Ministry of Education launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal, disbursing ₹100 crore in stipends via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The portal supports apprenticeships in IT, manufacturing, and automobiles, enhancing youth skills and employability.
It simplifies registration, application, and contract management, ensuring timely stipend payments.
International Affairs
2. Recently, which country has been elected Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council? – India
India has been elected Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement, focused on Supply Chain Resilience.
The IPEF, with 14 member countries, also elected chairs and vice-chairs for the Crisis Response Network and Labor Rights Advisory Board.
The Supply Chain Council’s Chair is the USA.
IPEF, led by the USA, was launched by President Joe Biden on 23 May 2022 in Tokyo.
3. Which country hosts ‘International Conference of Agricultural Economists’? – India
India hosts the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists at the Pusa Institute, New Delhi, from 2 to 7 August 2024, after 66 years since it last hosted in 1958.
The conference, held every three years, is organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists in collaboration with various Indian and international agricultural and economic organizations.
4. In which country, the Sado gold and silver mine, which was recently included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located? – Japan
5. World’s first ‘thorium-based nuclear power plant‘ will be set up in which country? – China
Short News
Appointments
6. Who has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently? – Preeti Sudan
On 31 July 2024, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Preeti Sudan, a 1983 batch IAS officer and former Union Health Secretary, as the new Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), succeeding Dr. Manoj Soni.
Sudan, the second woman to hold this position, has played key roles in government programs like Ayushman Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.
The UPSC, established in 1950, is an independent constitutional body.
7. Who has been appointed as the first woman Director General of Medical Services (Army)? – Lt Gen Sadhana Saxena Nair
Organisations & Institutes
8. Virtual Assistant (Sewa) chatbot launched by which organization? – SEBI
State Current Affairs
9. Achanakmar Tiger Reserve is located in which state? – Chhattisgarh
Miscellaneous
10. What is ‘HAMAS’, recently mentioned in the news? – Militant Palestinian Group
