DAILY GK --BANKERS ADDA -- JULY 2016 --PAGES 21 TO 42 OUT OF 80/84PAGES

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West Bengal to set up three biotechnology hubs 

i. The West Bengal Government has taken up a project to set up three biotechnology hubs across the state to bring in more biotechnology innovations to the State. 

ii. The three proposed biotechnology hubs will come in Bardhaman, Kalimpong and Medinipur districts. They will help in the coordination of various departments with the Biotechnology Department in a better way. 

iii. The Biotechnology Department of the State has already taken up an elaborate scheme to not only tie up with other departments like Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Processing to increase the productivity and quality of various products but to also provide germ-free food to the common people. 

Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the BRICS drug control meeting

i. The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the second anti-drug Working Group meeting of Heads of Drug Control Agencies of BRICS countries in New Delhi today. The meet is organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian delegation will be headed by Shri Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau. 

ii. In accordance with the 'eThekwani Declaration' adopted during the BRICS summit in March 2013 at Durban, South Africa, it was decided to explore, besides economic issues, various new areas of cooperation among the member States, including drug-related issues. It was decided that the heads of anti-drug agencies of the five member countries may meet regularly under the aegis of the BRICS anti-drug working group meeting (last held in Russia in November 2015). 

iii. The meeting would evaluate the drug abuse situation in the member countries and analyze the legislation's of BRICS member states as well as devise modalities to share the best practices of enforcement and demand reduction being followed in the member countries. 

IMF sets $5.3 billion programs for Iraq

i. The IMF has announced a $5.34 billion program for Iraq to help strengthen the country's finances, hit by the crash in oil prices and the fight against the Islamic State group.

ii. The International Monetary Fund said the three-year loan will see $634 million immediately allocated to Baghdad, which needs the money to stabilise its balance of payments and ensure it can keep up with its debt obligations.

iii. It will also focus on maintaining the peg of the Iraqi currency to the US dollar, while slowly removing exchange restrictions. The program will involve fiscal consolidation moves aimed at cutting inefficient capital expenditure and at the same time protecting social spending. The IMF added that the money under the new program will also support measures to protect the poor, strengthen financial management, and fight corruption.

Nasscom unveils India's first IoT-focused centre

i. National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) has unveiled India’s first centre of excellence focused on Internet of Things (CoE- IoT) at its Startup Warehouse in Bengaluru which is inaugurated by Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Electronics, IT, Law & Justice. 

ii. The CoE is a joint initiative between the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY), education and research network (ERNET) and the IT industry body. It is also supported by Accenture, Cisco, Intel, HCL Technologies, Qualcomm, TCS and L&T Technology Services, among others.

iii. The centre was launched in a bid to encourage start-ups to come up with tech solutions centered on Internet of Things (IoT). It will function as an enabler of funding, accelerating, and mentoring for start-ups in this area. The CoE laboratory, along with the Nasscom 10,000 Startups Warehouse, has the capacity to incubate up to 40 start-ups. The CoE will also function as an enabler of funding, accelerate, and mentoring for start-ups in this area.

S K Kohli appointed chief defence accounts auditor

i. Senior bureaucrat S K Kohli has been appointed as Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA). He is an Indian Defence Accounts Service officer. 

ii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved Kohli's empanelment for promotion to the post of CGDA.

iii. The CGDA is mandated to audit, payment and accounting of all charges pertaining to the armed forces, including bills for supplies and services rendered and for construction and repair works, pay and allowances and pensions, among others.

Vishal Kapoor to be the new CEO of IDFC MF

i. IDFC Mutual Fund has announced the appointment of Mr. Vishal Kapoor as its chief executive officer. He will take charge of his new position from September this year. 

ii. Kapoor will be responsible for driving the accelerated growth of IDFC AMC, heading a seasoned senior management team including Kalpen Parekh (Managing director sales and marketing), Anoop Bhaskar and Suyash Choudhary. 

iii. At present, Mr. Kapoor is working with Standard Chartered Bank as the managing director and head of wealth management for India business.

Srini Gopalan quits Bharti Airtel and going to join Deutsche Telekom

i. Consumer business director of Bharti Airtel Mr. Srini Gopalan has quit the company and is all set to join Deutsche Telekom from October 1st as a member of new board management for Europe business. 

iii. In Bharti Airtel, Gopalan was the in charge of increasing data usage by Bharti’s subscribers, where he also led the rolling out of app services including Wynk. 

iii. He had joined Bharti in 2013 from Vodafone UK, where he was working as the director for consumer business. 

Veteran music director Om Prakash Sonik passes away

i. Veteran music director Om Prakash Sonik, also known as Omi, part of the Sonik-Omi duo, has passed away in Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 77 years old. 

ii. Omi was the nephew of the blind music director Master Sonik and together they formed the noted Sonik-Omi team which provided music to nearly 125 Bollywood movies in the 1950-1980s. 

iii. The duo was known for their work on Hindi film soundtracks. Some of their best-known works are Bhakti Mein Shakti, Dharma, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, Sawan Bhadon, Aabroo, Truck Driver, Mehfil, Beti, Dharti Ki God Mein and Raftaar.

Dipa Karmakar named as the World Class Gymnast by International Gymnastics Federation

i. Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar was named a ‘Gymnaste de Classe Mondaile’ (World class gymnast) by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

ii. She has received the official letter confirming the distinction from the federation. With this, she also became the first-ever Indian gymnast to receive the honour.

iii. She rose to recognition when she won a bronze medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games becoming the first Indian female gymnast to do so in the history of the games. She also won 10 gold medals at two national games. She received the Arjuna Award in August 2015.

 India, S Africa sign MoUs in four areas of co-operation

i. India and South Africa have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in four areas of co-operation. 

ii. The MoUs have been signed after a delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendara Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa. 

iii. The first MoU is on cooperation in the area of information and communication technology. Another MoU calls for cooperation in the tourism sector and is being seen as an important bid to improve people-to-people ties. A third MoU calls for cooperation in grassroot innovation in the science and technology sector. While the fourth agreement has been signed for a programme of cooperation in arts and culture. The two countries have also agreed to cooperate in combating terrorism, regionally and globally.

