Daily Current Affairs August 24

Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of  the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs August 24. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

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August 24 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

SPORTS – Daily Current Affairs August 24

1. Tek Chand named new flag bearer of India for opening ceremony in Tokyo Paralympics. He was related to which sports?
A) Hockey
B) Volleyball
C) Football
D) Javelin throw
E) Baseball
Answer: D) Javelin throw

• Javelin thrower Tek Chand will be India’s flag-bearer at the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony after Thangavelu Mariyappan was quarantined following close contact with a COVID-19 positive person on their flight to Tokyo.
• The Paralympic Games is scheduled to be held between August 24 and September 5.
• Mariyappan, a Rio 2016 Gold medal winner, was the flag bearer for India.
• However, he and five others of the Indian contingent were quarantined until further notice, as someone near their seats on the flight to Tokyo tested positive for COVID-19.

2. ICC suspends which country spinner Roy Kaia from bowling in international cricket?
A) Zimbabwe
B) Iran
C) Iraq
D) USA
E) Philippines
Answer: A) Zimbabwe

• An independent assessment has found Zimbabwe allrounder Roy Kaia’s bowling action to be illegal, and he has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced.

OBITUARY – Daily Current Affairs August 24

3. Former Foreign Minister of which country Mangala Samaraweera passed away?
A) Zimbabwe
B) Sri Lanka
C) Iraq
D) USA
E) Philippines
Answer: B) Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away at a private hospital here due to COVID-19 related complications.
• Samaraweera, 65, contracted the virus earlier this month and was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) of the Lanka Hospital.
• Samaraweera, who was Sri Lanka’s foreign minister twice between 2005 and 2007 and from 2015-2017, was the second highest ranking Sri Lankan politician to succumb to coronavirus after the death of former parliamentary speaker WJM Lokubandara.
• A proponent of liberal democratic politics, Samaraweera held many senior Cabinet positions since 1994, including the ministry of finance. He stepped down from politics last year.

4. O Chandrasekharan passed away. He was related to which sports?
A) Hockey
B) Volleyball
C) Football
D) Javelin throw
E) Baseball
Answer: C) Football

• Former Indian Footballer O Chandrasekharan passed away in Kochi Chandrasekharan was part of the Indian team that participated in the 1960 Rome and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
• He was also a member of the Indian team that won the gold in 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and the silver medal in Asian Cup in Tel Aviv the same year.
• He captained the Maharashtra team that won the 1963 Santhosh Trophy.
• Chandrasekharan played for the Caltex Sports Club, Mumbai and was part of the SBI football team later.

RANKING – Daily Current Affairs August 24

5. According to real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield, what is the rank of India in list of most attractive manufacturing hub globally?
A) 5
B) 4
C) 3
D) 2
E) 1
Answer: D) 2

• India has overtaken the United States (US) to become the second-most sought-after manufacturing destination globally, driven mainly by cost competitiveness, according to real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield.
• China remains at number one position, the consultant said in its 2021 Global Manufacturing Risk Index, which assessed the most advantageous locations for global manufacturing among 47 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific (APAC).
• The US is at third position, followed by Canada, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, Thailand, Malaysia and Poland.
• In the last year’s report, the US was at second position while India ranked third.

BANKING AND FINANCE – Daily Current Affairs August 24

6. The RBI has imposed a penalty of how much amount on Dhanlaxmi Bank, Thrissur, for contravention of certain norms related to the ‘Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme’?
A) Rs 27.5 lakh
B) Rs 17.5 lakh
C) Rs 47.5 lakh
D) Rs 57.5 lakh
E) Rs 67.5 lakh
Answer: A) Rs 27.5 lakh

• The RBI said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 27.5 lakh on Dhanlaxmi Bank, Thrissur, for contravention of certain norms related to the ‘Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme’.
• In a statement, the RBI said penalty on Dhanlaxmi Bank has been imposed for contravention of a section of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 read with a paragraph of The Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014 (the scheme).
• The RBI said the Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE) of the bank was conducted with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2020, and the examination of the Risk Assessment Report and Inspection Report pertaining to the same, revealed, inter-alia, contravention of the provisions of the Act read with the scheme.
• A notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for contravention.

