DAILY GK - BANKERS ADDA -- PAGES 61 TO 80 OUT OF 80 PAGES

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Karnataka Bank’s solar initiative for rural students

i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has initiated a programme to provide solar lights in the non-electrified houses of students in rural areas. 

ii. The initiative has been launched in association with the Manipal-based non-governmental organization Bharatiya Vikas Trust (BVT) under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

iii. The initiative has been termed as a ‘solar light scholarship’ for rural students as those students lacking electricity connection at their house have been given this facility. While the school authorities identify the beneficiaries, BVT screens them. The total cost of a unit is Rs. 9,500. While the beneficiary’s family pays Rs. 4,500, the bank bears the remaining cost. Till now, 100 houses of the students from remote rural areas of Udupi district have been provided solar lights under this programme.

HDFC ERGO enters into bancassurance tie-up with SVC Bank 

i. HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company and Shamrao Vithal Co-operative (SVC) Bank have announced their bancassurance agency partnership to provide a range of non-life insurance offerings to the customers of the bank. 

ii. The partnership combines HDFC ERGO’s experience in introducing innovative non-life insurance products with SVC Bank’s customer base across various States.

iii. New Delhi-headquartered SVC Bank has 194 branches in 10 States including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. While HDFC ERGO has headquartered in Mumbai, India and operates in 89 Indian cities with over 109 branches and 1,900 staff members across the country.

Snapdeal joins hand with BookMyShow

i. Online marketplace Snapdeal has announced its partnership with e-ticketing platform BookMyShow and extended its service offerings. 

ii. With the help of this partnership, customers can now book tickets for movies on Snapdeal. 

iii. The Snapdeal is an online marketplace, based in New Delhi, India. Snapdeal currently has 275,000 sellers, over 30 million products and a reach of 6,000 towns and cities across the country.

IRCTC, SBI sign MoU on promotion of rail ticketing activities

i. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the country's largest public sector bank(PSB) State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hammer out a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

ii. Under the MoU, both will jointly explore areas of cooperation and draw up a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities. 

iii. The SBI will also undertake development of Unreserved Ticketing System and such other services which can be jointly undertaken.

Ganesh Singh appointed as Head of JPC for Land Acquisition Bill

i. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has reformed the Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) for Land Acquisition Bill and appointed Ganesh Singh as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Land Acquisition Bill. 

ii. Mr. Ganesh is a member of parliament of BJP from Satna constituency of Madhya Pradesh. He is a member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India and this is the third term for him.

iii. Mr. Ganesh Singh replaced S S Ahluwalia, who became Minister of the State for Parliamentary Affairs in reshuffle of the council of ministers on 5 July 2016. 

Dr. Sanjiv Misra appointed as AD and NE (part time) Chairman at Axis Bank

i. Mumbai-headquartered, Axis Bank has stated that the Reserve Bank of India has granted approval for appointment of Sanjiv Misra as Additional Director and the Non-Executive (Part-Time) Chairman of the bank for a period of three years with effect from July 18, 2016, up to July 17, 2019 (both days inclusive). 

ii. Mr. Misra has a Master’s degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, USA, and a Ph. D from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

iii. Dr. Misra was a member of the Indian Administrative Service for over 35 years during which period he held a wide range of key positions in the Federal and state governments, including as Managing Director of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation and stints at senior levels in the Government of India in the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Petroleum and the Ministry of Finance. 

DD News correspondent Sanjiv Thomas passes away

i. Eminent Journalist and Doordarshan News Correspondent in Hyderabad, Sanjiv Thomas has passed away. He was 59 years old.

ii. He quite his carrier as Research Associate in the ISRO, Ahmedabad in 1985 to join Doordarshan Hyderabad Kendra initially as a Research Officer. He began serving the Public Broadcaster as a News Correspondent since 1986.

iii. During his long stint with Doordarshan, he gave insights into it viewers about innumerable political, social and economic developments of International, national and regional importance. He is well known for his objective stand and unparalleled comment over the political and social developments of the region which he served for over 3 decades.

Legendary artist S H Raza passes away

i. Modern Indian artist S H Raza has passed away following a prolonged illness.

ii. He was 94 years old and was suffering from old-age related ailments and was in the ICU of a private hospital for the last two months.

iii. He is an internationally acclaimed painter and was also honoured with the Padma Shri. He was elected as a fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1983.

 Keni Harrison breaks 28-year-old world hurdles

i. American hurdler, Keni Harrison broke a 28-year-old world record in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.20 seconds at the London Anniversary Games. 

ii. She beat the previous record of 12.21sec set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova in 1988. 

iii. She represented the United States at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics and the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships. 

Virat Kohli becomes first Indian captain to score double century outside India

i. India test team captain Virat Kohli has become the first Indian captain to score a double century outside India.

ii. He scored 200 runs against West Indies on day two of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound. With his double century, Kohli entered the list of visiting captains with highest scores in West Indies. 

iii. He is the fifth Indian captain to score a double century in a Test match after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (201 vs England), Sunil Gavaskar (205 vs West Indies), Sachin Tendulkar (217 vs New Zealand) and MS Dhoni (224 vs Australia).

Kerala Government launches first ever Water Metro project in the country

i. Kerala Government has launched Kochi Water Metro project, the first ever Water Metro project of the country. It was launched by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kochi, Kerala. 

ii. The project aims to provide water connectivity to people living between islands in the Kochi agglomeration area and the city. 

iii. The Water Metro project would be dedicated to the nation in four years. 

iv. It will be built at an estimated cost of rs. 747 crore. The Water metro project involves the purchase of two variants of air-conditioned and WiFi-enabled catamaran passenger ferries with a capacity of 50 and 100 passengers.

v. The project will be implemented by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and funded by German Development Bank (Kfw). In this regard, KMRL has also signed an agreement with German Development Bank (Kfw). It will become operational in two years. 

Foundation stone laid for MSME technology center in Visakhapatnam

i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, along with Union Ministers Kalraj Mishra and Venkaiah Naidu have laid the foundation stone for a Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises technology centre under Technology Centre Systems Programme (TCSP) at Pudi in Visakhapatnam district. 

ii. Its main focus is to support industries, particularly MSMEs, through access to advanced manufacturing technologies, skilling manpower and providing technical and business advisory support to entrepreneurs. 

iii. The programme is funded by the World Bank and the government of India. 

iv. Naidu also laid the foundation stone for 400 houses being built by the AP Housing Board for those who lost their dwellings in the 2014 Hudhud cyclone. 

v. He also inaugurated 200 houses built by Infosys.