India gives SUVs to Mozambique, completes delivery of $4.5 mn grant

i. Coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mozambique, India has handed over 30 SUVs to Mozambique. 

ii. With this India completed the delivery of 4.5 million US dollar grant assistance as part of supporting the institutions of this African country. The vehicles were handed over by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry, to an official of Mozambique's Interior Ministry.

iii. Swarup handed over the SUVs in a ceremony along with the caption "supporting Mozambican institutions. Shortly before that, the Prime Minister handed over four buses to Centre for Innovation and Technological Development (CIDT) as donation from India. 

NATO Summit begins in Warsaw 

i. The NATO summit has begun in Warsaw, Poland. 

ii. In the two day Summit, the leaders of the 28 NATO Allies and many partner nations will deliberate and take decisions to enhance the Alliance’s security by strengthening its deterrence and defence, and projecting stability beyond its borders. 

iii. On the heels of a U.S. announcement to keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, NATO leaders will discuss key security topics. Issues such as continuing support for Afghan forces, defeating Islamic State militants on NATO’s southern flank and deterring Russian aggression on the alliance’s eastern flank will be discussed.

Nirmala Sitharaman to lead business delegation to Russia

i. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will lead a delegation of over 110 Indian companies that will showcase their engineering prowess at a trade fair in Russia. 

ii. India is the partner country for 'INNOPROM 2016', which is the largest annual international industrial trade fair of Russia. The 4-day fair starts from the coming sunday (10th july) in Ekaterinburg. 

iii. Apart from the large, medium and small Indian companies participating in the event, states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are also going to showcase their industrial strengths. 

Kerala Government imposes 14.5 per cent fat tax on Junk Food

i. The Kerala government has announced its decision to impose 14.5 per cent tax on junk food on the lines of ‘Fat Tax’ imposed on such food items. This will make food items like burgers, pizzas, pasta costlier.

ii. The first-of its-kind move in the country was announced in the maiden budget of the CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala presented by Finance Minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Issac. 

iii. The need for the so-called ‘fat tax’ is explained by the fact the state currently has the second-highest obesity rate for children in India.

Besides health issues, Kerala authorities are also looking to earn over 100 million rupees ($1.4 million) as a result of the levy.

Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Kelvin Turner has resigned

i. Kevin Turner has resigned as the Chief Operating Officer ( COO) of Microsoft with effect from 31 July 2016. 

ii. Kelvin was handling Microsoft's enormous sales operations. He had been at Microsoft for 11 years. Prior to Microsoft, Turner spent nearly 20 years at Wal-Mart Stores, where he rose through the ranks and was the youngest corporate officer ever at age 29. 

iii. He would now be joining Citadel Securities as Chief Executive Officer.

Radhika Menon: First woman to receive Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea

i. Radhika Menon will become the first woman in the world to receive the Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea from the International Maritime Organisation for saving the lives of seven fishermen, whose hopes of survival were all but over.

ii. Five year ago, she became the first woman captain of the Indian Merchant Navy. 

iii. A native of Kodungallur in Kerala, Menon was at the helm of oil tanker 'Sampurna Swarajya' of Shipping Corporation of India. 

Phiroz Vandrevala steps down as TCS director

i. The country’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services stated that its non-Executive Director Phiroz Vandrevala has resigned from the company. However, Vandrevala, also the Vice-Chairman and MD of Diligenta, a TCS subsidiary, will continue with this role.

ii. Phiroz Vandrevala has relinquished office of Non Executive Director of the company, due to personal reasons, with effect. He had been a director on the TCS board since September 2007.

iii. With over 25 years of consulting and leadership experience with TCS, Vandrevala had been involved in TCS’ foray into the life and pension industry at the outset and has also overseen the transformation of the UK—based Diligenta.

Sanjay Gupta named CMD of Konkan Railway

i. Sanjay Gupta has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL).

ii. Prior to his elevation, he was working as Director (Operating and Commercial) of KRCL.

iii. Mr. Gupta has worked on several prestigious and coveted posts as well as on various assignments over the Railways and has more than 30 years of experience as a Mechanical Officer of Indian Railways.

Ad award for Srinivasan K Swamy

i. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has announced that Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman of R K Swamy Hansa, would be the recipient of this year’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award. 

ii. This award is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for outstanding contribution in the advertising industry

Noted Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi has passed away

i. Noted Pakistani philanthropist, social activist, ascetic and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi has passed away in Karachi. He was 88 years old.

ii. He was the founder and head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan and was known as Angel of Mercy, Pakistan’s ‘Father Teresa’ and was considered country’s most respected figure.

iii. He was born at Bantvain Gujarat to a family of memon traders in 1928. For his contributions to the humanity, he received numerous accolades including Nishan-e Imtiaz (highest civilian honour), Pakistan Civil Award, International honours include Ramon Magsaysay Award, International Balzan Prize, 2007 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize and 2011 London Peace Award among others.

Tathagata Roy sworn-in as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

i. Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy was sworn-in as the acting Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

ii. Roy has been given the additional charge of Governor of Arunachal Pradesh during the leave of absence of incumbent Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa.

iii. Roy was administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Justice Ajit Singh in a brief but impressive function at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan. He is the 18th Governor to be sworn-in as the Governor of this Himalayan State.

DRDO inks pact with IITs for Centre for Propulsion Technology

i. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has signed an agreement with IIT-Bombay and Madras to establish a bi—nodal ‘Centre of Propulsion Technology’ (CoPT) at the two institutions. 

ii. The agreement is aimed at achieving synergy between DRDO and IITs for channelising research efforts towards developing products and aerospace technologies.

Talgo train clocks 120kmph during Mathura-Palwal trial

i. Spanish train Talgo commenced its second phase trial from Mathura at 120km per hour speed with senior officials from Spain and Railways onboard.

ii. The trial between Mathura and Palwal will go on for 25 days and the speed will go up to 180 kmph this time. 

iii. The prime mover of the train i.e  pulled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine, Talgo coaches are lightweight and designed in a way that it can run on curves without decelerating the speed.

Bill introduced in US to prevent Indian firms from hiring staff on H-1B, L1 visas 

i. A bipartisan group of two US lawmakers has introduced in the House of Representatives a legislation, which if passed by the Congress would prevent Indian companies from hiring IT professionals on H-1B and L1 work visas.

ii. The bill if passed would prevent Indian companies from hiring IT professionals on H-1B and L1 visas that will prohibit firms from hiring H-1B employees on certain grounds.

iii. The ‘H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016’ introduced by Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell from New Jersey and Republican Dana Rohrabacher from California and bill likely to close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs, reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders.

