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: 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: 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
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
National Refreshment Day
- National Refreshment Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of July every year. This year the day falls on 23rd July 2020.
- This day is celebrated to remind us to refresh oneself from the busy and hectic routine. Taking regular intervals from the regular schedule will detoxify the stress. Everyone’s actions and behaviour vary from others, so the refreshment approach also varies.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Home Minister Amit Shah to launch Vriksharopan Abhiyan in New Delhi
- Home Minister Amit Shah will launch Vriksharopan Abhiyan in New Delhi in the presence of Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi. During the launch event, Mr Shah will inaugurate and lay the Foundation stone of 6 Ecoparks and Tourism sites. The event will take place through Video Conferencing across more than 130 locations spread in 38 Districts of 10 coal and lignite bearing States.
- Vriksharopan Abhiyan will be organized by the Ministry of Coal involving all Coal and Lignite PSUs during which large scale plantations would be carried out in mines, colonies, offices and other suitable areas of Coal and Lignite PSUs. Seedlings will be distributed in the nearby areas for promoting plantation by the society.
- The eco-parks and tourism sites would provide avenues for recreation, adventure, water sport, bird watching etc. for the people residing in nearby areas and may also be integrated to form part of the tourism circuit. These sites are being planned to generate revenue for self-sustenance and to create employment potential for local people.
- Going Green is the key thrust area of the coal sector involving maximization of green cover through ecological reclamation of mined out areas and overburden dumps, plantation in and around mines and avenue plantation at suitable places.
- The ministry’s Going Green initiative will kick start through active participation of coal and lignite PSUs as well as private miners. This year, three coal and lignite PSUs, Coal India Limited, NLC India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited have set an ambitious target to cover 1,789 Hectares of area in and around the coalfields under bio-reclamation and plantation, creation of grass land, hi-tech cultivation and bamboo plantation.
22 million children in South Asia missed out on early education due to Covid-19, says UNICEF
- As many as 22 million children from South Asian countries, including India, have missed out on early childhood education in their critical pre-school year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, reveals new research by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
- It zeroed in on the predicament of childcare and early childhood education globally. It analysed the impact of widespread Covid-19 closure of vital family services.
- In the South Asia region, UNICEF covered Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka for the research.
- Raising concerns over the disruption of early education, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, Jean Gough, stated: “Children are among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in South Asia. Prolonged school closure and limited access to distant learning have deprived children of their universal right to education.”
- The research further noted that lockdown has been a setback for innumerable families as they try to balance childcare and paid employment. This gets tougher for women, on average, as they spend more than three times longer on care and housework than men.
- At least 40 million children worldwide, of which nearly 22 million are from South Asia, have missed out on early childhood, UNICEF added in its research.
- More than 9 in 10 women in Africa and nearly 7 in 10 in Asia and the Pacific work in the informal sector and have limited to no access to any form of social protection. Many parents become trapped in this unreliable, poorly paid employment, contributing to intergenerational cycles of poverty, it stated.
- UNICEF also suggested social protection systems, including cash transfers, that reach families working in non-formal employment.
About UNICEF:
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Head: Henrietta H. Fore
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Turkmenistan gets observer status in World Trade Organization
- Turkmenistan has been granted Observer status by the World Trade Organization (WTO ) General Council. Turkmenistan has become the last former Soviet republic to establish formal ties with the trade body, a WTO Spokesperson stated.
- The Central Asian country filed a request for Observer status in May and expressed willingness to trigger the talks on accession to the WTO within five years.
- Neighbouring Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Afghanistan — have acceded to the WTO, while Uzbekistan has been in on-and-off negotiations on WTO accession since 1994.
About Turkmenistan:
- Capital: Ashgabat
- Currency: Turkmenistan manat
- President: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
India revives initiative with South African Customs Union for the Preferential Trade Agreement
- The discussions between India and the South African Customs Union (South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho) have been revived to achieve a Preferential Trade Agreement. The two sides had a virtual meeting last week to discuss the various aspects of PTA.
