CURRENT AFFAIRS - JULY 21 TO 25 2017-- IBPS PO/CLERKS/SSC/IAS
21st
July 2017
Harmanpreet
Kaur scores Ton
The 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup
semi-final witnessed one of the finest innings ever in the sport after India’s
Harmanpreet Kaur slammed a 115-ball 171 against defending champions Australia. India
won the match by 36 runs. The final will be held between India and England
on 23 July.
Now,
you can text your grievance
Telangana State govt has launched
the ‘Janahita’ grievance redressal system. Developed by the State
Information Technology, E&C department, ‘Janahitha’, an integrated
grievance redressal management system aims at expediting complaint resolution
through continuous monitoring at a centralised cell. The District Revenue
Officer will head the monitoring cell.
Reliance
Jio launches low cost phone
Reliance has released its low cost
4G phone. The co-developed phone, which Intex is making in India, will be
priced by Jio through a subsidy model, and will also be marketed by the new
telco, with the handset maker not involved in both aspects. A JioPhone user can
use the JioPhone for 36 months, and can get a full refund of the security deposit
of Rs 1,500 by returning the used JioPhone.
Railway
food unfit for consumption
The food served by Indian Railways
is unfit for human consumption, an audit report on catering services conducted
by the CAG has found. The CAG had conducted a joint inspection of 74 stations
and 80 trains selected across Zonal Railways. The audit examination, which was
conducted from 2013-14 to 2015-16, said the quality of catering services had
not improved over time.
LCU
Mark IV vessel
The second of the eight Mark IV LCU
vessels, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Kolkata, was
formally handed over to the Indian Navy at a ceremony in Kolkata. The L52 ship
was handed over to the ship Cdr Kaushik Chatterjee. Brigadier S Y Deshmukh,
Chief Staff Officer (Technical) of Andaman and Nicobar Command. It is
designed for multipurpose amphibious operations.
Paytm
to offer gold as cashback
Paytm will now offer cash back in
the form of gold on its platform. The Alibaba-backed company which started its
digital gold business about two months back in partnership with MMTCPAMP. Started
in 2008, MMTCPAMP is a JV between Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of
India (MMTC) and PAMP of Switzerland.
FIFA
U-17 World Cup 2017
Kolkata will play host to the
proverbial ‘Group of Death’ in the tournament, which begins in October this
year. Group F, which will be played in the ‘City of Joy’, comprises of teams
like England, Mexico, Chile and Iraq. The city also will host one last-16 match
between the toppers of Group F and the second-placed team from Group E and a
quarter-final on 22 October.
200
years of Paika Rebellion
President Pranab Mukharjee
inaugurated the “Bicentenary celebration of the heroic Paika Rebellion of
Odisha, a valiant uprising of Paikas against the British rule”. The Paika
uprising was in the nature of a rebellion by people of Odisha in 1817. Paikas
were essentially the peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha who
rendered military service to the king during times of war.
Indian
Army and DRDO sign pact
Defence Research and Development
Organisation has signed a pact with the Army for developing a medium-range
surface to air missile. The missile will be produced by the DRDO in
collaboration with the Israel Aerospace Industries. The missile will be capable
of engaging multiple aerial targets at a range of more than 50 kms. It is
also capable of shooting down ballistic missiles and aircraft.
Apple
helping Indian Railways
Railway minister Suresh Prabhu has
said the govt is working with Apple to increase the speed of trains
to more than 600 kmp/h. Govt had 6-8 months ago called major technology
developers working on increasing train speeds to more than 600 kmp/h NITI Aayog
had approved ministry’s Rs18,000 crore proposal to increase speeds
of Gatiman Express on 2 busiest corridors, Delhi-Mumbai &
Delhi-Kolkata.
Jaitley
to launch new pension scheme
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will
launch a new pension scheme for senior citizens, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana
Yojana, PMVVY in New Delhi. Under this scheme, senior citizens (60 years and
above) in which they will get a guaranteed interest of 8% for 10 years. It
also allows for premature exit for treatment of any critical or terminal
illness of self or spouse. Scheme is exempted from GST
Proposal
on floor price for Voice & Data
TRAI has rejected a proposal from
incumbents including Idea & Airtel who sought the establishment of a
floor price for voice and data services. Top telcos wanted a floor price to put
an end to the free services which were being offered by new entrant Reliance
Jio. TRAI Chairman said Fixing a floor price was not a workable idea.