Dumping duty imposed on PTA imports from 5 countries

i. The Finance Ministry has imposed definitive anti-dumping duty on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) imports from China, Iran, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia. An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.

ii. A white, free flowing crystalline powder which is known as the primary raw material for the manufacture of polyester chips which in turn is used in a number of applications in textiles, packaging, furnishings, consumer goods, resins and coatings is called as Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA).

Union Government constitutes cyber cell

i. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) is taking measures to protect women and children from harassment and trolling on social media platforms. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi announced a cyber cell in New Delhi to keep a check in this regard.

ii. Women and Child Development Ministery has taken the decision as it has got several complaints from women. The Ministry will not be policing the internet and it will only examine the complain.

iii. The WCD Ministry has advised women and children to send their complaints, if they are being abused or harassed on social media platforms using the hashtag #IamTrolledHelp.

China Navy Conducts Combat Drill in the South China Sea

i. The Chinese navy conducted combat drills near its southern island province of Hainan and the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, the ministry of defence said on July 9.

ii. The drills come ahead of a July 12 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on a case brought by the Philippines disputing several of China‘s territory claims in the South China Sea.

iii. China claims nearly all the South China Sea, but its claims overlap in part with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Indian football legend Amal Dutta passes away at 86.

i. Former India international Amal Dutta, who was also the first professional football coach of the country, passed away in his Kolkata residence. He was 86. 

ii. Amal Dutta played in midfield for East Bengal in the 1950s. He also represented India in the 1954 Asian Games at Manila. After retirement as a player, his first major assignment was to coach Railways in 1960 for the Santosh trophy.

Aircel, Airtel 4G Spectrum Trading Deal Approved by DoT

i. Telecom Ministry is believed to have cleared the Rs 3,500-crore 4G spectrum trading deal between service providers Bharti Airtel and Aircel.

ii. Airtel has entered into an agreement with Aircel to acquire rights to use 4G spectrum of Aircel in eight telecom circles for Rs 3,500 crore. 

iii. These circles are Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Assam, the North-East, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Astronomers discover planet with 3 suns located 340 light years from Earth

i. A team of astronomers led by the University of Arizona discovered a planet HD 131399Ab which is unlikely any other known world – one with, by far, the widest known orbit within a multi-star system.

ii. The discovery was published in an early online edition of the journal Science on July 7. This is one of the rare planets and has either constant daylight or triple sunrises and sunsets each day depending on the seasons.

iii. Located about 340 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus, HD 131399Ab is believed to be about 16 million years old, making it one of the youngest exoplanets discovered to date. With a temperature of 850 kelvins (about 1,070 F or 580 C) and weighing in at an estimated four Jupiter masses, it is also one of the coldest and least massive directly-imaged exoplanets.

Wimbledon 2016

i. Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, this tennis tournament was held from 27 June to 10 July 2016. The tournament had taken place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. It was the 130th edition of the championships 

iii. Wimbledon Championships 2016 winners are: 1. Men’s Singles Title: Britain's Andy Murray defeats Milos Raonic of Canada in straight sets in Wimbledon final to win his second championship.

2. Women’s Singles Title: American Serena Williams, who won her seventh Wimbledon singles crown, and equalled the professional  era record of 22 grand  slam titles, with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Germany’s Angelique Kerber.

3. Men’s Doubles Title: French professional tennis players, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut won the 2016 Wimbledon title in the men’s doubles category. In the final match they defeated French pair Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.

4. Women’s Doubles : Women’s Doubles US pair of Serena Williams and Venus Williams won the 2016 Wimbledon title in the women’s doubles category. They defeated Tímea Babos (Hungary) and Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) pair.

5. Mixed Doubles Title: Heather Watson and Henri Kontinen won the mixed doubles as Watson became the fourth British player to secure a title on Wimbledon. They defeated Robert Farah (Colombia) and Anna-Lena Grönefeld (Germany) pair

Lewis Hamilton wins 4th British Grand Prix of his career 

i. Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain has won the 2016 British Grand Prix title of Formula 1.

ii. It his overall 4th British Grand Prix title after winning it in 2008, 2014 and 2015. It was also his 4th title of the 2016 season after Monaco Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix and Austrian Grand Prix.

iii. British Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2016 season and was held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire in England.

Portugal win Euro 2016 football championship

i. Portugal defeated France 1-0 to win their first ever EURO championship at Saint-Denis in Paris.

ii. Substitute Eder scored in extra-time to give Portugal a win at their first major international title despite losing captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to injury. Eder scored the goal with 11 minutes of extra time left to stun France after the host team had dominated the match.

iii. This was the first ever EURO final to end scoreless at the end of 90 minutes. Notably, this was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organised by UEFA. It was held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016.

India, Kenya ink seven agreements:

1. MoU on Cooperation in the field of standardisation, expertise sharing and mutual trade between Bureau of Indian Standards and Bureau of Kenya Standards.

2. MoU on Cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management.

3. The line of Credit Agreement for US $15 million (first tranche of US $30 million) to IDB Capital Limited, Kenya, for the development of various small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya.

4. The line of Credit Agreement for the US $29.95 million to the Government of Kenya for the upgrade of Rift Valley Textiles Factory (RIVATEX East Africa Limited), Kenya.

5. Revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).

6. A bilateral agreement on the exemption of Visa for holders of Diplomatic passports.

7. MoU on Defence Cooperation.

 Nepal’s first woman chief justice sworn in

i. Justice Sushila Karki took charge as the first woman chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court after her name was endorsed by a parliamentary panel. 

ii. The 64-year-old was administered oath of office and secrecy by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas, the official residence of the head of the state.
iii. With Karki’s appointment, Nepal has three women in prominent positions.

President confers the 51st Jnanpith Award on Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari

i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the 51st Jnanpith Award on the renowned writer, Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari. 

ii. The Jnanpith Award is an Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith and is given to an author for the "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961.

iii. Dr. Chaudhari represents the fluid brilliance that characterizes Indias pluralistic literary genius. It is indeed an example of his brilliant fluidity that an author, who strove to master Hindi academically, expressed himself in Gujarati in his literary pursuit.

