Daily Current Affairs July 16 2022 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

National Rail and Transportation Institute upgraded as Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya:

• The National Rail and Transportation Institute has been transformed into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, becoming a major university.
• The institution now goes by the name Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
• The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which amends the Central Universities Act, 2009 to allow for the establishment of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), was approved by the Union Cabinet.
• The change would assist in making Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a Central University, out of the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a Deemed-to-be university.
• NRTI offers a BSc in transportation technology, a BBA in transportation management, and an MSc in railway system engineering and integration.

About the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya:

• The Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the transportation industry, which is strategically important for India’s economic development.
• The industry needs a consistent supply of experts and cutting-edge equipment.
• To assist the transport sector’s ambitious expansion and modernization, the university’s focus will be expanded beyond the railways to include the whole industry.

Department of Consumer Affairs sets up a committee to develop a comprehensive framework on the Right to Repair:

• The Department of Consumer Affairs has taken a big step toward creating a general framework for the Right to Repair to highlight the LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement through sustainable consumption.

Objective:

• The aim of developing a framework on right to repair in India is to empower consumers and product buyers in the local market, harmonize trade between the original equipment manufacturers and the third-party buyers and sellers and emphasize developing sustainable consumption of products and reduction in e-waste.
• Once it is rolled out in India, it will become a game-changer both for the sustainability of the products and as well as serve as a catalyst for employment generation through Aatmanirbhar Bharat by allowing third-party repairs.

About the committee:

• The Department in this regard has set up a committee which shall be chaired by Smt. Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.
• The committee includes Shri Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary DoCA, Justice Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal, former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Former President of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Punjab, Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Prof. Shri Ashok Patil, Chair of Consumer Law and Practice, and representatives from various stakeholders like ICEA, SIAM, Consumer Activists & Consumer Organizations as members.
• The committee held its first meeting on 13th July 2022 wherein important sectors for the right to repair were identified.
• The sectors identified include Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables, and Automobiles/Automobile Equipment.

Cabinet approves Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line to provide connectivity and improve mobility:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the construction of the Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road new rail line to be constructed by the Ministry of Railways at an estimated cost of Rs.2798.16 crore.
• The total length of the new rail line will be 116 km.
• The project will be completed by 2026-27.
• The project will generate direct employment during construction for about 40 lakh man days.
• In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India, the project is going to enhance connectivity and improve mobility leading to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

Key points:

• Ambaji is a famous important pilgrimage destination and is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in India and attracts millions of devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad every year.
• This railway new line between Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road will connect these two important religious sports with the railway’s main network.
• This line will facilitate faster movement of agricultural and local products and also provide improved mobility of the people in the region within the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan and also to other parts of the country.
• This project will also provide an alternative route for the existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road railway line.
• The alignment of the proposed doubling will traverse through the Sirohi district of Rajasthan and the Banaskantha and Mahesana districts of Gujarat.
• The construction of a new rail line will attract investment and lead to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

Executive Committee of NMCG Approves Industrial and Sewerage Pollution Abatement Projects:

• The 43rd meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was held under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.
• Projects about industrial and sewerage pollution abatement through new technologies, afforestation, development of Kalindi Kunj ghat landscape, were approved in the EC meeting at an estimated cost of around Rs. 38 crores.

About the Project:

• A project titled, ‘Afforestation Programmes in States of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal 2022-23’ was approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 10.30 crores including plantation, maintenance, capacity building, and training and awareness in the two main stem Ganga basin states.
• The intervention is aimed at improving forest cover, enhancing forest diversity and productivity, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land and ecosystem management for the better flow of ecosystem services, sustainable livelihood, and overall conservation of Ganga Riverscape.
• The ‘in-principle’ approval was also accorded to the development of the landscape of Kalindi Kunj ghat that would include the creation of eco-friendly seating, waste bins, shades, and plantation with one of the aims to facilitate people-river connect.
• For industrial pollution abatement, a pilot project for the installation and commissioning of an electrochemical technology-based modular effluent treatment plant of 100 KLD capacity has been approved at the estimated cost of about Rs. 77 lakhs.
• The project will treat the discharged water from some textile industries in Mathura for River Yamuna.
• The project is aimed at reducing wastewater discharge (pollution and chemical load as well) through the adoption of eco-friendly and green technologies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Croatia to become the 20th country to adopt the euro as currency from 2023