- The Indian side of the dialogue was led by the Joint Secretary of Department of Commerce, Srikar Reddy while South African Customs Union side was led by Executive Director of Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development, Namibia, Steve Katjiuanjo.
- India has been committed to and supporting the manufacturing and industry in Namibia in areas such as irrigation, agriculture, ICT, renewables, pharma, and medical supplies. Both sides reviewed the progress and discussed steps to move forward on PTA.
- Srikar Reddy highlighted India’s historically close ties with South Africa and the country’s steadfast commitment to deepen the economic engagement with this region.
- He added that in 2019-20, the trade between India and Africa stood at $66.7 billion, out of which India-SACU trade was $10.9 billion which has an immense potential to expand further.
- Steve Katjiuanjo called India as a strategic partner for the South African Customs Union (SACU). He added that the trade is currently in SACU’s favour which shows that the region is benefitting from access to the vast Indian market.
- The High Commissioner of India to Namibia, Prashant Aggarwal mentioned in the current times of COVID-19 pandemic including its economic challenges, economies of the South African region, including Namibia, could majorly benefit by the enhanced trade and commercial links with India’s $2.9 trillion economy.
About Southern African Customs Union:
- Member: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini
- Headquarters: Windhoek, Namibia
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
NPCI launches UPI Autopay
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched UPI Autopay, a facility that would allow recurring payments at regular intervals.“With this new facility introduced under UPI 2.0, customers can now enable recurring e-mandate using any UPI application for recurring payments such as mobile bills, electricity bills, EMI payments, entertainment and OTT subscriptions, insurance, mutual funds and loan payments, paying for transit, metro payments among others of up to 2,000, NPCI stated, adding that if the amount exceeds Rs.2,000, customers have to execute every mandate with UPI PIN.
- The facility was launched at the Global Fintech Fest.
- According to the NPCI statement, some of the banks, merchants and aggregators that have already gone live with UPI AutoPay include Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, HSBC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, Paytm Payments Bank, AutoPe-Delhi Metro, AutoPe-Dish TV, CAMS Pay, Furlenco, Growfitter, Policy Bazaar, Paytm, PayU, RazorPay.
- Meanwhile, Jio Payments Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank will soon go live with the facility.
- Any UPI-enabled application would also have a ‘Mandate’ section, through which customers can create, approve, modify, pause as well as revoke auto debit mandate, NPCI further stated.
About NPCI:
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Non-Exe Chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
- MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Pi Approximation Day
- Pi Approximation Day is observed on 22 July every year because of the value of Pi that is 22/7.
- Whereas Pi Day is celebrated on 14 March which is similar to the approximate value of 3.14 and also coincides with Albert Einstein’s birthday.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Employees’ Welfare Scheme Launched In Arun Jaitley’s Name In Rajya Sabha
- The Rajya Sabha secretariat has launched an Employees’ Welfare Scheme in the name of former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who was also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha.
- The scheme has been formulated and approved based on the decision of Sangeeta Jaitley, wife of the senior leader who passed away in August last year.
- “Shri Arun Jaitley Financial Assistance for Group C Employees” scheme seeks to benefit group “C” employees of the secretariat by awarding their children three scholarships for higher technical and professional education.
- The employees will be extended financial support in case of death and medical emergency.
About Rajya Sabha
- Chairperson: M. Venkaiah Naidu
- Deputy Leader of the House: Piyush Goyal, BJP
- Deputy Chairman: Harivansh Narayan Singh, JDU
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
India, Maldives sign agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ in Male
- India and Maldives have signed an agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ in capital Male.
- It is one of the several small and medium projects that are being financed by India under a grant assistance of around 20 million US dollars for the neighboring country.
- The emergency medical service unit will enhance timely access to quality emergency care.
- It will increase collaboration between healthcare facilities and disaster response agencies, especially during critical times of need.