D Rajkumar appointed CMD of BPCL; Utpal Bora to head Oil India

i. D Rajkumar and Utpal Bora has appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Oil India Ltd, respectively.  

ii. Rajkumar, at present, working as Managing Director of Bharat Petro Resources Ltd, a unit of BPCL focused on exploration and production. 

iii. Bora is Executive Director in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited. 

HDFC Bank's Aditya Puri named best banking CEO in Asia

i. Aditya Puri, the chief executive and managing director (MD) of the second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank, has been ranked as the best banking CEO in Asia by the investor community. 

ii. The bank's chief financial officer Sashi Jagdishan has been ranked as the best CFO, apart from getting ranked as the best IR company as well, thereby making it the most honoured one in the Institutional Investor magazine.

Ministry of Health launches Nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF)"

i. Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda, Ministry of Health launched nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF)". To be observed from July 11-23

ii. The IDCF drive is a very cost -effective intervention to curb the risk of spread of diarrhoea which scales up during monsoon season Intensified community awareness campaigns on hygiene and promotion of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) and Zinc therapy will be conducted at the state, district and village levels. 

iii. Under this initiative, the government aims at covering over 80 % of children affected by diarrhoea across the country.

Maharastra Police launches 4 apps

i. Maharashtra police has launched four mobile apps for timely intervention into emergency situations. 

ii. The four applications Pratisaad Ask, Police Mitra, Vahanchoritakrar and Railway helpline app were launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur.

iii. With the launch of these apps, dependency on police emergency number 100 would reduce substantially and citizens can reach out to police to report any emergency situation or crime like robbery or assault on women 24X7.

Karnataka trade body inks pact with Sanya City

i. The Karnataka Region Economic and Trade Organisation (KRETO) and the Sanya People Municipal Government, China, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster trade between Sanya City and Karnataka.

ii. The agreement allows for large and medium delegations from Sanya to visit Karnataka and vice-versa. This agreement also allows for Sanya city to be certified as an approved destination for delegation visits from Karnataka.

 Lafarge to sell India assets to Nirma for $1.4 billion

i. Lafarge-Holcim has entered into an agreement with Nirma Ltd to sell its entire 100% holding in cement maker Lafarge India for an enterprise value of $1.4 billion.

ii. The deal is subjected to approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) also the proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce debt.

iii. Lafarge India operates three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11 million tonnes per annum. The company also markets aggregates and is one of India's leading ready-mix concrete manufacturers. The proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce debt further.

Sun Pharma introduces anti-cancer product in Europe

i.  Sun Pharma has announced rollout of Gemcitabine InfuSMART in Europe. InfuSMART is a technology in which oncology products are developed in a ready-to-administer (RTA) bag.

ii. With the introduction of Gemcitabine InfuSMART, Sun Pharma become the world’s first pharmaceutical company to manufacture and launch a licensed RTA oncology product.

iii. InfuSMART is a technology in which oncology products are developed in a ready-to-administer (RTA) bag after the company has received regulatory approval to produce InfuSMART in eight key SKUs (stock keeping units).

Jinson Johnson, Dharambir Singh, Renjith Maheshwari qualify for Rio 2016 Olympics

i. sprinter Dharambir Singh and Jinson Johnson along with Triple jumper Renjith Maheshwari were the latest athletes to join the line for representing the country at the Olympics in Brazil.

ii. Renjith Maheshwari and Dharambir Singh also broke two national records in Triple jump and 200-metre race event respectively.

iii. After P Subramaniam who represented India at Moscow Olympics in 200-metre race, Dharambhir became the first male Indian to qualify at in the event for Olympic after 36 years. The men's 4*400m relay team had secured their 4*400m relay qualification.  

INS Karna commissioned by Navy chief

i. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Karna, an independent base of Marine Commandos (MARCOS) at Bheemunipatanam Naval Base, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

ii. It was commissioned by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba at the commissioning ceremony held at Bheemunipatanam Naval Base.

iii. The Marine Commando Force (MCF) was raised as the Indian Marine Special Force (IMSF) in February 1987 at INS Abhimanyu in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Najma Heptulla, G M Siddeswara quit Modi Cabinet

i. Union ministers Najma Heptulla and GM Siddeshwara resigned.

ii. Dr Heptulla, the Minority Affairs Minister, was replaced by Minister of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who has been given independent charge. The portfolio held by Mr. Siddeshwara - junior minister for Heavy Industries - will be taken over by Babul Supriyo, who was the junior minister for Urban Development.

SBI signs MoU with IIT Bombay to promote startups

i. India’s top public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), (IIT) Bombay’s technology business incubator, to promote innovation by startups in the financial sector.

ii. As per the MoU, both the parties will identify FinTech startups that have products or applications to cater to the financial sector and can help SBI explore opportunities to enhance the synergy for their banking services. 

iii. SBI will provide a platform for testing/ piloting such products/applications and maybe also check for any specific business linkages. This MoU also aims to help evaluate startups operating out of SINE or those being promoted by SINE for early stage funding within the bank’s norms.

Bangladesh, India sign Rampal power plant construction agreement

i. Bangladesh and India have signed a landmark deal for the construction of a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant, the biggest project under bilateral cooperation that would mark the transition from electricity export to generation level.

ii. Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) Limited (BIFPCL), the joint venture enterprise inked the deal with Bharat Heavy ElectricalsBSE 3.62 % Limited (BHEL), which was selected under an open international tender for constructing the super thermal plant at Bangladesh's southwestern Rampal near the Sundarbans. India's Exim Bank will provide $1.49 billion for the project, scheduled to start generating power in 2019. 

Pokhara-New Delhi direct bus service launched

i. The first direct bus service between Pokhara (Nepal) and New Delhi (India) was launched to connect South Asia’s two important cities. This bus service was flagged off by Nepal Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and India’s ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae from Pokhara (Nepal’s famous tourist spot).

ii. The bus service was launched as per the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) signed between both countries. The agreement was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Nepal visit in 2014. 

iii. The new bus service between Pokhara and New Delhi was proposed by the Uttar Pradesh State Road transport Corporation (UPSRTC) as per decision taken in MVA.

K V R Murthy new CMD of Jute Corporation

i. K V R Murthy has taken over as chairman-cum-managing director of the Jute Corporation of India Limited from July 2. 

ii. His appointment is for a period of five years or till the date of his superannuation

iii. The Jute Corporation of India Ltd. (JCI) is based in Kolkata, is an agency of the government of India that assists jute cultivators in states where this crop is grown, providing minimum price support.

