Current Affairs 19th & 20th July 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

117th birthday Anniversary of Ex CM of Tamil Nadu state K Kamaraj, celebrated as Educational Development Day

• The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri Kamaraj ji’s 117th birth anniversary has been observed as Tamil Nadu’s Educational Development Day.
• It aims to remind people about his contribution to boost the school education facilities of Tamil Nadu state.
• In the year 2006, The Tamil Nadu state Govt brought a development and celebration bill that highlighted 15th july as “Educational Development Day” in order to remember Perunthalaivar Kamarajar’s contributions.
• Perunthalaivar Kamarajar was born on 15th July 1903 in Virudhunagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu India. He served as 3rd Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and stayed at post for three consecutive tenures between 1954 and 1963.
• He was honoured with highest civilian award of India Bharat Ratna award in the year 1976.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

PM SVANidhi app launched to help street vendors apply for micro loans

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) App.
• It aims to provide a user-friendly digital interface for lending institutions (LIs) and their field functionaries for sourcing and processing loan applications of street vendors under the scheme.
• PM SVANidhi Mobile App is a step towards boosting the use of digital technology and will enable field functionaries of LIs like Banking Correspondents (BCs) and Agents of Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)/ Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs), who have proximity with the street vendors, to ensure maximum coverage of the Scheme.
• The ministry has already launched the website on June 29, 2020 and the app has all the features similar to the web portal of PM SVANidhi. The features include vendor search in the survey data, e-KYC of applicants, processing of applications, and real-time monitoring.
• PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, on June 01, 2020, for providing affordable working capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.

About PM SVANidhi scheme

• This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors who had been vending on or before 24 March, 2020, in urban areas including those from surrounding peri-urban/ rural areas. Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.
• On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on a quarterly basis.
• There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan. The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month. Moreover, the vendors can achieve their ambition of going up on the economic ladder by availing the facility of enhancement of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.

Income Tax Department rolls out new Form 26AS

• Income Tax Department has rolled out new Form 26AS with an aim to assist Tax payers in filing quick and correct Income Tax Return (ITR). The new form will carry some additional details on taxpayers financial transactions as specified in the Statement of Financial Transactions (SFTs) in various categories.
• The additional details will facilitate voluntary compliance, tax accountability and ease of e-filing of returns. In a media statement, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has stated that these SFTs will handhold the taxpayers while filing their ITR.
• It stated, the new form will also calculate the correct tax liability based on these entries. The new Form 26AS is expected to bring in further transparency and accountability in the tax administration.

About Income Tax Department:

• Head Quarters: New Delhi
• Pramod Chandra Modi, IRS: Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes

India establishes bilateral air bubbles with US, France and Germany

• India has established bilateral Air bubbles with the United States of America, France and Germany. The Civil Aviation Ministry stated talks with the United Kingdom are in an advanced stage and similar arrangement in place with UAE till 26th July of this month.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that bilateral Air Bubbles will be the way to resume international travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic with certain conditions. Mr Puri stated the government’s negotiations with three countries are at an advanced stage for establishing bilateral air bubble mechanisms.
• He informed that Air France will operate 28 flights from 18th July to 1st of August between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and  Paris. He stated, in case of the United States, there is an agreement with United Airlines to operate 18 flights between India and US between 17th to 31st July but this is an interim one. He stated we  have also received  a request from Germany and  an agreement with Lufthansa is almost done.

About France:

• Capital: Paris
• President: Emmanuel Macron
• Currencies: Euro, CFP franc

About Germany:

• Capital: Berlin
• Currency: Euro
• President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Civil Aviation Ministry set up Investment Clearance Cell for assistance, clearance of proposals

• Civil Aviation Ministry has set up an Investment Clearance Cell, ICC for prompt assistance and clearance of proposals. The ten-member cell will be headed by a Joint Secretary in the Ministry. It will serve as a single-window system for attracting investments.
• The ICC will bring projects that require special incentive, policy interventions, expeditious clearances, and systemic reforms to the Empowered Group of Secretaries. It will maintain active contact with investors and work with states.
• The committee will also identify policy and regulatory issues that come in the way of investments. The Ministry has urged interested investors to contact the officers of the cell.