Prices as they are under forbearance should continue as they are
Bonus
issue after 12 years
Reliance Industries has announced
1 bonus share for every share held — the first such issue after 12 years,
and a dividend of Rs.13 a share. Announcing the 1:1 bonus share, RIL Chairman
and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said this is the country’s largest bonus
issue. As many as 39 companies have this year announced bonus shares. Indian
Oil Corp had announced a 1:1 bonus issue last month.
China
bans Justin Bieber
China has banned Justin Bieber from
performing on the mainland because of his “bad behavior” on & off the
stage. Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture said the ban was necessary to
“purify” country’s entertainment industry but suggested it was not permanent. Bieber
performed in China in 2013, raising eyebrows when he was photographed being
carried up the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards.
BoB
signs MoU with DGS&D
Bank of Baroda has entered into an
agreement with Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal for extending
various banking services to Govt e-Marketplace (GeM). DGS&D has been
mandated to bring greater transparency and efficiency in public procurements. Cabinet
in 2017 approved creation of GeM Special Purpose Vehicle which will replace
DGS&D, nodal purchase organisation of the central govt.
SEBI
inks pact with ESMA
SEBI has entered into a pact with
European Securities & Markets Authority for exchange of information
concerning Central Counterparties. MoU establishes Cooperation arrangements,
including exchange of information regarding CCPs which are established and
authorised in India by SEBI and which have applied for EU recognition under
EMIR. CCPs are entities that help in settlement activities.
Cabinet
nod for IWAI bond issue
Union Cabinet has given its nod
to Inland Waterways Authority of India for raising Rs 660 crore in bonds for
extra budgetary resources in 2017-18. The proceeds from the bonds will be
utilised by IWAI for development and maintenance of National Waterways. Funds
received through issue of bonds will be used exclusively for capital
expenditure to improve infrastructure funding
Chester
Bennington commits suicide
Chester Bennington, the lead singer
of American rock band Linkin Park, allegedly committed suicide. Bennington’s
death came a week before the band was due to kick off the US leg of the tour on
July 27 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It also came the same day as the release
of Linkin Park’s music video “Talking to Myself.” He reportedly had a
history of alcohol and drug abuse.
IMF
approves conditional $1.8 bn loan
The International Monetary Fund’s
board has approved a $1.8 billion loan to Greece but will only release the
money if the country gets debt relief from its European creditors. If an
agreement on debt relief is reached, IMF will join eurozone lenders in an
ongoing bailout. The current rescue program, funded by other eurozone nations
and monitored with help from the IMF, ends in one year.
Rating
system for infra projects
A new system for rating of
infrastructure projects has been launched by rating agency ICRA in association
with India Infrastructure Finance Company. The system will focus on overall
recovery of dues by the investor/lender over the lifecycle of the project. It
will also address concerns like expected loss of a project entity and
enable better risk based pricing & long term funding avenues.
22nd July 2017
Free
& Compulsory Education Bill amended
Lok Sabha has given its approval
to a bill amending law on free & compulsory education to extend
deadline for teachers to acquire the prescribed minimum qualifications for
appointment. Inadequately qualified teachers, working after enactment of RTE
Act will have to acquire min. qualifications by March 2019. There
are about 6 lakh teachers with inadequate qualifications in the
private sector.
Aajeevika
Grameen Express Yojana
Ministry of Rural Development will
launch a new sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana which will be called Aajeevika
Grameen Express Yojana. It will provide an alternative source of livelihoods to
members of SHGs by facilitating them to operate public transport in
backward areas. It will provide safe & affordable rural transport services
like e-rickshaws to connect remote villages.
Dubai
named UN city data hub for region
UN has selected Dubai as data hub
for Middle East North Africa & South Asia region for its initiatives
to mine & manage its data. The designation will be part of a portfolio
of local & regional data portals, analytics and reports to engage
stakeholders. It will also serve as a dedicated platform for city-to-city
learning & solutions transfer across metropolitan, national and global
contexts.
UK
to introduce drone registration
UK govt is mulling introducing
drone registration & safety awareness courses for owners of the small
unmanned aircraft. It comes in backdrop of several reports of passenger
jets being involved in near-miss incidents with drones in UK. Drone safety
awareness test will involve flyers having to prove that they understand UK
safety, security and privacy regulations.
India
and US collaboration in R&D
India is collaborating with
US on research and development of traditional medicines for various
diseases including cancer. It is for the first time India has successfully
engaged with US in the field of traditional medicine. An India-US workshop on
traditional medicine with special focus on cancer was organized on March last
year at New Delhi.
