76 Gallantry Awards for Armed Forces and CAPF Personnel

• On the eve of Independence Day 2023, President Droupadi Murmu has granted approval for 76 Gallantry awards to members of the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces.
• These include 4 Kirti Chakra (posthumous), 11 Shaurya Chakras (including five posthumous), 2 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 52 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 3 Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) and 4 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
• Additionally, the President has granted approval for 30 mention-in-despatches accolades to army personnel, among which is a posthumous recognition for Army dog Madhu.
• On Independence Day 2023, President Murmu has authorized the bestowal of awards to Indian Coast Guard personnel.
• These awards include one President's Tatrakshak Medal (PTM) and five Tatrakshak Medals (TM), recognizing their exceptional courage, unwavering commitment to duty, and outstanding meritorious service.

India's First Long-Range Revolver "Prabal"

• On August 18, India's inaugural long-range revolver named "Prabal" is set to make its debut.
• The revolver is the creation of Advanced Weapons and Equipment India (AWEIL), a state-owned enterprise located in Kanpur.
• Standing out with its 0.32 bore, the Prabal revolver showcases an impressive firing capability, extending up to 50 meters, which is more than double the range of other revolvers in the country.
• Its lightweight nature and the inclusion of a side swing cylinder are the highlighting features of the revolver.

Vishwakarma Yojana

• On the 77^th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed Vishwakarma Yojana.
• This program is set to be inaugurated on Vishwakarma Jayanti, i.e., September 17.
• The scheme aims to enhance livelihood prospects for individuals involved in traditional crafts such as carpentry, masonry, and goldsmithing.
• This scheme is dedicated to empowering those who rely on traditional skills for their livelihood, whether through manual labor or craftsmanship.
• The substantial budget allocation of Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 crore will provide support to individuals like carpenters, goldsmiths, masons, laundry workers, and barbers, many of whom belong to the Other Backward Class community.

R. Doraiswamy Appoints as LIC Managing Director

• The Indian government has designated R. Doraiswamy, the Executive Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), as the new Managing Director.
• Doraiswamy will take over the role from Ipe Mini, the current MD of LIC.
• R. Doraiswamy will hold the position until his superannuation on August 31, 2026, or until any further directives are issued, as stated in the official government decree.

Anwarul Haq Kakar sworn as Pakistan's Interim Prime Minister

• Anwarul Haq Kakar has taken the oath as Pakistan's interim prime minister, leading a non-partisan political arrangement to oversee the financially strained nation and manage the upcoming general elections.
• With this appointment, Anwarul Haq Kakar becomes the 8th caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.
• Anwarul Haq Kakar, a 52-year-old Senator hails from the Pushtun community in Baluchistan and is affiliated with the Baluchistan Awami Party (BAP), a political group that holds close ties with the influential establishment of the country.
• The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by President Arif Alvi, occurred at the Aiwan-i-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad.

Neymar Joins Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal

• Brazilian football star Neymar has completed a transfer to Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal from French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Centre Renames Nehru Memorial as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library

• The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has undergone an official name change sanctioned by the government. It is now known as the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society wef, August 14, 2023.
• In the middle of June, a dedicated session of the NMML Society convened and collectively agreed to modify its name to PMML Society.
• The Ministry of Culture subsequently announced its decision to rename the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society.
• The decision was taken in a special assembly of the Memorial Museum and Library Society, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also holds the position of Vice-President within the Society.

INS Kulish Takes Part in the Celebration of 77^th Independence Day

• Indian Naval Ship Kulish, a guided missile Corvette which is on a four-day visit to Singapore to take part in a multilateral exercise joined the celebration of the 77^th Independence Day.
• The officers and crew participated in the celebrations at the High Commission of India in Singapore.
• At the event, Commanding Officer Ashish Delsaria presented a memento to Acting High Commissioner Pooja Madan Tulli, marking the ship's visit to the city.

Namoh 108 & NBRI-Nihar

• The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has introduced an enhanced version of the national flower Lotus, having 108 petals named 'Namoh 108'.
• The newly developed Lotus variety exhibits greater resilience to varying weather conditions and is capable of blooming from March to December.
• As part of this initiative, CSIR-NBRI has also unveiled clothing items crafted from lotus fiber, along with a perfume derived from Lotus plants.
• A new variety of Aloe Vera called 'NBRI-Nihar' was also launched, which has 2.5 times more gel yield and is least affected by bacterial and fungal diseases.