Current Affairs 29th July 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem

• The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, adopted by the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015 and celebrated annually on 26 July.
• It aims to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem” and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.

International Tiger Day

• Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
• The aim to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and raise awareness among people on why tiger conservation must be supported.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Centre to convert ravines of Chambal region into arable land with World Bank help

• The Centre, in collaboration with the World Bank, has decided to convert monumental dwelling of ravines in Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into arable land.
• The decision was made through a virtual meeting with Adarsh Kumar, representative of the World Bank and Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Around 3 lakh hectares land of this region are non-cultivable, this conversion will improve and support the integrated development of the Bihad area in the region of Gwalior-Chambal.

About World Bank

• President– David Robert Malpass
• Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States

About MoAFW

• Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development: Narendra Singh Tomar
• Constituency: Morena, Madhya Pradesh

Govt notifies changes in FDI norms on civil aviation; permits NRIs to own 100% stake of Air India

• The government has notified changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms on civil aviation. It will permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 per cent stake of Air India.
• Last month, the government for the third time extended the deadline to bid for Air India. The deadline was extended by two months till August 31st. The divestment process for the national carrier was initiated on January 27th

About Air India:

• Headquarters: Delhi, India
• Chairman & MD: Rajiv Bansal

HRD Minister launches India Report on Digital Education, 2020

• Human Resources and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched India Report on Digital Education, 2020. The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and Union Territories for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps. School Education is envisaged as a comprehensive and convergent programme committed to universalize digital education across the wide spectrum of schools from pre-nursery to higher secondary classes.
• The quality digital education has acquired a new urgency in the present context of globalization. The Ministry stated, it has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning like DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha TV Channel, On Air – Shiksha Vani, e-PathShala and telecast through TV channels.
• To ensure inclusive learning in remote areas where internet connectivity and electricity is poor, States and UTs have also distributed textbooks at children’s doorsteps. Digital education initiatives are also enabling enhanced support for students preparing for competitive exams.

About Ministry of Human Resource Development:

• Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Haridwar
• Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

India, Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held in New Delhi

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation while the Indonesian delegation was led by their Defence Minister General Prabowo Subianto. Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between India and Indonesia was held in New Delhi.
• The dignitary is in India for strengthening the ties between the two maritime neighbours.
• During the talks, Mr Rajnath Singh reiterated the long history of mutually beneficial interactions between the two countries with a tradition of close political dialogue, economic and trade linkages as well as cultural and people to people interactions.
• Conveying satisfaction on the military to military interactions, the Minister indicated that the defence cooperation between India and Indonesia has witnessed an upswing in the recent years.

About Ministry Of  Defence:  

• Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence
• Constituency: Lucknow
• Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Defence

About Indonesia:

• President: Joko Widodo
• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian rupiah

India and EU renew Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for next 5 yrs till 2025

• India and European Union have renewed its Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the next five years till 2025.
• This will expand the cooperation in scientific and technological research and strengthen the conduct of cooperative activities in areas of common interest and application of the results of such cooperation to their economic and social benefit.
• The Agreement was initially signed on 23rd November in 2001 and renewed two times in 2007 and 2015.
• In the last five years, the level of co-investment on India-EU Research Technology Development Projects for addressing societal challenges such as affordable health care, water, energy, food and nutrition. The cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean energy, bio-economy, health, and ICT.

About European Union:

• President of the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

SBI providing USD 16 million liquidity support for local businesses in Maldives

• The State Bank of India (SBI) is providing liquidity support of USD 16.20 million for local businesses and deferred loan repayment for over 200 retail accounts
• ‘India First’ policy of Maldives and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship.
• Assistance of USD 400 million through an extended currency swap arrangement has been made available already to tide over liquidity shortage.

About SBI

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 July 1955

About Maldives

• Capital: Male
• Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
• President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Bharti AXA General Insurance Launches ‘Bohot Zaroori Hai’ Campaign For Farmers

• Bharti AXA General Insurance, one of the world’s largest insurance companies, has launched its crop insurance campaign – ‘Bohot Zaroori Hai’ – for farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka to encourage them about their yield protection and financial security.
• The company has secured the mandate to insure Rs 800 crore worth insurance to the farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka for a period of three years under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), which provides them protection for the losses occurring owing to uncertainty and unfavourable weather vagaries resulting in yield deprivation on the field.
• The campaign ‘Bohot Zaroori Hai’ is aimed at making the farming communities aware about the relevance and significance of crop insurance that mitigates the rural distress caused by crop failure or damage due to factors like unseasonal rains, monsoon failure, storms, floods, pests and diseases.

