• In Rajasthan, Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games have started in more than 11,000 panchayats this morning. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the games at the state-level function organised at Pal Panchayat of Luni block in Jodhpur district.
• About 2 lakh 25 thousand teams are participating in these games, in which about 30 lakh players are showing talent.
• The state government claims that the Rural Olympics is one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
• Under the Rural Olympics, 6 sports-Kabaddi, Shooting Ball, Volleyball, Hockey, Kho-Kho and Tennis Ball Cricket are being played.
• These games are first being organized at the Gram panchayat level after that there will be competitions at block, district and state level. More than 20 lakh male and about one million females are participating in these games.
• The special feature of these games is that more than one lakh participants are above 50 years of age.
• At the same time, more than 1,500 players are above 70 years of age.
• The objective of this event is to create an environment for sports in the villages, to search for sporting talent and to develop mutual bonding among people in villages.

• Venezuela and Colombia have dispatched ambassadors to each other’s capitals yesterday to rebuild relations between the two countries that have been broken for more than three years.
• Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appointed former Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia as his country’s next ambassador to Colombia two weeks ago.
• On other hand, the new Colombian ambassador, Armando Benedetti, was welcomed in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas by Deputy Foreign Minister Rander Pena Ramirez, as media reported.
• According to reports, the normalization process will also include the full reopening of the border. The borders have remained closed to vehicles. The relationship between the two South American neighbors soured during the 2015 migrant crisis.
• In 2019, Colombia’s former President Ivan Duque cut off ties with Caracas altogether after refusing to recognize Maduro’s election. Embassies and consulates in both countries were closed, while flights between the two countries were also grounded.

• NASA) postponed the test fight for Artemis 1 spacecraft. The launch was postponed owing to the fuel leak and an engine problem, which was reported during the lift-off.
• Once launched, Artemis 1 will test the Orion spacecraft, a capsule that will orbit the moon and one day carry human crew members there.
• However, the launch was scrubbed off and the next launch will not take place until Friday, i.e September 2, at the earliest.

What is Artemis 1?

• Named after Apollo’s mythological twin sister, Artemis, the spacecraft is, according to NASA, the world’s most powerful rocket, which is capable of carrying more payload into deep space than any other vehicle.
• The first flight of the new Space Launch System (SLS), Artemis 1 is a heavy-lift vehicle. Nearly 100-metre tall (a few metres taller than the Statue of Liberty), the rocket can deliver 4 million kg of thrust.
• A first in the series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon, Artemis 1 is an uncrewed mission.
• There will be three test dummies –Helga, Zohar and Moonikin Campos — fitted with sensors to measure vibration, cosmic radiation, and other conditions.
• During the six-week-long mission, Artemis 1 and the capsule will travel a distance of around 65,000 km to the moon and was scheduled to end with the capsule’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in October.

Why was the launch postponed?

• The launch was postponed due to a malfunctioning RS-25 engine, which was to be bled with liquid hydrogen and oxygen to condition it, before launch.
• However, the team engineers noticed that one of the engines was not bleeding as expected. While the countdown clock was put on hold at T minus 40mins, the launch team was unable to resolve the issue.
• A crack also seemed to appear in the inner tank’s flange, however, after a thorough inspection, the launch team was able to confirm that there were no structural cracks in the tank.

Artemis 1 mission

• The launch of Artemis 1 represented a milestone in America’s quest to put astronauts back on the surface of the moon, for the first time in 50 years, after the Apollo programme ended.
• Artemis 1 launch will also be the first flight in NASA’s 21st century moon-exploration programme.
• According to nasa.gov, with Artemis 1 on the lunar surface, NASA aims to demonstrate new technologies, business approaches, and capabilities that are needed for future explorations, including Mars.
• The launch also aims to help more in the study of the moon, its origin, and history.

Artemis 1 cost

• The cost of Artemis 1 is estimated at $4 billion. With the delays and technical faults, the entire programme will now set NASA back at least $93 billion, by the time astronauts land on the moon once again.

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has called for the integration of One District One Product, ODOP initiative with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• The Minister said, Open Network for Digital Commerce would help in further expanding the frontiers of One District One Product by bringing buyers and sellers together.
• The Minister was speaking on the launch of One District One Product Gift Catalog and Storefront on GeM in New Delhi.
• He opined that the G20 summit which is set to take place in the country soon, is a great opportunity to showcase One District One Products.
• The Minister also called for the expansion of availability of genuine products to counter fake products in the market.

About One District One Product (ODOP)

• It was launched in January 2018, by the Uttar Pradesh Government, and due to its success, was later adopted by the Central Government.
• The ‘One District, One Product (ODOP) was later launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 2018, to help districts reach their full potential, foster economic and socio-cultural growth, and create employment opportunities, especially in rural areas.
• The initiative is carried out with the ‘Districts as Exports Hub’ initiative by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme to be shared by the central government and states in 60:40 contributions.

About the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

• The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a government-backed project which is aimed at enabling small merchants and mom-and-pop stores in parts of the country to access processes and technologies that are typically deployed by large e-commerce platforms.
• It is an initiative aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
• ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
• ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India to develop open e-commerce.