Assistance
to Indian women abused
External Affairs Ministry is
implementing a scheme to provide financial assistance to Indian women abused
/abandoned by their Overseas Indian spouses. It will help them in getting
access to counselling & legal services with Indian Missions/Posts
abroad. The Scheme is currently operational in 13 countries namely United
States America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia.
Food
for armed forces in high-altitude
DRDO has developed nutritious
& protein-rich food for armed forces deployed in high-altitude &
snowbound areas. Major food products developed by DRDO include chicken
biscuits, protein-rich mutton bar, tulsi bar among others. There is no food
production unit in DRDO. However after developing these
products production technologies have been transferred to various
industries for bulk production
7
Indian Companies in fortune 500 List
7 Indian companies have made it to
the latest Fortune 500 list, which ranked companies by their revenues in 2016. Among
7 Indian companies 4 are from public sector. IOC ranked highest among
public sector firm followed by SBI while RIL ranked highest among
private sector firms followed by Tata Motors. IOC ranked highest at 161st
among Indian firms while the list was topped by Walmart.
UK
supreme court’s 1st female president
UK govt has appointed Brenda
Marjorie Hale as the first female president of the Supreme Court, the
senior-most judge of the country. She will take charge as the head of Britain’s
top judging panel in September following the retirement of current President,
Lord Neuberger. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Law Commission
in 1984 and has served as a counsel to Queen Elizabeth.
US
blocks $350 million aid to Pakistan
United States has blocked 350
million dollars in coalition support funds to Pakistan as Islamabad failed to
act against the dreaded Haqqani network. The Pentagon’s decision came ahead of
a review of US policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is not the first time
the Pentagon has decided not to make military reimbursements. Last year, the
Pentagon withheld $300 million in reimbursements.
US
citizens banned from visiting N Korea
US govt has said it will bar
Americans from traveling to North Korea due to risk of “long-term detention” in
the country. This comes after US student Otto Warmbier was released from
detention in coma & later died. Once the ban is in effect, US citizens
will need special validation to travel to North Korea. North Korea allows
foreign tourists to visit but their travel is strictly limited.
Baglay
appointed Joint Secretary in PMO
Senior diplomat and external affairs
ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the
PMO. He has been appointed in place of Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who has been already
named as India’s ambassador to Paris. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has
approved Baglay’s appointment to the post for 3 years. Baglay is a 1992
batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
Commitment
to Reducing Inequality Index
India has been ranked 132 out of 152
countries in an index that rates countries by their commitment to reducing
inequality. Report noted that govt spending on health, education and social
protection was woefully low in India. Sweden topped the list while Nigeria
was at the bottom. US had the highest level of inequality among developed
countries.
Karamjyoti
Dalal wins bronze
Karamjyoti Dalal extended India’s
medal tally to 3 at the World Para Athletics Championships 2017 by winning
a bronze medal. In women’s F55 category of discus throw event, she managed
19.02m, just better than Alomari Roba (19.01m). Dalal also achieved the
personal best of the season. Dalal is currently ranked World No. 8 and had
finished fourth at the 2015 IPC Para-athletics championships.
South
India Writers Ensemble in Kerala
Kerala will host the
5th edition of South India Writers Ensemble to be held at Chengannur from
July 24. 3 day annual literary gathering is aimed at bringing about an
enriching interaction between writers from different languages and regions. Core
theme of the festival this year is “tolerance”. Writers, journalists
and film personalities will seen deliberating on tolerance at the
festival.
Bill
to facilitate SBI merger
Arun Jaitley has introduced a bill
in Lok Sabha to repeal necessary Acts in wake of merger of State Bank of
India with its subsidiary banks. Jaitley introduced State Banks (Repeal and
Amendment) Bill, 2017 to pave the way for the repeal of SBI (Subsidiary Banks)
Act, 1959 and State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956. 5 Associates & Bharatiya
Mahila Bank became part of SBI beginning 1 April.
India
to Host Conference on Cyber Space
India will be hosting the 5th Global
Conference on Cyber Space in 2017, one of the world’s largest conference on
Cyber Space & related issues. Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the
conference whose theme will be based on Cyber4All: An Inclusive, Sustainable,
Developmental, Safe & Secure Cyberspace. The 2 day conference will see
participation of around 2000 delegates from over 100 countries.
Report
on child brides in the world
According to ActionAid India report,
India contributes 33% of the total number of child brides in the world with
nearly 103 million Indians married before they were 18. Of every 28 girl child
marriages occurring per minute in the world, more than two takes place in
India. The report found that rural regions account for 75% of all instances of
child marriages.