• Croatia will become the 20th country to adopt the euro as currency from Jan 01, 2023, replacing the Croatian kuna.
• European Union finance ministers have given Croatia the final approval to adopt the euro single currency.
• As per the European Central bank, the conversion rate has been set at 53450 Croatian kuna per euro.
• The changes come as the euro’s exchange rate very briefly touched $1 for the first time in 20 years.
• Lithuania was the 19th EU member to adopt the euro as currency in 2015

About Croatia :

• President : Zoran Milanović
• Prime Minister : Andrej Plenković
• Capital : Zagreb

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Agritech startup nurture. farm partners with SBI General Insurance & Future Generali to enhance insurance offerings to farmers 

• Agri-tech startup nurture. farm partnered with SBI General Insurance and Future Generali India Insurance Company to expand its insurance solutions for its 1.9 million farmers.

Aim :

• To offer insurance solutions to nearly 2 million farmers in 2022-23

About nurture.farm :

• Founded: 2020
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
• the farm is an open digital platform for growers, farming communities, and food systems.
• It intends to offer remote sensing-based farm-level insurance to farmers, which is one of the missing links in increasing farmer resilience in India.
• Recently, Nurture. the farm received a corporate agency license from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) & the license enables nurture. farm to help farmers access innovative insurance solutions at cost-effective price points.

About SBI General Insurance :

• Founded: 2009
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Paritosh Tripathi
• Tagline: Suraksha aur Bharosa dono

HDFC Bank Partners With NIIT to Train and Hire Data Engineers

• National Institute of Information Technology, Institute of Finance, Banking and Insurance (IFBI), a subsidiary of NIIT Limited, has entered into a strategic partnership with HDFC Bank to build new-age Digital Talent for the banking industry.

Aim :

• To nurture talent in the new-age tech field of data science and empower them to leverage data meaningfully and deliver useful business insights.
• The learning programs will be delivered through live, instructor-led sessions, and guest lectures from senior executives of HDFC Bank.
• The first learning program to be launched is the HDFC Bank Data Digits-Post Graduate Program in Data Engineering.
• The program is the first of planned initiatives to raise digital skills in the BFSI industry.
• It will make learners job ready in 12 weeks.
• Through this program, the HDFC bank hopes to hire close to 100 data scientists per year.

About HDFC Bank :

• Founded: August 1994
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra India
• MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Tagline: We Understand Your World

Jubilant Pharma arm to raise $400 million loan from Standard Chartered Bank to repay debt

• Jubilant Pharma Holdings Inc (JPHI) has signed an agreement with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) for a five-year loan of USD 400 million, about Rs 3,186 crore.
• The majority of the amount will be used for the repayment of existing term loans and debt bonds.
• While the term loan and bonds aggregate to $350 million, about Rs 2,787 crore, the company is raising another tranche of $50 million (about Rs 400 crore) for capital expenditure.

About JPHI :

• Jubilant Pharma Limited’s wholly-owned subsidiary Jubilant Pharma Limited.

About SCB :

• Founded: 18 November 1969
• Headquarters: London England, UK
• Group Chief Executive: Bill Winters

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Infosys to acquire BASE life science for €110 million

• Infosys Ltd signed a definitive agreement to acquire BASE life science, leading technology and consulting firm in the life sciences industry, for up to €110 million (about $111 million).
• The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of FY23.

About the acquisition :

• The acquisition reaffirms the firm’s commitment to helping global life sciences companies realize business value from cloud-first digital platforms and data, to speed up clinical trials and scale drug development.
• Together with Infosys, BASE is expected to further expand its portfolio of expertise into Consumer Health, Animal Health, MedTech, and Genomics segments. 
• BASE collaborates with leading software technology providers in the life sciences industry such as Veeva, IQVIA, and

About Infosys Ltd :

• Founded: 2 July 1981
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman : Nandan Nilekani
• MD & CEO: Salil Parekh
• President: Ravi Kumar S
• Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational information technology company.

