Current Affairs JULY 2019 (Set 04)

NATIONAL NEWS

1. Rajya Sabha passes Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 amid Opposition protests 

The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was cleared by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha amid criticism from the Opposition that the legislation will ensure that only the government’s nominees are appointed to the National Human Rights Commission. The Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha earlier.

The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 to include the provision that apart from a former CJI, a former judge of the Supreme Court can be the Chairperson of the NHRC. Under the Act, only a person who had been the CJI could be made the NHRC chairperson.

The Bill says that if a Chief Justice of India is not available for the post, then there is an option to appoint a Supreme Court judge. But there is no clarity that if there is an existing Chief Justice, will he be overlooked and a certain hand-picked judge be appointed chairman.

 

2. Health Ministry bans sale, distribution of antibiotic Colistin for food producing animals 

The Health Ministry has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of antibiotic, Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements in a bid to preserve the drug’s efficacy in humans.

The ban has been imposed under provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and a notification in this regard has been issued by the Centre.

It was brought to the notice of the Central government that the use of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements is likely to involve risk to human beings.

Following which the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the government’s top advisory body on technical matters related to drugs in the country considered the matter and recommended prohibiting the said drug.

The Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in public interest to prohibit manufacture, sale and distribution of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements.

The antibiotic is being used as a last resort for treatment of patients suffering from infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. Colistin is an antibiotic for therapeutic purpose in veterinary. But the drug is highly misused in poultry industry as a growth promoter for prophylactic purpose.One of the reason for antibiotic resistance in India is due to unwanted use of Colistin in poultry industry. This notification will prevent use of the drug for prophylactic use.

 

3. GSLV MkIII-M1 Successfully Launches Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft-India becomes the first country to launch a mission to the South Pole 

India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV MkIII-M1, successfully launched the 3840 kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into an earth orbit on 22 July 2019. The spacecraft is now revolving round the earth with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169.7 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 45,475 km. The vehicle lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at the scheduled launch time of 1443 Hrs (2:43 pm) Indian Standard Time (IST) with the ignition of its two S200 solid strap-on motors. All the subsequent flight events occurred as scheduled.

GSLV Mk III is a three-stage launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. The vehicle is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. It comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.

The mission objective of Chandrayaan-2 is to develop and demonstrate the key technologies for end-to-end lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and roving on the lunar surface. On the science front, this mission aims to further expand our knowledge about the Moon through a detailed study of its topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics and atmosphere leading to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon.

After leaving earth orbit and on entering Moon's sphere of influence, the on-board propulsion system of Chandrayaan-2 will be fired to slow down the spacecraft. This will enable it to be captured into a preliminary orbit around the Moon. Later, through a set of manoeuvres, the orbit of Chandrayaan-2 around the moon will be circularised at 100 km height from the lunar surface.

Subsequently, the lander will separate from the Orbiter and enters into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon. Then, it will perform a series of complex braking manoeuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.

Following this, the Rover will roll out from the lander and carry out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of 1 lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days. The mission life of the lander is also 1 lunar day. The Orbiter will continue its mission for a duration of one year.

The orbiter had a lift-off weight of about 2,369 kg, while the lander and rover weighed 1,477 kg and 26 kg respectively. The rover can travel up to 500 m (half a kilometre) and relies on electric power generated by its solar panel for functioning.

Chandrayaan-2 has several science payloads to facilitate a more detailed understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon. The Orbiter carries eight payloads, the lander carries three, and the rover carries two. Besides, a passive experiment is included on the lander. The Orbiter payloads will conduct remote-sensing observations from a 100 km orbit while the Lander and Rover payloads will perform in-situ measurements near the landing site.

The ground facilities constitute the third vital element of Chandrayaan-2 mission. They perform the important task of receiving the health information as well as the scientific data from the spacecraft. They also transmit the radio commands to the spacecraft. The Ground Segment of Chandrayaan-2 consists of Indian Deep Space Network, Spacecraft Control Centre and Indian Space Science Data Centre.

 

4. Rajya Sabha passes RTI Amendment Bill, 2019 

The Lok Sabha had passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on 22^nd July. In this amendment, it is proposed to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005 so as to provide that the term of office of, and the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of, the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners and the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners, shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

The bill, which now awaits President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent, will grant greater powers to the Centre in deciding the terms of the chief information commissioners (CICs) and information commissioners (ICs) at both the central and state levels.