SRK, Akshay join Taylor Swift in Forbes highest paid celebrity list

i. Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar were the only Indian celebrities to make way for the Forbes list of world’s highest paid celebrity.

ii.  With annual earnings of 33 Million dollars, Fan’s star Shahrukh Khan successfully bagged the 86th position on the list. On the other hand,  Akshay Kumar was placed on 94th position with making about 31.5 million dollars in a year.

iii. Musician Taylor Swift with $170 million in her earning bag seized the top spot on the list. 

iv. Football star Cristiano Ronaldo sparked in the Forbes list after claiming Euro cup title for Portugal under his captainship and got 5th rank in the list with earnings of 88 Million dollars.

William H McNeill, prize-winning world historian, died at 98

i. William H McNeill, the prize-winning scholar who wove the stories of civilizations worldwide into the landmark “The Rise of the West” and helped pioneer the history of disease and epidemics in “Plagues and People,” has died at age 98.

ii. McNeill wrote more than a dozen books, notably “The Rise of the West,” published in 1963 and greeted by The New York Times as “the most stimulating and fascinating” work of world history ever released. 

iii. It won the National Book Award, sold well despite exceeding 800 pages and later was ranked No. 71 by the Modern Library among the 20th century’s best English-language nonfiction books.

 IDFC Bank acquires Grama Vidiyal

i. IDFC Bank has announced it had acquired Tamil Nadu-headquartered microfinance institution Grama Vidiyal in an all-cash deal. 

ii. The company did not disclose the deal size.

iii. The acquisition gives IDFC Bank access to Grama Vidiyal’s 12 lakh customers across seven States, besides giving it 319 branches across 65 districts in these States. The bank has obtained in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India for the deal.

HDFC to sell masala bonds 

i. Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) is set to become the first Indian company to sell masala bonds, a rupee-denominated bond sold to foreign investors and listed on an overseas exchange.

ii. It plans to raise as much as Rs 3,000 crore.

iii. These bonds will bear a fixed coupon and will have a incumbency period of 3 years and 1 month.

iv. The company has named Axis Bank, Credit Suisse and Nomura as joint venture runners and lead managers to the event.

Cabinet approves stake sale in NBCC India

i. The Centre has cleared a proposal to sell its stake in state-owned construction company NBCC India with an aim to meet the Rs. 56,500-crore PSU disinvestment target in 2016-17.

ii. At present, the government holds 90 % in the company, which has a market capitalisation of Rs.14,274 crore. 

iii. Earlier, in May this year, shareholders had approved stock split to facilitate the FPO under the government’s disinvestment programme. The company has split its share of Rs. 10 each into five with a face value of Rs. 2 each. The Centre will have to divest at least 15 % to meet SEBI’s public listing requirements.

ICC has released Test, ODI, and T20I Rankings
i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the official ICC men’s Team Rankings from Test, One Day International (ODI) and T20I cricket.
ii. India held the second position in the latest ICC Test rankings with 112 rating points followed by Pakistan and England. Australia leads the Test rankings with 118 rating.
iii. Top 3 teams in ICC ODI Rankings: 1. Australia  2. New Zealand  3. India
iv. Top 3 teams in ICC T20 Rankings: 1. New Zealand  2. India  3. West Indies
v. Top 4 teams in Women’s Rankings: 1. Australia  2. England   3. New Zealand  4. India 

Operation ‘Sankat Mochan’ launched to evacuate Indian citizens from South Sudan

i. The Union Government has launched ‘Operation Sankat Mochan’ to evacuate the Indians from South Sudan.

ii. Two C17 aircraft of Indian Air Force left for Juba with Minister of State for External Affair VK Singh onboard.

iii. South Sudan has been hit by violence which has claimed hundreds of lives till now. The conflict is because of clashes between government troops and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar. 

Ashok Patnaik appointed new National Intelligence Grid chief

i. Senior IPS officer Ashok Patnaik was appointed CEO of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). 

ii. One of the most ambitious intelligence projects that failed to take off during United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule. 

iii. Patnaik is currently serving as Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau and he will continue to hold this post till his superannuation in 2018.

Cabinet approves the Revised Cost Estimate of Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also given its approval for Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of Rs. 7290.62 crore for the ongoing 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Bhutan. 

ii. The Project will provide surplus power to India and thus augment power availability in the country and would enable project works to proceed smoothly without interruption. The total cost escalation for the project, at this stage, is Rs.3512.82 crore.

Theresa May takes over as Britain's Brexit PM, appoints Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary

i. British politician, Theresa May  became Prime Minister of United Kingdom (UK) after meeting Queen Elizabeth II. She succeeds David Cameron, who had resigned in the wake of Brexit referendum that ended his six-year-long stint as the Prime Minister of Britain. 

ii. Theresa May has made Boris Johnson, the former London mayor who led the Brexit campaign, foreign secretary in her new government.

iii. She became UK’s second-ever female Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher (in office from 1979-1990). 

Emirates named world's best airline in 2016 Skytrax awards

i. According to a survey conducted by Skytrax, Emirates is the world's best airline for the year 2016. 

ii. The survey underscores the consistency of the quality service among the world's top carriers. The international airline Emirates based in Dubai has won the top honors at Skytrax World Airline Awards ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow in England.

iii. The top 5 best airlines: Emirates (1st), Qatar Airways (2nd), Singapore Airlines (3rd), Cathay Pacific (4th), ANA All Nippon Airways (5th)

BSE introduces 'Paperless SIP'

i. Leading stock exchange BSE is introducing 'Paperless SIP' (systematic investment plans) that would allow mutual fund investors to make transactions through various modes of payments.

ii. The additional feature on BSE's mutual fund platform - StAR MF  - would allow MF distributors to register SIPs for their clients, who can pay SIP amounts through various modes.

iii. The new facility, to be launched, is available only for non-dematerialised transactions and for instalment of amount more than Rs 2 lakh. 

iv. Under the Paperless SIP facility, the investors would receive an e-mail for all the payment modes, including direct pay, nodal account, one-time mandate and cheque, after the SIP has been registered.

Cabinet approves revival of defunction Fertilizer Units in Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the revival of defunct Fertilizer Units in Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni.

ii. These include two closed urea units of Fertilizer Corporation India Limited (FCIL) at Sindri (Jharkhand) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Barauni (Bihar) unit of Hindustan Fertilizers Corporation Limited (HFCL). 