About Bharti AXA General Insurance

• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director– Sanjeev Srinivasan

Current Affairs 28th July 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

82nd CRPF Raising Day

• CRPF Raising Day is celebrated every year on July 27th.
• It came into existence as the Crown Representative’s Police on 27 July 1939.
• After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPFAct on 28 December 1949.

World Hepatitis Day

• World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• This year’s theme is “Hepatitis-free future,” with a strong focus on preventing hepatitis B among mothers and newborns.

World Nature Conservation Day

• World Nature Conservation Day is observed on July 28 every year to raise awareness about conserving nature
• The aim of marking the World Nature Conservation Day is to save our trees, water and other resources.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Deadline For Mandatory Hallmarking Of Gold Jewellery Extended Till June 1 Next Year

• The government has extended deadline for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts by over four months till June 1, 2021, in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
• Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal and is voluntary in nature at present. The Centre, in November last year, had announced that hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts would be made mandatory across the country from Jan. 15, 2021.
• From June 1 next year, jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carats of gold.

Government launched four schemes for setting up of Bulk Drugs & Medical Devices Parks

• Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Sadananda Gowda launched four schemes of Department of Pharmaceuticals for promotion of domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and medical devices parks in the country.
• The government has approved four schemes, two each for Bulk Drugs and Medical Devices parks.
• This opens the door for critical API production and manufacturing of high end medical devices.

About MoCF
Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers	D. V. Sadananda Gowda
Constituency	Puttur, Karnataka

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

India hands over 10 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh

• India handed over 10 broad-gauge (BG) locomotives to Bangladesh, aiming to help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in the neighbouring country.
• The locomotives were flagged off virtually by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and were received by Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan.
• The 10 locomotives handed over and are designed for a speed of 120 mph, and are suitable for hauling freight and passenger trains.

About Bangladesh
Capital	Dhaka
Currency	Bangladeshi taka

IMF approves $4.3 bn to South Africa in biggest COVID-19 loan

• The IMF has decided to grant South Africa $4.3 billion in emergency funding, the largest amount given to any country yet to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
• The funds “support the authorities’ efforts in addressing the challenging health situation and economic impact of the COVID-19 shock”.
• South Africa is the worst-hit country in the continent with over 4,50,000 cases.

About IMF
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., United States
Managing Director	Kristalina Georgieva
Chief Economist	Gita Gopinath
Membership Countries	189 countries

 

About South Africa
Capital	Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
Currency	South African rand
President	Cyril Ramaphosa

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Road In Lucknow Named After Former MP Governor Lalji Tandon

• The Lucknow Municipal Corporation named a road and a crossing in the city after former Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon.
• The Chauk Chauraha will now be known as Lalji Tandon Chauraha and the Lucknow-Hardoi Road will be known as Tandon Marg.
• The former MP Governor Tandon had started his political career when he became a councillor in Lucknow.
• Earlier, the Hazratganj Chauraha in Lucknow was renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee after his death in 2018.

About Uttar Pradesh
Capital	Lucknow
Chief minister	Yogi Adityanath
Governor	Anandiben Patel

Tata AIA Life Insurance launches express claims service that promises payouts in 4 hours

• Private sector Tata AIA Life Insurance has announced a new facility that promises to process life insurance claim pay-outs within four hours of registering them.

About express claims service

• Tata AIA Life’s Express Claims within four hours is the fastest claims pay-out by any life insurer in the country.
• Additionally, the insurer’s representatives offer customers services at their doorstep and assist with the necessary documentation so that the nominees do not need to visit the Tata AIA Life branch to register their claim.

Current Affairs 26th & 27th July 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World IVF Day

• World IVF Day, observed on July 25, symbolises the essence and significance of the In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technique in infertility treatment.
• To mark the greatest innovation in the field of reproductive medicine thisday, is celebrated as the World IVF day every year.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

• India is observing Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26th to commemorate its victory over Pakistan in the high-altitude conflict in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kargil district and along the Line of Control (LoC) and pay tributes to soldiers who lost their lives more than two decades ago.
• On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army had announced the successful culmination of “Operation Vijay”, declaring victory after the nearly three-month-long battles in the icy heights of Kargil. The country lost more than 500 soldiers in the war.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Indian Railways constructing world’s first electrified tunnel to run double-stack containers

• Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) has recently conducted a tunnel-breaking ceremony was held on the completion of caving work for the one-kilometre long tunnel of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) through Aravalli mountain range, near Sohna in
• The tunnel connects Mewat & Gurugram district of Haryana and negotiates a steep gradient on the uphill and downhill slope of the Aravalli range.

