Current Affairs 07th July 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Chocolate Day

• World Chocolate Day (also known as International Chocolate Day) is an annual observance taking place globally on 7th July.
• The day is said to be chosen to celebrate the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550.
• It is marked by eating chocolates and sharing with dear ones.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Indian Railways to transform itself as ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030

• Indian Railways is taking decisive steps to transform itself as a ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030. It is endeavouring to be self reliant for its energy needs by utilising its vacant land for renewable energy projects.
• Railways is committed to utilize solar energy for meeting its traction power requirements and become a complete ‘Green mode of transformation. The Railways Ministry has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on mega scale. The use of solar power will accelerate Rail Minister Piyush Goyal’s mission to achieve conversion of Indian Railways to ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Railway.
• The present demand of Railways would be fulfilled by the solar projects being deployed, making it the first transport organization to be energy self-sufficient. This would help in making Railways green as well as Atma Nirbhar.
• Railways has started energy procurement from various solar projects like 3 MWp solar plant set up at MCF, Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, one project of 1.7 MWp at Bina in Madhya Pradesh which shall be connected directly to the Overhead Traction System has already been installed and is presently under extensive testing.
• It is likely to be commissioned within 15 days. Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. is working to proliferate the use of solar energy on mega scale. It has already floated tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilized railway lands.

About Indian Railways:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Piyush Goyal: Minister of Railways
• Suresh Angadi :Minister of State for Railways

Kolkata Port Starts new Shipping service from Kolkata to Bangladesh’s Chattogram port

• A new shipping service to augment Indo-Bangla trade was inaugurated between SMP (Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port) Kolkata and Chattogram Port at Kolkata Dock
• new regular service connection between Kolkata Dock system and Chattogram has been started from Kolkata Dock System (KDS) of SMP Kolkata by Zim Integrated Services in Association with Bengal Tiger Lines.
• The maiden voyage the vessel ‘M.V Asiatic Moon” (Singapore Flag) is expected to carry around 300 containers of Indian exports to Bangladesh. Primary goods that are exported include ferro metal alloys and garments.
• So far, this is the biggest vessel by size to ply between Kolkata and Chattogram. Earlier, only small barges with a capacity of 80-100 containers were operational on this route.
• Vinit Kumar, Chairman, SMP, Kolkata stated, Another similar service is scheduled to start from Kolkata Dock to Chattogram. The vessel MV Xpress Godavari operated by Xpress Feeders shall commence the voyage to Chattogram Port in the second week of July.
• With Global shipping players venturing into direct Bangladesh calls from Kolkata Port, it is expected that this tradeline shall be strengthened and Kolkata Port is poised to be the hub for Bangladesh Trade, he added.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Indian Coast Guard & Indonesia Coast Guard sign MoU to boost maritime relations

• In a significant step towards bolstering the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Indonesia, a MoU has been signed between the Indian Coast Guard and Indonesia Coast Guard.
• This will enhance collaborative and cooperative engagements in the domains of maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue and marine pollution response.
• This is likely to entail exchange of information towards combating transnational maritime crimes, facilitation of coordinated search and rescue operations at sea and conduct of capacity and capability building activities.

About Indonesia:

• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian rupiah

World food price index rises in June, first increase in 2020: UN

• World food prices rose in June to post their first increase of 2020 and mark a slight rebound after the sharp falls triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations food agency stated.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 93.2 points last month, up 2.4 per cent on May.
• FAO stated it had rebased all its indices, shifting the base period to 2014-16 from a previous 2002-04.
• Amid continued market uncertainty, the prices of vegetable oils, sugar and dairy products rebounded to multi-month highs following sharp declines in May, while in the cereals and meat indices, most prices remained under downward pressure.
• FAO also revised up its forecast for the 2020 cereal season by some 3 million tonnes, foreseeing global output of almost 2.790 billion tonnes — a 3.0 per cent increase on 2019’s record harvest.
• The bulk of the monthly increase reflected an upward revision to Australia’s wheat production estimates.