Cabinet approves Official amendment to the Bill for change of name to “Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University”

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also given its ex-post facto approval for the Official amendment to the Rajendra Central Agricultural University Bill, 2015 for change of name from “Rajendra Central Agricultural University” to “Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University”.

ii. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, situated in Pusa is to fulfill the desired goal and achieve excellence in teaching and produce the much-needed manpower educated in agriculture and allied sciences. 

iii. This would help in getting over the shortage of technical manpower and infrastructural facilities and would contribute to the development of agriculture, including animal husbandry, horticulture, and fisheries in the region.

HAL, Safran to set up support centre in India for helicopters

i. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and French firm Safran Helicopter Engines have agreed to establish a support centre in India for national and international rotorcraft customers. 

ii. An agreement was signed by DK Venkatesh, Director (Engg and R&D), HAL, and Bruno Even, CEO, Turbomeca, at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow (July 11-17) in England.

iii. The new centre will provide MRO services for Safran TM333 and HAL Shakti engines that power HAL-built helicopters. Safran and HAL will provide their customers with services including optimised engine availability. 

Cabinet allocates Rs 12,000 crore to impart skill training to 1 crore people over next 4 years

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an outlay of Rs.12000 crore to impart skilling to one crore people over the next 4 years (2016-2020). 

ii. The PMKVY will impart fresh training to 60 lakh youths and certify skills of 40 lakh persons acquired non-formally under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). 

iii. The post placement support would be given directly to the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Skill training would be done based on industry-led standards aligned to the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). 

Indian-American Dr. Kinshuk named US university Dean

i. An Indian-American professor with a diverse set of academic experience in the field of science and technology has been named the dean of a leading U.S. university. Dr. Kinshuk

ii. He received his doctoral degree from De Montfort University in England, a master of science in mechanical computer aided engineering from Strathclyde University in Scotland and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Rajasthan in India.

Kerala launches ‘world’s first’ digital student incubator

i. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched SV.CO, purportedly world’s first digital student incubator, as a digital makeover of the Startup Village in Kochi.

ii. SV.CO will constitute the second phase of development of Startup Village and is designed to help thousands of college-goers make an early start in entrepreneurship, according to a spokesman.

iii. Startup Village is India’s first PPP model technology incubator and has supported more than 500 start-ups and helped create 3,000 jobs during its first phase 2012-15.

India first country to become YAWS-free

i. India achieves yet another public health milestone, becomes first country to be declared free of Yaws, an infection of the skin and bones, much ahead of WHO global target year of 2020.

ii. Union Health Minister JP Nadda received an official citation from the World Health Organisation and the UNICEF for Elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus and for being YAWS-free. 

iii. YAWS is a kind of bacterial infection that affects skin, bones and joints, while tetanus, another bacterial infection, leads to muscle spasms that can be fatal.

President to inaugurate India Skills Competition today

i. President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the first edition of India Skills Competition today, on the occasion of the World Youth Skills Day in New Delhi. Skill India will be celebrating its first anniversary on the occasion.

ii. In order to select the best talent to represent India at IndiaSkills, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National Skill Development Corporation India have completed more than 80 regional competitions in 24 skills and trades. 

iii. In these competitions more than four thousand and 800 candidates registered to compete this year.The winners will qualify for the final selection round for participating in WorldSkills International Competition at Abu Dhabi 2017. 

VP Hamid Ansari reached Ulaan Baatar to attend 11th Asia-Europe Meeting- ASEM-Summit

i. Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has reached Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia. He is leading the India delegation for two days 11th Asia-Europe Meeting- ASEM-Summit starting from today. 

ii. The theme for the summit is "20 Years of ASEM: Partnership for the Future through Connectivity".

iii. The ASEM summit is a unique platform to bridge the two continents for constructive partnership and exchange through political dialogue, economic collaboration and socio- cultural exchanges.

Congress announces Sheila Dikshit as Chief Ministerial candidate for UP Assembly elections 

i. The Congress has announced the Senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit name as the Chief Ministerial candidate by the party for upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. 

ii. Party General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi along with Ghulam Nabi Azad has announced Dikshit's name at a press conference in All India Congress Committee headquarters, New Delhi. 

iii. Earlier, the Congress had also announced the Raj Babbar name as the president of Uttar Pradesh unit of the party.

Govt. revises time schedule for making payments under Income Declaration Scheme 2016

i. The Government has revised the time schedule for making payments under Income Declaration Scheme 2016. As per the revised schedule, a minimum amount of 25 % of the tax, surcharge and penalty can be paid by 30th of November this year and the further amount of 25 % by 31st of March next year. The balance amount can be paid on or before 30th of September 2017.

ii. The window under the Income Declaration Scheme 2016 opened on June 1 and will close on September 30. Tax and penalty on income declared, as per the original scheme, is to be paid by November. The scheme provide an opportunity to domestic black money holders to come clean by paying tax and penalty of 45 per cent on undisclosed assets.

iii. The decision was taken following practical difficulties expressed by various stakeholders that the time period available under the Scheme up to 30th November, 2016 for making payment of tax, surcharge and penalty is very short. 

SIT on black money recommends ban on cash transactions above 3 lakh rupees

i. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money has recommended ban on cash transactions of above 3 lakh rupees in a day and a separate law to declare such transactions as illegal and punishable. 

ii. It has also suggested upper ceiling of cash holding at 15 lakh rupees to curb illegal wealth in the economy. The SIT felt that the cash transaction limit can only succeed if there is a limitation on cash holding. The panel said, in case any person or industry required holding more cash, it may obtain necessary permission from the Commissioner of Income Tax of the area. 

iii. The SIT headed by retired Justice M B Shah, submitted its fifth report to the Supreme Court. 

Centre approves projects involving investment of over 19 crores for Mewat and Sirsa districts of Haryana

i. The Central Government has approved the projects involving an investment of 19 crore 50 lakh rupees for Mewat and Sirsa districts of Haryana, under Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP). These districts include Sirsa, Palwal, Mewat, Yamunanagar, Fatehabad and Kaithal. 

ii. According to officials, the share of Central and State Governments would be 11.71 crore and 7.81 crore rupees respectively, for the implementation of projects. 

iii. Under this Multi Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP), the class rooms, toilets for students and separate toilets for children with special needs would be constructed.