About BASE life science :

• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Denmark
• CEO: Martin Woergaard

The BASE has about 200 multidisciplinary industry experts across Denmark, Switzerland, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and a nearshore technology hub in Spain

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Wholesale inflation falls slightly in June to 15.18 percent:

• According to the all-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the annual rate of inflation for June is 15.18%, a slight decrease from May when it was 15.88%.
• The most recent number defied a three-month upward trend while continuing a 15-month streak of double-digit growth.
• Since April of last year, the numbers have been in the double digits.

Key Points:

• The increase in prices of mineral oils, food items, crude oil and natural gas, basic metals, chemicals, and chemical products, food goods, etc. in June relative to the same month the year before is the main cause of the high rate of inflation.
• The index for the category “Fuel and Power” went from 154.4 percent in May 2022 to 155.4 percent in June 2022, an increase of 0.65 percent.
• Mineral oil prices rose by 0.98 percent in June 2022 compared to May.
• From 176.1 in May 2022 to 178.4 in June 2022, the Food Index, which includes “Food Articles” from the Primary Articles group and “Food Product” from the Manufactured Products group, has grown.
• Based on the WPI Food Index, the inflation rate climbed from 10.89% in May to 12.41% in June.

List of Wholesale Price Index:

2022	CPI
January	12.96%
February	13.11%
March	14.55%
April	15.08%
May	15.88%
June	15.18%

Nasscom joins hand with Google for DigiVaani Call Center:

• To assist women farmers in growing their businesses, the Nasscom Foundation and Google have announced the opening of a contact center in partnership with the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP), a non-profit organization.
• The “DigiVaani Call Center” initiative is being launched as a trial and would initially serve over 20,000 rural women entrepreneurs across six states: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

About the DigiVaani:

• Rural women entrepreneurs will be able to phone DigiVaani and acquire information about the many programs that are accessible to them that may help them grow up their businesses, whether they are government programs or any other information that might be helpful for them.
• At the ISAP headquarters in Delhi and Lucknow, a DigiVaani contact center has been established.
• Through its charitable arm Google.org, Google is providing funding for the initiative.

About Google

• CEO: Sundar Pichai
• Founded: 4 September 1998
• Headquarters: California, United States

About NASSCOM

• Chairperson: Krishnan Ramanujam
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: 1 March 1988.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

PM Narendra Modi attends first virtual I2U2 summit:

• The inaugural virtual I2U2 Summit was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• The I2U2 is a four-nation alliance, with “I” standing for India and Israel and “U” for the US and the UAE.
• Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, US President Joe Biden, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were there with PM Modi.

Key Points:

• The food security crisis and sustainable energy were the primary topics of discussion during the virtual gathering.
• To combat food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced a USD 2 billion commitment to build several integrated food parks across India.
• The idea for this I2U2 alliance came up during the meeting of the four nations’ foreign ministers on October 18, 2021.
• To address difficulties, I2U2 will bring together nations, governments, and the corporate sector.
• For the construction of “food parks” around the nation in partnership with Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, India would supply “suitable land.”
• The I2U2 Group also declared that it will support a “hybrid renewable energy project” in Gujarat, consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity.
• The project is expected to be another step in India’s quest for “500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND ORDERS

Ahmedabad & Kerala features in TIME Magazine’s The World’s Greatest Places of 2022:

• Two sites in India have been included in TIME Magazine’s list of “50 remarkable spots to discover” for this year.
• Two Indian locations made the list of the top places in the world in 2022: Kerala, a state in the south, and Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat.

Key Points:

• Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates; Park City, Utah; Seoul; the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; the Arctic; Valencia, Spain; the Trans Bhutan Trail, Bhutan; the International Space Station; Bogota; the Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia; Istanbul; and Kigali, Rwanda are also on the list.
• The World’s Greatest Places list is created by TIME Magazine’s global network of journalists and contributors, “with an eye on those delivering unique and thrilling experiences,” according to the publication.