About FAO:

• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Head: Qu Dongyu

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Karur Vysya Bank partners with Star Health Insurance

• The Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has entered into a tie-up with Star Health and Allied Insurance to provide health insurance products to its customers.
• By the agreement, all the health insurance products of Star Health & Allied Insurance will be made available through all 780 branches of the KVB bank.
• This would help the bank provide cost effective insurance products and quick settlement of claims to its customers.

About KVB

• Headquarters: Karur
• CEO: K Venkataraman

About Star Health Insurance

• Founded: 2006
• Headquarters: Chennai
• CEO: V. Jagannathan

SBM Bank India partners with Mastercard to facilitate cross-border transactions, remittances

• Government of Mauritius-promoted SBM Bank India and global payments technology major Mastercard have joined hands to facilitate cross-border payments and remittances services.
• The SBM Bank India customers will be able to make real-time domestic business-to-consumer transfers quickly and efficiently using ‘Mastercard Send’.
• SBM Bank India is the first bank to receive a universal banking licence from the RBI to set up and operate as a scheduled commercial bank through the wholly-owned subsidiary mode.
• The bank has a network of six branches located in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.
• The Bank has been leading the collaboration narrative to access the best-in-class solutions with its switching partner, YAP.
• YAP is a API (application programme interface) infrastructure company. The company works with banks and financial institutions as product providers.

About SBM Bank

• CEO: Parvataneni Venkateswara Rao
• Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius

About Mastercard

• CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
• Headquarters: New York, United States

GoI, World Bank ink 750 million US dollar agreement for MSME Emergency Response Programme

• The Government and the World Bank have signed a 750 million US dollar agreement for the MSME Emergency Response Programme. It aims at  supporting  increased flow of finance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis
• The World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs.
• The Ministry of Finance stated, this is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time.

About World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
• David Malpass: President
• Anshula Kant: MD and CFO

India First Life to Offer Exclusive COVID-19 and Hospital Cash Cover to Bank of Baroda Credit Cardholders

• IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IndiaFirst Life), promoted by Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India, has associated with BOB Financial Services Limited (BOB Financial), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, to offer a unique group insurance covering that provides financial support upon hospitalisation or on COVID-19 diagnosis.
• BOB Financial has a range of credit card customers who will be able to opt for this insurance benefit by IndiaFirst Life, at the click of a button.
• We are excited to connect with and offer our services to Bank of Baroda Credit Cardholders. Through this alliance, customers who opt for IndiaFirst Life Insurance Hospi Care plan can avail the benefits, in case of COVID-19 positive diagnosis as well as hospitalisation due to any other reason for more than 24 hours. In line with our #CustomerFirst philosophy, we have ensured that individuals can have a seamless end-to-end digital onboarding experience as they opt for Ghar Baithe Insurance on our website, stated Rushabh Gandhi, Deputy CEO, IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited.

About IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company:

• CEO: R. M. Vishakha
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Ola in pact with PhonePe for digital payments on ride-hailing app

• India-based mobility platform Ola announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with digital payments platform PhonePe.
• The partnership will help the mobility platform enable better digital payments experience on its Ola app, the company stated.
• Ola customers across the country can now pay for their ride using PhonePe. It will also benefit the digital payments platform in order to help it expand its user base.
• Ola’s customers can use all of PhonePe’s payment options, including the PhonePe wallet, to make payments in addition to UPI, it stated.
• Ola had recently launched its Ride Safe India encouraging customers to opt for digital payment channels amid Covid-19 to minimise the risk of exposure and avoid physical contact.
• Ola has rolled out the feature on Android and will soon make it available on iOS as well, it stated.

About Phonepe:

• CEO: Sameer Nigam
• Headquarters location: Bengaluru

About Ola:

• CEO: Bhavish Aggarwal
• Headquarters location: Bengaluru

Deutsche Bank, Google in multi-year partnership for cloud services

• Deutsche Bank stated it has agreed a strategic, multi-year partnership with Google to give the German lender access to cloud services and drive innovation in technology-based financial products for clients.
• A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Deutsche Bank expects the partnership to generate more than 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) in accumulated earnings before income and tax (EBIT) over the next ten years.
• Both parties have signed a letter of intent and plan to sign a multi-year contract within the next few months, the bank stated.
• The partnership with Google Cloud will be an important driver of our strategic transformation, stated Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Christian Sewing.