According to the RTI Act of 2005, the CIC and ICs at the central and state level will hold office for a term of five years, while the amendments specify that the Centre will in fact notify the terms of both the CIC and the IC.

The Bill also removes provisions of the salary of the CIC and IC being equivalent to those of the CEC and election commissioners at the central level and to those of the election commissioners and the chief secretary at the state level. It will now be determined by the government, according to the proposed amendments.

If the CIC or IC has been receiving pension, the government can, according to the amendment, revise or downgrade their salaries to match the amount of pension they receive.

 

5. Digitization of Archaeological Museum is being done through a special software-JATAN in a phased manner 

The National Portal and Digital Repository for Indian Museums is developed and hosted by Human Centres Design and Computing Group, C-DAC, Pune, as per the agreement with Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Human Centres Design and Computing Group, being a technical expertise, developed JATAN: Virtual Museum software which is used for creating the digital collections in various museums and digital archival tools that are used in background for managing the National Portal and Digital Repository for Indian Museums.

There are 48 (forty-eight) Archaeological Site Museums under Archaeological Survey of India out of which two Archaeological Site Museums, namely - Velha Goa; and Nagarjunakonda, have been digitised during the first phase through JATAN: Virtual Museum software and the data has been up-loaded in public domain through National Portal and Digital Repository for Indian Museums. The portal works through the website - http://museumsofindia.gov.in/ wherein all the digitised data on museums have been up-loaded for on-line viewing. Digitisation in rest of the 46 (forty-six) archaeological museums through multi-user JATAN software is being done in phase-wise manner.

 

6. ICMR launches forum to improve data collection and use 

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s National Institute for Medical Statistics (ICMR-NIMS), in partnership with Population Council, launched the National Data Quality Forum (NDQF).

NDQF will integrate learning from scientific and evidence-based initiatives and guide actions through periodic workshops and conferences. Its activities will help establish protocols and good practices of data collection, storage, use and dissemination that can be applied to health and demographic data, as well as replicated across industries and sectors noted a release issued by ICMR.

 

7. Govt approves merger of NIMH with ICMR-NIOH 

The Cabinet has approved to dissolve National Institute of Miners' Health (NIMH), an autonomous institute under Ministry of Mines (MoM) and merge/ amalgamate with ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with all assets and liabilities and absorb all the employees of NIMH in NIOH in similar post/pay scale as the case may be and their pay be protected.

The merger/amalgamation of NIMH with NIOH will prove beneficial to both the institutes in terms of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational health besides the efficient management of public money.

 

8. IIT Kharagpur team develops app CARE4U for elderly people 

In a move to help geriatric care, students of IIT Kharagpur have built an app which will inform the caregiver when the elderly person falls down with the exact location.

‘CARE4U’ the android-based app will connect the caregiver to the elderly person. The app has been built by an interdisciplinary team of the second year B-Tech students of the institute. The network-based fall detection algorithm in the app installed on the phone of the elderly can detect whether the elderly has fallen down. If there is a fall, it automatically calls the caregiver and emergency services along with the exact location of the elderly person.

CARE4U can also detect emotions and whenever the elderly opens the app, the phone takes his picture and a mood index is calculated. This detects whether the person is sad or not and automatically updates the caregiver with the time stamp. The caregiver can check what mood the senior citizen has been through in the day. To make this feature more effective the team has developed a cognitive intelligent chatbot for the elderly person to engage with. CARE4U can also do a plethora of other day-to-day activities like make a call, send a text, book a cab and so on. The app also has a record of medical histories, allergies’ account, an SOS button, real time location tracking and so on.

It has a ‘Medicine Reminder’ feature to remind both the elderly as well as the caregiver that it is time for the former to take medicine.

To make a list of the medicine, all one has to do is take a photo of the medicine. The image-to-text recognition algorithm automatically detects the name of the medicine and adds it to the list. The user then just needs to set the time at which the medicine has to be consumed.

 

9. Cabinet approves sale of FACT land to the Government of Kerala 

The Union Cabinet has approved the sale of 481.79 acres of land held by the Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd. (FACT) to the Govt. of Kerala. 150 acres of land at the rate of Rs. 1 crore per acre will be sold in lieu of Govt. of Kerala agreeing to give free-hold right over 143.22 acres of land to FACT and remaining 331.79 acres @ Rs. 2.4758 crore per acre as assessed by the District Collector of Ernakulam. FACT will utilize the sale proceeds to address working capital deficiency, improvement of balance sheet and enabling the company to enhance physical and financial performance by implementing capacity expansion projects for sustainable growth of the company.

