IT services firm HCLTech has  announced signing of a new mega deal with an estimated new total contract value of $2.1 billion with Verizon Business. It expects the deal to have a positive revenue impact over the next six years beginning in November 2023.

HCLTech will be Verizon Business’s primary collaborator in all deployments involving MNS globally for enterprise customers. Verizon Business will continue to lead customer acquisition, sales, solutioning, overall planning and development with its customers. HCLTech will lead post-sale implementation and ongoing support.

Tata Group  has unveiled the new logo symbol - ‘The Vista’ – for Air India to replace the existing one which has a red swan along with a Konark Chakra. According to Air India, the new logo which is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame, signifies limitless possibilities and the airline’s confident outlook for the future.

The airline management also clarified that the iconic ‘Maharaja’, which has served as Air India’s mascot for decades, will continue to be part of the airline’s journey into the future. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said that the Tata group is aiming to bring in the latest technology in Air India in the next 9-12 months and their aim is to make Air India a truly iconic airline that every Indian will be proud of.

A dominant India mauled reigning Asian champions Japan 5-0 to enter their fourth Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament final at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.

While three-time champions India adopted a high-press hockey from the onset, Japan played deep into their defence to thwart the home team's attacks.

India got the first scoring chance of the match in the form of a penalty corner but Japan goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa made a confident save to deny home team skipper Harmanpreet Singh.

The Indians set pace of the game and enjoyed bulk of the possession, while Japan played catch-up hockey.

After a barren first quarter, India finally took the lead in the 19th minute through Akashdeep Singh, who slapped the ball in from a rebound from after Hardik Singh's initial shot was saved by Japan second goalkeeper Takumi Kitagawa.

India kept up the tempo and earned their second penalty corner in the 23rd minute and India skipper Harmanpreet sounded the board with a fierce low flick to the left of Japanese goalie to double India's lead.

Just at the stroke of half-time, India trippled their lead through Mandeep Singh.

It was Manpreet Singh who was instrumental in getting the third goal as he intercepted the ball in the mid-field and then beat three Japanese defenders to set it up for Mandeep, who just had to direct the ball in.

The trend continued after the change of ends as India continued to press hard on the Japanese goal.

Sumit probably scored the goal of the tournament with a back stick flick into the net from a tight angle after being brilliantly set up by Manpreet hardwork from the right flank.

Young Karthi Selvam made it 5-0 in India's favour in the 51st minute after being fed by an unselfish Sukhjeet Singh, who received a perfect ariel ball from Harmanpreet.

India will take on Malaysia in the final on Aug 12 , while Japan will be up against defending champions South Korea in the third-fourth place play-off match.

Q1. Name the  former Maharashtra cadre IPS officer who has been named as the head of panel appointed by the Supreme Court to  oversee the probe into offences of rape in Manipur ?

1. Dattatray Padsalgikar
2. Ashok Kamte
3. Shivdeep Lande
4. Narendra Kumar
5. None of These

Q2. Name the Indian-American Congressman who will led a  bipartisan group of US lawmakers which  will travel to India to take part in the Red Fort address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the country's Independence Day on August 15 ?

1. Deborah Ross
2. Ami Bera
3. Shri Thanedar
4. Ro Khanna
5. None of These

Q3. Name the BJP MP from Etawah  who was saved from disqualification from Lok Saha as the Agra session court stayed his conviction in a 12 -year-old case of assault on an official of Torrent Power Limited in 2011 ?

1. Naresh Bansal
2. Pragya Singh Thakur
3. Ram Shankar Katheria
4. Bhushan Sharan Singh
5. None of These

Q4. Name the state whose  cabinet took a decision on  Aug 7 to implement 58 per cent reservation for the scheduled tribes, scheduled caste and other backward classes in the admission process for educational institutions of the state  ?

1. Rajasthan
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Madhya Pradesh
5. None of These

Q5. “Buchi Babu Memorial Trophy” is associated with which sports?

1. Cricket
2. Badminton
3. Hockey
4. Football
5. None of These

ANSWERS

1-------------------1 Dattatray Padsalgikar

2-------------------4 Ro Khanna

3-------------------3 Ram Shankar Katheria

4-------------------3 Chhattisgarh

5----------------------1   Cricket

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Aug 11 introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, which are British-era laws.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 will be sent to a parliamentary panel for further scrutiny, Shah said.

