• National

The Lok Sabha passed the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill

• The Lok Sabha passed the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill providing for a National Commission for Backward Classes as a constitutional body.
• A constitutional amendment under Article 368 needs to be passed by both Houses separately with a special majority.

• International

Jongdari arrived in Shanghai on August 3, 2018.

• Downgraded from a typhoon, Tropical Storm Jongdari arrived in Shanghai on August 3, 2018.
• It is expected to gradually weaken as it moves westward into the Yangtze River delta.

• International

ASEAN ratified Iran’s membership in the Treaty of Amity

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ratified Iran’s membership in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
• There was a consensus among southeast Asian countries to accept Iran as a party to the treaty.

• International

Emmerson Mnangagwa won the presidential election

• Emmerson Mnangagwa won the presidential election of Zimbabwe.
• Mnangagwa won by the smallest of margins, after needing more than 50% of the vote to secure the victory.

• Economy and Business

Fino Payments Bank has been barred by the Reserve Bank of India from adding new customers

• Fino Payments Bank has been barred by the Reserve Bank of India from adding new customers since the end of May 2018.
• The central bank in its auditing of payments banks in May found Fino Payments non-compliant with the operational guidelines laid down by it.

• Economy and Business

Apple became the world’s first trillion-dollar public company

• Apple became the world’s first trillion-dollar public company, as a rise in its share price pushed it past the landmark valuation.
• The company hit a $1trillion market capitalisation 42 years after Apple was founded and 117 years after US Steel became the first company to be valued at $1bn in 1901.

• Sports

Virat Kohli became the fastest captain to reach 7000 Runs

• Virat Kohli became the fastest captain to reach 7000 international runs.
• Brian Lara was the fastest among the previous 14 players who scored 7000 International runs as captain.

• Science and Tech

Scientist created a material that can remove dye in water

• Scientists have created a sponge-like material using wood pulp and small bits of metal that can remove harmful dyes in water in a matter of seconds.
• Cellulose, the main structure in plant cell walls and the most abundant natural material on Earth, provides the backbone of the material and has tiny pieces of palladium.

• Defence

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Rustom II has been successfully tested.

• An indigenously designed and developed landing gear for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Rustom II has been successfully tested.
• The landing gear developed by a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory has undergone low-speed and high-speed taxi trial in Karnataka.

• Defence

Tejas Light Combat Aircraft underwent a series of successful tests

• The naval version of the indigenously built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft underwent a series of successful tests to check its capability to land on an aircraft carrier.
• The Naval LCA is expected to begin touch and go landings on the INS Vikramaditya.

• States

Karnataka government launched “Swachhameva Jayate”,

• Karnataka government launched “Swachhameva Jayate”, a campaign in rural areas to take a pledge on cleanliness.
• Logo of the campaign released by Department of Rural Development includes a boy and a girl standing in front of the map of Karnataka.

• States

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched ‘Mukhya Mantri-Yuva Nestham’, a scheme

• The Andhra Pradesh government has launched ‘Mukhya Mantri-Yuva Nestham’, a scheme through which an allowance of Rs 1000 per month will be provided to unemployed youth in the state.
• About 12 lakh youths in the age group of 22-35 years will get the benefit of the scheme.

• States

NHAI will ink a pact with State Bank of India

• NHAI will ink a pact with State Bank of India (SBI) for a long-term unsecured loan to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore.
• This is SBI’s highest long-term unsecured loan to any entity and also the largest ever loan sanctioned to NHAI.