About Ministry of Civil Aviation:

• Hardeep Singh Puri: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation
• Constituency: Uttar Pradesh

Govt to start e-campaign on Voluntary Income Tax Compliance

• The Income Tax Department is all set to start an e-Campaign on voluntary compliance of Income Tax for the convenience of the taxpayers. The 11-day campaign will focus on the assessees or taxpayers who are either non-filers or have discrepancies in their returns for the financial year 2018-19.
• The objective of the e-campaign is to facilitate taxpayers to online validate their tax and financial transaction information available with the I-T Department and promote voluntary compliance, especially for the assessees for 2018-19 so that they do not need to get into notice and scrutiny process.
• This e-campaign is being run for the benefit of the taxpayers. Under this e-campaign the Income Tax Department will send email and SMS to identified taxpayers to verify their financial transactions related information received by the I-T department from various sources such as Statement of Financial Transactions, Tax Deduction at Source, Tax Collection at Source and Foreign Remittances.
• Data analysis has identified certain taxpayers with high value transactions who have not filed returns for Assessment Year 2019-20. In addition to the non-filers, another set of return filers have also been identified wherein the high value transactions do not appear to be in line with their Income Tax Return.
• Under the e-campaign the taxpayers will be able to access details of their high value transaction related information on the designated portal. There would be no need to visit any Income Tax office, as the response has to be submitted online. The last date for filing as well as revising the Income Tax Return for Assessment Year 2019-20 is 31st of this month.

Centre issues norms for Rs.1-lakh crore Agri Infra Fund scheme

• UP gets the highest allocation of 12,831 crore, followed by Rajasthan at Rs.9,015 crore
• The Centre has issued guidelines for financing under the recently announced 1-lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme, that seeks to facilitate creation and strengthening of post-harvest management and marketing infrastructure across the country.
• Under the scheme, Rs.1-lakh crore will be provided as loan by banks and financial institutions to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agriculture Co-operative Societies, agri-entrepreneurs, start-ups, and marketing co-operatives, among others, to set up agriculture infrastructure, such as supply chain services, including e-marketing platform, primary processing centres, warehouses, silos, pack houses, assaying units, sorting and grading units, cold chains, logistics facilities and ripening chambers.
• The scheme will be operational from the current financial year till 2029-30. Disbursements will be made in the first four years — Rs.10,000 crore in the current fiscal, and Rs.30,000 crore each over the next three years. The moratorium for repayment under this scheme may vary from six months to two years, an Agriculture Ministry note stated.
• All loans under this financing facility will have an interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum up to a limit of Rs.2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years. For loans above Rs.2 crore, the subvention will be limited to Rs.2 crore, the Ministry stated.
• The extent and percentage of funding to private entrepreneurs out of the total financing facility may be fixed by a national-level monitoring committee consisting of officials from the Agriculture Ministry, states and NABARD, that will steer, guide and implement the project.
• All scheduled commercial banks, scheduled co-operative banks, regional rural banks, small finance banks, NBFCs, and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) may participate in this financing facility after signing an MoU with NABARD/Department of Agriculture.
• Tentatively six states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, are being allocated over half of this Rs.1-lakh crore fund. The state-wise allocation has been worked out on the basis of the total value of agriculture and allied sectors of the states.
• Allocation for UP has been pegged at Rs.12,831 crore, Rajasthan – Rs.9,015 crore, Maharashtra – Rs.8,460 crore, Madhya Pradesh – Rs.7,440 crore, Gujarat – Rs.7,282 crore and West Bengal – Rs.7,260 crore.
• Other states receiving major allocation include Andhra Pradesh – Rs.6,540 crore, Tamil Nadu – Rs.5,990 crore, Punjab – Rs.4,713 crore, Karnataka – Rs.4,525 crore, Bihar – Rs.3,980 crore, Haryana – Rs.3,900 crore and Telangana Rs.3,075 crore.
• The Agri Infra Fund will be managed and monitored through an online MIS platform, and 24 per cent of the total grant-in-aid under the scheme should be utilised for SC/ST entrepreneurs, it stated.