Secretary
to new President
Sanjay Kothari, Chairman of Public
Enterprises Selection Board, has been appointed as Secretary to President-elect
Ram Nath Kovind. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared the appointments for an initial period
of two years. Kothari, a 1978-batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, retired in
June last year as DoPT secretary.
Natarajan
as MD of India operations
Adobe Systems has appointed Shanmugh
Natarajan as the managing director for Adobe Systems in India. Natarajan, who
was formerly the executive director, will continue to lead Adobe operations in
India, in addition to his ongoing responsibility as vice president. Natarajan
has been instrumental in leading product development of products like Adobe
Illustrator, InDesign & Lightroom.
23rd July 2017
Shivajirao
Patil passes away
Senior Congress leader and father of
actress Smita Patil, Shivajirao Patil, passed away after a brief illness. Patil
was a former MP and also a former member of the Maharashtra Legislature and the
state cabinet. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2013. He was a member of the
Rajya Sabha during 1992-98, an MLC from 1960 to 67 and an MLA for 3 consecutive
terms from 1967 to 1980.
Hemang
Amin as COO of IPL
Board of Control for Cricket in
India has appointed Hemang Amin as the Chief Operating Officer of the Indian
Premier League. He has been with BCCI for the last 7 years and has been
instrumental during a pivotal transition period for the IPL. Amin was recently
Assistant General Manager at the BCCI and was recognised for successfully
handling the management and operations of IPL.
Govt
scraps plan to divest
Prime Minister’s Office has agreed
not to go ahead with divestment of MSTC’s arm Ferro Scrap Nigam as the entity
has no tangible assets barring machinery. FSNL, under the administrative
control of the steel ministry, undertakes disposal of ferrous and non-ferrous
scrap. FSNL was removed from disinvestment list because it does not have
anything. No land. It just has equipment.
Undue
profit to come under GST
Proposed anti-profiteering authority
under GST will take up for scrutiny only those cases that have mass impact
& where undue profit of over 1 crore has been earned. 5 member
National Anti Profiteering Authority headed by secretary level officer
will be set up. ADG Safeguards will act as secretary to National
Anti-Profiteering Authority & will coordinate b/w authority
& DG Safeguards office.
Assam
to host National Handloom Day
For the first time,
Guwahati will play host to the National Handloom Day celebrations on
August 7. The ceremony will display handloom products crafted by artisans from
the seven north eastern states through a fashion show and an exhibition. The
focus will be on the seven north eastern states so that each and every state is
given due recognition by displaying their handloom and silk products.
Assistance
for construction of school
India has extended Nepalese Rupees
66.44 million as financial assistance for construction of school buildings in
Nepal. Assistance under Small Development Programme Scheme is for
infrastructure development for education. New infrastructure would provide
much-needed classroom space and would create an improved environment for
learning and contribute to the development of education facilities.
1st
R&D facility for high-end fuels, gas
India has launched its first
petroleum R&D facility for testing high-end BS-VI quality fuel emissions. This
first-of-its kind facility was inaugurated by Petroleum Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan in Faridabad. Operated by IOC, the R&D facility is
designed to test all types of fuel including petrol, diesel, bio-diesel to
ensure they meet BS-VI norms that are to be implemented by April 2020.
Ola
invests in car leasing subsidiary
Cab aggregator Ola has invested Rs
100 crore in its car leasing subsidiary. Through Ola Fleet Technologies, Ola
focuses on building its own fleet and skilling drivers. Under the programme,
drivers could lease a car for a minimal initial deposit and then pay monthly
lease payments with an option to own the vehicle after a period of three years.
RBI
to lease currency verification
Reserve Bank of India will hire 12
currency verification systems for 6 months to help it segregate fake ones
from scrapped notes of Rs500 & Rs1000 denomination. Currency notes of
all denominations received at regional office of RBI would have to be processed
at a minimum speed of 30 notes per second. The term of the lease contract will
be of 6 months, extendable by 3 blocks of 2 months each.
Eurofins
to buy Advinus from Tatas
Tata group has agreed to sell
its pharmaceuticals and biotech research unit Advinus Therapeutics to Eurofins
Scientific. Advinus was started by the Tata group in 2005 as a research
outsourcing company. The group through Tata Sons, Tata Industries and Rallis
India controlled Advinus. Advinus has submitted over 50 end-to-end
investigational new drug applications to global regulators.