First green rail corridor opens in Tamil Nadu

i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated 114-km long Rameswaram-Mana Madurai route as the country's first green rail corridor with zero toilet discharge section.
ii. Accordingly, 10 passenger trains consisting of 286 coaches moving in the section have been provided with bio-toilets enabling the rail corridor free from the discharge of human waste on the track.

iii. Stepping up the Swachh Bharat drive launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways have taken up a mammoth task of providing human waste discharge free bio-toilets in all its coaches and the same would be completed by September 2019.

A 3-day meeting between BSF & Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) begins in Agartala

i. A three-day meeting between Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has begun in Agartala today to sort out problems along the border.
ii. The meeting is a 21-member BGB delegation, led by Brig Gen Mohammad Habibul Karim, arrived in Agartala.

iii. The 'Border Coordination meeting' was a routine affair to identify problems and sort them out. IG, BSF, Tripura Frontier, JB Sangwan is leading the 21-member BSF delegation at the meeting.

Motorcycle rally ‘Ride for Accessibility’ flagged off in Delhi

i. A motorcycle rally named Ride for Accessibility was organized in the national capital today with a message to empower differently abled persons, Divyangs.

ii. The rally which saw 500 young men and women motorcycle riders was flagged off at India Gate by Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.

iii. Accessible India Campaign also known as Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is aimed at creating universal accessibility in built environment, public transportation and Information and Communication Technology eco-system for Divyangs.

Maharashtra CM launches pilot project of e-complaint system

i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a pilot project of e-complaint system on an experimental basis in Pune.  After the pilot project, the system will be launched across the state within 8 months. 

ii. It has been launched during the concluding ceremony of 14th Maharashtra Police Duty Meet at SRPF ground at Ramtekdi. 

iii. Citizens can now register a police complaint online at any city police station from anywhere. As per current laws, FIRs have to be registered at the police station only.

iv. Also, a new SMS gateway has been launched wherein people get an acknowledgment of the FIR on the phone through a system generated SMS, and also when accused are arrested, charge sheet/final report submitted to the court.

NSE revamps board appoints three new public interest directors

i. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has revamped its board, appointing three new public interest directors including chairman of Manipal Global Education Services and Infosys' former director Mohandas Pai, former secretary at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs Naved Masood and KPMG India's former deputy chief executive Dinesh Kanabar on the NSE's board as public interest directors.

ii. The board of the National Stock Exchange of India has 10 directors with Ashok Chawla, former chief of Competition Commission of India, as its chairman till January. He took charge from S B Mathur as NSE board chairman in May. 

iii. Former NSE managing director and chief executive Ravi Narain is the vice chairman of the exchange's board of directors, which also includes Chitra Ramkrishna, the present serving MD and CEO of the exchange.

Goutam Ghose, Bappi Lahiri conferred Bengal's 'Mahanayak Award'

i. Renowned Music Director and singer Bappi Lahiri and Critically-acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghose have been honoured with 'Mahanayak award' by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee. 

ii. The award has been conferred to them on the occasion of 36th death anniversary (24th July) of Uttam Kumar. The awards were instituted in 2012 in the memory of Bengali matinee idol Uttam Kumar who is revered in this part of India as "Mahanayak (Great hero)".

iii. In addition to Ghose and Lahiri, director-actor Kaushik Ganguly was also honoured with the award for best director. 

iv. While Paran Bandyopadhyay and Jishu Sengupta received the best actor (male) awards while Sohini Sarkar received the best actor (female) award and Bengali films “Bela sheshe” and “Shankhachil” were jointly awarded as the best Bengali films of the year. 

Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st Indian to set world record in Jr athletics Championship

i. India’s Neeraj Chopra has won the javelin gold at the IAAF World under-20 athletics championship in Poland, setting a world record of 86.48m while South African Johan Gobler (80.59m) took the silver and Anderson Peters (79.65m) of Granada finished third. 

ii. With this, the 18 years old has created history by becoming first Indian Junior athlete to create a World Record in Poland. 

iii. He is from Panipat in Haryana bettered the previous U-20 record of 84.69m held by Latvian Zigismunds Sirmais by nearly two metres.

iv. Chopra is only the third Indian athlete after discus throwers Seema Antil Punia a Bronze in 2002 and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon a Bronze in 2014 to have won a medal in the U-20 World Championships. 

v. He had also won the gold at the South Asian Games in Guwahati earlier this year with a personal best 82.23m, making him the world’s best junior thrower this season.

China unveils world's largest amphibious aircraft

i. China has unveiled AG600, the world's largest aircraft which can land on both water and land and used to fight forest fires and perform marine rescues. 

ii. The aircraft is around the size of a Boeing 737 - far larger than any other amphibious plane. It has a maximum flight range of 4,500 km. and can collect 12 tonnes of water in 20 seconds during emergencies. Its maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes.

iii. The plane AG600 has been unveiled by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) in southern port city of Zhuhai. Before the AG600, the largest amphibious cast was the H-4 Hercules, known as the Spruce Goose, used in WW2. Its wingspan is still longer than the AG600's.

Rs 2,048 crore sanctioned under 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme

i. The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned 25 projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme worth Rs. 2048 Crore. The scheme is launched in January 2015.

ii. For the North Eastern States, the Ministry has sanctioned 9 projects worth Rs. 821 Crores covering all the 8 states.

iii. For Tribal areas, the Ministry has sanctioned 3 projects for Rs. 282 Crores to the SG of Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. For Buddhist Circuit, the Ministry has sanctioned 2 projects worth Rs. 108.11 Crore to the SG of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Solar power tree developed for the generation of electricity

i. The Ministry of Science and Technology has come up with a 'Solar Power Tree', an innovative way to generate electricity using solar power in a limited space. 

ii. The Solar Power Tree model is actually designed like a tree with branches made of steel to hold the photovoltaic panel.

iii. It has been developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, a laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

RBI imposes a penalty of rs. 5 cr. on Bank of Baroda

i. The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of rs. 5 crore on Bank of Baroda in the alleged rs. 6,000 crore forex related irregularities that were observed in October last year. 

ii. The RBI had carried out an investigation and noted weaknesses and failures in the bank's internal control mechanisms including transaction monitoring, and assigning of Unique Customer Identification Code.

iii. As the bank has allegedly transferred in the garb of payments for imports that never took place, investigators suspect. 