One Nation One Ration Card scheme now enabled in 20 States/UTs

• The One Nation One Ration Card facility was started as inter-State portability of ration cards in 4 States w.e.f. August 2019. Since then, a total of 20 States/UT have been integrated together into a seamless national portability clustere.f. June 2020. Thus, this facility is currently enabled for NFSA card holders in 20 States/UTs.
• These States/UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Mizoram, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• Now, trial and testing in 4 more States/UTs of Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand have been completed for enabling national portability features under One Nation One Ration Card in these states very shortly. Besides, the required web-services for inter-State transactions and their monitoring through Central Dashboards have also been activated for these States/UTs. All other States/UTs are targeted to be integrated before March 2021.
• The One Nation One Ration Card facility is an ambitious plan and endeavour of Department of Food & Public Distribution to ensure the delivery of food security entitlements to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, irrespective of their physical location anywhere in the country, by implementing nation-wide portability of ration cards under the ongoing central sector scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)’ in association with all States/UTs.
• Through this system, the migratory NFSA beneficiaries, who frequently change their place of dwelling in search of temporary employments, etc. are now enabled with an option to lift their entitled quota of foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country by using their same/existing ration card with biometric/Aadhaar based authentication on an electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) device installed at the FPSs.
• Thus, installation of ePoS devices at the FPSs and Aadhaar seeding of beneficiaries for biometric/ Aadhaar authentication are the main enablers of this system, which can be accessed by beneficiaries by quoting either their ration card number or the Aadhaar number to any FPS dealer across the country.
• Anyone in the family, who have seeded Aadhaar in the ration card can undergo authentication and lift the ration. There is no need to share or carry the ration card or Aadhaar card with ration dealer to avail the benefit. Beneficiaries can undergo Aadhaar authentication by using their finger prints or iris based identification.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

UAE launches its first space mission to Mars from Japan

• UAE’s historic journey to Mars has been successfully started from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The spacecraft Hope Probe took off in an early morning launch.
• H2A, the rocket carrying the Hope Probe to space, was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. It is the Arab world’s first interplanetary landmark mission, putting UAE firmly ahead of all the countries in the Middle East in the area of space and technology.
• Hope Probe Spacecraft is expected to reach the Red Planet by February 2021, to coincide with UAE’s 50th anniversary of its formation.
• The orbiter Hope is expected to take images and send back data of the distant Red Planet

About UAE:

• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Manish Sisodia inaugurates first electric vehicle charging station in East Delhi

• Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the first public e-vehicle charging station in East Delhi.
• The e-vehicle charging-station is set-up under a partnership between power discom BYPL and EV Motors India Private Limited.
• The station can charge four vehicles at a time, in 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the vehicle type.
• The initial charge for this facility will be Rs 10.50 per unit for a limited period, which is the lowest among the current EV tariff rates (for public) in Delhi.
• The charging station, branded ‘PlugNgo’, is enabled with the state-of-the-art central management system. This will help oversee operations of the EV charger and provide on-site and on-demand customer support.
• The station is equipped with two types of chargers – DC 50 kW with three guns which can charge Hyundai Kona, MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon, and DC 30 kW with two guns (Both GB/T) which can charge Mahindra e-Verito and Tata Tigor. Two electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously from each charger.