Uzhavoor
Vijayan passes away
Nationalist Congress Party Kerala
state president Uzhavoor Vijayan passed away at a private hospital in Kochi. He
was known for his speech containing political wits, later joined the NCP and
rose to the rank of its president. He began his political career during his
college days as a leader of the Kerala Students Union, the student wing of the
Indian National Congress.
Karnataka
Bank launches MLLS
Karnataka Bank, in association with
PNB MetLife, has launched Met Loan and Life Suraksha (MLLS), a single premium
plan covering the loan liability of a customer. Bank has also introduced KBL
MLLS, an app for its employees to instantly calculate the insurance cover and
premium based on loan liability of the borrowers. Karnataka Bank has been in a
partnership with MetLife for last 15 years.
RIWATCH
Museum in Arunachal Pradesh
Union Minister of State for Home
Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Research Institution of World Ancient,
Traditional, Culture & Heritage Museum at Roing in Arunachal Pradesh. It
will serve as a place of exchange of cultural values of various tribes of the
state and the North East. Rijiju also pressed for documentation and research to
preserve age-old culture and traditions of the state.
Waterways
to connect India & Bangladesh
Bangladesh and India have signed
a memorandum of Understanding to connect the North-East and West Bengal with
Bangladesh through new waterways. The new waterways would be set up by using
major rivers of Bangladesh, West Bengal and Brahmaputra in Assam. The project
would be operational in the current year and boost the trade and passenger
movement between the countries.
China
& Russia start naval drills
China and Russia have started their
large-scale naval drills – “Joint Sea 2017” in the Baltic Sea. Chinese-Russian
military drills have been held every year since 2012, but they are conducting
them in the Baltic for the first time. The Chinese destroyer, frigate and
supply ship will spend a week training with the Russian navy off Kaliningrad.
Martial
law extended in Mindanao
Legislators in the Philippines have
voted overwhelmingly to extend martial law to deal with an Islamist insurgency
in the restive island of Mindanao. Militants linked to so-called Islamic State
have been occupying parts of Marawi, a city in the south, since May. Martial
law allows the use of the military to enforce law and the detention of people
without charge for long periods.
Raveesh
Kumar to be MEA spokesperson
Consul General of India in Frankfurt
Raveesh Kumar will be the next Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson. This
comes after Senior diplomat and current MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay was
appointed as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. He joined Indian
Foreign Service in 1995 and started his career at Indian Mission in Jakarta,
after which he was posted in Thimpu and London.
Atletico
de Kolkata renamed
2 time Indian Super League champion
Atletico de Kolkata has been renamed before the forthcoming season. This comes
after Spanish giant Atletico Madrid terminated their association with the
Kolkata side. The team has been renamed to ‘Amar Tomar Kolkata’. Atletico
Madrid provided technical support and facilitated the pre-seasons in Madrid and
were a major help in recruiting foreign players.
India
3rd largest terror target
According to data compiled by US
state department, India is 3rd largest terror target in 2016. India stood
at 3rd position displacing Pakistan behind Iraq & Afghanistan in
terms of terror attacks. Out of the 11,072 terror attacks across the world in
2016, 927 took place in India. The US analysis labelled Naxals as the
3rd most deadly terror organisation in the world after ISIS and Taliban.
SBI,
Carlyle to acquire GE Capital stake
SBI & Carlyle Group
will acquire GE Capital Group’s entire 26% stake in SBI Card. SBI Card is
a joint-venture b/w SBI Cards & Payment Services and GE Capital
Business Process Management Services, which issue credit cards
& process card transactions. Following the transaction, SBI
& Carlyle will own 74% & 26% in each of the 2
entities. At present, SBI owns 60% in the joint venture.
24th July 2017
‘Mission
Football’ launched in Meghalaya
Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul
Sangma launched ‘Mission Football’ at a grand ceremony at JN Sports Complex,
Shillong. Mission Football is an initiative to help develop skills of football
enthusiasts and develop young footballers for the country. The programme has a
cost of Rs. 560 cr. The plan is to develop approximately 1,400 playgrounds in
all the 11 districts.
Zika
Virus cure
Researchers from San Antonio
Catholic University of Murcia announced the discovery of a molecule that could
be used as a potential drug to fight the effects of a Zika virus infection. The
novobiocin molecule (compound) was previously used in antibiotic drug to fend
off “nosocomial” infections (those acquired inside a hospital). Zika virus was
first isolated in Uganda in 1947.