ICICI, Axis bank join Swift's global payments initiative 

i. ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are the first Indian banks to sign up for Swift’s global payments innovation initiative. The Belgium-based Swift is a global member-owned cooperative and a leading provider of secure financial messaging services.

ii. The initiative aims to “enhance” cross-border payments by using its messaging platform. In its first phase, the initiative will focus on business-to-business payments. 

iii. The service offers key features such as the same day use of funds, transparency, and predictability of fees, end-to-end payments tracking, and transfer of rich payment information.

TCS top employer in IT industry, says Nasscom

i. Software services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been ranked as the top employer in the Indian IT industry by the representative body Nasscom. Though Cognizant is a US-based IT firm, it has the largest number of employees in India with development centres in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
ii. The Mumbai-based firm was followed by its peers Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro and Capgemini, Nasscom said in a statement.
iii. At the end of June 2016, TCS had a total headcount of 3.62 lakh while Infosys and Wipro had 1.97 lakh and 1.73 lakh, respectively. Others in the top 10 include HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Genpact, Intelenet Global Services, and Aegis.

Quikr acquires online recruitment startup Hiree

i. Online classifieds platform Quikr has acquired Bengaluru-based online recruitment firm Hiree for an undisclosed amount.
ii. Hiree will be merged with the startup's jobs vertical QuikrJobs, and will work out of Quikr headquarters.

iii. Founded in 2014 by former Yahoo executives Manjunath Talwar and Abhijit Khasnis, Hiree is an online hiring platform focused on white collar jobs.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli resigns ahead of a no-confidence vote

i. Nepal's Prime Minister, Khadga Prasad Oli has resigned from his office. He resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote.

ii. Oli, 64, who became prime minister of Nepal in October 2015, has been facing a no-trust motion after the Maoists withdrew support from the coalition government.

iii. Oli tendered his resignation after two key ruling alliance partners -Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic and Rastriya Prajatantra Party decided to support the no-confidence motion tabled against him by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Prachanda. 

ITC appoints Sanjiv Puri as COO

i. Kolkata-based diversified conglomerate ITC Ltd has named Sanjiv Puri as Chief Operating Officer of the company.

ii. He has become a successor to chairman YC Deveshwar, as Mr. Deveshwar is all set to step down from his post in February 2017. But he will continue as a non-executive chairman for three years.

iii. Prior to this Mr. Puri was a whole-time director of the company.

Ricoh India Chairman Tetsuya Takano resigns and Winham became Director & Chairman

i. Ricoh India has stated that its Chairman and Director Tetsuya Takano has resigned from the company.

ii. The company has appointed Ian Peter Winham as its Director/Chairman with immediate effect.

iii. Winham joined the Ricoh Group in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in 2002 as CFO and was appointed Executive Vice President, CIO and CFO of Ricoh Europe in 2007.

Violinist A Kanyakumari, first female violinist to get Sangita Kalanidhi Award

i. In the 87 years of the Sangita Kalanidhi award, this year is special as Renowned violinist Avasarala Kanyakumari from south India was selected for the prestigious 2016 Sangita Kalanidhi Award. 

ii. With this, Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh born violinist becomes first female violinist chosen in the history of this prestigious award. 

iii. The award will be conferred on her at the 'sadas' on January 1, 2017. She will also preside over the 90th annual conference of the Music Academy scheduled from December 15, 2016, to January 1, 2017.

Ericsson CEO Vestberg steps down

i. Swedish mobile telecoms maker Ericsson's Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg has resigned from his post with immediate effect. 

ii. Vestberg has been the company's CEO since 2010.

iii. So after Vestberg, Chief Financial Officer Jan Frykhammar will be the acting CEO, with group treasurer Carl Mellander as acting CFO.

Lewis Hamilton wins 5th Hungarian Grand Prix

i. Formula one driver Lewis Hamilton (British Formula One racing driver from England) has won the Hungarian Grand Prix to top the drivers’ championship table for the first time this season. 

ii. Hamilton overtook Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg (2nd). While Australian Daniel Ricciardo third for Red Bull.

iii. This is Hamilton’s fifth win at the Hungaroring circuit, making him the most successful driver at the track.

Indian shooter Manavaditya Rathore clinch Bronze in Junior World Cup in Italy

i. Promising Indian shooter Manavaditya Rathore has won the trap bronze medal in the Champion of Champions match at the Junior World Cup in Porpetto, Italy. 

ii. While Anant Naruka has also bagged a bronze in skeet. 

iii. 'Champion of Champions' battle is where the medallists of the three Junior World Cups of the year compete against each other. 

Feliciano Lopez wins 2016 Swiss Open Gstaad

i. The 2016 Swiss Open Gstaad, a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts has won by the Spain player Feliciano Lopez. 

ii. He has defeated Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

iii. It is Lopez’s first title on clay and his fifth overall.

Kargil Vijay Diwas being observed today

i. Today is 17th Kargil Vijay Diwas which named after the success of Operation Vijay. The day is observed on 26 July every year in honour of the Kargil War Heroes. 

ii. On this day, 26 July 1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders. The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days, ended on 26 July and resulted in the loss of life on both sides, India and Pakistan and with the India regain possessions of Kargil. 

iii. This day is celebrated in the Kargil - Dras sector and the national capital New Delhi, where the Prime Minister of India, pays homage to the soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year. 

7th Pay Commission to be implemented from August

i. The Centre has published the implementation notification of the 7th Pay Commission, stating that central government employees will get the revised pay from August. 

ii. As the Commission had recommended a 23.55 percent overall hike in salaries, allowances and pension involving an additional burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore, or nearly 0.7 percent of GDP.

iii. The entry-level pay has been recommended to be raised to Rs 18,000 per month, from the current Rs 7,000, while the maximum pay, drawn by the Cabinet Secretary, has been fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh per month from the current Rs 90,000. The previous 6th Pay Commission had recommended a 20 percent hike which the government doubled while implementing it in 2008.

Policy planning dialogue meeting of BRICS has begun today in Patna

i. BRICS policy planning dialogue meeting has begun today in Patna. Delegates of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are participating in this meeting. 

ii. The dialogue meeting is being held ahead of the 8th BRICS Summit, which is going to be held in Goa on October 15-16 under the chairmanship of India. 

iii. This year's theme of dialogue is Building responsive, Inclusive and collective solutions. The dialogue will provide an opportunity for exchange on strategic assessments of an internal situation and the regional situation of each country. The dialogue will also seek to enhance sharing of best practices in foreign policy planning and assessment between the BRICS countries.