About Tunnel:

• The D-shaped tunnel has a cross-sectional area of 150 square metres to accommodate double line with higher OHE (Over Head Equipment) to enable double stack container movement on WDFC.
• This will be the world’s first electrified rail tunnel fit to run double-stack containers. The last blasting of the tunnel, which is situated on the Rewari-Dadri section. This work has been completed in less than a year’s time.
• Double line electrified track for double stacks train movement, the dimension of tunnel 14.5 meter and 10.5 meter height in straight portion and 15 meter wide and 12.5 mtr. Height meter to provide extra clearance while negotiating the curve.

About Indian Railways

• Chairman: Vinod Kumar Yadav
• Headquarters: New Delhi

29 animal reported dead at Kaziranga National Park, Tiger Reserve

• A total of 129 animal casualties have been reported at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Bokakhat here due to drowning and other reasons.
• The animals which have been rescued include 14 rhinos, five wild buffaloes, eight wild boars, two swamp deer, 95 hog deer, a sambar, three porcupines, and a Python.

About Kaziranga National Park

• The park is located on the banks of river Brahmaputra, and covers two districts of Nagaon and Golaghat in Assam
• Kaziranga National Park in Assam is the world’s largest habitat for the great one-horned rhinos.
• It is India’s biggest bio-diversity treasure, and a UNESCO’s world heritage site 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Assam government deploys drone and anti-depredation quick response vehicle to guard forest areas

• Assam deployed a Surveillance Quadcopter (Drone) and an anti-depredation quick response vehicle.
• The inauguration of the vehicle an intensified 24X7 surveillance would be made possible over the forest cover of the state helping to rein in the increasing incidents of human-animal conflict.
• Under this new initiative, the Forest Department introduces three numbers of Special Surveillance Quadcopter and an Antidepradation Quick Response Vehicle in the state.

About Quadcopter (Drone)

• This surveillance drone would be able to narrow-cast any purported movement of the poachers and would delve a blow to poaching in the national parks, wild life sanctuaries and other reserve forests.

About Assam

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

J-K Announces Launch Of ‘Macadamisation Program’ For Improvement Of Roads

• Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu announced the launch of a ‘Macadamisation Program’ for the improvement of roads across Jammu and Kashmir.
• Murmu has approved a program for 100 percent macadamisation of all roads in the Union Territory including 11,000 km of fair-weather roads.
• A Committee comprising of the Financial Commissioner (Finance), Principal Secretary (PW(R&B)), Secretary (Planning) and Secretary (Rural Development) has been constituted, which will prepare a roadmap and a financing plan for ensuring this program in a time-bound manner.

About J&K

• Governor – G.C Murmu
• Capitals – Srinagar (Summer); Jammu (winter)

Delhi government launches website for job seekers, employers

• Delhi government started portal for employers and the job seekers.
• CM Kejriwal launched the website http://jobs.delhi.gov.in, named as ‘Rozgar Bazar’, a sort of marketplace for job seekers and the people recruiters.
• Recruiters can go to the website and update their requirement. Job seekers can also go there and update their qualification, experience and requirement.

About Delhi

• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
• Deputy CM: Manish Sisodia
• Lieutenant Governor: Anil Baijal

Tamil Nadu CM launches free mask plan for ration card holders

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Palaniswami launched a free mask distribution scheme to benefit over 69 lakh families in the first phase, as part of measures to help fight COVID-19.
• Palaniswami gave away the masks to five people at the Secretariat marking the inauguration of the first phase of the scheme, which would witness distribution to beneficiaries through ration shops.
• The Chief Minister had recently announced distribution of quality reusable masks to all ration card holders in the state as part of measures to fight the pandemic

About Tamil Nadu

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

Current Affairs 25th July 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

India Conducts The First Test Under ‘Study In India’ Programme Online

• The Indian Scholastic Assessment Test, or Ind-SAT, in its first, has been under the ‘Study in India’ Programme.
• Ind-SAT 2020 was held in remote-proctored mode and was administered by the National Testing Agency, or NTA. Around five thousand students from Nepal, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Mauritius took Ind-SAT 2020.
• Ind-SAT is an eligibility test for granting scholarships and admissions to foreign students to study in selected Indian universities under the Study in India programme. Ind-SAT is designed to measure the scholastic capabilities of students seeking admission in educational institutes in India. The scores obtained in Ind-SAT will serve as a criterion to shortlist the students for the allocation of scholarships in the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
• The Ministry of HRD [Human Resource Development] conducted the first ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test 2020 under its ‘Study in India’ programme.

