Current Affairs 3 August 2024

National Affairs

46th World Heritage Committee Meeting Held in New Delhi, India; Inscribes 26 New Heritage Sites

The 46th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee (WHC) was hosted by India for the first time. The event took place at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from July 21 to 31, 2024. During this session, 26 new World Heritage Sites were inscribed, including 19 cultural, 4 natural, and 1 mixed property, along with 2 significant modifications to existing boundaries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a USD 1 million grant to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to support capacity building, technical assistance, and conservation of world heritage sites. Additionally, India and the USA signed their first-ever ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of antiquities. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum in New Delhi.

About UNESCO:

• Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Established: 1945

International Affairs

Highlights of David Lammy MP, UK Foreign Secretary’s Visit to India

David Lammy MP, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, visited India from July 24 to 25, 2024, at the invitation of Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. This was his first official visit to India as UK Foreign Secretary after the Labour Party’s victory in the UK’s General Elections in July 2024. During his visit, a bilateral meeting was held with Dr. Jaishankar, and India and the UK launched a new Technology Security Initiative (TSI) aimed at boosting economic growth and strengthening collaboration between the two countries.

Ministry of Ayush & WHO Signed USD 85 Million Donor Agreement for GTMC in Gujarat

On July 31, 2024, the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a donor agreement in Geneva, Switzerland. The agreement, part of a USD 250 million investment from India, supports the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. India will donate USD 85 million over ten years (2022-2032) to support the operations of the WHO GTMC, which aims to improve human and environmental health through evidence-based Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).

About WHO:

• Director-General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Established: 1948

Curaçao Joins as 6th Associate Member of CARICOM

Curaçao has become the 6th Associate Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The agreement was signed by CARICOM Chairman Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, and Gilmar Simon Pisas, Prime Minister of Curaçao, during the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St. George’s, Grenada. CARICOM now consists of 15 full member countries and 6 associate members.

About CARICOM:

• Established: 1973
• Headquarters: Georgetown, Guyana

Banking & Finance

Kotak Mahindra Bank and GOQii Launch Smartwatch for Contactless Payments

On August 1, 2024, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) partnered with GOQii to launch the “Kotak-GOQii Smart Vital Plus smartwatch,” a wearable and contactless RuPay On-The-Go payment solution. The smartwatch, priced at Rs 3,499, allows customers to make contactless payments and monitor health parameters. It is recognized as a medical device by the Central Drugs and Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

About Kotak Mahindra Bank:

• MD & CEO: Ashok Vaswani
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Established: 1985

RBL Launched RuPay Credit with UPI and NCMC Features

RBL Bank has launched a new RuPay Credit card integrated with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) features. This makes RBL the first private sector bank to offer these comprehensive payment capabilities in a single card, allowing for instant and secure payments through UPI and hassle-free travel with NCMC features.

About RBL Bank:

• MD & CEO: R. Subramaniakumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Established: 1943

SWIFT Partners with Axis Bank to Launch AI Pilot to Tackle Payment Fraud

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) has partnered with Axis Bank to launch an AI-driven pilot to prevent payment frauds in cross-border payments. The pilot involves global banks and uses AI algorithms to examine historical transaction data to detect anomalies indicating fraud.

About SWIFT:

• CEO: Javier Pérez-Tasso
• Headquarters: La Hulpe, Belgium

About Axis Bank:

• MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhary
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Established: 1994

Paytm Launches India’s First NFC Card Soundbox

Paytm’s parent company, One 97 Communications Limited, has launched India’s first Near Field Communication (NFC) Card Sound Box. This device combines NFC card payment technology with mobile QR payments, providing a cost-effective solution for offline merchants.

Economy & Business

Thales & Garuda Aerospace Signed MoU to Secure Drone Operations in India

Thales and Garuda Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the growth and innovation in India’s drone ecosystem. This collaboration aims to develop safe and secure drone operations and applications, aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.

About Garuda Aerospace:

• CEO: Agnishwar Jayaprakash
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Founded: 2015

PwC India Partners with Microsoft India To Strengthen Cybersecurity

PwC India has partnered with Microsoft India to enhance cybersecurity through advanced incident response and recovery capabilities. This partnership uses Microsoft Copilot for Security, an AI-powered tool, to improve overall security and reduce incident response times.

Awards & Recognitions

CWC Won GEEF Global WaterTech Award 2024 For Water Management

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has been awarded the GEEF Global WaterTech Award under the category ‘Water Department of the Year’ at the Global Water Tech Summit 2024. The award recognizes CWC’s role in hydro-meteorological data collection, flood forecasting, and water quality monitoring.

About CWC:

• Chairman: Kushvinder Vohra
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• Established: 1945

Science & Technology

China to Build World’s 1st Thorium Molten Salt NPP in Gobi Desert

China plans to build the world’s first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) fueled by molten thorium salt in the Gobi Desert. The construction will begin in 2025, with the plant expected to be operational by 2029. The reactor will generate heat at a maximum power of 60 megawatts (MW).

Important Days

Earth Overshoot Day 2024 – August 1

Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources exceeds Earth’s capacity to regenerate for the year. In 2024, EOD falls on August 1, indicating that humanity uses nature 1.7 times faster than ecosystems can regenerate.

World Breastfeeding Week 2024 – 1st to 7th August

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is celebrated from August 1 to 7 to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding. The 2024 theme is “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.”

World Wide Web Day 2024 – August 1

World Wide Web (WWW) Day is observed on August 1 to celebrate the creation and impact of the World Wide Web. The day highlights the web’s role in revolutionizing communication, collaboration, and access to knowledge.

About the World Wide Web:

• Invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989
• First website: info.cern.ch, went live on August 6, 1991

Current Affairs Today (sathee Today)

• 46th World Heritage Committee meeting held in New Delhi, India; Inscribes 26 New Heritage Sites
• Highlights of Visit of David Lammy MP, UK Foreign Secretary, to India
• Ministry of Ayush & WHO Signed a Donor Agreement at Switzerland
• Curaçao Joins as 6th Associate Member of CARICOM
• Kotak Mahindra Bank and GOQii Launches Smartwatch for Contactless Payments
• RBL Launched RuPay Credit with UPI and NCMC Features
• SWIFT Partners with Axis Bank to Launch AI Pilot to Tackle Payment Fraud
• Paytm Launches India’s First NFC Card Soundbox
• Thales & Garuda Aerospace Signed MoU to Secure Drone Operations in India
• PwC India Partners with Microsoft India To Strengthen Cybersecurity
• CWC Won GEEF Global WaterTech Award 2024 For Water Management
• China to Build World’s 1st Thorium Molten Salt NPP in Gobi Desert
• Earth Overshoot Day 2024 – August 1
• World Breastfeeding Week 2024 – 1st to 7th August
• World Wide Web Day 2024 – August 1