Hinduja National Power commissions 1,040 MW thermal power project in Visakhapatnam

i. Part of the Hinduja Group, Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited (HNPCL) has commissioned its 1,040 MW coal fired thermal power project on the coast of Bay of Bengal at Palavalasa village in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.
ii. The company has commissioned 2x520 MW thermal power plants and expects it to cater to the increasing demand for electricity in Andhra Pradesh, which has become the first southern State to become power surplus.

iii. Andhra Pradesh is implementing 24X7 “Power for All Scheme.” The State had initiated the power sector reforms in 1998 and now has a total installed capacity is 15,311 MW. It is aiming at achieving 29,000 megawatts installed capacity by 2019.

Rajasthan planned to double farmers’ income in six years

i. In an attempt to double the income of farmers by 2022, the Rajasthan government plans to bring in latest technological innovation and introduce best farming practices by inviting experts to Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) in Jaipur from November 9 to 11.

ii. The event, organized by the Rajasthan government in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will showcase investment opportunities in the sector involving products such as pressure irrigation, solar pumps, the custom hiring of farm machinery and implements, farm mechanization and agro-processing etc. 

iii. To be attended by over 40,000 farmers, it will have representatives from the Netherlands, Israel, Australia and Canada.

 Karnataka opens dedicated start-up cell

i. The Government of Karnataka has set-up a dedicated start-up cell for speeding up the implementation of the initiatives under its start-up policy.

ii. This is the first time in India that a government has come up with a dedicated Start-up Cell guided by the Start-up Policy, which envisages the growth of 20,000 new start-ups, including 6,000 product start-ups, by 2020 in Karnataka.

iii. A portal was also launched to enable and educate start-ups on the State government’s policies and provide access to various benefits under the policy. All technology-based start-ups that fall under the criteria listed by the State government can register with the portal.

Solar Impulse completes historic round-the-world trip

i. The Solar Impulse has become the first aircraft to circle the globe powered by the sun, after landing in Abu Dhabi on the last leg of its journey, where it first took off on an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey that began more than a year ago. 

ii. Since its March 2015 take off, the Swiss-engineered Solar Impulse has made 16 stops across the world without using a drop of fuel to demonstrate that using the plane's clean technologies on the ground can halve the world's energy consumption, save natural resources and improve the quality of life.

iii. The journey took in four continents, three seas, and two oceans. The longest leg, an 8,924km (5,545-mile) flight from Nagoya in Japan to Hawaii, US, lasted nearly 118 hours and saw Mr. Borschberg break the world record for longest uninterrupted solo flight. 

Oldest elephant in Kerala set to enter Guinness World Records

i. Dakshayani, 86, is all set to enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest living elephant. 

ii. The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) - the owner of the elephant - has already written to the Guinness authorities staking claim to Dakshayani being the oldest living elephant in the world. 

iii. The TDB claims that Dakshayani is with them since 1949.

Dr. Buddha Rashmi Mani appointed as Director General of National Museum

i. The Central government has appointed Dr. Buddha Rashmi Mani as the Director General of the National Museum for three years or till attaining the age of 70 years. 

ii. He is an ex-Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official who was part of the team that had discovered remains of a likely temple during excavation at the disputed site in Ayodhya. 

iii. The National Museum in New Delhi, also known as the National Museum of India, is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 

Vodafone M-Pesa ties up with Punjab power utility

i. Vodafone M-Pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer service, has tied up with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to enable consumers pay their electricity bills instantly. 

ii. Vodafone M-Pesa offers customers a cashless, secure platform for electricity bill payments with the largest network of agents (or CashIn Points) to enable digitization of money for cash holding population.

iii. M-Pesa is a mobile phone-based money transfer, financing and microfinancing service, launched in 2007 by Vodafone. M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money and pay for goods and services (Lipa Na M-Pesa) easily with a mobile device.

Flipkart's Myntra acquires Jabong

i. Online fashion marketplace Myntra has announced that it has acquired its rival Jabong from Global Fashion Group to create India’s biggest fashion shopping destination. 

ii. The acquisition of Jabong further strengthens Myntra and its parent company Flipkart’s position as the undisputed leader in fashion and lifestyle segment in India.

iii. Jabong is among India’s major fashion multi-brand e-store with more than 1,500 on-trend international high-street brands, sports labels, Indian ethnic and designer labels and over 150,000 styles from over a thousand sellers. 

R Ashwin becomes No. 1 Test bowler again after taking 7 wickets

i. Indian offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has become the number one Test bowler again, after taking 7 wickets in the 1st Test against West Indies on Sunday (July 24). 

ii. With this Ashwin has returned to the top of the charts, replacing Pakistani legspinner Yasir Shah. Ashwin moved one spot to achieve 876 rating points while Yasir slipped 4 positions. (Indian team can become No. 1)

iii. In the rankings for Test batsmen, Australian captain Steve Smith is still at the top. England's Joe Root has gained 2 places to be second after his double century against Pakistan. New Zealand's Kane Williamson is third. Indian captain Virat Kohli is 12th after moving 2 places.

 Abdul Kalam’s statue unveiled in Rameswaram

i. Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parrikar unveiled a life-size statue of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at Peikarumbu, his burial site in Rameswaram to mark his first death anniversary. 

ii. Kalam passed away on July 27 last year after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at IIM- Shillong in Meghalaya. 

iii. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen "A. P. J." Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

 Manipur becomes fourteenth State to join ‘UDAY’ 

i. Manipur has joined the Ujwal DISCOM (distribution company) Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme meant for revival of debt-stressed power distribution utilities and will get benefits of around Rs 263 crore.

ii.Manipur is the 14th state to join the UDAY. It is also the first North Eastern state to opt for the UDAY for improving the efficiency of the DISCOM.

RBI slaps penalty on UCO Bank, Allahabad Bank, Bank of India and canara bank

i. RBI has imposed penalty of Rs 2 crore each on Allahabad Bank and UCO Bank and Rs 1 crore on Bank of India for violation of anti-money laundering norms.

ii. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed an aggregate penalty of Rs. 2 crore on Canara Bank.

iii. On 25th July 2016, RBI had imposed penalties of Rs 5 crore and Rs 3 crore on PSU lenders Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank, respectively and also fined private sector HDFC Bank Rs 2 crore for lapses in adhering to anti-money laundering guidelines. 

Lok Sabha passes Child Labour Amendment Bill

i. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill was passed by Lok Sabha.

ii. which prohibits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations except in family business, with the provision for the imprisonment of up to two years for any violation. The Bill was almost unanimously passed by voice vote, defines children between 14-18 years as adolescents and lays down that they should not be employed in any hazardous occupations and processes. 

iii. The Bill provides enhanced punishment for violators. The penalty for employing a child has been hiked up to imprisonment between 6 months and two years or a fine of Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 or both.