Chhattisgarh govt launches ‘Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana’ to combat malnutrition in state

• Chhattisgarh was tagged among those states which have high levels of malnutrition and anaemia among children and women in the National Health Family Survey (NHFS) – 4 (2015-16).
• Bhupesh Baghel-led Chhattisgarh government to launch a crusade — the ‘Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana’ — on October 2, 2019, on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The campaign turned out to be a big success, as till March this year, within six months since the scheme was launched.
• Chhattisgarh government claimed that the number of malnourished children decreased by 13.79 per cent in the state.
• Malnutrition refers to the condition of deficiencies or imbalances owing to unhealthy eating habits or lack of nutrition in the diet.
• The children from 6 to 54 months were considered as ‘earmarked’ as per the WHO recommendation so that the child growth standards could be effectively measured under the age of 5 years.

About Chhattisgarh

• Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Capitals: Bilaspur, Raipur

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Researchers develop PROSIT app that tracks mental health by studying phone usage

• The researchers of Dalhousie University have come up with a new app that can detect mental conditions like anxiety and depression based on how you use your phone.
• The app is called PROSIT and includes tracking features like exercise, sleep, call frequency, message histories and music tastes.
• An emotionally charged state can be detected with your typing speed and the force you use.
• The App will also ask the users to record a 90-second audio clip to talk about their best and exciting part of the week. They (users) will be asked to self-report their feelings on a five-point scale.
• PROSIT is currently is under the testing stage where about 300 people are using this app. Half among the users are patients.
• To tackle this issue, the use of app requires a signed consent and the data will be stored in a secure location.
• PROSIT does not provide a complete analysis of one’s mental health but could prove useful for the psychologists track and better understand their patients’ development outside of sessions.

Prakash Javadekar hails KURMA mobile app towards conservation of Indian turtles

• Union Environment and Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar hailed the KURMA mobile application as a unique tool for tracking and reporting Indian turtles.
• The Mobile Application, KURMA, was launched on 23rd May this year on the occasion of World Turtle Day. The citizen science initiative aims at conservation of turtles and tortoises.
• The mobile application has been developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India. It provides users the database to identify a species and also provides the location of the nearest rescue centre for turtles across the country.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Marianna Vardinoyannis & Morissana Kouyaté win 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize

• This year’s laureates of United Nations 2020 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize are Marianna Vardinoyannis of Greece and Morissana Kouyate of Guinea. It was announced by General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
• Vardinoyannis is a Greek philanthropist known for fighting childhood cancer and for a world without borders in health for about 30 years. He is also the world advocate for human rights and the protection of children’s health and welfare.
• Kouyate is another Human rights activist known for her contribution towards violence against women and girls in Africa. He is a leading advocate in the fight against harmful traditional practices against women, particularly female genital mutilation.
• The prize is awarded every five years. It was first awarded in

South Central Railway’s Ongole Sub-Division Office bags WATER HEROES AWARD from Jal Shakti Ministry

• The Ongole Sub-Division Office of South Central Railway has bagged the WATER HEROES AWARD, from Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
• The Ongone Sub-Divisional Office of Vijayawada Division, Andhra Pradesh, South Central Railway led by Pratham Agarwal, Assistant Divisional Engineer have been declared as winner in the “Water Heroes Award” for the month of April, 2020 launched by Ministry of Jal Shakti .
• To promote the value of water in general and for supporting the efforts on water conservation and sustainable development of water resources, the Department of water, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India has organized a contest for the period from 1st September, 2019 to 30th June 2020.

Dubai-based Indian girl breaks world record in performing 100 yoga poses

• A Dubai-based Indian girl has broken the world record for performing 100 yoga poses within minutes in a confined space. This is 11-year-old Samridhi Kalia’s third world record entry and the second one in the last one month.
• Her performance was recorded at the iconic Burj Khalifa’s viewing deck. On Yoga Day (June 21) this year, Samridhi bagged her second world record — performing 40 advanced yoga postures in one minute.