West Bengal govt. sets target to construct toilets across all villages of the state by March 2019

i. The West Bengal government has set a target to construct toilets across all villages of the state by March 2019 to enable open defecation free (ODF) rural Bengal. 

ii. Mr. Dibyendu Sarkar, Commissioner in the State's Panchayat and Rural Development Department, has stated that, by March 2019, his department plans to have toilets across all rural homes in the state. 

iii. According to him, Hooghly, East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas districts will be ODF by September this year, while the districts of Burdwan and South 24 Paraganas are working fast and hope to achieve ODF by March 2017. As in 2015, Nadia district became the first to achieve ODF status in the country.

Maharshi Dayanand University signs MoU for collaborative studies with GVF

i. Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with non-profit public organization namely Global Village Foundation (GVF) for collaborative studies and research on social and economic public policies. 

ii. The MoU was signed by the Registrar of the MDU, Jitender Bhardwaj and Chairman GVF Balram Nandwani in the presence of Haryana CM. 

iii. This MoU with GVF will facilitate new knowledge generation, innovative technology development, skill development, inter-disciplinary research, and establish platform for socio-economic public policy formulation. 

Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi appointed as the CBSE Chairman

i. The government has appointed a 1987- batch IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a 5 year term.

ii. This happened just after the Department of Personnel and Training rejected former Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani's choice Sarvendra Vikram Bahadur Singh for the crucial post and divested the Ministry of the power to send a panel of names for the appointment. The post had been lying vacant from December 2014.

iii. The government appointed IAS officer Vandita Sharma as member (Finance) in the Atomic Energy Commission, Guruprasad Mohapatra as Chairman, Airports Authority of India, BB Mallick as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and SP Singh Parihar as chairman of Central Pollution Control Board. 

India's Olympic Silver Medalist Joe Antic passed away

i. Hockey Olympian Joe Antic has passed away in Mumbai. He was 90 years old. 

ii. He represented the country in the Rome Games where Pakistan won the final between the arch-foes 1-0. Mr. Antic was also a part of the hockey squad that finished runner-up, again to Pakistan, in the Asian Games which held at Jakarta.

iii. Joseph Anthony Antic was an Indian field hockey player. He was born on 13 March 1931 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh. He won a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He had retired from Western Railway in the mid-1980s. After his playing days, he took up coaching. He was one of the coaches in the Indian team’s World Cup camp in 1973. Later, he became the national coach of the Oman team that took part in the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.

GM Harika Dronavalli wins Fide Women’s Grand Prix trophy in China

i. India's Grand Master Harika Dronavalli has won the Fide Women’s Grand Prix trophy in Chendu in China.

ii. Harika was playing with white against Russia's Olga Girya and made draw to win the title, her maiden career GP title.

iii. Harika finished on 7 points in the round robin tournament featuring the world’s top 12 players to be crowned the champion. Other India Grand Master Koneru Humpy too rounded off her campaign with a victory to also finish on 7 points. Harika, however, was declared winner for finishing with a better tie-break record in the tournament.

India jumps 11 places to 152nd in football rankings

i. India made a big leap of 11 places to occupy 152nd spot in the latest world football rankings issued by FIFA. India beat Laos 6-1 and 1-0 in the home and away play-off matches to make it to the 2019 Asian Cup qualifying tournament.

ii. In fact, India is the fourth best positive mover among the Asian countries this month after Tajikistan (up 19 places to 145th), Yemen (up 16 places to 160th) and Turkmenistan (up 14 places to 120th). 

iii. Iran (39th) remain Asia's number one ranked team, followed by Korea Republic (48th), Uzbekistan (56th), Japan (57th) and Australia (59th). Overall, Argentina remain on top, despite losing to Chile in the Copa America Centenario summit clash. Belgium,Colombia, Germany and Chile retained their places at second, third, fourth and fifth while UEFA Euro 2016 champions Portugal moved up two places to be at sixth.

BHEL commissions 250 MW power plant in Gujarat
i. State-run BHEL has commissioned another 250 MW unit based on eco-friendly Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion (CFBC) technology, using low-quality coal (lignite) as the primary fuel.
ii. The unit has been commissioned at Bhavnagar Energy Company (BECL) 2x250 MW thermal power project, located at Padva village in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat.
iii. The second unit of this project is also at an advanced stage of completion. This is the third 250 MW unit based on CFBC technology, commissioned by BHEL, with two others commissioned earlier in Tamil Nadu.

RBI sets up an Inter-regulatory Working Group on Fin Tech and Digital Banking

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an inter-regulatory Working Group (WG) to study the entire gamut of regulatory issues relating to Financial Technology and Digital Banking in India.

ii. The group has been set up in view of the growing significance of Fintech innovations, and their interactions with the financial sector as well as financial sector entities. It will review and appropriately reorient the regulatory framework, and respond to the dynamics of the rapidly evolving Fintech scenario. 

iii. The Working Group will be headed by Sudarshan Sen, Executive Director of RBI, and has 12 members. It has been asked to submit its report within six months from the date of its first meeting.

India, ADB sign 100 Million USD loan agreement for Cauvery Delta project in Tamil Nadu

i. The Union Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 100 million US dollars loan agreement to strengthen key irrigation and drainage system and improve water management in the Vennar sub-basin of the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu. 

ii. The financing will be used to strengthen embankments of six major irrigation water channels in the Vennar system and rehabilitate 13 irrigation pumping schemes as Cauvery river basin is a critical source of water for agriculture, both within Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. 

iii. The agreement has been signed by Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. L. B. Sondjaja, Deputy Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission. 

RBI asks banks to exchange upto 20 soiled notes free of charge

i. The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to exchange up to 20 pieces of soiled currency notes with a maximum value of Rs. 5,000 over the counter free of charge in an effort to improve customer service. However, if the number of notes to be exchanged is more than 20, banks can levy service charge. 

ii. As per RBI, the facility of exchanging mutilated or imperfect notes is available at designated bank branches and also non-chest branches. 

iii. In case notes are presented in bulk (where the number exceeds 20 pieces or 5,000 in value per day), banks will accept them, against receipt, for value to be credited later.