About MHRD

• Minister of Human Resource Development- Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
• Constituency- Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Indian Railways to cover all wagons under RFID for tracking by 2022

• The Indian Railways will use radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) for tracking of all wagons by
• A total of 23,000 wagons have been covered under the RFID project so far and the target is to cover all wagons by December 2022.
• Using RFID devices, it would be easier for the railways to know the exact position of wagons, locomotives and coaches.
• By using RFID, each moving wagon can be identified and its movement tracked.
• While the RFID tag will be fitted in the rolling stock, trackside readers will be installed at stations and key points along the tracks to read the tag from a distance of about two meters and transmit the wagon identity over a network to a central computer.

About Indian Railways

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman: V.K.Yadhav

India will be looking at a demand drop in electricity between 7-17 percent by 2025: TERI

• Demand for electricity in India will be lower by 7 to 17% due to covid-19 by 2025, a new report by TERI has found. All 10 of India’s largest power-consuming states will see a demand drop between 5 to 15%.
• The report, titled ‘Bending the Curve: 2025 Forecasts for Electricity Demand by Sector and State in the Light of the COVID Epidemic’, also suggests policy-makers, developers, distribution companies, and investors need to be better prepared for the future, if the decline in demand growth persists.
• In particular, the financial health of Discoms and the sustainability of the prevailing cross-subsidy may be even more pressing issues in a mid-term scenario of sustained muted growth in commercial and industrial demand.

About The Energy and Resources Institute( TERI)

• Location: New Delhi, India
• Director: Ajay Mathur

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

India, UK affirm shared commitment towards FTA between both countries

• India and the United Kingdom have affirmed their shared commitment towards Free Trade Agreement between both the countries. The two sides will engage into early harvest schemes or limited trade agreements in a staged manner marking preparatory steps towards the free trade agreement.
• The declaration was announced during the 14th Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting which was held virtually. Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms Elizabeth Truss co-chaired the meeting.  Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Hardeep Singh Puri and his UK counterpart, Minister of State for International Trade, Mr Ranil Jayawardena were also present during the meet.
• It was decided in the meeting that a deliberation led by Mr Goyal and Ms Truss will be held in Autumn 2020 in New Delhi to carry forward the dialogue.
• Mr Puri and Mr Jayawardena will have monthly meetings to intensify the dialogue. Both sides also resolved to cooperate in the health sector especially in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About UK:

• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Capital: London
• Currency: ‎Pound sterling‎ (‎GBP‎)

Current Affairs 24th July 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

National Broadcasting Day

• National Broadcasting Day is observed every year on July 23.
• On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.

National Thermal Engineer Day 

• National Thermal Engineer Dayis celebrated on July 24 to appreciate the contribution of thermal engineers in everyday life. Electronics thermal management is key for its longevity and reliable operations.
• National Thermal Engineer Day was founded by Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc(ATS) in July 2014 to acknowledge the innovation and dedication of thermal engineers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Prime Minister lays foundation stone for Rs.3,054-crore Manipur water supply project

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the 3,054-crore “Manipur Water Supply Project” in Imphal.
• There will be no shortage of potable water once this project is commissioned.
• The project is an important component of the efforts of the state government to achieve the goal of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ by 2024. The project outlay is about Rs 3054.58 crore with a loan component funded by the New Development Bank.
• The programme also implements source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, rainwater harvesting.

About Manipur

• Capital: Imphal
• Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
• Governor: Najma Heptulla

Prakash Javadekar virtually launches piloting of National Transit Pass System

• Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar virtually launched piloting of the National Transit Pass System at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in Delhi.
• Mr Javadekar stated the National Pass System enhances seamless movement of forest produce. The Minister stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid a lot of stress on the Ease of Movement.
• He stated now, people can apply for Passes from their mobile phones as well as receive e passes in their mobile phones. He stated it is another step which furthers the Digital India Movement.

About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change:

• Prakash Javadekar, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Maharashtra
• Babul Supriyo, Minister of State