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute adjudged the best research institute under ICAR

• The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has been adjudged as the best research institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• CMFRI won the Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR institutions award, the highest award of the ICAR with a cash prize of 10 lakh, in the category of the large institutions. This is in recognition of CMFRI’s excellent performance in marine fisheries research during the 2014-19 period.
• This is the second time CMFRI has bagged this prestigious award.
• Various cutting edge research activities including development of mariculture technologies such as open sea cage fish farming, seaweed farming, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and breeding and seed production technologies for marine food fish and ornamental fishes, which were aimed at enhancing incomes of fishermen, helped CMFRI in achieving the highest ranking among more than 110 agricultural and allied research institutes in the country.
• In addition, the institute exhibited leadership in winning several externally funded research projects such as the National Brood bank for Cobia and Silver pompano and a Centre of Excellence and Innovation funded by the DBT. The institute also obtained many patents during the period.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

India Business Council to host 2020 India Ideas Summit on July 22

• India Business Council will host the 2020 India Ideas Summit on July 22nd.
• The Summit convenes business and government leaders for discussions on the future of the S.-India Partnership and the trends shaping globalization, trade and investment, and the future of work in the COVID-era and beyond.
• The Summit will feature a high-powered lineup of both public and private sector speakers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will deliver the keynote addresses. Among others, External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar will address the summit.

FM Sitharaman attends 3rd G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors Meeting

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency through Video Conferencing to discuss the global economic outlook amid evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis along with other G20 Finance Track priorities for the year 2020.
• The Finance Minister, in the first session of the meeting, talked about the G20 Action Plan in response to COVID-19 which was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in their previous meeting on 15th April 2020.
• This G20 Action Plan lays out a list of collective commitments under the pillars of Health Response, Economic Response, Strong and Sustainable Recovery and International Financial Coordination, aimed at co-ordinating G20 efforts to fight the pandemic. Smt. Sitharaman emphasized that it is crucial to ensure that this action plan remains relevant and effective.
• The Finance Minister specifically referred to India’s comprehensive economic package to address recovery and growth amounting to over $295 Billion, about 10 per cent of India’s GDP.
• In the second session of the meeting, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed the developments on G20 Finance Track deliverables under the Saudi Arabian Presidency.
• Sitharaman particularly highlighted how India has successfully employed technology-based financial inclusion by harnessing the nationwide digital payment infrastructure that India has built in last five years, to make contactless cash transfers of over $10 billion into the bank accounts of 420 million people. She also referred to the swift measures to provide free food grain to over 800 million people for eight months till November 2020.

About G20:

• The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union (EU). Founded in 1999 with the aim to discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
• Chairman: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2020)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

HDFC Bank’s Aditya Puri highest paid banker for FY20 with Rs.18.92 cr in remuneration

• HDFC Bank Managing Director Aditya Puri has emerged as the highest paid banker among the top lenders for FY 2019-20, with a 38 per cent jump in salary and prerequisites to Rs.18.92 crore.
• The banker, who is set to retire in October this year on attaining the age of 70, had earned Rs.42.20 crore by exercising stock options in 2018-19.
• Second largest private sector lender ICICI Bank’s managing director and chief executive Sandeep Bakhshi’s gross earnings stood at Rs.6.31 crore in his first full year as the head of the lender.
• Axis Bank’s managing director and chief executive Amitabh Chaudhry was paid Rs.6.01 crore for FY20 as against Rs.1.27 crore for the last three months of FY19.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

AIIMS begins e-ICU video-consultation programme to reduce COVID-19 mortality

• In order to strengthen the Government of India’s efforts to reduce COVID-19 mortality, AIIMS, New Delhi has started a video-consultation programme with ICU doctors across the country called e-ICU.  The programme aims at holding case-management discussions among doctors who are at the frontline in treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals and COVID facilities around the country.
• Physicians who manage COVID-19 patients including those in the ICUs can raise queries, present their experience and share knowledge with other physicians and experts from AIIMS, New Delhi on this video platform. Forty three big hospitals in 11 states so far have been covered.
• The primary objective of these discussions is to reduce mortality from COVID-19 by learning from shared experience and strengthening best practices among hospitals. That 1,000 beds including isolation beds, oxygen supported and ICU beds in hospitals are covered under this programme.
• Each of these sessions conducted through video conference span nearly two hours. The discussions have covered the entire range of issues related to management of COVID-19 patients.