About Deutsche Bank:

• CEO: Christian Sewing
• Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Bihar govt to provide food grains under mid day meal scheme

• Bihar government has taken the decision to provide food grains under mid day meal scheme and cash to over two crore children of primary and middle schools across the state during lockdown and  summer vacation period. Every enrolled student will get the  benefit of this scheme.
• Eight kg foodgrains and rupees 358  will be given to each student of upto class five for the month of May,June and July. Similarly students upto class eight will get 12 kg food grains and rupees 536.
• Additional Chief Secretary R K Mahajan stated all DMs and concerned officials have been instructed in this regard. Foodgrains will be provided to the guardian of the student while cash amount will be transferred into their account through DBT.

About Bihar:

• Capital: Patna
• Governor: Phagu Chauhan
• Chief minister: Nitish Kumar

PM Modi to unveil Asia’s largest solar plant in MP

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Asia’s largest 750 MW Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar plants in Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing on 10th of July.
• The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is established in the Rewa district of Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh, with a total solar installed capacity of 750 MW. It is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in Asia .

Delhi Government launches LEAD portal to make online learning easy

• Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has recently an education portal, Learning through E-resources made accessible for Delhi (LEAD), as a product of Delhi Government. With this portal, students would easily be able to access study material from sources like CBSE and NCERT online.
• LEAD would be including digital QR code textbook, login outcome, explanatory videos, practice papers, rating, etc as one of the components.
• According to the Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia, teachers prepare the syllabus from not only the textbooks but also the supplementary books for every subject.
• This project will be under the leadership of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) team with 25 core members.
• LEAD is going to be an integral part of the education system in the near future, he added.

About Delhi:

• Governor: Anil Baijal, IAS
• Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

UT Ladakh Admn launches Ladakh Food Security Scheme

• The Administration of UT of Ladakh launched the Ladakh Food Security Scheme (LFSS), with effect from July 1, 2020 in the Union Territory of Ladakh. With the implementation of the LFSS, the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) of the erstwhile State of J&K is discontinued, officials said.
• The introduction of this revamped scheme will benefit 6101 AAY families of Ladakh in addition to 43,916 PHH and NPHH families, which were already covered under the MMSFES, they added.
• Under this scheme, AAY rationees shall be provided 5kg of food grains per soul over and above the NFSA entitled scale of 35 Kgs per family, subject to the maximum of 50 Kgs (NFSA+LFSS) per family and PHH & NPHH ratonees having family size of 01 soul to 9 souls shall be provided 5kgs of food grains per soul over and above NFSA scale subject to the maximum of 50 Kgs (NFSA+LFSS) per family.

About Ladakh:

• Capital: Leh, Kargil
• Lieutenant Governor:Radha Krishna Mathur

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

India’s Vice President launches social media super app ‘Elyments’

• India’s first social media super application, Elyments, was launched by the Vice President of India, Venkiah Naidu.
• The app allows users to stay in touch through a vibrant feed, free audio/video calls, and private/group chats.
• This app is being seen as a massive boost to Indian startups and a major push towards ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• Elyments is available in eight languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and English.
• The team members of Elyments stated the app has been created with user’s privacy as priority.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Injeti Srinivas appointed chairman of IFSCA

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Injeti Srinivas as chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
• The former corporate affairs secretary will head the IFSCA for a period of three years.
• Srinivas played a pivotal role in the decriminalisation of various minor, procedural and technical offences under the Companies Act.
• The IFSCA was recently established by the finance ministry on April 27 as the unified authority to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country.
• The body will be headquartered at GIFT city in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Luxury Ride signs Sukhbir Singh as brand ambassador

• Luxury Ride, the chain of pre-owned, multi-brand luxury car showrooms, has signed singer Sukhbir Singh as its brand ambassador.
• The company offers end to end services from buying, selling, servicing, insurance, roadside assistance to car modification and more. It has sold over 2000 cars since inception. Its pre-owned luxury car portfolio includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini Cooper, and others.