7. Which insurance company has introduced a standalone personal accident plan to financially secure policy owners and their family members in case of death, partial, temporary, or permanent disability?
A) Cholamandalam MS General Insurance
B) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
C) ICICI Lombard General Insurance
D) Apollo Munich Health Insurance
E) Niva Bupa Health Insurance
Answer: E) Niva Bupa Health Insurance

• Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited, earlier known as Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited, has introduced a standalone personal accident plan to financially secure policy owners and their family members in case of death, partial, temporary, or permanent disability.
• The policy offers a sum insured of up to 25 times of annual income, according to the Niva Bupa press release.
• The product has been launched with a ‘live it up’ campaign which encourages customers to live life to the fullest.
• As per the company, the premium for this plan starts from ₹962 (inclusive of taxes) and provides coverage starting from ₹5 lakh to up to ₹10 crore.
• One of the key highlights of the plan is the temporary total disablement (TTD) benefit which provides 2% of base sum insured per week (maximum of ₹1 lakh per week) to policyholders in case of temporary loss of income following an accident.
• The company is also providing TTD for non-earning members at 1% of base sum insured per week (maximum ₹25,000 per week) as well.
• This benefit will be provided even for incidents such as coma and burns.
• The plan also offers loan protector as an additional benefit which will protect people from the outstanding principal amount of the loan in case of death of the policyholder.
• This will ensure protection of financial liability & assets, providing security to the families.
• The company has provided a monthly needs benefit feature that will cover the cost of immediate household expenses in the event of death, permanent total disability (PTD)/permanent partial disability (PPD), coma or burns.
• Under this benefit, the plan will provide an additional lump sum amount for 3 months after the accident to provide financial assistance.
• The plan has very comprehensive benefits for family members like – education for children (up to maximum ₹5 lakh), marriage expenses for children (up to maximum ₹10 lakh), benefits for elderly parents (up to maximum ₹5 lakh), along with offering guidance support like education counselling and placement assistance to children, so that they get the right guidance to shape up their future, said the press release.

8. The government of which state has selected SBI General Insurance to service Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehmat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY)?
A) Karnataka
B) Odisha
C) Haryana
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Punjab
Answer: E) Punjab

• The government of Punjab has selected SBI General Insurance to service Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehmat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY).
• The scheme will provide cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh annually to eligible families.
• There are more than 40 lakh eligible families that are expected to come under the ambit of the scheme.
• The families will also be eligible to get benefits related to secondary and tertiary care at public as well as private hospitals.
• This will be based upon the coverage of the pre-existing diseases.
• According to Punjab Government, all the farmers with ‘J’ forms and ‘sugarcane weighment ships’ will be eligible under the scheme to reap the benefits.
• The Punjab Mandi Board had also launched a dedicated portal for the farmers to apply for the scheme, earlier this year.
• The board will also pay the premium on behalf of the farmers.
• The farmers can register on www.emandikaran-pb.in by uploading the required documents.
• There are presently 642 empanelled private hospitals and 208 government hospitals under the scheme.
• They have recognised 1,579 diseases that will be eligible for treatment under AY-SSBY.

9. Which Insurance company launches campaign for policyholders to revive lapsed policies?
A) Life Insurance Corporation of India
B) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
C) ICICI Lombard General Insurance
D) Apollo Munich Health Insurance
E) Niva Bupa Health Insurance
Answer: A) Life Insurance Corporation of India

• To provide continued risk cover to its policyholders, state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched a special campaign for the revival of lapsed individual policies.
• Under the ‘Special Revival Campaign’, policies of specific eligible plans can be revived within five years from the date of the first unpaid premium, subject to certain terms and conditions, the insurer said in a release.
• The campaign has been launched from August 23, 2021 to October 22, 2021, the release said.
• Policies which are in a lapsed condition during the premium paying term and not completed policy term are eligible to be revived in this campaign, it said.
• The insurer is offering concessions in late fee for plans other than term assurance and high-risk plans, depending on the total premiums paid.
• For receivable premium of up to Rs one lakh, late fee concession allowed is 20 per cent and maximum concession allowed is up to Rs 2,000.
• For premium from Rs 1,00,001 to Rs 3,00,000, the insurer is allowing a late fee concession of 25 per cent with maximum concession of Rs 2,500.
• For premium of above Rs 3,00,000, late fee concession allowed is 30 per cent with maximum concession of Rs 3,000, the release said.
• There are no concessions on medical requirements.
• Eligible health and micro-insurance plans also qualify for the concession in late fee, the release said.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY – Daily Current Affairs August 24

10. Which company partners Invest India to support tech start-ups?
A) Accenture
B) IBM
C) Infosys
D) TCS
E) Microsoft
Answer: E) Microsoft

• Microsoft India said it has collaborated with Invest India to support tech startups in the country.
• As part of the partnership, the Microsoft for Startups programme will work closely with Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi Mission) – a programme of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
• Housed and executed by Invest India, AGNIi Mission helps startups become enterprise-ready.