THSTI Faridabad develops synthetic peptide-based vaccine candidate targeting CoronaVirus

• Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad has developed a synthetic peptide-based vaccine candidate targeting CoronaVirus. The Institute has stated that the potential vaccine  targets the spike domain of the Virus to generate an immune response that could block the viral invasion.
• The multi-epitope based vaccine candidate was developed by stitching the desired peptides to produce the protein.
• This approach generates potential neutralizing antibodies and also reduces antibody-dependent pulmonary immune pathology. Synthetic peptides provide novel and affordable strategy not only in development of a potential COVID-19 Vaccine but also in production of anti-viral blocking agents.
• Department of Biotechnology has stated that this development can be of immense use in further production of affordable and low cost diagnostic kits for COVID.

About Translational Health Science and Technology Institute:

• Gagandeep Kang (Executive Director)
• Location: Faridabad, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

World Cup Winner Andre Schurrle Retires

• World Cup winner Andre Schurrle has confirmed his retirement at the age of just 29.
• Schurrle began his career with Mainz, and won club honours including the 2014-15 Premier League with Chelsea, and two DFB-Pokal titles – in 2015 with Wolfsburg and 2017 with Dortmund.
• His last international match for Germany was in March 2017, playing in a 4-1 victory against Azerbaijan in qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Hamilton takes the lead with eighth Hungarian GP win

• A masterful Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix in dominant style and for a record eighth time to wrest the Formula One championship lead from Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas.
• Max Verstappen took second for Red Bull, the Dutch youngster awarded ‘drive of the day’ after crashing on the way to the grid in early drama that had his mechanics scrambling to fix the damage before the start.
• Bottas, now five points behind Hamilton after three races, finished a close third after battling back from a botched start off the front row.
• Hamilton’s 86th career victory, from his 90th pole position and collecting a bonus point for fastest lap, left the six-times world champion five short of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 wins.
• The Briton also equalled Schumacher’s record of winning a grand prix eight times, something the Ferrari great achieved in France between 1994 and 2006.
• Hamilton, winner of the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria the weekend before, now has three wins in a row in Hungary, with the next two races on home soil at Silverstone.

Recently held grand prixs and winners:

• Austria : Valtteri Bottas ,MERCEDES
• Styria: Lewis Hamilton, MERCEDES
• Hungary: Lewis Hamilton, MERCEDES

Rahm wins PGA Memorial to seize World Number One ranking

• Jon Rahm became the first Spaniard since Seve Ballesteros in 1989 to hold golf’s world number one ranking, fending off a late challenge to win the US PGA Memorial tournament.
• Rahm holed out an amazing 31-foot chip shot at the par-3 16th and, despite a two-stroke penalty that turned it from a birdie to a bogey, took a three-stroke victory over American Ryan Palmer that boosted him over Rory McIlroy atop the rankings.
• Rahm was among the Spanish youth inspired by the feats of Ballesteros, a five-time major champion who died in 2011 at age 54 of brain cancer.
• Rahm, who won a US PGA event for the fourth year in a row, was given a two-stroke penalty after television slow-motion cameras showed his ball moved when he pushed down on the grass behind it shortly before his incredible chip, although it didn’t change the lie and was unperceptible to Rahm himself.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis passes away

• Civil Rights icon Congressman John Lewis passed away at the age of 80.
• He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history.
• He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America.

C.S. Seshadri, a leader of Indian mathematics, passes away

• S. Seshadri, one of the leaders of Indian mathematics in the post-Independence era, passed away. He was 88.
• He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988 and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, USA in 2010. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009.