This approval will help FACT to reduce the bank borrowings and to implement projects for enhancing fertilizer production capacity and upgrading logistics / raw material handling facilities.

The revival of FACT will create opportunities for expansion and diversification of the company and this in turn, will help to generate more jobs, both directly and indirectly. The net effect of this will be a boost to the economy of the State of Kerala and improving fertilizer availability to South India. Reduction of dependence on import of fertilizers and chemicals will facilitate resultant savings in foreign exchange to the country and also improve fertilizers and food security. Through inclusion of fixed timelines for monitoring the implementation of the sale of land, the accountability of the management in achieving performance after the sale of land will be ensured. The unit has already switched over to cleaner LNG as feedstock and fuel, which will improve its energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

 

10. Govt inks MoU with industry body to streamline delivery of services under Ayushman Bharat 

To streamline delivery of services under the Centre's flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat, its implementing agency inked an MoU with industry body NATHEALTH on July 25.

The partnership between National Health Authority (NHA) and the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) aims to streamline all innovations ensuring that it increases the efficacy of service delivery of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The collaboration provides an industry interface for testing innovations, providing mentorship and creating channels for facilitating support required for scaling these innovations. This will bolster NHA's effectiveness in implementing its innovation strategy, which is aligned with the its vision of 'Health for All'.

The MoU aims at enabling an ecosystem for the industry partners within the NATHEALTH network to participate in piloting, testing, adopting, funding and scaling innovations.

Around 26 Lakh people have availed treatment so far in several hospitals across the country under the scheme since its launch in September last year.

The insurance scheme aims to provide a health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to over 10.74 crore vulnerable families.

The scheme provides a cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.

Over 15,000 hospitals and health care providers have been empanelled across the country under the scheme.

 

11. India’s first dragon blood-oozing tree 

Assam has added to India’s botanical wealth a plant that yields dragon’s blood — a bright red resin used since ancient times as medicine, body oil, varnish, incense and dye.

A trio of researchers led by Assam forest officer Jatindra Sarma has discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong. The team’s report has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.

This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has been reported from India.

The report has been co-authored by Hussain Ahmed Barbhuiya of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Santanu Dey of Nagaland University’s Department of Botany.  In India, the Dracaena genus belonging to the family Asparagaceae is represented by nine species and two varieties in the Himalayan region, the northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But Dracaena cambodiana is the only true dragon tree species.

Dracaena cambodiana is an important medicinal plant as well as an ornamental tree. it is a major source of dragon’s blood, a precious traditional medicine in China. Several antifungal and antibacterial compounds, antioxidants, flavonoids, etc., have been extracted from various parts of the plant. Recent overexploitation to meet the increasing demand for dragon’s blood has resulted in rapid depletion of the plant. For this reason, the species is already listed in the inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of China.

The population size of the dragon tree species in Assam was estimated to be fewer than 50 mature individuals. The habitat of the plant is severely fragmented due to open excavation of a stone quarry and there is continuing decrease in its area of occupancy and number of mature individuals.

The Dracaena seeds are usually dispersed by birds. But due to the large fruit size, only a few species of birds are able to swallow the fruits, thus limiting the scope of its natural conservation. The study advocates conservation programme for Dracaena cambodiana in view of its medicinal, ornamental and ecological values.

 

12. SC orders setting up of special courts in districts with over 100 pending POCSO cases 

The Supreme Court  directed the setting up of special courts in each district across the country that had over a 100 cases of child abuse and sexual assault pending trial under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. A Bench led by the Chief Justice of India directed the courts to be set up within 60 days. They will be established under a Central scheme and fully funded by the Centre. This means the Centre would fund everything from the payment of the presiding officers, staff and support persons to the court’s child-friendly infrastructure.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been asked to file a progress report in four weeks. The court said it would take up the matter again on September 26.

The order came on a suo motu public interest litigation petition registered by the Supreme Court after being concerned by the “alarming rise” in child abuse cases and their long pendency in courts.

The traumatised victims needed to be treated with compassion and kindness. In short, a completely different approach was required while investigating and trying POCSO cases.

The court said the support persons in these special courts, who perform the crucial role of a bridge between the child victim and the court’s officers and investigators, should comprise dedicated people who had excellent academic qualifications and devoted to child rights.