11. Which company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to develop and deploy environment friendly shipping solutions?
A) IOCL
B) NTPC
C) NTPC
D) BDL
E) Tata Steel
Answer: E) Tata Steel

• Tata Steel said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), a global marine transport group, to develop and deploy environment friendly shipping solutions.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS – Daily Current Affairs August 24

12. An Invitation to Die: A Colonel Acharya Mystery is authored by whom?
1) Tanushree Podder
2) Bimal Prasad
3) Pavan K Varma
A) Only 1
B) Only 3
C) Only 2
D) Only 1 & 3
E) Only 2 & 3
Answer: A) Only 1

• HarperCollins is proud to announce the publication of Tanushree Podder’s upcoming book ‘An Invitation to Die: A Colonel Acharya Mystery’, releasing on 25th August 2021.

Ministry to launch booklet on one-year achievements of NEP Implementation:

• In order to commemorate one year of the implementation of NEP 2020, the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education has prepared a booklet on one-year achievements of the NEP Implementation.
• The booklet will be launched virtually by the Union Minister of Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan on 24th August 2021. on DIKSHA, etc.
• In addition to the booklet, some major NEP 2020 initiatives will also be launched by the Education Minister.
• These include NIPUN Bharat FLN tools and resources on DIKSHA, which is a separate vertical for FLN resources developed under DIKSHA to assist and mentor States/UTs and teachers for implementing NIPUN Bharat; Virtual School of NIOSfor providing advanced digital learning platforms through Virtual Live Classrooms and Virtual Labs; Alternate Academic Calendar 2021-22 of NCERT containing a week-wise plan of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to learning outcomes, themes and chapters taken from syllabus or textbook.
• Union Education Minister along with Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virender Kumar will also launch, ‘Priya’- Accessibility booklet developed by NCERT in collaboration with Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability for ingraining the concept and significance of accessibility in children right from their formative years itself as a move towards inclusive education.

APPOINTMENTS – Daily Current Affairs August 24

13. Who has been appointed as joint secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation?
A) Ashok Kumar Singh
B) Vanoj Kumar Singh
C) Banoj Kumar Singh
D) Abhay Kumar Singh
E) Ajith Kumar Singh
Answer: D) Abhay Kumar Singh

• Abhay Kumar Singh has been appointed as joint secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation which was recently formed with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country
• The appointment has been cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the order by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
• Among other appointments, Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, and Priya Ranjan, a 1998-batch Indian Forest Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre, have been appointed as joint secretaries in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Pramod Kumar Meherda, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, has been appointed as managing director in National Food Security Mission (NFSM) under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with additional charge of the post of secretary, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB).
• Kavita Garg, a 1999-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer has been named as joint secretary in the Ministry of AYUSH.
• Kavita Singh, a 2004-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, was appointed as joint secretary in Cabinet Secretariat by temporarily upgrading the post of director held by the officer to be further adjustable against a regular vacancy, the DoPT said.
• Vibhu Nayar, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, was named as executive director, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) under the Department of Commerce.
• The ACC also cleared the appointment of Madnesh Kumar Mishra, a 1990-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer as joint secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Dinesh Kumar, a 2004-batch lAS officer of the Nagaland cadre as joint secretary in Department of Defence.
• Appointments of Sanjay Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, as additional FA and joint secretary, Ministry of Defence (Finance); Vedveer Arya, a 1997-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer, as additional FA and joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence (Finance) and Peeyush Kumar, a 1997-batch lAS officer as joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs have also been cleared.
• Sreekanth T, a 2004-batch lAS officer, was appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, while Shailendra Singh, a 1997-batch IFoS officer was named as Deputy Director General (DDG), UIDAI headquarters in New Delhi under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• In the order, the ACC approved appointments/premature repatriations of many officers at Joint Secretary/Joint Secretary equivalent level.