About Maldives
- Capital: Malé
- Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
- President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
EU approves biggest green stimulus in history with $572-billion plan
- The plan is part of Europe’s bid to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050
- European governments approved the most ambitious climate change plan to date, agreeing to pour more than €500 billion ($572 billion) into everything from electric cars to renewable energy and agriculture.
- At a marathon five-day summit in Brussels, heads of government reached a deal on an unprecedented economic rescue plan and seven-year budget for the region worth €1.8 trillion ($2 trillion). Almost a third of that is earmarked for climate action, offering the bloc’s 27 nations a chance to develop clean energy resources, stimulate the market for emissions-free cars, invest in budding technologies, and promote energy efficiency.
- The plan is part of Europe’s bid to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, putting it ahead of other major emitters such as the US, China, and India in the global fight against unstoppable temperature rise. The proportion of the European package earmarked for climate projects illustrates that contrast dramatically.
- Only $54 billion of the trillions of dollars of recovery funds pledged globally will be channelled into green policies, while $697 billion has been allocated for carbon-intensive sectors such as air travel and fossil fuel extraction, according to a Bloomberg NEF report released prior to the EUs stimulus deal.
- Germany’s recovery plans are among the greenest so far, with about a third of the €130 billion ($145 billion) recovery budget going into areas such as public transport and development of green hydrogen.
- The UK’s plan has fallen short of previous climate-related promises and is far behind its European neighbours. The country has so far announced £5.4 billion ($6.8 billion) in measures such as boosting green homes and supporting carbon capture technology.
- China will invest 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in electric vehicle chargers and will support new renewable energy plants, though it has also cleared the way for new coal projects.
About European Union:
- President of the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
- Capital: Brussels
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
Banks sanction over Rs 1.27 lakh cr loans under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
- There is an increase of over 4,237 crore rupees in the cumulative amount of loans sanctioned and over 9,301 crore rupees in the cumulative amount of loans disbursed by both public and private sector banks till now as compared to 15th of July.
- As of 20th of July, the total amount sanctioned under the 100 percent Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by the banks stands at over 1.27 lakh crore, of which over 77,613 crore rupees have already been disbursed.
- Finance Ministry stated under the 100 percent ECLGS, the loan amounts sanctioned by Public Sector Banks increased to over 70,894 crore rupees of which over 45,797 crore rupees have been disbursed.
About Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS):
- Emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS) or Guaranteed emergency credit line scheme (GECL) is a part of COVID Loan by the Government of India for MSME units in the current scenario of COVID 19. This is a pre approved loan of Rs Three Lakh Crore designed for the revival of MSME units.
LIC-UBI announce corporate agency pact
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
International Chess Day
- The International Chess Day is celebrated on July 20 every year as the founding day of the FIDE (World Chess Federation). This year will mark FIDE’s 96th
- On July 20, 1924, at the eighth summer Olympic games in Paris, France, the FIDE (World Chess Federation) was founded. International Chess Day began as the founding day of the FIDE on the same day July 20 in 1966.
- FIDE’s motto for 2020 celebrations is, “Teach someone how to play chess.”
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
HRD Minister to launch Manodarpan initiative to provide psychosocial support to students
- Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal will launch the Manodarpan initiative of the HRD Ministry. The initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, aims to provide psychosocial support to students for their mental health and well-being.
- Minister of State for HRD, Secretaries of the Department of Higher Education and the School Education and Literacy, and senior officials of the ministry will also be present on the occasion.
- Pokhriyal informed that during the COVID pandemic, the HRD Ministry felt the need to focus on continuing education on the academic front and the mental well-being of the students.
- He further informed that the Ministry has, therefore, taken up an initiative, named, ‘MANODARPAN’ covering a wide range of activities to provide Psychosocial Support to students for their Mental Health & Well-being during the COVID outbreak and beyond.
- The HRD Ministry also stated that the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative has been included in the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, as a part of strengthening human capital and increasing productivity.
About Ministry of Human Resource Development:
- Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Cabinet Minister
- Constituency: Haridwar
- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State
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
