
• A Ukrainian plane that arrived in Kabul to evacuate
Ukrainian citizens from Afghanistan last week was
reportedly hijacked by unidentified people and flown to
Iran.
• Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Yenin claims
that the plane had arrived in Kabul last Sunday to
evacuate Ukrainians but it was stolen and flown to Iran on
Tuesday. The plane has around 83 passengers on board,
who are currently missing.
• Yevgeny Yenin said, "Last Sunday, our plane was
hijacked by other people.
• On Tuesday, the plane was practically stolen from us,
it flew into Iran with an unidentified group of
passengers onboard instead of airlifting Ukrainians.
Our next three evacuation attempts were also not
successful because our people could not get into the
airport."
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6. Union Minister Narayan Rane arrested by
Maharashtra Police:
• Union Minister Narayan Rane has formally been arrested
by the Ratnagiri police in Maharashra for his slap remarks
against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
• The Minister had approached the Bombay High Court
earlier seeking protection from arrest, after two FIRs
were filed against him over his remarks. He had also
sought quashing of the FIRs.
• Two FIRs were registered against Narayan Rane, one in
Pune and the other one in Nashik, in connection with the
Minister's remarks against CM Uddhav Thackeray.
• The Nashik Cyber Police had registered an FIR against the
Union Minister on Shiv Sena Nashik Chief's complaint.
• The Police Commissioner then issued an order to arrest
Narayan Rane and formed a team led by DCP Sanjay
Barkund to arrest him.
• The team later detained the Minister amid large
resistance from his supporters and took him to
Sangameshwar police station in Ratnagiri.
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7. Paralympics 2020 India Schedule:
• Paralympics 2020 India Schedule: India has sent a 54-member
strong contingent to compete at Tokyo Paralympic Games
2020.
• The Indian athletes will be competing in nine sporting
disciplines including track & field, table tennis, archery,
badminton, taekwondo and swimming.
• Rio Paralympic Champions Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajaria
and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu will be competing at
the 2020 paralympic games as well.
• The Tokyo Paralympics Opening Ceremony will get underway
today, on August 24, 2021. The Paralympic Opening Ceremony
will be hosted at the Olympic Stadium, which also hosted the
Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic
Games. The Paralympic Games will begin on August 25 and
conclude on September 5, 2021.
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8. COVID-19: Israel launches antibody testing in
children aged 3 to 12 years old
• Israel on August 22, 2021, launched antibody testing for
children between 3 years to 12 years old.
• The Israeli government has decided to alleviate any
developmental and educational setbacks amid the coronavirus
pandemic despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused
by the Delta variant.
• The antibody testing has been termed as the ‘largest
serological operation’ by the Israeli government and has been
launched during a time when students are preparing to return
to schools for a new academic year.
• The government has requested all parents to bring their
children to avail the free test as quickly as possible to ensure
successful implementation of the new academic years and
classroom schedules. Israel has been vaccinating children
aged 12 and above.
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9. Egypt closes Rafah crossing with Gaza amid
friction with Hamas group
• Egypt shut down its main border crossing point with
the Gaza Strip on August 23, 2021, amid tensions
with the territory’s militant Hamas rulers.
• It was the first time that the Rafah crossing
(crossing point between Egypt and Gaza strip) was
closed during a workday since early 2021. Egypt's
Government had kept the crossing opened even
during the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in
May 2021.
• As per the Egyptian officials, the closure was
connected to Egypt’s efforts to broker a long-term
cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. It has not
been immediately clear that how long the closure
will last.
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10. Afghanistan-Taliban crisis: G7 Leaders’ to
convene emergency meeting virtually
• An emergency meeting of the G7 Leaders’ will be convened
virtually on August 24, 2021, by the UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson, who is also representing the G7’s current presidency,
to urgently deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan and
coordinate a response to the Taliban crisis in the war-torn
country.
• UK PM Johnson in a tweet said that it is vital that the
international community works together to ensure safe
evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and support the
Afghan people to secure gains of the last 20 years.
• US President Joe Biden will also join virtually in the meeting of
G7 Leaders’ Meet on August 24, 2021, stated White House
Press Secretary in a statement.
• The US has deployed troops temporarily till August 31, 2021,
to execute the evacuation of US nationals and Afghans who
have assisted the US government.
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11. Japan plans to bring back soil samples from
Martian moon by 2029
• Japan’s space agency has been planning on bringing soil samples
back from the Mars region ahead of the Chinese and the US
missions now operating on Mars, in hopes of finding clues to the
origin of Mars and traces of possible life.
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to launch an
explorer in the year 2024 to land on the Martian Moon ‘Phobos’
in order to collect 10 grams of soil and bring it back to Earth in
2029.
• The Project Manager of the mission, Yasuhiro Kawakatsu said
that the rapid return trip from Mars will put Japan ahead of
China and the United States in bringing back the samples from
the Martian region despite starting later from both the
countries.
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12. Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Javelin Thrower Tek Chand named India's flag bearer,
Mariyappan Thangavelu in quarantine
• Javelin Thrower Tek Chand has been named as
India's flag bearer for the opening ceremony of
Tokyo Paralympics 2020 today after Mariyappan
Thangavelu was identified as a close contact of a
Covid Positive person in his flight to Tokyo.
• Mariyappan Thangavelu will now have to
quarantine as precautionary measure and miss the
opening ceremony.
• He though has tested negative upon reaching the
Olympic village, the Organizing Committee has
advised not to make Mariyaapan participate in the
Opening Ceremony.
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13. Swachh Survekshan 2021: Andhra Pradesh becomes first state with three
‘Water Plus’ certified cities
• The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs awarded
three cities from Andhra Pradesh with ‘Water Plus’
certification under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh
Survekshan assessment.
• Andhra Pradesh has now become the first state to have
more than one ‘Water Plus’ certified city.
• The three cities awarded are Greater Vishakhapatnam
Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Vijayawada Municipal
Corporation, and Tirupathi Municipal Corporation.
• A total of nine cities across India were awarded ‘Water
Plus’ certification.
• Earlier on August 11, 2021, Indore was declared as the first
‘Water Plus’ certified city of India under the Swachh
Survekshan 2021.
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14. Government launches new portal to facilitate
geospatial planning of MGNREGA assets
• The Central Government on August 23, 2021, launched a
new geospatial planning portal, ‘Yuktdhara’. As per
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, the portal will help in
facilitating the new MGNREGA assets (farm ponds,
dams, plantation, roads, playgrounds etc.) using
remote sensing and geographic information system-
based data.
• The ‘Yuktdhara’ portal by the government was launched
by the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
Giriraj Singh.
• Jitendra Singh, who is a Minister of State in the Prime
Minister’s Office and is also in charge of the Department
of Space, explained that the name given to the portal is
also very apt as the word ‘Yukt’ is derived from
‘Yojanam’ (planning) and ‘Dhara’ indicates flow.
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