current affairs 01 August 2021 (In English)

14 Indian tiger reserves have got global recognition.

• Fourteen of India's 51 tiger reserves have coveted global recognition from the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS).
• CA|TS or Protection Assurance | Tiger Standard is a globally accepted conservation tool that sets out best practices and standards for managing tigers and encourages assessment for benchmark progress.
• CA|TS is being implemented at 125 sites across seven Tiger Range countries, and India has the largest number with 94 sites, of which assessments for 20 tiger reserves were completed this year.

The 36th edition of CORPAT between India and Indonesia is being held in the Indian Ocean region.

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel and Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Bang Tomo are carrying out Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT).
• The exercise is being conducted as a non-contact, at sea only exercise in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• India and Indonesia have been conducting coordinated patrols along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002.
• The basic aim of CORPAT is to keep the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.
• CORPATs help build understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitate the institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.

Vantika Agarwal won the National Women's Online Chess title.

• In Chess Delhi's Vantika Agarwal won the inaugural National Women's Online Chess Championship title organized by All India Chess Federation.
• She scored 9.5 points from 11 rounds.

The world's largest star cluster, worth $100 million, was accidentally found in Sri Lanka.

• The Sapphire cluster weighs around 2.5 million carats or 510 kilograms.
• As per the experts, the cluster has an estimated value of up to $100 million in the global market.
• The newly discovered rock has been named Serendipity Sapphire.
• A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon called an asterisk.
• The cluster was found by well-diggers in the backyard of a house in the gem-rich area of Ratnapura.
• The name Ratnapur means the city of gems and is known as the gem capital of Sri Lanka.

GoI has awarded the prestigious title of being Top 11 Cycling Pioneers of India to 11 cities across the country.

• The award marks the start of the next stage of the first season of India Cycles4Change Challenge
• where 107 cities across the country came together to test, learn, and scale up different cycling-friendly initiatives, kickstarting India’s cycling revolution.
• From the top 25 cities that were shortlisted earlier this year, a jury of renowned national and international transport experts selected the top 11 cities
• who shall receive an award of Rs 1 crore each to scale up their cycling initiatives.