About Kerala:

• One of India’s most beautiful states in Kerala.
• It is referred to as “God’s land” with good reason because of its magnificent beaches, verdant backwaters, temples, and palaces, according to TIME Magazine.

About Ahmedabad:

• As India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad “boasts both ancient landmarks and contemporary innovations that make it a mecca for cultural tourism, from the tranquil Gandhi Ashram that sits on 36 acres on the banks of the Sabarmati River to Navratri, a vibrant nine-day celebration billed as the longest dance festival in the world,” according to TIME Magazine.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mr. Mustafizur Rahman appointed as Bangladesh’s next High Commissioner to India

• The Bangladesh Government has appointed Mustafizur Rahman as the next High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India.
• He will be replacing Muhammad Imran.
• Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has appointed Mr. Muhammad Imran as the next ambassador to the US.

About Mr. Mustafizur Rahman :

• Rahman is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 11th batch of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.
• In his diplomatic career, he has served in various capacities in Bangladesh Missions in Paris, New York, Geneva, and Kolkata.
• He has served as the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore.
• He occupied various positions primarily in the United Nations Wing.
• Currently, Mr. Mustafizur Rahman is serving as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Offices in Geneva and the Ambassador to Switzerland.

About Mr. Muhammad Imran :

• Imran is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 1986 batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.
• He has served as the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata and Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

FSIB recommends former Union Bank of India MD Mr. Rajkiran Rai for the post of NaBFID MD

• The  Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended G Rajkiran Rai for the position of Managing Director at the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID).
• This is the first selection made by the FSIB following its incorporation on July 1, 2022.
• Earlier in 2022, the Government had infused ₹ 20,000 crores into NaBFID.

About Mr G Rajkiran Rai :

• Rai was appointed as the managing director & CEO of Union Bank of India on July 1, 2017, for 3 years until June 30, 2020.
• He was then handed a two-year extension till his date of superannuation in May 2022.

About FSIB :

• Established: July 1, 2022
• Chairman : Bhanu Pratap Sharma
• The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was revamped into FSIB with certain amendments in its mandate.
• The FSIB will make recommendations for appointments of full-time directors as well as the non-executive chairman of banks and financial institutions.

About NaBFID :

• NBFID is being set up as a corporate body with an authorized share capital of one lakh crore rupees.  
• Shares of NBFID may be held by the central government, multilateral institutions, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurers, financial institutions, banks, and any other institution prescribed by the central government.
• Initially, the central government will own 100% shares of the institution which may subsequently be reduced up to 26%.
• According to the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Act 2021, the institution will have one MD and not more than three DMDs.
• Chairman: KV Kamath

Eureka Forbes names Mr. Pratik Pota as MD & CEO for 5 yrs

• Global private equity investor Advent International has appointed Pratik Pota as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of consumer durables maker Eureka Forbes.
• He will join Eureka Forbes as MD & CEO on August 16, 2022.

Roles & Responsibilities :

• He will lead the management team to continue scaling the business, solidifying Eureka Forbes’ market leadership position, and delivering innovative products for a growing customer base.

About Mr. Pratik Pota :

• Pratik Pota served as the CEO at Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (JFL)
• Before JFL, he held leadership roles in PepsiCo, Airtel, and Hindustan Unilever Ltd in a career spanning more than 30 years.

Note :

• Managing Director of Advent : Sahil Dalal

About Eureka Forbes :

• Founded: 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Eureka Forbes Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company.
• It is a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
• It provides water purification, devices, vacuum cleaners, air purification systems, and home security products.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

The US successfully tests pair of Lockheed hypersonic missiles

• The United States successfully tested two Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles amid growing concerns Russia and China have had more success developing their hypersonic weapons.

About the 2 Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles :

Missile 1 :

• The U.S. Air Force confirmed it successfully tested its Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) booster off the California coast.
• The booster was carried into the air under the wing of a B-52H before it was launched.
• Hypersonic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound or about 6,200 km (3,853 miles) per hour.