14. Nipun Jain is appointed as CEO of which company?
A) RakiPay
B) Patym
C) RapiPay
D) BharatPe
E) PhonePe
Answer: C) RapiPay

• RapiPay, India’s leading assisted payments fintech company announced the appointment of Nipun Jain as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.
• Prior to joining RapiPay, he worked with Yes Bank and ICICI Bank.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS – Daily Current Affairs August 24

15. The navies of India and which country carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise in the West Philippine Sea?
A) UK
B) Iran
C) Iraq
D) USA
E) Philippines
Answer: E) Philippines

• The navies of India and the Philippines carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise in the West Philippine Sea.
• Two ships of the Indian Navy, namely INS Ranvijay (Guided Missile Destroyer, D55) and INS Kora (Guided Missile Corvette, P61), on deployment to the Western Pacific, carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise with BRP Antonio Luna (Frigate, FF 151) of the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea.

16. Which country in collaboration with BRICS countries is implementing SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium and multicentric programme to study the impact of severe COVID-19 conditions on TB patients?
A) UK
B) India
C) Iraq
D) USA
E) Philippines
Answer: B) India

• Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India in collaboration with BRICS countries is implementing SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium and multicentric programme to study the impact of severe COVID-19 conditions on TB patients.
• The SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium is an interdisciplinary collaboration to advance COVID-19 health-relevant knowledge and to contribute to improvements in health outcomes.

17. India’s complex mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul after its swift takeover by the Taliban has been named as “_______ ”?
A) Operation Jal Shakti
B) Operation Vayu Shakti
C) Operation Devi Shakti
D) Operation Jai Shakti
E) Operation Shri Shakti
Answer: C) Operation Devi Shakti

• India’s complex mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul after its swift takeover by the Taliban last week has been named as “Operation Devi Shakti”.
• The name of the operation was known when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mentioned it in a tweet while referring to the arrival of a fresh batch of 78 evacuees in Delhi.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS – Daily Current Affairs August 24

18. Government launched New portal named _____ to facilitate geospatial planning of MGNREGA assets?
A) Nedra
B) Vahana
C) Udhaya
D) Yuva
E) Yuktdhara
Answer: E) Yuktdhara

• The government launched a new geospatial planning portal, ‘Yuktdhara’, which Union Minister Jitendra Singh said will help in facilitating new MGNREGA assets using remote sensing and geographic information system-based data.
• He also said that the portal will serve as a repository of geotags created under various national rural development programmes.
• The ‘Yuktdhara’ portal was launched by Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh The name given is very apt as the word ‘Yukt’ is derived from ‘Yojanam’ (planning) and ‘Dhara’ indicates flow, said Jitendra Singh, who is the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office.
• He is also in-charge of the Department of Space.

19. Defence Minister hands over first batch of new indigenous hand grenades manufactured by ____?
A) BEL
B) IOCL
C) BHEL
D) BDL
E) EEL
Answer: E) EEL

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on becoming self-reliant in defence manufacturing, as he handed over to the Army the first batch of indigenously manufactured Multi-Mode Hand Grenades.
• The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) following Transfer of Technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), was handed over to the Indian Army in the presence of the Defence Minister.

20. Which state virtually launched ‘BESTOW 1.0’, a month-long campaign for the empowerment of village communities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)?
A) Karnataka
B) Odisha
C) Haryana
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Assam
Answer: D) Arunachal Pradesh

• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu virtually launched ‘BESTOW 1.0’, a month-long campaign for the empowerment of village communities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), which aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water regularly through functional household tap connections (FHTC).
• To mark the launch, Khandu bestowed an in-village component of water supply assets to the village water and sanitation committee (VWSC) of Ganga village in Papum Pare district.
• At the same time, at the district levels, the District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) chairpersons bestowed the in-village components of the water supply scheme to VWSCs in their respective districts.
• JJM, a Centrally sponsored scheme under the Jal Shakti Ministry, envisions providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households in rural India by 2024.
• However, the Arunachal Pradesh government has taken it upon itself to achieve the target by 2023, a year ahead of the national target.

21. Who launched Amrit Mahotsav App Innovation Challenge 2021 for Indian entrepreneurs and start-ups?
A) Ram Nath Kovind
B) Narendra Modi
C) Rajeev Chandrasekhar
D) Venkaiah Naidu
E) Subhas Sarkar
Answer: C) Rajeev Chandrasekhar

• The Government has launched Amrit Mahotsav App Innovation Challenge 2021 for Indian entrepreneurs and start-ups.
• Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched this challenge in New Delhi.
• The innovation challenge has been launched in 16 categories including Culture and Heritage, Health, Education, Social Media, Skills, News, Games, Agriculture, Business and Retail, Fintech, and Others.
• The Innovation Challenge will be available on – innovateindia.mygov.in and the last date of submission of entries is 30th September this year.
• The applicants need to apply online to submit their proposals by registering and logging on to the MyGov portal.

