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- India Bans Plastic Pan Masala Packaging & Funds Nepal Development Projects
Today’s important current affairs, which are essential for students preparing for government jobs…
NATIONAL
1. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran resigned
- On 12 August, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran resigned from his position.
- Chandrasekaran became Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017. He was the first manager from outside the Tata family to take charge of this group.
- This decision came just before the Tata Sons AGM scheduled for 18 August. However, he will remain in this position until February 2027, that is, until the end of his tenure.
- Chandrasekaran was appointed as a Director on the Tata Sons board in 2016.
In January 2017, Chandrasekaran was appointed as Executive Chairman on the Tata Sons board and later became Chairman.
2. Tata Group Vice Chairman Vijay Singh resigns from his position
- On 12 August, Vijay Singh, Vice Chairman of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), one of the two main trusts of Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, resigned from his position.
- Vijay Singh’s tenure was ending on 14 August, but he resigned from his position before that.
- However, he will continue to remain as a Trustee in the other main trust of Tata Group, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
- Tata Trusts – SRTT and SDTT hold approximately 66% stake in Tata Sons.
- Vijay Singh’s decision comes amid ongoing internal differences within Tata Trusts and regulatory proceedings.
- Vijay is a 1970 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.
- Vijay served in positions such as Commissioner of Jabalpur and Indore divisions and Home Secretary in Madhya Pradesh.
- Vijay was associated with Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and Tata Trusts from 2018 to 2026.
Vijay Singh’s tenure on the Tata Sons board was extended again in 2022.
3. FSSAI banned plastic used in packaging
- On 12 August, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned plastic used in the packaging of pan masala.
- Under the new rules, companies will now be able to pack and sell pan masala only in paper, tin, or glass containers.
- FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards Packaging Amendment Regulation 2026. These new rules have come into effect immediately.
- The main reason for this FSSAI ban is environmental protection. Actually, plastic and aluminum foil pouches do not decompose for years and increase pollution.
- The purpose of this rule is to make pan masala packaging completely plastic-free and eco-friendly.
- This decision has been taken under the provisions of ‘Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016’ of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
INTERNATIONAL
4. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death
- On 11 August, a Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother Maher al-Assad to death by hanging.
- Bashar and his brother were found guilty in cases of murder and atrocities against lakhs of people during the civil war.
- Bashar and Maher fled to Russia after the government fell in December 2024. The Putin government has granted them asylum and both have been sentenced in their absence.
- Along with this, former security officer Atef Najib has also been sentenced to death.
- Bashar has been sentenced for murder, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity.
- Bashar was the President of Syria from 17 July 2000 to 8 December 2024.
- Bashar had assumed this position after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad and had to relinquish power after the government’s collapse before the rebels in December 2024.
5. Lebanon became the Arab country to abolish the death penalty
- On 11 August, Lebanon’s parliament passed a law to abolish the death penalty.
- With this, Lebanon became the first Arab country to completely abolish the death penalty.
- Lebanon has replaced the death penalty with provisions for life imprisonment and hard labour.
- Along with this, the sentences of those previously given the death penalty have also been converted to life imprisonment.
- Lebanon’s 128-member parliament approved the proposal to abolish the death penalty by majority.
- Lebanon had a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 2004, but courts could still sentence people to death.
- Families of Lebanese soldiers killed or injured in attacks by Islamic extremist groups are opposing this amnesty law.
- They say that those who took the lives of their family members should receive strict punishment instead of reduced sentences.
6. Andrs Baka elected as new President of Hungary
- On 11 August, the Hungarian Parliament elected former Supreme Court Chief Andrs Baka as the country’s new President.
- Andrs took oath in Parliament and he was the only candidate who received support for the presidential post.
- Andrs is a senior jurist. He served as Hungary’s judge in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from 1991 to 2008.
- Andrs was elected as the Chief of the Supreme Court in the Hungarian Parliament in 2009.
- Andrs was elected after the term of former President Sulyok Tams ended prematurely on 20 July.
- According to Hungary’s constitution, the President is elected by Parliament for a five-year term.
7. India and Nepal signed 8 MoUs
- On 12 August, 8 MoU agreements were signed between India and Nepal to strengthen development cooperation.
- The focus of these MoUs is on advancing local level development and high impact community development projects in Nepal.
- These MoUs were signed between the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal’s Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, and the Nepali administration.
- These development projects between India and Nepal are related to education, health, drinking water, roads, community buildings and other local infrastructure facilities.
- These MoUs are part of the Neighbourhood First Policy and India will provide 80.3 lakh Nepali rupees for these projects.
- MoUs have been signed between India and Nepal for High Impact Community Development Projects before as well.
- These projects include digitalisation of BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences in Nepal, construction of agricultural product collection and sales center.
- Also included is the construction of Municipal Agriculture and Livestock Center building in Dhading district of Nepal.
- Other projects include a building for Belbari Multiple Campus in Morang district, a 10-bed hospital in Dailekh district and an agriculture promotion center in Humla district.
According to the embassy, these schemes selected under India’s ‘High Impact Community Development Projects’ framework will be implemented in different regions of the Himalayan country.
Today’s History
- In 1795, India’s brave queen Ahilyabai Holkar passed away.
- In 1951, the first completely India-made aircraft ‘Hindustan Trainer-2’ took its first successful flight on this very day.
- In 2008, India successfully tested an advanced version of the indigenous multi-barrel rocket launcher weapon system ‘Pinaka’.