Missile 2 :

• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) successfully carried out the first test of its Operational Fires hypersonic weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
• One of Lockheed Martin’s concepts for the DARPA weapon is to use an exciting High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher.
• Notably, Operational Fire is a ground-launched system. 
• It can precisely engage critical, time-sensitive targets and can penetrate modern air defenses of the enemy.
• In 2022, DARPA received USD 45 million for OpFires tests.

About the US :

• President: Joe Biden
• Capital: Washington, D.C
• Currency: U.S. dollar

About Lockheed Martin Corporation :

• Founded: March 15, 1995
• Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, U.S
• Chairman, President, and CEO: James D. Taiclet

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

BITS Pilani Hyderabad incubator supports India’s first reusable rocket start-up

• The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at BITS Pilani’s Hyderabad campus has incubated Abyom, a start-up that is working on India’s first reusable rocket.
• Abyom, recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), is working on building a liquid propulsion rocket engine and testing system for use on space launch vehicles.
• The technology will be used to create India’s first reusable sounding rocket which will benefit areas such as meteorology and agri-tech data.
• It can also be used to conduct experiments in the atmosphere.
• The campus has good infrastructure, which includes additive manufacturing, high-performance computing for simulation, a petrochemical lab, and a remote engineering lab.

Note :

• Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Abyom : Jainul Abedin
• DPIIT is a central government department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India.

Samsung develops the world’s fastest graphics DRAM chip

• Samsung has developed a new graphic dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip with a faster speed and improved power efficiency.
• The 24-gigabit Graphics Double Data Rate 6 (GDDR6) adopts third-generation, 10-nanometer technology and boasts a data processing speed that is over 30 percent faster than existing products.
• The new DRAM chip can process graphic images at a rate of up to 1 terabytes per second, which Samsung claims is the fastest in the world and equivalent to processing 275 full HD movies in a second.
• Graphics DRAMs are widely used in high-powered 3D games, personal computers, notebooks, or devices that play videos with a high resolution.
• It is also expected to be used in high-performance computing, electric cars, and autonomous vehicles.

About Samsung :

• Founded: 13 January 1969
• Headquarters: Suwon, South Korea
• President & CEO : Kim Hyun-Suk
• Chairman & Independent Director: Bahk Jae-Wan

Agnikul Cosmos inaugurates India’s First Facility for 3D Printed Rocket Engines

• Indian space-tech start-up Agnikul opened its Rocket Factory-1, India’s first-ever rocket facility dedicated to 3D printed space engines at scale.
• N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, and Mr. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, inaugurated the unit at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Madras Research Park.
• The IIT Madras Research Park, India’s first university-based research park, is a non-profit organization sponsored by IIT Madras.
• The facility encourages businesses to establish Research & Development R&D facilities in the Research Park.

About Rocket Factory-1 :

• Agnikul’s Rocket Factory-1 houses an EOS M400-4 metal 3D printer, as well as a slew of other machines, allowing for the end-to-end production of a rocket engine under one roof.
• The factory is designed to produce two rocket engines per week.

Note :

• Agnibaan is a two-stage launch vehicle that can carry up to 100 kg of payload to orbits 700 km high (low Earth orbits) and supports a plug-and-play configuration.
• Agnilet is the world’s first single-piece 3D printed rocket engine, designed and manufactured entirely in India.

About Agnikul Cosmos :

• Founded: 2017
• Headquarters:  IIT Madras, Chennai, India
• CEO: Srinath Ravichandran
• AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in the National Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai

DCGI approves India’s first qHPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer

• India’s first indigenous Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer gets the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) approval for market authorization, launched by the end of 2022.
• The vaccine will be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
• It is for the first time, that there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women that is both affordable and accessible.
• Earlier On June 15, the DCGI’s Subject Expert Committee recommended Serum Institute’s indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine for cervical cancer patients above 9 years to 26 years of age.  

Note :

• Cervical cancer in India ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.
• Every year, 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 67,477 die from the disease.

Recent News :

• The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recently also approved the qHPV after reviewing the clinical trial data of the vaccine.