Haryana To Open Yoga Centres At Municipal Level

i. Yoga centres will be opened in all municipal committees, councils and corporations in Haryana.

ii. The announcement was made by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij.

iii. 1 yoga centre would be opened in each municipal committee, two within jurisdiction of each municipal council and four in each municipal corporation.

 Odisha approves 3 investment projects worth Rs 874 cr

i. The Odisha government has approved three projects involving investment of nearly 870 crore rupees. The projects will generate employment potential of 630 persons.

ii. The projects are expansion of Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited in Khurda; 2.50 lakh hectolitre capacity brewery plant in Dhenkanal district and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Common User Facility Centre in Jharsuguda district.

Brazil free of measles: WHO

i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the last year. 

ii. Brazil saw no domestic cases of measles from 1985 to 2000, although it broke out in 2013 in the northeastern states of Pernambuco and Ceara.

iii. The WHO will issue a certification for the eradication of measles to Brazil. Measles can be transmitted orally, through mucus or saliva and mainly affects children.

 Centre Approves Rs. 1601 Crore For Skill Development Programme

i. The Union Government has approved nearly 1600 crore rupees for Jammu and Kashmir under skill development initiative 'Himayat'. 

ii. Under it, youths from both rural and urban areas of J&K would be imparted with training in various job-intensive vocational courses over the next three years.

iii. Himayat will be implemented in partnership with private agencies or NGOs who are into placement linked skill training for youth and aims to train 100000 youth in 5 years and provide at least 75% of them with jobs.

Bezwada Wilson and T.M. Krishna win Ramon Magsaysay Award

i. Classical singer Thodur Madabusi Krishna and National Convenor of Safai Karmachari Andolan Bezwada Wilson featured in this year's list of winners of the coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016.

ii. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's.

iii. Apart from the two Indians, four others have been selected for the award—Conchita Carpio-Morales of the Philippines, Dompet Dhuafa of Indonesia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and ‘Vientiane Rescue’ of Laos.

IOM becomes part of United Nations

i. The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution approving an agreement to make the International Organisation for Migration part of the UN as a related organisation. 

ii. IOM, which assisted an estimated 20 million migrants in 2015, is an intergovernmental organisation with more than 9,500 staff and 450 offices worldwide. Founded in the wake of the World War II to resettle refugees from Europe, the organisation celebrates its 65th anniversary in December of this year. 

iii. The headquarters of the United Nations is in Manhattan, New York City, and experiences extraterritoriality. 

Leeco acquires Vizio for $2 Billion

i. Chinese electronics firm LeEco is buying American TV manufacturer Vizio for $2 billion. 

ii. As per the deal, VIZIO hardware and software businesses will be owned and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of LeEco. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2016.

 Former diplomat Arundhati Ghose passes away

i. Veteran diplomat Arundhati Ghose, who led the Indian delegation at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) negotiations in Geneva in 1996, passed away here early on Tuesday aged 76.

ii. She served as the Head of the Indian delegation that participated in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 1996.

iii. She also served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

India's CSIR ranked world's 12th best government institute

i. The Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked world's 12th best government institution. 

ii. The institutes were ranked by a prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings that ranks institutes based on the research performance, innovation and social impact.

iii. France's National Centre for Scientific Research was ranked first followed by Chinese Academy of Science, China.

 Muttaiah Muralitharan to enter ICC Hall of Fame

i. Spin legend Muttaiah Muralitharan will be the first Sri Lankan to be included in the ICC's Hall of Fame. 

ii. Australia's Arthur Morris, Karen Rolton and George Lohmann of England are the three along with Muralitharan to share the honours. 

iii. The 3 will be inducted later this year.

BCCI chief Anurag Thakur to join Territorial Army 

i. BJP MP and Anurag Thakur will be commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA) as a regular officer on 29th July 2016.

ii. Thakur made it to the TA after clearing an exam and a personal interview conducted in Chandigarh.

iii. He will be the first serving BJP MP to join the military force.

World Hepatitis Day being observed today

i. World Hepatitis Day is being observed today to raise global awareness of hepatitis and encourage prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 

ii. The theme for this year's global campaign is ‘Elimination’. 2016 is a pivotal year for viral hepatitis. The goal is to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. 

iii. The World Hepatitis Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the WHO along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day. 

RBI imposes Rs. 27 crore penalty on 13 banks

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed 27 crore rupees penalty on 13 public and private sector banks for violations of Foreign Exchange Management (FEMA) Act (Anti-money laundering) and lapses in Know your customer (KYC) rules. 

ii. The matter relates to irregularities on the basis of inputs received from a public sector bank, RBI had undertaken a scrutiny on advance import remittances in 21 banks in October and November last year. The scrutiny examined the alleged irregularities in opening and monitoring of accounts including violations under FEMA provisions. 

iii. The banks include Bank of Baroda for Rs 5 crore, Punjab National Bank, and Syndicate Bank have been fined Rs 3 crore each. UCO Bank, HDFC Bank, Allahabad Bank, Canara Bank and IndusInd Bank have all been fined Rs 2 crore each. While the regulator did not impose any fine on SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Union Bank of India, among others, it advised these banks to ensure strict compliance of KYC (know your customer) requirements and FEMA provisions on an ongoing basis.

 Lok Sabha passes an amendment to Lokpal Act

i. The Lok Sabha has cleared an amendment to the Lokpal Act giving an indefinite extension to the deadline for assets and liabilities' disclosure by central government employees and management personnel of NGOs. 

ii. A Parliamentary Standing Committee will examine the Act's clause which requires disclosure by such public servants receiving foreign donations over rs. 10 lakh or government aid over rs. 1 crore.

Union Cabinet increases limit for foreign investment in Stock Exchanges from 5% to 15%

i. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising foreign shareholding limit from current 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges. 

ii. The decision brings the investment limit of foreign entities at par with that of domestic institutions. This enhanced limit is for a stock exchange, depository, banking company, insurance company and commodity derivative exchange. 

iii. Additionally, the Union Cabinet also gave its approval for foreign portfolio investors to acquire shares through initial allotment, besides secondary market, in the stock exchanges. 