Sijo Kuruvilla George appointed to Centre’s committee on science and tech policy

• The founding CEO of Startup Village and founder of Re-think Foundation, Sijo Kuruvilla George, has been selected as member of Central Government’s Expert Committee on Science and Technology Policy.
• He is the lone person from Kerala to be the part of the eight-member panel. It was the Department of Science and Technology and Principal Scientific Advisor of the Union government that formulated the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020).
• The expert committee team is tasked with updating the existing 2013 policy with a thrust to be given to scientific innovations. The Centre is also considering innovative policy changes in the area of entrepreneurship by including space, health, and atomic physics sectors.
• Sijo Kuruvilla is part of an expert committee to formulate the first stage of policymaking. In the second phase, the recommendation made by the expert committee will be presented and implemented through States. In the third level, implementation will be carried out by various departments under the Union government. It is the fifth science and technology policy in the country.
• The expert committee on Science and Technology Policy is led by Harkesh Mittal, who also heads the Department of Science and Technology. Startup India Director Shruti Singh is a member of the committee.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Elton John becomes second artist to be honoured with commemorative coin by Royal Mint

• Elton John became the second artist to be honoured by Britain’s Royal Mint with a commemorative £1,000gold coin paying tribute to the decorated British singer-songwriter.
• The coin, designed by artist Bradley Morgan Johnson, depicts John’s distinctive straw boater’s hat, and fashions his trademark glasses out of a pair of musical notes.
• John, who was knighted in 1998, is the second artist to be commemorated under the Royal Mint’s Music Legends series after rock band Queen.
• He has sold more than 250 million records, with hits like ‘Candle in the Wind’, ‘Your Song’ and ‘Bennie and the Jets’.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT-M develops nano-coated filter for COVID warriors

• A nano-coated filter for healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients has been developed by researchers at IIT-Madras.
• The filter’s coating properties are optimised for efficient removal of sub-micron sized dust particles in the air.
• The use of the filter in face masks can enhance particle filtration efficiency. The filter can be used in respirator devices, air purification system in operation theatres, cabin air filters for the comfort and health of air passengers and air filters for armoured vehicle engines.
• The work of developing the filter has been funded by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the nano-coated filter is in the process of being field tested in practical applications.

DRDO to set up research cell at IIT-Hyderabad

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will establish a research cell at Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H).
• The ‘DRDO – IIT-Hyderabad Research Cell’ will undertake basic and applied research programmes.
• The research cell will help enhance the scientific and technological base of the country in critical defence technology areas, and help the country become self-reliant in select defence technologies.
• The MoU is aimed at bringing together the capabilities of DRDO and IIT-Hyderabad, to achieve greater heights in indigenous technology through collaborative research.

About DRDO:                                                              

• Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, Chairman, DRDO
• Head Quarters: New Delhi

Israel conducts surprise launch with Ofek 16 satellite

• The Israeli government and Israel Aerospace Industries conducted a previously-unannounced launch of a reconnaissance satellite using a Shavit-2 rocket to deploy the Ofek 16 satellite into low Earth orbit.
• Ofek 16 is a small electro-optical imaging satellite, which will capture high-resolution images of the Earth for Israel’s Ministry of Defence.
• The name Ofek, from the Hebrew word meaningHorizon, has been applied to all of Israel’s military satellites regardless of their mission, including two early demonstration missions and subsequent optical and radar reconnaissance spacecraft.

About Israel

• Capital: Jerusalem
• Currency: Israeli Shekel
• President: Reuven Rivlin
• Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

BDL signs licence agreement with DRDO for Akash Missile Weapon System

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed License Agreement and Transfer of Technology with DRDO (DRDL) for Akash Missile Weapon System (Indian Army Variant).
• BDL is the Lead Integrator for Akash Weapon System (Indian Army).
• The contract was signed by Dr Dasharath Ram Director, DRDL and P Radha Krishna, Director (Production), BDL.

