Current Affairs

SIX NEW PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

Why in the News?

The Lok Sabha speaker constituted six new Parliamentary Committees, namely, Public Account committee, Committee on Public Undertakings, Committee on Estimates, Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes and Joint committee on Office of Profit.

Note: Chairperson of Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes: Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste Chairperson of Committee on Public Undertakings: Baijyant Panda Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee (PAC): K.C. Venugopal. Chairperson of Committee on Estimates: Sanjay Jaiswal Chairperson of Committee on Public Undertakings: Baijayant Panda Chairperson of Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes: Ganesh Singh

About Lok Sabha (The House of the People)

• It is the Lower House of India’s bicameral Parliament with the Rajya Sabha being the upper house.
• It consists of up to 552 members. Currently, there are 543 members elected directly by the people through general elections.
• Members serve a term of 5 years unless dissolved sooner.
• The Lok Sabha is responsible for making and passing laws, with certain bills requiring approval by both houses.

About Om Birla

• He is an Indian lawmaker and social worker, serving as the 17th Lok Sabha Speaker since 2019.
• He has served as a Parliament member, Lok Sabha, from Kota-Bundi demographic in Rajasthan since 2014.
• He was likewise the Legislative Assembly member addressing Kota South Assembly constituency from 2003 to 2014.
• He is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member.
• Positions
  • MLA From Kota South (2003-2015)
  • Member of Parliament from Kota (2014-Present)
  • Lok Sabha Speaker, (19 June 2019 to present)

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

---

INDIA-AFRICA BUSINESS CONCLAVE

Why in the News?

The 19th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India-Africa Business Conclave was held in New Delhi. It aims to serve as an instrument for Africa's growth and highlights the role of the India-Africa partnership in regional and global value chain integration. The first conclave was held in March 2005.

About the Conclave

• Chief Guest: Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar (Vice President of India)
• The Conclave will focus on areas of partnership and emerging opportunities in Agriculture Food Processing, Defence, Digital Partnership, Financial Partnership, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Power and Energy, Quality Ecosystem, Skill Capacity Development, and others.

About Africa

• It is the second largest continent, covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
• The continent is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and on the south by the mingling waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• Most African countries were colonized by European powers between the 19th and 20th centuries, gaining independence mostly in the mid-20th century.
• It comprises 54 recognized sovereign states and has 1250–3000 native languages.
• It is known for its unique wildlife, including the "Big Five" (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros), and is home to some of the world's most famous national parks.

Map of Africa

---

CHIEF GENERAL S. PADMANABHAN

Why in the News?

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General S. Padmanabhan passed away in Chennai. He was also known as ‘Paddy’ among his peers and led the Indian Army during the crucial period of Operation PARAKRAM.

Former Chief of Army Staff General S. Padmanabhan

About Operation Parakram

• It was conducted by the Indian Government in response to the 2001 Indian Parliament Attack.
• It is a major mobilization of the Indian armed forces after the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971.

---

WESTERN INDIA BILLIARDS AND SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024

Why in the News?

Pankaj Advani wins billiards final of Western India Billiards and Snooker Championship in Mumbai. He defeated S. Shrikrishna and marks his sixth consecutive title win in Mumbai summit clashes.

Pankaj Advani

About Billiards

• It is a collective term for various games played with a cue stick used to strike balls on a table.
• It dates back to the 15th century, originating in Europe, and was initially an outdoor game before moving indoors
• The term includes games like carom billiards (no pockets), pool (pocket billiards with six pockets), and snooker (played on a larger table with specific rules).
• Billiards tables are typically rectangular with a flat, cloth-covered surface, bordered by rubber cushions.
• The objective varies depending on the game, but generally involves striking balls with the cue stick to achieve a specific goal, such as pocketing balls or hitting targets.
• The primary equipment includes a cue stick, billiard balls (usually 15 for pool, 3 for carom), and a billiard table.
• Billiards

Billiards

---

WORLD MOSQUITO DAY

• It is annually observed on 20^th August.
• The discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that Anopheles mosquitoes carry the malaria parasite, which infects people.
• The day serves as a reminder to safeguard our communities and ourselves against potentially fatal diseases spread by insects frequently found in houses worldwide.
• The theme for the day 2024 is “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world”.

---

General Knowledge

EMINENT PERSONALITIES IN THE NEWS TODAY

Name	Designation	Image
M. K. Stalin	Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai	Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party
Bhajan Lal Sharma	Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Bhupinder Singh Hooda	Former Chief Minister of Haryana
Pinarayi Vijayan	Chief Minister of Kerala
Anumula Revanth Reddy	Chief Minister of Telangana
Theresa May	Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Arjun Ram Meghwal	Union Law Minister
Ashwini Vaishnaw	Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & IT
Girish Sahni	Former director-general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Li Qiang	Premier of the People's Republic of China
Anilkumar Prabhakaran	Secretary General of All India Football Federation (AIFF)