WHO declares India as Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free

i. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared India as Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free. In this regard, WHO presented certificates to the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda. 

ii. Previously, WHO also certified India yaws-free after a team of experts verified interruption of disease transmission in the country. 

iii. The Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) has been the result of India's focused approach on making maternal and newborn care accessible to all. Reducing maternal and neonatal tetanus to less than one case per 1 000 live births in all 675 districts has helped improve access to immunization, antenatal care services and skilled birth attendance in the most vulnerable populations. 

Over 14 lakh LPG connections released under PMUY

i. Over fourteen lakh LPG connections have been released to the women of BPL families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). 

ii. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the scheme is currently under operation in 487 districts of 17 states. 

iii. The scheme, launched in May this year, aims at providing LPG connections to five crore below-poverty-line beneficiaries over the next three years. 

74 schemes of 17 Ministries & Departments brought under DBT

i. The GOI has been brought 74 schemes of 17 Ministries and Departments under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

ii. Addressing the members of Consultative Committee of his Ministry in New Delhi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that DBT is a very important scheme as it transfers the benefit to the targeted beneficiaries. 

iii. The scheme also ensures that benefits reach the targeted population and helps reducing leakages.

Indian Naval Ships visit Port Kelang, Malaysia

i. Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch have arrived at Port Kelang on a four day visit, as part of deployment of the Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea and Western Pacific. The INS Sahyadri is commanded by Captain K S Rajkumar, INS Shakti is commanded by Captain Gagan Kaushal and INS Kirch is commanded by Commander Sharad Sinsunwal.

ii. There, Indian Naval Ships will have professional interaction with the Royal Malaysian Navy for further enhancing co-operation between the two forces. In addition, sporting and cultural interactions and sharing of best practices, aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two Navies, are also planned. 

iii. The visiting ships are also likely to conduct exercises with the Royal Malaysian Navy, aimed at enhancing interoperability in communication as well as Search and Rescue procedures, post departure from Port Kelang.

Tata Advanced Systems signs deal with Bell Helicopter

i. Tata Advanced System (TASL) and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company have signed an agreement to work together in support of India’s aviation and defense modernization initiatives. The agreement was inked with an emphasis on ‘Make in India’.

ii. As per the agreement, TASL and Bell Helicopters will join to develop both commercial and government rotary wing markets in India in the light utility and reconnaissance segments.

iii. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, is the strategic Aerospace and Defence arm of the TATA Group.

MP Cabinet approves setting up of Happiness Department in state

i. In Madhya Pradesh, the Shivraj cabinet has given its nod to set up Happiness Department in the state. This department will work as knowledge resource centre on the subject of happiness. A state Happiness Institute will also be established under the Happiness Department.

ii. Madhya Pradesh is the first state of the country to set up such a Department. The new department will identify and define the parameters of happiness. It will prepare guidelines for coordination between different departments for propagating happiness in the state. 

iii. Initially, it will have a budget of three crore 60 lakh rupees. The state government has also decided to give Simhastha Jyoti medals to officers and employees who made security arrangements in Ujjain during the Simhastha.

Maharastra CM launches virtual, digital classrooms across 32 ITIs in state

i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched the facility of virtual and digital classrooms across 32 ITIs in the state on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day (15th July).

ii. According to him, the facility of virtual classrooms will bridge the urban-rural divide and open the doors of knowledge. Mr. Fadnavis asked students to master their passion, and assures that jobs will come in plenty due to the power of skill development. 

iii. Announcing an initiative called 'Skill Sakhis' for women empowerment, Mr. Fadnavis informed that girls comprise half of 40,000 students being also trained for skill development.

Who Moved My Interest Rate authored by Duvvuri Subbarao

i. A book titled "Who Moved My Interest Rate" written by Duvvuri Subbarao, the former Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), will be released on 27 July 2016. The book is a chronicle of Subbarao’s attempts to demystify the RBI and explain to the public its impact on their everyday lives. 

ii. It gives an account of the dilemmas Subbarao confronted while leading the Reserve Bank through the extraordinary economic and political challenges India and world faced from 2008 to 2013.

iii. Mr. Subbarao is an Indian Economist, Central Banker and Civil Servant. He was the 22nd Governor of Reserve Bank of India from 5 September 2008, with an extension in 2011 till 4 September 2013.

Misbah-ul-Haq becomes oldest captain to score Test hundred

i. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has scored 110 against England at Lord's and with this, the 42 years and 47 days old cricketer became the oldest captain to score Test hundred. Misbah is also the oldest visiting player to play a Test on English soil in the last 31 years. 

ii. The previous oldest was Somachandra de Silva of Sri Lanka, who was 42 years & 73 days old when he played against England at Lord's in 1984.

iii. Misbah is a Pakistani cricketer. He is the current Test captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. He was also the One Day International (ODI) captain until his retirement from ODI cricket after the 2015 Cricket World Cup. 

18th July : Nelson Mandela International Day observed

i. Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day is aimed at inspiring individuals to take action to help change the world for the better. 

ii. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010. However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on 18 July 2009.

iii. The Day recognized Nelson Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity, in the fields of conflict resolution, race relations, the promotion and protection of human rights. The Nobel Peace Prize 1993 was awarded jointly to Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa".

Three Indian sites listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites

i. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has listed Chandigarh's Capitol Complex and Sikkim's national park home to the world's third highest peak Mount Khangchendzonga among its World Heritage Sites, approving all three nominations linked to India this session. 

ii. This approval comes two days after the ruins of Nalanda University in Bihar made to the elite tag at the 40th session of The World Heritage Committee meeting in Istanbul. This is the first time that any country got three sites inscribed in the Word Heritage List at a single session of the committee meeting. 

iii. India now has 35 sites, including 27 cultural properties, seven natural sites, and one mixed site, notified as World Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, etc.) that is listed by UNESCO as being of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. 

India's first e-court opened in Hyderabad

i. India's first e-court has opened at High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad. It is the common high court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 

ii. Inaugurating the e-court, Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur stated that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were first two states in the country to be chosen for Integrated Criminal Justice System project. 

iii. Justice Lokur, who heads the e-Committee of the Supreme Court, said modalities of the system will be worked out at a meeting scheduled on July 28. 

Government launches Transforming India portal

i. Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched a website 'Transforming India', a repository for real-time sharing of the impact of various governance initiatives with citizens.

ii. The Transforming India portal will provide information in a user-friendly format enabling citizens to view the content in the form of Infographics, e-books, performance dashboard, videos, daily news corner, and so on. 

iii. Viewers can engage with the content by comments and share it through social media.

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