About BDL

• Head Quarters: Hyderabad, Telangana

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography by Tenzin Geyche Tethong

• His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography by Tenzin Geyche Tethong has been announced by Roli Books.
• Tethong has served in the Holiness’ Private Office from 1963 to 2006 and was revered as an integral part of his circle. Over four decades, Tethong has accompanied him on many international visits, gaining an exclusive access not enjoyed by many. This marks the first instance when he is writing about His Holiness. The work will include pictures curated by Jane Moore, a photo researcher from the UK.
• The biography aims at an affecting portrait of a man who has people, who are otherwise divided by geography and language, unite in their love and reverence for him.
• The book will be available in multiple languages globally like English, Dutch, Russian,  German, Italian, Estonian, Czech, Lithuanian, Slovak and others.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson becomes Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity

• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has dethroned Kylie Jenner as Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity.
• According to social media marketing firm Hopper HQ, Johnson, can charge advertisers roughly $1,015,000 for a sponsored post.
• As of publication, Johnson has 189 million followers while Jenner has 183 million.
• Also on this year’s list were pro soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo – who charged about $889,000 per post – and Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian, who could charge $858,000. Ariana Grande rounds out the top five, charging about $853,000.
• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was also named Hollywood’s highest-paid actor of 2019 by Forbes.

India among top 5 nations in e-waste generation: Report

• India is among the top five e-waste generating countries in the world besides China, the US, Japan and Germany, according to a report.
• Among states, Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste of 19.8% but recycles only about 47,810 tonne per annum (TPA), the report released by Assocham and NEC stated ahead of the Environment Day on 5 June.
• Tamil Nadu with e-waste contribution of 13% recycled about 52,427 TPA; Uttar Pradesh (10.1%) recycles about 86,130 TPA; West Bengal (9.8%), Delhi (9.5%), Karnataka (8.9%), Gujarat (8.8%) and Madhya Pradesh 7.6%.
• The global volume of e-waste is expected to reach 52.2 million tonne (MT) or 6.8 kg per inhabitant by 2021 from 44.7 MT in 2016 at a compound annual growth rate of 20%, according to the study.
• Of the total e-waste produced in 2016, only 20% (8.9 MT) is documented to be collected properly and recycled, while there is no record of the remaining, e-waste, the study stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Tamil Nadu’s G Akash becomes India’s 66th chess Grandmaster

• Tamil Nadu’s G Akash became the country’s 66th chess Grandmaster while his statemate M Pranesh and Goa’s Ameya Audi earned International Master titles.
• Akash’s GM title was confirmed at the second council meet of International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the year 2020 held recently.
• He earned his third GM norm at the National ‘A’ championship in Sikkim last year and the fourth norm in Prague earlier this year.

Valtteri Bottas wins F1 Austrian Grand Prix after Hamilton suffers penalty

• Valtteri Bottas has struck the first blow in the 2020 season, winning the Austrian Grand Prix from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, as Lewis Hamilton was demoted from a second place finish on the road to P4 after a five-second penalty for contact with Alex Albon – handing McLaren’s Lando Norris his first F1 podium for finishing P3.
• The Mercedes duo of Bottas and Hamilton enjoyed a comfortable performance advantage throughout the 71-lap encounter. But with 10 laps to go, the race exploded into life, with Hamilton handed his penalty after nerfing Albon into a spin on a Safety Car restart on Lap 61.
• Behind Norris, Hamilton took fourth, ahead of the second McLaren of Carlos Sainz and Perez. Then came the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly in seventh, ahead of F1 returnee Esteban Ocon in eighth, with Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi P9 and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel – who spun early on in the race after contact with Sainz – in P10, just one place ahead of the final finisher, Williams’ Nicholas Latifi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Nick Cordero, Broadway actor who battled COVID-19 passes away

• Broadway actor Nick Cordero, after contracting the coronavirus, has passed away. He was 41.
• Cordero starred in the musical adaptation of the Woody Allen film “Bullets Over Broadway” in 2014, for which he earned a Tony nomination. He had also appeared previously on Broadway in “Rock of Ages,” “Waitress” and “A Bronx Tale: The Musical.”

Oscar-winning Italian film composer Ennio Morricone passes away

• The Oscar-winning Italian film composer Ennio Morricone has passed away at the age of 91.
• He wrote music for more than 500 films.

