Indian Army conducts pan-India drill ‘Skylight’ to test operational readiness of its multi-band dedicated satellite

• The Indian Army conducted a pan-India satellite communication exercise named ‘Ex Skylight’, in the last week of July.
• The main objective of this exercise was to test the operational readiness and robustness of its hi-tech satellite communication systems, in the event of an attack by an adversary.
• The Indian Army is preparing to have its own multi-band dedicated satellite, with added security features by 2025.
• The dedicated GSAT-7B satellite of Army is a first of its kind indigenous multi-band satellite, designed with advanced security features. It will support tactical communication requirements for troops deployed on ground, remotely piloted aircraft, air defence weapons and other mission critical and fire support platforms.
• ISRO and various agencies responsible for space and ground segments also participated in the exercise.
• The IAF and Navy already have their own GSAT-7 series satellites.

Appointment

Viswanathan Anand elected as Deputy President of FIDE

• Indian chess legend and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand has been elected as the Deputy President of FIDE on August 07, 2022.
• The elections to the world chess body took place during the FIDE Congress, being conducted alongside the 44th Chess Olympiad.
• The incumbent President Arkady Dvorkovich has been re-elected for a second term.

Nallathamby Kalaiselvi becomes first woman DG of CSIR

• Senior scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has been appointed as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for a period of two years.
• She is the first woman to hold charge as DG of CSIR, a consortium of 38 research institutes across the country.
• Kalaiselvi succeeds Shekhar Mande, who superannuated in April 2022.
• Since then Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, was given the additional charge of the CSIR
• Kalaiselvi will also hold the charge as Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Gustavo Petro sworn in as first leftist President of Colombia

• Gustavo Petro has been sworn in as the first leftist president of Colombia on August 07, 2022.
• The 62-year-old is a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group as well as former senator and mayor of Bogota.
• He succeeds Ivan Duque.

Sports

India clinches 48 medals so far, including 17 gold at 2022 Birmingham CWG

• In wrestling, Ravi Dahiya (Men’s 57 kg), Vinesh Phogat (Women’s 53 kg) and Naveen Kumar (Men’s 74 kg ) won gold in their respective categories.
• Star Indian para table tennis player Bhavina Patel won gold in the women’s singles class 3-5.
• The silver medals have been won by Priyanka Goswami and Avinash Sable in athletics and men’s lawn bowls team (men’s fours).
• Bronze medal came from, Pooja Gehlot, Pooja Sihag and Deepak Nehra in wrestling, Jaismine Lamboria, Rohit Tokas and Mohammad Hussamuddin in boxing and Sonalben Manubhai Patel in para table tennis.
• Boxing star Amit Panghal bagged gold in men’s 51kg category while Nitu Ghang also won gold in women’s 48kg category on Day 10 at 2022 CWG on August 07, 2022.
• Meanwhile Nikhat Zareen won gold in the women’s 50kg bout of boxing.
• India women’s hockey team defeated New Zealand to win bronze.
• Meanwhile Eldhose Paul ( 17.03m) claimed gold and Abdullah Aboobacker (17.02m) clinched silver in the men’s triple jump.
• In Athletics, Sandeep Kumar wins bronze in Men’s 10 km Race Walk, meanwhile Annu Rani won bronze in women’s javelin, with a best effort of 60m.
• Total medal tally of India has now reached 47. This includes 17 gold, 12 silver and 19 bronze.
• Check the list here

Days

Quit India Day: 08 August

• Every year, the Quit India Day (or August Kranti Day) is observed on 8 August to commemorate the anniversary of Quit India Movement, launched by Father of Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, on 8 August 1942 at the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay.
• In 2022, we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Quit India Day.
• Quit India Movement also known as Bharat Chodo Andolan and August Kranti Movement was a ‘do or die’ call to the people of India initiated by Gandhiji to demand an end to the British rule in India.