ICC
Women’s World Cup team
Indian skipper Mithali Raj was
chosen as the captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team by the
International Cricket Council. Shewas selected as captain after she led India
to the final of the just-concluded ICC Women’s World Cup. Besides Mithali,
Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were the other two Indians included in the
ICC’s team.
US
commissions USS Gerald Ford
US Navy has commissioned the world’s
largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford into the fleet. Construction
started in 2009 and was completed on 22 July 2017. She is expected to
leave on her first deployment around 2020. The Ford was built at Newport News
Shipbuilding, a giant Navy contractor in Virginia.
UNICEF
Ambassadorship Extended
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s
ambassadorship for Unicef has been extended for another two years. He will
be working on eradicating measles and rubella infections for children. He has
also served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India. He has
been supporting and promoting various health and related issues in the country
such as childhood immunisation programme, tuberculosis.
Multi
currency forex card
India’s largest foreign bank
Standard Chartered Bank has launched a ‘Multicurrency Forex Card’ to offer a
seamless experience for overseas travelers. It will allow customers the
convenience of loading up to 20 widely used currencies on 1 card with an
online reload facility during overseas travel. It will also provide Forex rate
lock-in with 0 mark-up on cash withdrawals and shopping abroad.
Siwach
wins gold at Commonwealth Games
World youth boxing champion Sachin
Siwach clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas. Siwach
defeated Welsh boxer James Nathan Probert 4-1 in the final to claim the gold in
the light flyweight (49kg) category. Siwach, who won gold last year, was the
only one of the 103 boxers to have clinched a gold so far in the tournament.
CCEA
approves stake sale of HPCL to ONGC
Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs has given in-principle approval for sale of the govt’s 51.11% stake
along with the management control of HPCL to ONGC. HPCL will continue as a
public sector undertaking after ONGC acquires its stake. This will give ONGC an
enhanced capacity to bear higher risks, take higher investment decisions &
to neutralise impact of global crude oil price volatility.
Govt
launches ‘SHe-box’ portal
Women and Child Development ministry
has launched an online platform called “SHe-box” portal. It is an online
platform to enable women employees of the central government to file complaints
related to sexual harassment at the workplace. To begin with Central govt women
employees can file complaints but it will be widened to include the
private sector as well.
Froome
wins fourth Tour de France
Britain’s Chris Froome won the Tour
de France for the fourth time as Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to victory in Paris
on the 21st and final stage. The Team Sky rider is now second in the all-time
list after completing his third successive victory. Only the legendary Jacques
Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain – all with five wins
– stand above Froome.
Quality
mark logo for milk, milk product
Union Agriculture Minister Radha
Mohan Singh has launched National Dairy Development Board’s quality logo. It will
signify safe and quality milk and milk products from dairy cooperatives. It is
aimed at bringing about process improvement in the entire value chain from
producer to the consumers to ensure availability of quality milk and milk
products.
Indian
growth to pick up in 2017, 2018
According to the latest World
Economic Outlook report of IMF, Growth in India is forecast to pick up
further in 2017 and 2018. IMF projects India to grow at 7.7 per cent in 2018,
estimating a significant increase against the backdrop of ongoing economic
reforms. Global growth for 2016 is now estimated at 3.2 per cent, slightly
stronger than the April 2017 forecast
Iran
and Iraq to boost military ties
Iran and Iraq signed deals aimed at
boosting military cooperation during a visit by Baghdad’s Defence Minister
Irfan al-Hayali to Tehran. Both the neighbours agreed on a wide range of
military and defence cooperation including the “fight against terrorism and
extremism”. The Iraqi minister acknowledged Iran’s help in the fight against IS
and also stressed the importance of unity.
Banking
Regulation Ordinance
A bill to authorise RBI to direct
banking companies to resolve the problem of stressed assets was introduced in
Lok Sabha by Arun Jaitley. Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, seeks to
amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace the Banking Regulation
(Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. The measure allows the RBI to initiate insolvency
resolution process on specific stressed asset.
India
ends Championship with 5 medals
India ended their World Para
Athletics Championship campaign with five medals, including a gold medal in
London. India collected five medals with a gold, two silver and two bronze medals
to finish outside top-30 in the medal standings. Sundar Gurjar had clinched the
lone gold for India in men’s javelin throw F-46. India were represented by 29
para-athletes, including five women.
Free
water, toilets at Metro stations
Lucknow Metro stations will be the
1st in India to provide free drinking water at all 21 metro stations of
North-South metro corridor. Stations will have a kiosk providing purified,
chilled water to commuters free. Lucknow Metro is also going to provide free
toilet facility at each of its stations. These will be available only for
commuters who pay using token or the Go-Smart card.