Civil rights veteran Rev. C.T. Vivian passes away

• The Rev. T. Vivian, an early and key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality, passed away.
• Barack Obama, who honored Vivian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Filmmaker Rajat Mukherjee passes away

• Bollywood director Rajat Mukherjee passed away due to kidney-related issues.
• The filmmaker, known for directing films like Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya…, Love in Nepal, Road among others.
• Mukherjee also directed a crime drama TV series called Ishq Kills.

DAILY CA 18th JUL

• International Nelson Mandela Day observed on 18th July.
• Pakistan and China signed for the 700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches the revamped Scheme for PMs Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2020
• Bank of Maharashtra launches OD facility against fixed deposits
• NABARD sanctions ₹795 cr to re-construct infra damaged by cyclone in West Bengal
• UNICEF India announced its partnership with SAP India to provide career counselling to young people in India.
• Gabon Country appoints first woman prime minister Ossouka Raponda
• SAP appoints Kulmeet Bawa as new India MD
• RBI approves reappointment of Shyam Srinivasan as Federal Bank MD & CEO
• P Praveen Siddharth has been appointed as Private Secretary to the President of India Ramnath Kovind.
• Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford to receive honorary doctorate for campaigning against child poverty
• DCGI nod to first indigenous pneumonia vaccine
• IIM-Kozhikode startup develops wearable hand band to ensure social distancing
• KVIC opens footwear training centre for leather artisans in Delhi
• Pema Khandu releases book The Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically Endangered Group of Arunachal Pradesh”
• India Higherthan China in business, technology skills but lags in data science: Global Skills Index 2020
• Real Madrid clinch La Liga title for 34th time as Benzema scores brace in win against Villarreal
• Captain Sourabh Kalia Cup cancelled in Kargil due to COVID- 19
• Ace para-badminton player Ramesh Tikaram passes away

DAILY CA 19th  & 20th JUL

• 117th birthday Anniversary of Ex CM of Tamil Nadu state K Kamaraj, celebrated as Educational Development Day
• PM SVANidhi app launched to help street vendors apply for micro loans
• Income Tax Department rolls out new Form 26AS
• India establishes bilateral air bubbles with US, France and Germany
• Civil Aviation Ministry set up Investment Clearance Cell for assistance, clearance of proposals
• Govt to start e-campaign on Voluntary Income Tax Compliance
• Centre issues norms for 1-lakh crore Agri Infra Fund scheme
• One Nation One Ration Card scheme now enabled in 20 States/UTs
• UAE launches its first space mission to Mars from Japan
• Manish Sisodia inaugurates first electric vehicle charging station in East Delhi
• Chhattisgarh govt launches ‘Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana’ to combat malnutrition in state
• Researchers develop PROSIT app that tracks mental health by studying phone usage
• Prakash Javadekar hails KURMA mobile app towards conservation of Indian turtles
• Marianna Vardinoyannis & Morissana Kouyaté win 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize
• South Central Railway’s Ongole Sub-Division Office bags WATER HEROES AWARD from Jal Shakti Ministry
• Dubai-based Indian girl breaks world record in performing 100 yoga poses
• Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute adjudged the best research institute under ICAR
• India Business Council to host 2020 India Ideas Summit on July 22
• FM Sitharaman attends 3rd G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors Meeting
• HDFC Bank’s Aditya Puri highest paid banker for FY20 with Rs.18.92 cr in remuneration
• AIIMS begins e-ICU video-consultation programme to reduce COVID-19 mortality
• THSTI Faridabad develops synthetic peptide-based vaccine candidate targeting CoronaVirus
• World Cup Winner Andre Schurrle Retires
• Hamilton takes the lead with eighth Hungarian GP win
• Rahm wins PGA Memorial to seize World Number One ranking
• Civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis passes away
• S. Seshadri, a leader of Indian mathematics, passes away
• Civil rights veteran Rev. C.T. Vivian passes away
• Filmmaker Rajat Mukherjee passes away