Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 08 August 2021

::NATIONAL::

Johnson & Johnson's single dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in India

India approved US major Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single dose Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use on Saturday. The country now has five approved Covid vaccines.
J&J did not divulge details of when the vaccine will be available in India and what kind of initial volumes can be expected.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet: “India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines.”
This will be the fifth Covid-19 vaccine to get approval after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V and Moderna in India.
J&J spokesperson confirmed the same. “We are pleased to announce that on 7th August 2021, the Government of India issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 single-dose vaccine in India, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older,” the spokesperson said.

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::International::

Taliban capture government buildings in Afghan city of Kunduz

Taliban fighters have seized key government buildings in the northeastern Afghan city of Kunduz, leaving government forces hanging onto control of the airport and their own base, a provincial assembly lawmaker.
A Taliban offensive has gathered momentum in recent days, as the insurgents unleashed their forces across Afghanistan after the United States announced it would end its military mission in the country by the end of August.
the insurgents captured their first provincial capital in years when they took control of Zaranj, on the border with Iran in Afghanistan's southern Nimroz province.
An Afghan security forces spokesman said "extremely (heavy) fighting is going on" in Kunduz, as security forces fought to defend the city, regarded as a strategic prize as it lay at the gateway to mineral-rich northern provinces and Central Asia.
But a provincial lawmaker in Kunduz told Reuters the insurgents had taken key buildings in the city of 2,70,000 people, raising fears that it could be the latest to fall to the Taliban.

::Economy::

Income Tax Department notifies 3 official email ids for taxpayers to file complaints under faceless or e-assessment scheme

The Income Tax (I-T) department on Saturday notified three official email IDs for taxpayers to register grievances under the faceless or e-assessment scheme.
The department issued a message on its official Twitter handle saying: "In a move aimed to further improve taxpayer services in alignment with the Taxpayers' Charter, the Income Tax Department creates dedicated e-mail ids for registering grievances in respect of pending cases under the Faceless Scheme."
Under the faceless assessment system, a taxpayer or an assessee is not required to visit an I-T department office or meet a department official for income tax-related businesses.
A central electronic-based system picks up tax returns for scrutiny based on risk parameters and mismatches, and then allots them randomly to a team of IT officers in any city. The scrutiny by these officers are stated to be reviewed by officers at another randomly selected location.
The scheme was launched by the Union government in 2019.

::Science and tech::

Ministry of Social Justice launches 'PM-Daksh' portal and mobile app

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launched ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App, developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with NeGD, to make the skill development schemes accessible to the target groups. Through these portal and app the youth of the target groups will now be able to avail the benefits of skill development training programmes more easily.
The Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the year 2020-21. Under this Yojana, eligible target group are being provided skill development training programmes on (i) Up-skilling/Re-skilling (ii) Short Term Training Programme (iii) Long Term Training Programme and (iv) Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP). These training programs are being implemented through Government Training Institutes, Sector Skill Councils constituted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and other credible institutions.
Keeping in view the usefulness and practicality of any suggestions received related to the implementation of this portal, this Ministry will make necessary improvements so that this portal can become more useful and beneficial for the target groups enabling them to be skilled and become self-reliant by availing opportunities related to self-employment or wage-employment,” Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar said.