The court, though it deferred any orders for the establishment of exclusive forensic laboratories for POCSO cases, ordered the directors of the existing ones to deal with POCSO case evidence promptly to cause no delay in the probe or trial of such cases.

 

13. The Code of Criminal Procedure (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2018 for reintroduction of anticipatory bail gets President’s assent 

President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to a key Bill of Uttar Pradesh that will pave the way for reintroduction of the provision of anticipatory bail, revoked during the Emergency in 1976. Barring Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand all other states in the country have the provision of anticipatory bail.

 

14. Over Rs 5,800 crore sanctioned for cleaning 34 polluted rivers: Environment Ministry

Over Rs 5,800 crore has been sanctioned for pollution abatement at 34 river stretches in 16 states across the country, excluding River Ganga. Out of the total of Rs 5,870 crore sanctioned under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), the Centre has released its share of Rs 2,522 crore to states. Project proposals are received from states from time to time for taking up pollution abatement works in town along various rivers and are considered for financial assistance under the NRCP. NRCP has covered polluted stretches of 34 rivers in 77 towns spread over 16 states at a sanctioned cost of Rs 5870.55 crore.

In the last one year, Rs 143 crore has been released to nine states for pollution abatement in rivers under NRCP.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with State Pollution Control Boards, monitors the water quality of rivers on a regular basis.

351 stretches of polluted rivers have been identified by the apex pollution body.

The ministry has released Rs 181 crores to 20 states for pollution abatement in lakes and wetlands in last three years, with Rs 1.58 crore being released in the current financial year so far. The Environment Ministry is currently implementing a centrally sponsored scheme named National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) under which 180 wetlands including lakes have been prioritised for conservation and management.

 

15. 361 Complaints of Child Labour Resolved Through Pencil Portal 

The Government of India is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour.  The NCLP Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme. Under this Scheme, funds are provided directly to the District Project Societies headed by District Magistrate/Collector/Deputy Commissioner who in turn allocates the funds to NGOs/Voluntary Agencies, etc. for running of Special Training Centres. 

To ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme a separate online portal Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) has been launched w.e.f. 26.9.2017. The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the General public.  Further, online complaints regarding child labour can also be filed by anybody on the Pencil Portal. The complaint gets assigned to the concerned Nodal Officer automatically by the system for further necessary action.

Of the 1010 complaints of child labour received on PENCIL, the District Nodal Officers have updated the status in respect of 361 complaints as resolved.

 

16. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates NSG facility at CCMB

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad. The facility includes technology for high genome sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical samples. The state of art machine, acquired at a cost of Rs. 8 crore can sequence 18,000 samples in 8 minutes. The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data critical for diagnosis and therapy. It is the fourth such facility in the country. This state-of-the-art genome sequencing facility would be of help, especially to patients suffering from rare genetic disorders.

The facility includes cutting edge technology for high throughput (number of samples tested) genome sequencing, which also facilitates diagnostic related sequencing of transcriptome and exome (parts of genome that are expressed in cells) of clinical samples. Much of the existing body of knowledge for therapies for these diseases comes from studies done with Caucasian populations. This facility would help in generating large-scale genomic data from Indian populations, which was critical for genetic diagnosis and therapy.

The CCMB can now sequence up to 30 human genomes or 384 diagnostic samples in a day. For a country like India, with its heavy genetic disease burden, prenatal genetic screening and counselling are essential in preventing genetic disorders, said a press release.

This opens up multiple avenues in investigating fundamental biology of individual cells in tissues as well as fighting disease like cancer through understanding the heterogeneity in cell populations. By using the facility, scientists hope to find genetic cause of rare diseases and develop kits which can be used to find population at the risk of genetic or other rare diseases. These services would be available to hospitals, industry, and academicians by paying charges.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. Bangladesh invents plastic alternative from jute 

Bangladesh is the world's second biggest producer of jute after India, though the so-called "golden fibre" - named for its colour and its once-high price - has lost its sheen as demand has fallen. Now, however, a Bangladeshi scientist has found a way to turn the fibre into low-cost biodegradable cellulose sheets that can be made into greener throwaway bags that look and feel much like plastic ones. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientific adviser to the state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and leader of the team that developed the new "sonali" - the Bengali word for "golden" - bags. The sacks are biodegradable after three months buried in soil, and can also be recycled. Bangladesh is now producing 2,000 of the bags a day on an experimental basis, but plans to scale up commercial production after signing an agreement last October with the British arm of a Japanese green packaging firm.