Union Cabinet approves Bilateral Investment Treaty between India and Cambodia 

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Cambodia to boost trade and business. 

ii. The Treaty seeks to promote and protect investments in either country with the objective of increasing bilateral investment flows. It also seeks to encourage each country to create favorable conditions (climate) for investors of the other country to make investments in its territory and also to admit investments in accordance with its laws. 

iii. This Treaty is the first Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) signed between both countries in accordance with the text of the Indian Model BIT which was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2015.

Union Cabinet approves setting up of new AIIMS in Bhatinda 

i. The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda, Punjab under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). 

ii.  The new AIIMS at Bhatinda will provide super specialty health care to the population while creating a large pool of doctors and other health workers in this region. 

iii. Besides, the institute will also conduct research on prevalent regional diseases and other health issues and provide for better control and cure of such diseases. 

Two Ministers inducted in Uttarakhand Cabinet 

i. In today's Uttarakhand cabinet expansion, two Ministers were inducted into the State Cabinet. 

ii. The new Ministers are Nav Prabhat and Rajender Bhandari. Both the MLAs are from Garhwal region. 

iii. Governor Dr. KK Paul has administered them the oath of office and secrecy to the Ministers at Raj Bhavan.

Bengaluru to host International Transgender Arts Fest

i. The International Transgender Arts Festival, a performing arts festival for transgenders, is being organized at the National Gallery for Modern Arts in Bengaluru from July 29 to July 31. 

ii. The festival, which is being referred to as "India’s first ever international performing arts festival by artistes from the transgender community", aims to showcase the talent of people from the community.

India signs $1 billion deal with the US for procuring four Poseidon-8I aircraft

i. India has signed a 1 billion dollar deal with US defense and aerospace major Boeing for procuring four long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, Poseidon-8I. 

ii. The four new P-8I aircraft, with the first to be delivered in 50 months, will join the first eight such aircraft inducted by the Navy from May 2013 to October 2015 under a $2.1 billion deal inked in 2009. 

iii. The contract was inked during the visit of the US Under Secretary for Defence on Acquisition Frank Kendall. 

SBI Launches Debit Card-Less Instant Money Transfer Facility

i. The India's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India has launched a payment system at its ATMs which will allow the account holders to transfer the money by using the mobile phone number as an identifier. 

ii. This payment facility system works on instant money transfer (IMT) platform which will enable a payment of up to Rs 10,000 from any SBI bank account and the recipient of this payment can withdraw funds instantly from an IMT-enabled ATM without using a debit card.

iii. The IMT is a unique payment system launched by Eempays Payment Systems Pvt Ltd.

East Bengal to honour Milkha Singh with Bharat Gaurav award

i. Kolkata's football giants club East Bengal has announced that this year’s Bharat Gaurav award (Pride of India) will be conferred on legendary athlete Milkha Singh. 

ii. He will be honoured with the prestigious award on the East Bengal Foundation Day which occurs on 1st of August. Along with the award, a cheque of 2 lakh rupees will also be presented to him. 

iii. Apart from Mr. Singh, a special awards along with a cash prize of 1 lakh rupees each will be given to East Bengal players Shyam Thapa and Shyamal Ghosh. While the trophy for the best footballer of the year will be given to South Korean midfielder Do Dong Hyun who will also receive Rs. 50,000. During the occasion, Veteran sports reporter Debashish Dutta and photo journalist Rony Roy will be receiving awards too for their contribution over the years.

Sunil Kant Munjal to Step Down as joint MD from Hero Moto Corp

i. Sunil Kant Munjal, joint managing director at Hero MotoCorp and Chairman of Hero Corporate Services will step down from his position next month on August 16, 2016, to ‘pursue new business interests’. 

ii. He is the brother of Pawan Munjal, the chairman, managing director and chief executive officer of the company and the youngest son of Brijmohan Lall Munjal. 

iii. However, he will continue to work the best interest of all stakeholders of Hero MotoCorp, including shareholders, employees, suppliers and business associates.

The European Union appoints chief Brexit negotiator

i. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has appointed Michel Barnier, a former EU Commissioner for internal markets, to lead negotiations with Britain to leave the European Union. 

ii. Barnier will take up his post on October 1.

iii. Michel Barnier is a French Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) politician and Vice President of the European People's Party (EPP). 

Noted Sorghum expert NGP Rao passed away

i. Noted agricultural scientist Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao has passed away in Hyderabad following a brief illness. He was 89 years old. 

ii. He was well-known for basic and applied research in breeding and agronomy of several dryland crops especially towards sorghum improvement, hence also earned the title of ‘Father of Hybrid Sorghum’ in India. 

iii. Mr. NGP Rao was born in Korisapadu, Prakasam district (AP), and has about 200 research publications in reputed national and international journals.

Eminent writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi has passed away 

i. Eminent writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi has passed away at a city nursing home in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. She was 90 years old.

ii. She is the Ramon Magsaysay winner.

iii. The writer was also honoured with the Jnanpith Award in 1996

International Tiger Day being observed today

i. Every year 29th July is celebrated as the International Tiger Day.

ii. The day is celebrated to raise awareness for tiger conservation and to give worldwide attention to the preservation of tigers. 

iii. It was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the big cat population by 2022.

Government forms 'Disha' for timely implementation of Central Schemes

i. The Centre has announced the formation of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) in place of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (DVMC) and to be named Disha for effective implementation of Central government schemes.

ii. The main purpose of this Disha committee will be to coordinate with Central and state governments and local Panchayats for successful and timely implementation of the schemes. Instruction has been issued to hold the first meeting of DISHA on 13th of next month. The meeting of the committee once in every Quarter has been made mandatory.

BCCI chief Anurag Thakur joins Territorial Army as Lieutenant

i. BCCI chief Anurag Thakur was commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA) as a regular officer by Army chief Dalbir S Suhag.
ii. Thakur is the first serving BJP MP to join the military force.
iii. He made it to the TA after clearing an exam and an interview.

OKI installs more than 600 recycling ATMs for State Bank of India

i. Japanese payments company OKI has installed 600 automatic teller machines with cash recycling abilities for country's largest lender State Bank of India across the country.

ii. The payments company OKI has manufacturing of ATM business in India which works with recyclable cash and has both cash acceptance mechanism along with cash dispensing in their teller machines.

iii. The Japanese company has tied up with SBI decided to procure OKI’s cash recycling ATMs in 2015 and deploy them in four of its designated regions across India.

India and Bangladesh agree on anti-terror cooperation

i. India and Bangladesh have agreed to enhance cooperation on anti-terror efforts with Dhaka saying that New Delhi will be "side-by-side" with it in fighting terrorists. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrish and Director Generals of Border Security Force and Narcotics Control Bureau participated in the talks. 

ii. Leaders from both the country concurred on the need to immediately operationalise the Agreement on Combating Terrorism and Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking between the two countries.