"The laws that will be repealed, the focus of that law was to protect and strengthen the British administration, the idea was to punish and not to give justice. By replacing them, the new three laws will bring the spirit to protect the rights of the Indian citizen," he said in the Lower House of Parliament.

"The aim will not be to punish, it will be to provide justice. Punishment will be given to create a sentiment of stopping crime," Shah added.

Supreme Court collegium by way of resolutions uploaded late at night on Aug 10 has recommended the transfer of 23 HC judges belonging to various HCs.

The list also finds mention of Gujarat HC judge Justice M. Prachchhak who had refused to stay Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction. The collegium has recommended his transfer to Patna HC for “better administration of justice.”

Apart from Justice Prachchhak, the collegium citing the same reason has also recommended the transfer of eight HC judges belonging to HCs of Gujarat and Punjab and Haryana.

Names of other Gujarat HC judges Justices A.Y. Kogje, K. Gita Gopi, and Samir J. Dave have been recommended to be transferred to Allahabad, Madras and Rajasthan, respectively. Punjab and Haryana HC judges Justices Arvind Singh Sanghwan, Avneesh Jhingan, Raj Mohan Singh and Arun Monga have been recommended to be transferred to Allahabad, Gujarat, MP and Rajasthan respectively.

Although the resolution to transfer them has been uploaded on August 10, their names were recommended on August 3, 2023.

This perhaps interestingly is not only the highest number of transfers that have been recommended by the SC collegium in one go but also the highest number of refusals to accede to the requests that have been put forth by various judges.

Refusing to accede to AP HCs judge Justice Duppala Venkata Ramana’s request of transferring him to Karnataka HC, the collegium has instead proposed his transfer to MP HC. Declining to stay Allahabad High Court judge, Justice Rajendra Kumar-IV’s transfer for six months, the collegium has recommended his transfer to MP HC. Turning down Andhra Pradesh High Court judge, Justice C. Manavendranath Roy's request to Telangana HC, his name has been proposed for transfer to Gujarat.

Turning down Allahabad HCs judge Justice Prakash Padia's request, the collegium has proposed his transfer to Jharkhand. Justice Padia had requested for transferring him to Madhya Pradesh, Patna or Uttarakhand. 

The United Kingdom's Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat has announced a new funding of 95,000 pound (around Rs 1 crore) to enhance Britain's capability to tackle "pro-Khalistan extremism".

The British High Commission said this in a readout on Tugendhat's three-day visit to India that began on Aug 10 .

The announcement of the new funding comes amid growing concerns in India over increasing activities of pro-Khalistani elements in the UK.

Tugendhat is in India to bolster bilateral cooperation on security initiatives and attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting.

"During a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, in New Delhi on Aug 10 , Tugendhat announced the new funding to enhance the UK's capability to tackle Pro-Khalistan Extremism," the high commission said.

It said the 95,000-pound investment will enhance the government's understanding of the threat posed by "pro-Khalistan extremism", complementing the joint work already underway between the UK and India through the joint extremism task force.

"The living bridge between India and the UK reflects our deep and enduring friendship.

Before travelling to Kolkata for the G20 meeting, which will take place on Aug 12 , Tugendhat is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to discuss joint challenges posed by child sexual exploitation and abuse, and fraud.

He will also meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the high commission said.

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to impose a 10% incremental cash reserve ratio (ICRR) for a limited period will suck out more than Rs 1 lakh crore from the banking system.

The move was the best option under the current circumstances to drain excess liquidity, said the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.

The RBI on Aug 10  announced that banks have to maintain a 10% ICRR from August 12 as part of the central bank’s efforts to drain excess liquidity from the banking system following the withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 currency note.

One of the reasons for rise in liquidity is that over 90% of `3.6 lakh crore of the Rs `Rs 2,000 banknotes withdrawn on May 19, have come back to banks, Das said. As per RBI data, at Rs 2.48 lakh crore, surplus liquidity in the system in August was at a 14 month high, highest since June 2022. He assured that the public won’t face crunch as they prepare for long festive season nor will the system and industry face liquidity issue to pay advance tax (September 15) or GST (Sept 20).