About DCGI :

• DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the GoI.
• It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India

About SII :

• Founded: 1966
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India
• CEO: Adar Poonawalla
• Chairman & MD: Cyrus S. Poonawalla

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Birmingham World Games 2022: Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam win bronze in archery:

• At the World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma, the Asian Games gold and bronze medalists in archery, respectively, won bronze.
• In the bronze medal match, the Indian archery team defeated Mexico’s Andrea and Miguel Becerra 157-156.
• At the Archery World Cup in Paris, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma won gold.

Key points:

• At the first set’s conclusion, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma had a 40-39 advantage.
• Thanks to a comeback by Andrea Becerra and Miguel Becerra, who took home the bronze medal at the World Championships, the match was knotted 78-78 in the second set.
• In the third set, the Indian team again took the lead, and they struck four tens in the pivotal set to win it by a narrow margin.
• Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam lost to Colombia’s Daniel Munoz and women’s world No. 1 Sara Lopez 159-157 after overcoming New Zealand 156-155 in the eighth round.

Rohit Sharma sets a world record and becomes the first captain to win 13 straight T20I matches:

• India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, made cricket history by becoming the first captain to win 13 straight T20Is.
• Rohit achieved this in Southampton’s first Twenty20 encounter in a three-match series against England.
• After taking over as captain from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma guided the Men in Blue to victory against New Zealand, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and now England.

Key Points:

• India’s score in the first innings increased to 198/8 because of Hardik Pandya’s all-around performance.
• Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rohit Sharma each added 24 runs, 39 runs, and 33 runs.
• For England, Topley, Tymal Mills, and Parkinson each took one wicket, while Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan each took two.
• Arshdeep Singh, a young spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, and one each from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel brought an end to the English innings at 148.
• Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan were the top two hitters, scoring 36 and 26* runs respectively.

India bagged 22 medals in Asian U-20 Wrestling Championships in Manama, Bahrain:

• As many as 22 medals were eventually won by Indian wrestlers at the U20 Asian Wrestling Championships in Manama, Bahrain.
• The brilliant group of grapplers put on a solid performance and put up a good battle against deserving rivals from Iran and Kazakhstan, among other powerful nations, winning 4 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 9 bronze medals.
• The Indian team placed second in both the men’s and women’s wrestling competitions, and seventh in the men’s Greco-Roman competition.

Indian medallists from the U20 Asian Wrestling Championships:

• Gold: Priyanka (65kg), Aainrju (68kg), Antim (53kg), Sujeet (65kg)
• Silver: Sweety (50kg), Reena (55kg), Bipasha (72kg), Priya (76kg), Mulaym Yadav (70kg), Ashish (97kg), Mohit Kumar (61kg), Jaideep (74kg), Mahendran Gaikwad (125kg)
• Bronze: Sito (57kg), Tanu (59kg), Sarika (62kg), Aman (57kg), Deepak (79kg), Jointly Kumar (86kg), Akash (92kg), Rohit Dahiya (82kg), Ankit Gulia (67kg)

Mohammed Shami becomes fastest Indian bowler to take 150 ODI wickets:

• In the opening ODI between India and England at the Kennington Oval, Mohammed Shami became the Indian bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets the quickest.
• To get 150 ODI victories, the seamer needs 80 games.
• With his second wicket of the game, Shami accomplished the feat.
• Shami is the third-fastest overall with 150 ODI wickets.
• Along with Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, Shami surpassed the milestone of 150 ODI wickets in the third-fastest time ever.
• Mitchell Starc of Australia (77 matches) and Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan (78 matches) are the two bowlers who have accumulated 150 ODI wickets the fastest.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

Dr. S Jaishankar launches ‘Connecting through Culture’ at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Delhi:

• At Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi, India, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar released “Connecting through Culture,” an anthology of essays on many facets of India’s soft power strengths.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will be the Guest of Honour at this function to be held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in the national capital.
• Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President ICCR, and Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of the IGNCA have jointly edited this book which contains a total of 23 articles.
• In terms of diplomacy, the Minister referred to the book as the “good cop” and suggested that it may be used to persuade countries to cooperate with India since “it builds a comfort about India.”
• It gives out the knowledge of many features of India by taking distinct characteristics of India.
• The anthology makes a significant contribution to understanding, respecting, and generally valuing India in many different ways.