22. Which state becomes 1st state in country to officially implement National Education Policy 2020?
A) Karnataka
B) Odisha
C) Haryana
D) Arunachal Pradesh
E) Assam
Answer: A) Karnataka

• Karnataka has become the first state in the country to officially implement the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.
• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan virtually launched the NEP in the state.
  Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pradhan said, Karnataka has set an example for other states with the implementation of the National Education Policy.
• The Admission module under the new policy was also launched on the occasion.
• At the event, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state will launch a policy of digitisation and research and development under the new Education policy.
• Under the digitisation policy, degree level students will be given iPad for digital learning.
  Mr. Bommai said there are 180 research and development centres in Bengaluru which can be accessed by the students under the new policy.
• After the launch, admission process under the new policy will be initiated by the Universities in the state.
• A website and a helpline were also launched on the occasion for the reference of students.
• Those admitted to the new degree programme will be given Tablet PCs.
• The teaching programme will begin from 1st of October.
• During the event, Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh and Higher Education Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan were present.

23. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that a memorial for late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M Karunanidhi will be built near Anna Memorial on the Marina Beach at a cost of ____?
A) ₹29 crore
B) ₹19 crore
C) ₹49 crore
D) ₹69 crore
E) ₹39 crore
Answer: E) ₹39 crore

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that a memorial for late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M Karunanidhi will be built near Anna Memorial on the Marina Beach at a cost of ₹39 crore.

24. Which Organisation and World Resources Institute(WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project?
A) CII
B) CCI
C) IOCL
D) BEL
E) NITI Aayog
Answer: E) NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project on 23August.
• The launch was held virtually and inaugurated by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.
• Dignitaries from various ministries and NDC-TIA project partners, along with stakeholders from the mobility and the energy sector, were present during the launch.
• The project aims at bringing down the peak level of GHG emissions (transport sector) in Asia (in line with a well below 2-degree pathway), resulting in problems like congestion and air pollution.
• India has a massive and diverse transport sector, which is also the third most CO2 emitting sector. Data from (IEA, 2020; Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, 2018) suggests that within the transport sector, road transport contributes to more than 90% of the total CO2 emissions.
• Through various policy measures and initiatives, the Government of India is continuously working towards the decarbonisation of road transport, with a major focus on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
• NITI Aayog has been at the helm of the promotion of EVs and sustainable mobility through the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage.
• However, to leverage and streamline EVs across the country, there is a need is to create a favourable ecosystem for different stakeholders.
• These stakeholders include Central/state Governments, state-designated agencies, financial institutions, businesses, OEMs, research and technical institutes, private bodies and think tanks.
• A coordinated effort between these stakeholders will help enable investment, encourage adoption, and ensure fair operation in the industry.
• The NDC-TIA India component focuses on developing a coherent strategy of effective policies and the formation of a multi-stakeholder platform for decarbonizing transport in the country.
• Through this forum, the WRI India team, along with NITI Aayog and other project partners, will work in close coordination with all these stakeholders to formulate strategies and develop appropriate business models to accelerate electric mobility in India.
• The forum will also provide a platform to initiate dialogues for the development of uniform policies and help achieve specific results in reducing emissions from the transport sector.
• The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA 2020-2023) is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transport in their respective countries.
• The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
• The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) support the initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
• NITI Aayog is the implementing partner for the India component of the project.

25. Totally how many cities were awarded ‘Water Plus’ certification Tag in the state of Andhra Pradesh?
A) 3
B) 6
C) 7
D) 8
E) 9
Answer: E) 3

• Three cities from Andhra Pradesh were awarded ‘Water Plus’ certification out of a total of nine cities across the country, by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and Tirupati Municipal Corporation, the three big urban local bodies in the State, were among them, according to a release.
• Andhra Pradesh is the only State in the country to have more than one Water Plus city.
• The certification was awarded under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh Survekshan assessment.
• The certification is awarded to cities with best practices in the safe discharge of sewage and faecal sludge, safe cleaning of sewer and septic tanks using mechanised equipment, availability of desludging vehicles, jetting machines, treatment of sewage, and installation of grate screens among other parameters.

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