Bangladesh was one of the first countries to ban the use of plastic and polythene bags, in 2002, in an effort to stop them collecting in waterways and on land - though the ban has had little success.

 

2. New India-UK bilateral scheme- UKEIRI Mobility Programme launched on Pilot basis 

The UKEIRI Mobility Programme launched on a pilot basis to support Britain's universities to collaborate with Indian partners to facilitate the United Kingdom (UK) students to visit India during their studies. UKERI stands for 'UK-India Education Research Initiative'. It is an initiative of Universities UK International (UUKI) and British Council India to fund students from UK to visit India. It will generate up to 200 opportunities for undergraduate students at UK universities to visit India by March 2021. Study in India programme will support national as well as institutional-level objectives to increase levels of outward student mobility from the UK to 13% by 2020. This target is set out in UUKi's Go International: Stand Out campaign.

 

3. Ocean snail is first animal to be officially endangered by deep-sea mining

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum) to its Red List of endangered species- amid a rush of companies applying for exploratory mining licenses.

This is an important step towards alerting policymakers to the potential impacts deep-sea mining may have on biodiversity. The scaly-foot snail is found at only three hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean, occupying a total area roughly the size of two American football fields.

 

4. Jordan unveils underwater museum of military vehicles 

Jordan has unveiled its first underwater military museum off the coast of Aqaba. The kingdom sank several military vehicles, including tanks, troop carriers and a helicopter. The vehicles, imitating a battle formation, have been stationed at a coral reef in the Red Sea. Local authorities said the display offers a "new type" of museum experience for visiting tourists. Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) added that it would combine "sports, environment and exhibits".

 

5. NASA plans to put first woman on Moon by 2024 

As NASA marks the 50th anniversary of the historic first Moon landing, it’s preparing to take its next giant leap with the ambitious Artemis programme that could see the “first woman and the next man" walk on the lunar surface.

Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also the goddess of the Moon and the hunt. The programme to return astronauts to the lunar surface is planned to launch by 2024. With the mission, NASA plans to explore regions of the Moon never visited before, unlock mysteries of the universe and test the technology that will extend the bounds of humanity farther into the Solar System.

 

6. Palau signs International Solar Alliance Framework agreement

Palau signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement here, lauding India for its efforts in promoting sustainable development projects through South-South cooperation. Palau became the 76th country to sign the ISA Framework Agreement, which till date has been ratified by a total of 54 of the 76 countries.

Palau President Tommy Remengesau signed the ISA Framework Agreement during a special ceremony at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations. Remengesau recognised the ISA as a key initiative for promoting sustainable energy.       

The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015. It is a major global initiative for contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.

The First Assembly of the ISA was held in New Delhi in October 2018, inaugurated by Modi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

 

ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

1. Bhabha Kavach-India’s 1st Lightest, Indigenous Bullet Proof Jacket gets MHA nod 

India’s Lightest Bullet Proof Jacket ‘Bhabha Kavach’ was launched at the International Police Expo 2019.The jacket which is a major breakthrough for Paramilitary Forces and Indian armed forces got nod from Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 

It has been developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI). The bulletproof jacket they developed together, named Bhabha Kavach in recognition of BARC’s contribution, has recently cleared firing trials at Gujarat Forensic Science University. The  Bhabha Kavach weighs 9.2 kg, 300 gm lighter than the requirements. Bhabha Kavach is built from layers of “high-density, high-tenacity polyethelene, which are thermo-sealed” by MIDHANI. This means the layers are fused together at high temperature. This forms a thick, hard armour plate, which is then sprayed with BARC’s carbon nanomaterial. Soaking into the layers of the plate, the nanomaterial instils the toughness and tenacity needed to slow down and trap a bullet as it passes through the plate.

Bulletproof jacket armour is of two types. Soft armour provides lesser protection, suitable for threats from handgun and small arms bullets and is worn by bodyguards and VIPs against personal threats. Hard armour is stronger and heavier and is designed to stop high calibre rounds. NIJ Level IV jackets even provide protection against armour-piercing rounds.

Each Bharat Kavach has four hard armour plates, which protect the wearer from the front, back, and either side. BARC has transferred the carbon nanomaterial technology to the OFB. The trials have validated that the Bhabha Kavach meets US National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Level III standards, which guarantees protection against 7.62 mm NATO-standard bullets. Most army bulletproof jackets meet the lesser NIJ Level II standard, which protects soldiers from 9 mm bullets fired from a carbine or handgun. That is because the army places a premium on mobility as well as protection and does not want a heavy jacket.