England
wins Women’s World Cup
Indian women suffered a
heartbreaking nine-run defeat as hosts England won the ICC Women’s World Cup
final at Lord’s. Chasing a total of 229, Indian middle-order collapsed like a
pack of cards, being bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs. It is England’s
4th World Cup win – 2017 joining 1973, 1993 and 2009 on the mantelpiece. Anya
Shrubsole took the player-of-the-match award for her six wickets.
UR
Rao passes away
Former ISRO chairman and
renowned scientist UR Rao passed away. Rao served as the chairman of ISRO
for about 10 years, was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2017 and was
awarded Padma Bhushan in 1976. He had launched India’s first satellite
Aryabhata in 1975. For his immense contribution to development of India’s space
technology, Rao was inducted by IAF in 2016 into its Hall of Fame .
Prannoy
clinches US Open title
Indian Shuttler H S Prannoy has won
his maiden US Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament title defeating
his compatriot Parupalli Kashyap. This was Kashyap’s first final in 21 months.
With this, Prannoy clinched his third Grand Prix Gold title. It was the second
time this season that two Indians fought out for the title at international
badminton.
IRCTC
to install 100 vending machines
Indian Railway Catering
& Tourism Corporation plans to install 1100 water vending machines at
450 stations in 2017-2018 to ensure clean drinking water at low cost across the
country. A glass of 300 ml water dispensed through these machines will cost
just Re 1. Water is dispensed through Reverse Osmosis in these machines. It
will help in generating employment for around 2,000 people.
25th July 2017
IMF
lowered forecasts for US, UK
The International Monetary Fund has
lowered its forecasts for US and UK economic growth this year, following weaker
than expected activity in the first three months. The IMF expects the UK to
grow by 1.7% this year while US will grow 2.1%, as against the 2.3% it was
predicting in April. IMF kept its growth forecasts for the world economy
unchanged for this year and next year.
Unconditional
nod to Vodafone-Idea merge
The competition regulator has
approved the proposed merger between Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. The
transaction is expected to close during calendar year 2018, subject to
customary approvals. Vodafone Group India unit and Idea, ranked at two and
three, respectively, will have almost 400 million customers and a 41% revenue
market share when they merge.
India
gets WTA event after 5 years
India will host its first WTA
tournament in five years in Mumbai, giving home players an opportunity to
compete with the world’s top-50. Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association has
come forward to bring the tournament to India. Last time India hosted a
WTA event (Royal Indian Open) was in 2012 in Pune. There will be 4 wild
cards each on offer in main draw and Qualifiers of Mumbai Open.
Reliance
Defence launches patrol vessels
Reliance Defence and Engineering
Limited has announced launch of its first two Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels at
their shipyard in Gujarat. 2 NOPVs — ‘Shachi’ and ‘Shruti’ — are among five
ships being constructed by RDEL under the P-21 project of the Indian Navy. Reliance
Defence is the 1st private shipyard in India to obtain defence production
licence & sign a contract for defence ships.
Vande
Mataram mandatory in TN School
The Madras High Court has issued an
order making the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in schools, colleges
and Government offices in Tamil Nadu. The National Song shall be played and
sung in all schools/colleges/Universities and other educational institutions
atleast once a week. However, court added that a person shall not be forced it
sing it provided he or she has valid reasons.
Konsam
wins gold
Indian weightlifter Konsam Ormila
Devi has bagged a gold medal at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting
Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal. She lifted 56kg in snatch and 70kg in
clean & jerk for a total effort of 126kg in the 44kg weight category to
finish on the top of the podium. Konsam Ormila Devi is from Manipur.
Sweden
to hold biggest military drills
Sweden is preparing to hold the
“first and largest” exercise of its kind in over 20 years involving all of its
military branches as well as troops from several NATO countries. The exercise,
Aurora 17 is designed to strengthen Sweden’s defense capabilities. 19,000
soldiers from all military branches are expected to participate, which will be
conducted in the air, on land and at sea.
FSSAI
bans stapler pins in tea bags
Food Safety & Standards
Authority of India has banned use of stapler pins in tea bags effective
Jan 1, 2018. Use of stapler pins in tea bags poses potential hazard to
consumers since any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with tea may cause
a serious health hazard. Tea bag segment is one of the fastest growing segments
at 50-60% yoy. Currently, tea bags are either stapled or knotted.