Himachal Governor Rajendra Vishwanath unveils book ‘The McMahon line’:

• A book titled “The McMahon line: A century of strife” was released by the governor of Himachal Pradesh, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
• The book was written by General JJ Singh (Retd), a former Chief of Army Staff and former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (CoAS).
• General JJ Singh’s experiences and study on the India-China boundary issue are the foundation of the book.
• There was also a screening of a short movie about the McMahon line.
• This is the second book that he wrote.

About the book:

• General JJ Singh (Retd) had written down his expertise, research, and experience, which could be useful.
• A book about a touchy subject was authored by General JJ Singh (Retd).
• The politics, history, organization, and geography of the McMahon line were highlighted in the book.
• The book unearthed numerous fascinating details that were still applicable to the current diplomatic talks.
• The book was based on six years of study and research on the India-China boundary issue, according to General JJ Singh (Retd).
• He gave a thorough explanation of the book’s principal points.

Daily CA on July 16:

• The National Rail and Transportation Institute has been transformed into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, becoming a major university.
• The Department of Consumer Affairs has taken a big step toward creating a general framework for the Right to Repair to highlight the LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement through sustainable consumption.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the construction of the Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road new rail line to be constructed by the Ministry of Railways at an estimated cost of Rs.2798.16 crore.
• The 43rd meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was held under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.
• According to the all-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the annual rate of inflation for June is 15.18%, a slight decrease from May when it was 15.88%.
• To assist women farmers in growing their businesses, the Nasscom Foundation and Google have announced the opening of a contact center in partnership with the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP), a non-profit organization.
• The inaugural virtual I2U2 Summit was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• Two sites in India have been included in TIME Magazine’s list of “50 remarkable spots to discover” for this year.
• At the World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma, the Asian Games gold and bronze medalists in archery, respectively, won bronze.
• India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, made cricket history by becoming the first captain to win 13 straight T20Is.
• As many as 22 medals were eventually won by Indian wrestlers at the U20 Asian Wrestling Championships in Manama, Bahrain.
• In the opening ODI between India and England at the Kennington Oval, Mohammed Shami became the Indian bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets the quickest.
• At Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi, India, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar released “Connecting through Culture,” an anthology of essays on many facets of India’s soft power strengths.
• A book titled “The McMahon line: A century of strife” was released by the governor of Himachal Pradesh, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
• Croatia will become the 20th country to adopt the euro as currency from Jan 01, 2023, replacing the Croatian kuna.
• Agri-tech startup nurture. farm partnered with SBI General Insurance and Future Generali India Insurance Company to expand its insurance solutions for its 1.9 million farmers.
• National Institute of Information Technology, Institute of Finance, Banking and Insurance (IFBI), a subsidiary of NIIT Limited, has entered into a strategic partnership with HDFC Bank to build new-age Digital Talent for the banking industry.
• Jubilant Pharma Holdings Inc (JPHI) has signed an agreement with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) for a five-year loan of USD 400 million, about Rs 3,186 crore.
• Infosys Ltd signed a definitive agreement to acquire BASE life science, leading technology and consulting firm in the life sciences industry, for up to €110 million (about $111 million).
• The Bangladesh Government has appointed Mustafizur Rahman as the next High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India & he will be replacing Mr. Muhammad Imran.
• The  Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended G Rajkiran Rai for the position of Managing Director at the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID).
• Global private equity investor Advent International has appointed Pratik Pota as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of consumer durables maker Eureka Forbes.
• The United States successfully tested two Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles amid growing concerns Russia and China have had more success developing their hypersonic weapons.
• The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at BITS Pilani’s Hyderabad campus has incubated Abyom, a start-up that is working on India’s first reusable rocket.
• Samsung has developed a new graphics dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip with a faster speed and improved power efficiency.
• Indian space-tech start-up Agnikul opened its Rocket Factory-1, India’s first-ever rocket facility dedicated to 3D printed space engines at scale.
• India’s first indigenous Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer gets the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) approval for market authorization, launched by the end of 2022.