• Iranian film “The Boarding House”, directed by Maryam Ebrahimvand, bagged the Best Feature Film Award in the International category while “Stoyan”, directed by Roberto Ruiz, was adjudged the Special Jury Feature Film during the 8th International Film Festival of Shimla.
• The closing ceremony of festival was presided over by former Director General of Film Divisions VS Kundu and 26 films were screened. Over 50 national and international directors participated in the festival and shared their experience with the audience at Gaiety Theatre. In total, 62 films — 27 international and 35 national, under the category of documentaries, animation, feature film, short films and music videos, were screened in the competitive section.
• In the international category, “Footsteps” by Hamed Bahrami was awarded the best short film, “Coffined at 15” by director Gayatri Kumar from the USA won the Special Jury Short Film and “Emergence: Out of the Shadows” by Vinay Giridhar from Canada won in the Special Jury Documentary category.
• “The First Ink-Memories” that make history by Director Shridhar KS and “Ripples Under the Skin” by director Farha Khatun were ranked the top two best documentaries in the national section while “15 Seconds A Lifetime” by Divya Hemant Kharnare bagged the Special Jury Documentary award.
• Sheer Qorma directed by Faraz Arif Ansari won the best short film award and Chabiwala – The Keysmith by Director Raja Ghosh won the Best Feature Film Award and Keel by Aaryan Harnot won the best film award in the state category.

• The 13th edition of India- USA Joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2022 culminated at Bakloh , Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.
• Defence Ministry said, this exercise with the US Special Forces is significant in terms of security challenges faced by both Nations in the backdrop of the current global situation.
• The joint military exercise has further strengthened the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both Nations.
• This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States.
• The 21-day joint training provided an opportunity for the Special Forces from both nations to train in Air Borne Operations, Special Operations and Counter Terrorism operations in a joint environment under United Nations Charter.
• Both contingents expressed immense satisfaction on the outcomes of the exercise, in terms of the standards achieved and sharing of best practices.

• Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has won the javelin throw competition at the Lausanne Diamond League with a best throw of 89.08 metre.
• With his best throw at the event, Neeraj became the first Indian to clinch the prestigious Diamond League Meet title.
• Neeraj has thus qualified for the Diamond League Finals, which will take place in Zurich, Switzerland from September 7 and 8. He has also now qualified for the 2023 World Championships.

• Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry will organise- Meet the Champion initiative in 26 schools across the country on the occasion of National Sports Day.
• Few of the prominent athletes who will be the part of this initiative are Commonwealth Games and World Championships Gold Medalist Nikhat Zareen, Paralympics and CWG medalist Bhavina Patel, Tokyo Olympics and CWG medalist Manpreet Singh among others.
• Meet the Champions is a unique school visit campaign that was kicked off by Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra in December last year.
• It has reached various parts of the country over the past few months. During the school visit, the champion athlete shares their experiences, life lessons, and tips on how to eat right and also give an overall inspirational boost to school children.
• Sports Authority of India will also be celebrating this year’s National Sports Day, as part of the FIT INDIA campaign, with the theme of Sports as an enabler for an inclusive and fit society.

About National Sports Day

• India celebrates National Sports Day on 29th August to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand.
• The day is also dedicated to the nations’ sports heroes and champions, honoring their contribution and dedication towards bringing laurels to the country.
• With the aim to raise awareness about the values of sports: discipline, perseverance, sportsman spirit, teamwork, and to encourage public in large to take up sports and make it an integral part of their lives while emphasizing on the importance of being fit and healthy.

• As part of the Indian Navy’s long-range operational deployment, Indian Naval Ship, INS Sumedha visited Port Klang of Malaysia.
• The ship is on her return passage from Perth, Australia where she participated in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• Ministry of Defence in a statement said that INS Sumedha’s visit to Port Klang is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing maritime cooperation and inter-operability between Indian and Royal Malaysian Navies.
• Both navies have been collaborating on various fronts and are playing a critical role in ensuring Maritime Security and Safety of global commons.
• During the port call at Port Klang, the crew of INS Sumedha would engage in professional interactions, subject matter expert exchanges, cross-deck visits and sports fixtures with personnel from the Royal Malaysian Navy.
• The ship will also be open for the visit of school children. INS Sumedha is also scheduled to participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with Royal Malaysian Navy Ships.
• INS Sumedha is an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel deployed for multiple roles independently and in support of Fleet Operations.

What is Port of Call?

• Port of call means an intermediate stop for a ship on its scheduled journey for cargo operationor taking on supplies or fuel.
• As Per the shipping Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) regulation a “port of call” can be defined as the port of a country where cargo or a passenger (cruise) ship halts to discharge or load the cargo or to embark or disembark passengers.

• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah attended the first convocation of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar.
• More than one thousand students were conferred master’s degrees during the ceremony.  He also laid the foundation stone for the new southern campus of the University.
• The minister also inaugurated the Training and Skill Development Centre, an International Guest house at NFSU, and three centres of Excellence in Cyber Security, DNA Forensic and Investigative and Forensic Psychology.

About National Forensic Science University (NFSU)

• National Forensic Sciences University, the erstwhile Gujarat Forensic Sciences University is the brain child of Govt of Gujarat.
• It was established by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modiji, then Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2009 with a sole objective of creating professional experts in the field of Forensic sciences.
• The National Forensic Sciences University with the status of an Institution of National Importance is the world’s first and only University dedicated to Forensic, behavioral, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and allied Sciences.
• It was established by the Government of India through Act, 2020 (32 of 2020) with the objective of fulfilling the acute shortage against the increasing demand for forensic experts in the country and around the world.