Current Context : State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a new term deposit scheme called Amrit Vrishti.

• The scheme is designed with a customer-centric approach, offering competitive interest rates and catering to both domestic and non-resident Indian customers.
• The scheme offers an enticing interest rate of 7.25% per annum for deposits of 444 days.
• Senior citizens will receive an extra 0.50% interest, maximizing returns for this demographic.
• This scheme remains open for investment until March 31, 2025
• It can avail on SBI branches, YONO SBI, YONO Lite (mobile banking apps), and SBI internet banking (INB).

Current Context : Recently, Olympic gold medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra was  awarded with Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

• The award which was presented to Bindra for his outstanding services to the Olympic Movement, will be officially handed over to him during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on August 10, a day before the closing of the Paris Olympics.
• The Olympic Order is the highest award of the IOC, given for distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement.
• Nominations are proposed by the Olympic Orders Council and decided upon by the Executive Board.

ABOUT ABHINAV BINDRA

• Bindra became India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist when he won the men’s 10m air rifle event at 2008 Beijing Games.
• He was a member of the Athlete Committee of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) from 2010 to 2020, serving as its Chair from 2014.
• He has been a member of the IOC Athlete Commission since 2018.

Current Context : Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won the Golden Sand Master award at an international championship in Russia.

• International Sand Sculpture Championship — was organised from July 4-12 in St Petersburg at the iconic Peter and Paul Fortress.
• Pattnaik had created a 12-foot sculpture depicting a chariot and Lord Jagannath with his devotee Balaram Das, the famous Odia poet of the 14th century.

Current Context : Recently, the Central government has appointed Robert Jerard Ravi as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

• Currently, he is serving as Deputy Director General at DoT and before that he was serving as the Advisor (Consumer Affairs and Qualoty of Services) at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• He will replace P K Purwar, who served as the CMD of BSNL and MTNL since July 2019.

Curent Context : Captain Supreetha, has become the first woman officer from the Corps of Army Air Defence, to be operationally deployed at Siachen Glacier.

• Before Captain Supreetha, Shiva Chouhan was the first female officer to be deployed in Siachen.

ABOUT SIACHEN GLACIER

• The Siachen Glacier, which is also known as the world’s highest battlefield located in the Eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas.
• It is the second-longest glacier in the world’s non-polar areas and lies south of the drainage divide separating the Eurasian Plate.
• The Nubra River originates from the Siachen Glacier.

Recently, BSNL has initiated efforts to introduce 4G services in the remote Miyar valley of tribal Lahaul-Spiti district.

• Aimed at strengthening telecommunication infrastructure.

About Valley

• Miyar Valley is a remote and scenic valley located in the Western Himalayas.
• It is a part of the Lahaul Range, located between Pir Panjal and Zanskar Range.
• The valley is nearly 75 km long and stretches between Udaipur and Kang La Pass.
• The valley is between 9,300 and 11,500 feet and is known for its stunning Himalayan meadows. The Gaddis, a shepherd tribe, graze their flocks here in the late summer.

Current Context : Sawan officially begins (July 16th) with the lively Harela festival celebrated throughout Uttarakhand.

• This traditional celebration, which symbolises wealth and well-being, is very important to the area’s agriculture and culture.

About Festival :

• Harela, which translates to “day of greenery,” is celebrated in the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
• It honours Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati while highlighting the link between wealth and flora, which is particularly dear to the Kumaon community.
• Prior to the onset of Sawan, a dikori (sacred pot) was chosen for sowing Harela seeds.
• Over nine days, wheat, barley, and other seeds are nurtured with daily waterings.
• On the tenth day, harela is harvested, symbolising happiness and agricultural bounty.

Madhya Pradesh’s Indore has set a new Guinness World Record in the category of “the most trees planted by a team in 24 hours” by planting more than 11 lakh saplings.

• Additionally, Indore, which has been recognised as the country’s cleanest city for several years as per the Swachh Survekshan, will see 51 lakh saplings planted during this campaign.
• The plantation drive was carried out at the BSF Academy’s Revati Range, which was divided into nine zones and 100 sub-zones.
• The previous record for the most saplings planted in 24 hours was 9,21,730 achieved by the Assam (India) government’s Forest Department at Udalguri on September 13 and 14, 2023.

Maharashtra government has introduced a new scheme aimed at providing job training and stipends for young men.

ABOUT SCHEME :

• It is a state government scheme.
• Goal : to provide financial assistance and practical work experience to young men.
• Ladka Bhau’ Yojana, is part of the ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya-Prashikshan Yojana.’
• This scheme seeks to address unemployment by offering on-the-job training with a monthly stipend to eligible candidates.
• This scheme targets those who have completed their class 12 education, with a monthly stipend structure based on educational qualifications:
  • Rs 6,000 for class 12 graduates,
  • Rs 8,000 for diploma holders,
  • Rs 10,000 for bachelor’s degree holders.

Recently, Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, earns the prestigious World Space Award from the International Astronautical Federation for its historic achievement of landing near the lunar South Pole.

• The mission has inspired global recognition and bolstered India’s standing in space research and technology development.

ABOUT CHANDRAYAAN-3

• Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
• The Lander Module consists of a Lander (Vikram) and a Rover (Pragyan).
• Launched: July 14, 2023
• Inserted into Lunar Orbit: August 05
• Soft landing on August 23
• The Chandrayaan-3 Mission consists of two modules – The propulsion module (PM) and the Lander module (LM).
• The total mass of both the modules is 3900 kg (Propulsion Module-2148 kg, and Lander Module-1752 kg, including Rover-26 kg).