International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

Theme 

The theme of the International Youth Day this year is 'From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.' 

History of the day

In 1999, the United Nations (UN) declared August 12 to be International Youth Day. The suggestion was recommended to the UN General Assembly by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon on December 17, 1999. The day was first celebrated on August 12, 2000, and from that point forward, the day has been utilized to teach the overall population. 

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCL Technologies is India's most influential woman leading a family-owned business, according to the 2024 Barclays Private Clients Hurun India Most Valuable Family Businesses report.

As the chairperson, she has been instrumental in the company's growth and success. The Nadar family's business is valued at a staggering Rs 430,600 crore.

Nisaba Godrej, from the renowned Godrej family, is another prominent figure. Her leadership has contributed to the family business's valuation of Rs 172,500 crore.

Other notable women leaders include Manju D. Gupta of Lupin, Sushila Devi Singhania of JK Cement, Meher Pudumjee of Thermax, Amita Birla of Birlasoft, Leena Gandhi Tewari of USV, Mahima Datla of Biological E, Bina Modi of Godfrey Phillips India, and Jyothy Ramachandran of Jyothy Laboratories.

Shah Rukh Khan added another achievement to his illustrious career. On August 10, he became the first Indian personality to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award, the so-called Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival.

• King Khan left the audience in awe with his everlasting charm.
• Several visuals from the festival surfaced online in which SRK can be seen making the crowd go crazy with his presence.
• The main highlight was surely his speech, which drew constant cheers and other ecstatic reactions.
• The Instagram handle of the Locarno Film Festival is flooded with pictures and videos of SRK from the festival.

Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) signed and MoU for grant assistance for the launch of Munal satellite.

The MoU was signed by Shri Anurag Srivastava, JS (North) from MEA and Shri Arunachalam A, Director from NSIL. Dr. Rabindra Prasad Dhakal, Secretary, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Dr. Surendra Thapa, Chargé d'affaires of Nepali Embassy and Dr. Abhas Maskey, Founder, Antarikchya Pratishan Nepal (APN) were also present at the occasion.

During the visit of External Affairs Minister (EAM) to Nepal to co-chair the 7th JCM meeting, EAM witnessed the exchange of this Launch Service Agreement for the launch of Munal Satellite between NSIL and NAST, on 04 January 2024.

• Munal Satellite is an indigenous satellite developed in Nepal, under the aegis of NAST. APN, a Nepali space startup, has assisted Nepali students in the design and fabrication of this satellite.
• The satellite aims to build a vegetation density database of the Earth’s surface.
• This satellite is expected to be launched soon on NSIL’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh attended the launch ceremony of the book titled ’75 Great Revolutionaries of India’ by Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh in New Delhi .

The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman noted that one draws inspiration for building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) from the sacrifices of these lesser-known heroes.

This particular book includes 75 revolutionaries and their stories. 

Susan Wojcicki, who served as CEO of YouTube for nine years and was one of Google's first hires, died on Friday at age 56 after a battle with cancer, her family announced.

• Wojcicki's husband, Dennis Troper, announced her death in a post on Friday( 9 August) evening on Facebook.
• Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as the company's 16th employee, becoming the search engine's first marketing executive. She helped launch Google Video and oversaw the company's 2006 purchase of YouTube.
• She was named CEO of YouTube in 2014 and led the video-sharing platform through immense growth.
• She stepped down in February 2023 to "start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects."

The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent returned to India, on 10 Aug 24 after successful participation in Exercise Udara Shakti 2024 at Malaysia.

The joint air exercise was conducted in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) from 05 to 09 August 2024 at Kuantan, Malaysia.

The IAF participated with Su-30MKI fighter jets.

During the exercise, IAF's Su-30MKI fighter jets engaged in air combat missions alongside the RMAF's Su-30MKM fighters, enabling the crew of both air forces to familiarize with each other's operational protocols, thereby enhancing interoperability, commonality and overall effectiveness in Su-30 aircraft operations.

Aimed at bolstering operational efficiency, technical experts of both Air Forces engaged in exchange of their maintenance practices.

The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024. 

It amends the:  (i) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934, (ii) Banking Regulation Act, 1949, (iii) State Bank of India Act, 1955, (iv) Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970, and (v) Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980.

Key highlights of the New Bill 

• The Bill changes the definition of fortnight to the period from: (i) first day to fifteenth day of each month, or (ii) sixteenth day to the last day of each month.  It also changes this definition under the Banking Regulation Act where non-scheduled banks are required to maintain cash reserves.
• The Banking Regulation Act prohibits the director of a bank (except its chairman or whole-time director) to hold office for more than eight years consecutively.  The Bill seeks to increase this period to 10 years for co-operative banks.
• The Banking Regulation Act prohibits a director on a bank’s board to serve on the board of another bank.  This does not apply to directors appointed by RBI. 
• Under the Banking Regulation Act, substantial interest in a company refers to holding shares of over five lakh rupees or 10% of the paid-up capital of the company, whichever is less.  This may be held by an individual, his spouse, or minor child, either individually or collectively.  The Bill amends this to increase the threshold to two crore rupees.  The central government may alter the amount through a notification.