Govt
withdraws Architects Amendment bill
The govt has withdrawn from the
Rajya Sabha a bill to amend the Architects Act, 1972 which provides for
registration of architects. The bill has been withdrawn as govt seeks to
redraft it with further amendments to the Act. The Act empowers govt to set up
a Council of Architecture, which may prescribe minimum standards of
architectural education in India & maintain register of architects.
Nifty
breaches 10,000 mark
Nifty at NSE breached 10,000 level
for the 1st time ever, to touch an all-time peak of 10,011 in the opening
trade. Analysts believe continuous rally of global markets coupled with influx
of foreign investment have kept the bull run going in stock market. Sentiment
was upbeat on sustained capital inflows & widespread buying by retail
investors, driven by strong earnings by bluechip companies
India
to host men’s World Boxing C’ship
India will host men’s World
Championship for the 1st time in 2021. International Boxing Association
made the announcement at the end of its 2-day executive committee meeting in
Moscow. India has never conducted men’s World Championship but has played host
to 2006 women’s mega-event. Major men’s boxing events hosted by India have been
1990 World Cup & Commonwealth Championships.
Scientist
Yash Pal passes away
Veteran scientist, administrator and
popular science communicator, Professor Yash Pal died in Uttar Pradesh. A
scientist of international repute, Mr. Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in
1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2013. Mr. Pal made significant contributions to
the field of science and to the study of cosmic rays, high-energy physics,
astrophysics and development, among others.
Free
power connection for BPL families
Uttar Pradesh Power Minister Srikant
Sharma launched free power connection scheme for the BPL card holders in the state.
Scheme would also benefit poor people who do not have BPL cards at present.
Such people would have to pay b/w Rs. 80 to Rs. 120 for getting power
connection. It would also provide relief to middle class people as the
instalment payment facility would be admissible for them.
Sanjay
Gupta as Head of Marketing
Ridesharing app Uber has appointed
Sanjay Gupta as the Head of Marketing for its India operation. Gupta, who has
over 15 years of experience, comes from online furniture portal Urban Ladder,
where he was chief marketing officer. Prior to joining Urban Ladder, he was
head marketing at wellness & youth at Marico. He will spearhead the
initiatives to strengthen the Uber brand in the country.
Mobile
App for Road Maintenance
Union Minister Narendra Tomar
& Deputy Director General of ILO Ms. Deborah Greenfield have launched
“Aarambh”, Mobile App for Road Maintenance. It aims at use of GIS based
mapping for making road inventories, condition surveys and other relevant data
for monitoring of annual road maintenance plans. It would help in improving
service delivery for road maintenance in all States.
Microsoft
to shut down MS Paint
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Fall Creators
Update is going to kill the 1985-released image editing feature Microsoft
Paint. The company has revealed that Paint is no longer “in active
development”, and may be removed from Windows altogether. MS Paint’s removal is
a part of Microsoft’s plan to shut programs that are “not in active
development.” Paint has featured on every version of Microsoft’s OS
Boeing
signs $1 billion contract
US aerospace giant Boeing has signed
a billion-dollar contract with French industrial software company Dassault
Systemes to modernise its production system. Boeing has signed a 30-year
contract worth a billion dollars, renewable every 10 years. Partnership will
focus on the use of 3D software “to design future products, to modernise the
entire production system and to deploy new services”.
Pichai
joins Alphabet’s board
Google’s chief executive officer
Sundar Pichai is going to join Google’s parent company Alphabet’s board of
directors. He joins the company’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin and
9 other veterans of technology, finance and automotive industries. He
becomes the 5th insider to join Alphabet board. He took the reins of
Google in August 2015, when Page announced the Alphabet restructuring.
AAI
and Uttarakhand Govt.inks MoU
Airports Authority of India has
signed a MoU with Govt of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. The
scope of MoU is to identify relevant factors influencing development of civil
aviation infrastructure in Uttarakhand. AAI will also assist UCADA in obtaining
necessary clearances for airport operations starting with the upgraded airport
at Pithoragarh and later at Chiniyalisaur.
World’s
1st fullscale floating wind farm
World’s 1st full-scale floating
wind farm has started to take shape off the north-east coast of Scotland. It
will allow wind power to be harvested in waters too deep for current
conventional bottom-standing turbines. 5 turbines will be installed which
will provide 30MW of energy, enough to power 20000 homes. Each
turbine is 175m high & weighs 11500 tonnes, using a large buoy to keep
upright
THANKS: testbook.com
Post a Comment