1. Sri Lankan Navy commissions India-built AOPV
The Sri Lankan Navy has commissioned an India-built state-of-the-art Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), the first-ever purchase from a foreign ship builder, to boost its search and rescue capabilities.
- Sri Lankan President and Armed Forces commander-in-chief Maithripala Sirisena commissioned the new patrol vessel “SLNS Sayurala” at a ceremony at the Eastern Container Terminal of the Port of Colombo. It is the largest vessel built by an Indian ship builder for a foreign navy to date.
- It is expected to conduct patrols, policing, surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and pollution control missions in Sri Lanka’s maritime zones.
2. 7 August: National Handloom Day
National Handloom Day is being observed today to encourage people to use hand-made loom in the country. The main event will be held in Guwahati to celebrate the third National Handloom Day.
- Central Government has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day, to be celebrated every year due to its significance in India's history, as 'Swadeshi Movement' was launched in 1905 on this day. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.
- This event will give a boost to weavers of Assam, who are known for producing Pat and Muga silk. The Assam government has already announced an ambitious Muga Mission to increase production with a cost of 100 crore rupees.
3. Government revises the base year of Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
On August 4, 2017, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs stated that Government has revised the base year of All-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2004-05 to 2011-12.
- In the revised series, WPI will continue to constitute three Major Groups namely Primary Articles, Fuel & Power and Manufactured Products.
- The new series has 697 items as compared to 676 items in old series.
4. Economist Rajiv Kumar to Be New Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog
Economist Dr. Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as the new vice-chairman of the government think tank NITI Aayog.
- Present vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya had stepped down earlier this month.
- Dr. Kumar, who holds a DPhil in economics from Oxford and a Ph.D from Lucknow University, has served as director and chief executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), and has earlier worked with the Asian Development Bank.
5. Manju Kumari secures bronze at Junior World Wrestling
India's Manju Kumari won the bronze medal with a 2-0 victory over Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine in the Junior World Wrestling Championship in Tampere, Finland.
- However, Divya Tomar (44kg), Nandini Salokhe (51kg) and Pooja Devi (67kg) failed to make it to the medal round.
- In the men’s 74kg freestyle category at the Junior World Wrestling Championships, Veer Dev Gulia won bronze medal after defeating Yamasaki Yajuro of Japan by 8 -5 in the bronze medal play-off bout.
6. Ankur Mittal Wins Gold in Asian Shotgun Championship
Indian shooter Ankur Mittal clinched the individual as well as the team gold medal in men's double trap at the 7th Asian Shotgun Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan on Saturday.
- Mittal shot 71 in the six-man final to finish at the top of the podium. Mittal had won a gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico, earlier this year.
- Dahiya had to contend with the fourth position in the individual event, whereas Asab finished in the fifth place.
- Before that, he had bagged silver in season's inaugural World Cup in New Delhi.
7. Vijender Singh wins WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title
The legend of Vijender Singh continued to grow as the Indian boxing star outslugged his Chinese opponent Zulpikar Maimaitiali in a close bout to retain the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title in Mumbai.
- It was double delight for the fans as Singh also snatched the WBO Oriental Super Middleweight title from the Chinese.
- It was the 32-year-old Beijing Olympic bronze medallist’s ninth successive win in his professional career.
8. Usain Bolt Finishes 3rd in 100 Meters at World Athletics Championship
Fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt has been stunned as he finished third in the 100 meters Final of World Athletics Championship at London.
- In his farewell 100 meters, Bolt clocked a time of 9.95 seconds but was left behind by veteran American sprinter Justin Gatlin who clocked 9.92 seconds to claim Gold, his compatriot Christian Coleman came second with 9.94 seconds.
- Since 2008, when Bolt set his first world record, he had not lost a championship race, and collected 19 gold medals in 100, 200 and 4×100 meters.