DAILY CA 5th and 6th JUL

• International Day of Cooperatives-4th jul
• World Zoonoses Day-6th jul
• Centre Approves Rs 574 Crore Annual Plan For National Highway In Jammu And Kashmir
• PM Modi launches Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge
• CBSE partners with Facebook for curriculum on digital safety, augmented reality
• ADB Becomes Observer Of Network For Greening The Financial System
• NPCI to set up Rs.500-crore data centre to handle digital transactions
• Union Bank revamps Insurance distribution channels post amalgamation
• Delhi government to set up a COVID-19 war room to monitor the situation in the national capital
• Jharkhand launches immunization drive for 44K kids of migrant workers
• Manipur CM N Biren Singh launches web portal to share COVID-19 related stories, activities
• Chhattisgarh government to buy cow-dung at Rs 1.5 per kg, scheme begins from July 20
• Karnataka CM Yediyurappa launches Weavers Sammaan Yojana
• MP: ‘Intzaar Aap Ka’ campaign started in order to attract tourists
• Delhi LG Anil Baijal inaugurates world’s largest COVID Care Centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas
• Jaipur to get world’s 3rd largest cricket stadium, With capacity of 75,000
• Maharashtra Government and UK India Business Council Extend MoU to Foster Sustainable Business Relations Between UK And India
• Adani Transmission acquires Alipurduar Transmission from KPTL for 1,286 crore
• Gujarat’s Zoya Khan becomes the first transgender operator of the Common Service Centre in India
• Taj Mukarrum assumes charge as Director (Finance) of Power Grid
• Bharti Airtel COO Ajai Puri appointed COAI Chairman
• Sunflame recognised as ‘ET Iconic Brand of India 2020’
• Bangladesh moves 7 places up on SDG Index
• Former RBI governor Patel pens book on dealing with NPA issue ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’
• Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava pens book “Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s Guide for India”
• The Meaning of India by Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer Raja Rao was republished
• Launch of Russia’s next-generation Glonass-K Satellite set for August
• Quinton de Kock named men’s Cricketer of the Year in CSA’s virtual awards
• Sports Ministry to launch TOPS for junior athletes soon
• Goa councillor Pascoal DSouza passes away of coronavirus infection
• Earl Cameron: British film and TV star actor passes away aged 102
• Tollywood producer Pokuri Rama Rao passes away due to coronavirus

DAILY CA 7th  JUL

• World Chocolate Day- 7th jul
• Indian Railways to transform itself as ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030
• Kolkata Port Starts new Shipping service from Kolkata to Bangladesh’s Chattogram port
• Indian Coast Guard & Indonesia Coast Guard sign MoU to boost maritime relations
• World food price index rises in June, first increase in 2020: UN
• Karur Vysya Bank partners with Star Health Insurance
• SBM Bank India partners with Mastercard to facilitate cross-border transactions, remittances
• GoI, World Bank ink 750 million US dollar agreement for MSME Emergency Response Programme
• IndiaFirst Life to Offer Exclusive COVID-19 and Hospital Cash Cover to Bank of Baroda Credit Cardholders
• Ola in pact with PhonePe for digital payments on ride-hailing app
• Deutsche Bank, Google in multi-year partnership for cloud services
• Bihar govt to provide food grains under mid day meal scheme
• PM Modi to unveil Asia’s largest solar plant in MP
• Delhi Government launches LEAD portal to make online learning easy
• UT Ladakh Admn launches Ladakh Food Security Scheme
• India’s Vice President launches social media super app ‘Elyments’
• Injeti Srinivas appointed chairman of IFSCA
• Luxury Ride signs Sukhbir Singh as brand ambassador
• Sijo Kuruvilla George appointed to Centre’s committee on science and tech policy
• Elton John becomes second artist to be honoured with commemorative coin by Royal Mint
• IIT-M develops nano-coated filter for COVID warriors
• DRDO to set up research cell at IIT-Hyderabad
• Israel conducts surprise launch with Ofek 16 satellite
• BDL signs licence agreement with DRDO for Akash Missile Weapon System
• His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography by Tenzin Geyche Tethong
• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson becomes Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity
• India among top 5 nations in e-waste generation: Report
• Tamil Nadu’s G Akash becomes India’s 66th chess Grandmaster
• Valtteri Bottas wins F1 Austrian Grand Prix after Hamilton suffers penalty
• Nick Cordero, Broadway actor who battled COVID-19 passes away
• Oscar-winning Italian film composer Ennio Morricone passes away