CK Mishra Appointed New Health Secretary

i. CK Mishra, a 1983 batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, has been appointed the new Health Secretary.

ii. Mr. Mishra will replace BP Sharma, who has been appointed secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

iii. NS Kang, a 1983 batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, associated with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) as additional secretary, has been made Secretary and Director General of the organisation after upgradation of his post.

T Nanda Kumar resigns as NDDB chairman

i. T Nanda Kumar has resigned as chairman of Gujarat-based National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) from August 1, about 30 months ahead of the end of his tenure.

ii. The National Dairy Development Board's creation is rooted in the conviction that our nation's socio-economic progress lies largely on the development of rural India. 

First woman head of aviation regulator moves out

i. The first woman chief of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) M Sathiyavathy was named as new Union Labour Secretary.
ii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved her appointment as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Labour and Employment with immediate effect, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

iii. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This directorate investigates aviation accidents and incidents. 

Four new writers get Jananpith 'Navlekhan' award

i. Four new writers have got the Bharatiya Jnanpith's 11th Navlekhan award for the year 2015 in a ceremony held in New Delhi. Out of these four, three are from Rajasthan. 

ii. The awardees were chosen by a selection panel headed by senior writer and journalist Madhusudan Anand, comprising eminent literary figures Vishnu Nagar, Govind Prasad and Om Nischal. 

iii. Amlendu Tiwari and Balram Kawant were awarded for their novels 'Parityakt', and 'Sara Morila,' while Om Naagar and Tasneem Khan were awarded for their non-fictions 'Nib Ke Chire Se' and 'Yeh Mere Rahnuma' respectively.

Railway Board Chairman, AK Mital, gets 2-year extension

i. The current Chairman of the Railway Board, AK Mital, has got an extension to continue for  2 more years. 

ii. Mital was supposed to superannuate on July 31, and today would have been his last working day. 

iii. Also, the Railway Board's Advisor, Finance, P.V. Vaidialingam, has been given additional charge as Managing Director, Indian Railway Finanace Corporation Ltd. (IRFC).

New Chief Justice of Patna HC sworn in
i. Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court.
ii. He had worked twice as Acting Chief Justice of Patna HC since December 2014.
iii. Justice Ansari, the 39th Chief Justice of the Patna HC, would retire on October 29, 2016.

A10 Networks acquires cloud firm Appcito
i. US-based A10 Networks, an application networking and security company has announced the acquisition of Appcito.
ii. Appcito is a provider of Software-As-A-Service (SaaS)-based, multi-cloud Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions.
iii. The acquisition positions A10 Networks as a comprehensive secure application services leader.

Intex Ropes in Madhuri Dixit as Its Brand Ambassador
i. Intex Technologies has announced cine star Madhuri Dixit as Brand Ambassador for its new range of consumer durable products.
ii. Dixit will endorse the new range of Washing Machines and Refrigerators, which are the latest additions to the already diverse portfolio of Intex's consumer durable products.
iii. The actor has been signed for a period of two years.

Brazilian scientists discover another type of Zika-transmitting mosquito
i. Brazilian scientists have identified another type of Zika-transmitting mosquito, responsible for over 1,700 cases of microcephaly in newborns in the South American country since October 2015.
The public Brazilian laboratory Fundacion Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) announced that researchers found the presence of the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito infected by the Zika virus in three out of 80 groups of mosquitoes analyzed up until now.

James Alan McPherson Passed Away

i. American author James Alan McPherson has passed away in Iowa City, U.S. He was 72 years old.

ii. He was the first black author to receive the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1978.

iii. Born on 16 September 1943, James Alan McPherson was an American short story writer and essayist.


Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger retires
i. German professional footballer, Bastian Schweinsteiger has retired from the national team, marking the end of a glittering international football career.
ii. The 31-year-old midfielder was an instrumental player for Germany when they won the World Cup in 2014 and earned 120 caps for his nation - scoring 24 goals.

CM Chandrababu Naidu launches 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh' 

i. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has launched 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh'., with the theme 'green cover for a happy living', by planting saplings at Sunkollu village under Nuzividu mandal in Krishna district.

ii. The objective of the mission is to increase the green cover in the state to 50 % by the year 2029.

Centre sanctions nearly Rs. 620 crore to UP as drought assistance

i. Centre has sanctioned nearly Rs. 620 crore to Uttar Pradesh as assistance for the recent drought situation in the state.

ii. It also approved almost 80 crores for Rajasthan which was affected by hailstorm and 15 crores to Manipur affected by earthquake.

iii. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Indian-American girl becomes the youngest delegate at DNC

i. An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention which has nominated Hillary Clinton as the party's presidential candidate.

ii. Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of Harvard University is a strong supporter of Clinton, the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party.

iii. Sruthi Palaniapan is a student of the prestigious Harvard University and an ardent supporter of Hilary Clinton, to make her as the first ever woman president of the United States.

Cochin Chamber launching Aadhaar-based e-certificate of origin

i. The Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) is launching an Aadhaar based e-Certificate of Origin service.  

ii. A certificate of origin, a critical document in the course of export, is issued to exporters by the Chamber of Commerce to avail duty benefits under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or prove from where the goods originated.

iii. Chambers of Commerce in countries like Australia, Belgium, UK & U.S already provide online certificates of origin to speed up the application, issuance process and provide a more secure documentation environment. It also saves time, costs and increases transparency. 

Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale sworn in as new CJ of Allahabad HC

i. Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale was sworn in as the new chief justice of Allahabad High Court. The oath of office was administered by governor Ram Naik in Allahabad.

ii. Chief Justice Bhosale was serving as acting chief justice of high court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

iii. Born in Mumbai in 1956, Justice Bhosale was first appointed as judge of Bombay high court in 2001, and later in 2012, he was transferred to Karnataka high court.

Gujarat names J N Singh as new Chief Secretary

i. The Gujarat government has appointed Dr. Jagdip Narayan Singh, a Gujarat-cadre IAS of 1983 batch as Chief Secretary of the State.

ii. Singh replaces 1981-batch IAS Ganga Ram Aloria on his retirement from the service, a government notification stated.

iii. Singh, who currently holds multiple charges in the Gujarat Government including Additional Chief Secretary at Finance Department and the Managing Director of state energy major, GSPC Group and its Group companies will take charge as the Chief Secretary on July 31.

Suresh Prabhu lays foundation stone for new Railway Station at Imphal

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu laid foundation stone for construction of a new Railway Station at Imphal.

ii. Mr. Prabhu also assured that the proposal from Manipur Government to extend the rail link from Imphal to the border town Moreh of the state will be looked into. 

vi. The 11.5 km longest railway tunnel is one of the 46 tunnels covering a total distance of 54.5 km in between the Tupul-Imphal section in the on-going 111 km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal Manipur railway project. 

Joint Indo-Thailand Military Exercise ‘Maitree’ culminates

i. The Indo-Thailand Military Exercise "Maitree" has been concluded  at Krabi, Thailand. 

ii. The aim of the joint exercise was to train contingents of both the armies on conduct of counter-terrorist operations in an urban environment. The exercise included combined training, familiarization with weapons & equipment used by both the countries. It also included processes of analysing groupings, drills and tactics while operating in counter terrorism environment

HP govt signs MoU with NTPC and NHPC

i. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed today in New Delhi between Himachal Pradesh government, NTPC and NHPC for setting up Hydro Engineering College in the State. 

ii. This is first of its kind joint venture in the Country. 

iii. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Health Minister Sh. J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of State (Power) Sh. Piyush Goyal and HP Transport and Technical Education Minister Sh. G.S. Bali.

Rajjat Barjatya, MD & CEO of Rajshri Productions, passes away

i. MD and CEO of Rajshri Media, Rajjat Barjatya has passed away in Mumbai after losing a battle to cancer.

ii. He was the cousin of film maker of  Sooraj Barjatya. 

iii. Rajjat Barjatya hailed from a filmy background and the roots of her family were embedded in the entertainment industry since 1947.

IWF bans Russian team from Rio Olympics

i. International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has formally suspended an 8-member Russian team from next month's Rio Olympics due to doping offences. 

ii. Last month, IWF Executive Board had decided to suspend for a year national federations that produced three or more doping violations in re-tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games - made possible by improved detection techniques.

PM Modi flags off 'Run for Rio'

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the Run for Rio event in New Delhi today to celebrate the Olympic mood in the country.
ii. The mass run was announced by the Sports Minister Vijay Goel at a press conference.
iii. Around 20,000 school children participated in the event, which commenced from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

SEBI's first phase of new enterprise portal goes live

i. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has initiated the first phase of its new enterprise portal to facilitate accurate and timely circulation of information to internal and external stakeholders.

ii. The portal, developed by IT firm Tech Mahindra, provides an e-platform to registered and prospective intermediaries to interact in a secure, transparent, and paperless manner with SEBI.

PM  Modi wishes Rio-bound athletes in 'Mann ki Baat'

i. PM Modi talked about various subjects such as health, environment, technology, Olympics games  while addressing 22nd edition of ‘MannKiBaat’ programme and appealed the country to encourage the Indian contingent for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

ii. Government hospitals and other facilities will provide free medical care to needy pregnant women in the country. On 9th day of every month pregnant woman will be checked and given free medical aid.

iii. He also emphasised the need to embrace new technology, saying that the "future is going to be technology driven". Further, Modi invited public suggestions for his August 15 Independence day speech.

Gold bond scheme sees record Rs. 919cr in 4th tranche

i. The government's collections under the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme realised through the fourth tranche reached around Rs. 919 crore, the highest achieved yet. 

ii. With issue price fixed at Rs. 3,119 per gram, the amount was mobilised through over 1.95 lakh applications representing around 2.95 tonnes of gold.
iii. The SGB scheme was launched as an alternative to keeping physical gold.

Centre to organise ‘Make in India’ conference in Bhubaneswar

i. Centre has decided to organise a Make in India conference in Bhubaneswar in December this year.

ii. The conference would be organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to attract investment in the state as well as the country.

iii. The Odisha government has requested the ministry to hold the conference in the first week of December.

Yahoo researchers built a powerful new online abuse detector

i. Yahoo researchers have developed a new online abuse detecting algorithm.

ii. Most current abuse filters use a combination of blacklisted terms or expressions to catch hate speech online, but the new method applies machine learning as well. 

iii. The system, with a reported 90% accuracy, can recognize an offensive string of words, even when individual words are inoffensive on their own.

Bihar lifts ban on toddy (palm wine) sale, consumption

i. Bihar government has lifted the ban on the sale and consumption of toddy (palm wine) in the state. 

ii.In April after Bihar imposed a total liquor ban in the state, it also banned the sale of ‘toddy’. But the decision to banned toddy was not lauded by Lalu Prasad and his party Rashtriya Janata Dal. 

Kerala Tourism bags six National Tourism awards

i. Kerala Tourism has bagged six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states. It received two more awards, including the one for its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in Wayanad. 

ii. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan presented the awards to Principal Secretary Venu V and Director U V Jose in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

iii. Kerala Tourism received three out of the six awards for states in the Tourism Promotion and Publishing category, including the one for ‘Most Innovative use of Information Technology’ – social media/mobile app. The Wayanad initiative, which has transformed the hilly district’s economy through intensive participation of the local people, was selected for the award in the ‘Responsible Tourism’ category.

AAAI confers Lifetime Achievement Award on adman Srinivasan Swamy

i. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) announced the recipient of this year’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award as Srinivasan K Swamy popularly known as Sundar Swamy. 

ii. This Award is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/her outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry. This award was instituted in 1988 by AAAI and so far 23 persons have been bestowed with it earlier.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book launched

i. The book based on the script of the play 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' launched today globally. This is JK Rowling’s eighth Harry Potter story written along with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.

ii. Thorne scripted the two-part play based on the original story, which begins 19 years after 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', which was published in 2007.

WHO to remove transgenders from its mental disorders list

i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is considering changing the way it classifies transgender identity.

ii. It came following calls from researchers and advocates to remove it from the WHO's list of mental disorders.

iii. The study was led by the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico.

Oracle to Buy NetSuite for $9.3 Billion

i. Business software maker Oracle has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NetSuite, the very first cloud company. The transaction is valued at $9.3 billion . 

ii. The deal would help Oracle gain market share in the fast-growing cloud computing business.

iii. Oracle Database (commonly referred to as Oracle RDBMS or simply as Oracle) is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation.

Skydiver Luke Aikins Sets Record For Highest Jump Without Parachute

i. Skydiver Luke Aikins, 42, became the first to jump from a height of 25,000 feet without a parachute, landing in a net in southern California.

ii. He has completed the jump in Simi Valley, west of Los Angeles.

iii. He had made his first tandem jump when he was 12.

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