CAPFs like the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibet Border Police, and Sashastra Seema Bal, which secure the towns and cities of Kashmir, are more exposed to AK-47 bullets. In 2016-17, in consultation with the CAPFs, the Bureau of Police Research & Development laid down specifications for a heavier jacket with NIJ Level III protection.

 

2. 7,000 species added to IUCN ‘Red List’ 

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has updated its Red List. The list has assessed the extinction risk of almost 106,000 species.

27% of the assessed species are threatened and at a risk of extinction. More than 7,000 species from around the world were added to the endangered category of the Red List in the latest update.

According to IUCN, Wedgefishes and giant guitarfishes, known collectively as Rhino Rays are now the most imperilled marine fish families on Earth.

Further, seven species of primate are closer to extinction on the new list, including the Roloway Monkey of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

The Red List, produced by the IUCN, is the most authoritative assessment of the status of species.

There are 9 categories in the Red List: a) Extinct, b) Extinct in the Wild, c) Critically Endangered, d) Endangered, e) Vulnerable, f) Near Threatened, g) Least Concern, h) Data Deficient and i) Not Evaluated.

Among the categories, Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction

 

3. Motihari-Amlekhgunj is the first transnational petroleum pipeline from India and first South Asian oil pipeline corridor 

The landmark Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum products pipeline between India and Nepal has been completed and ready for commercial operation. Indian Oil Corporation and Nepal Oil Corporation successfully completed testing transfer of the pipeline. Motihari-Amlekhgunj is the first transnational petroleum pipeline from India and first South Asian oil pipeline corridor. It is also the first oil pipeline in Nepal. The prestigious project is expected to be inaugurated soon by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli. The 69 kilometre-long pipeline has been constructed by India in just 15 months, half of its 30 months deadline. 
Since 1974, Nepal has been importing its entire major petroleum products including petrol, diesel, ATF and LPG from India. The annual export worth of these products is over Eight thousand five hundred crore rupees. The oil pipeline will ensure smooth, cost effective and environment friendly supply of petroleum products to Nepal.

 

4. Raksha Mantri Inaugurates Ujh and Basantar Bridges in J&K 

Ushering in vast improvement in the connectivity of roads and bridges in border areas, Raksha Mantri ShriRajnath Singh inaugurated the One kilometre long Ujh bridge in Kathua district, 617.40 Metre long Basantarbridge in Samba district of Jammu & Kashmir today and dedicated these to the nation. One Km long Ujh bridge is the longest bridge constructed by BRO and also has the distinction where technology of Pre Cast Segmental br with 60 m spans was used. It has been constructed at a cost of approx. Rs 50 crore and was completed within  the scheduled time. The bridge is located on Parole-Korepannu-Rajpura road over UjhNallah. Basantar bridge has been constructed at a total cost of approxRs 41.7 crore. The bridge is located on Rajpura–Madwal–Pangadur–Phulpur road over BasantarNallah. Both these bridges have been constructed under 69 RCC/13 BRTF of Project Sampark. These bridges will provide smooth connectivity and are vital for the Army for deployment on border areas. These bridges will be a big relief for the local people of border villages of Kathua and Samba sector as road connectivity used to get disrupted during Monsoon.

 

5. FASTags to be made mandatory by 1 December, says road ministry

All lanes in the fee plazas shall be declared as “FASTag lane of fee plaza by December 1, 2019. FASTag is an electronic toll connection device installed in the vehicle to enable drivers to drive through toll plazas without having to stop. The move is part of the government’s larger plan to promote digital payments at toll plaza and decongest national highways, thereby ensuring seamless movement of vehicles.

To monitor movement of oversized vehicles, one lane in the toll plaza will be kept as ‘hybrid lane’ accepting FASTag and other modes of payment. However, such a lane will also be converted into a FASTag lane in a time-bound manner. FASTag is attached to the windscreen and uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to enable direct toll payments while the vehicle is moving. The toll fare is deducted from the bank account linked to FASTag.

 

6. Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state in the country to reserve 75% jobs to locals in Andhra Pradesh's industries 

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly  passed a bill to reserve 75% of jobs to locals in all industries in the state even as Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the industry that his government will extend every possible help to them. The bill is aimed at providing three-fourth of all jobs for locals in all industries, including units, factories, joint ventures and projects set up under public-private partnership mode in the state.

 

7. Cabinet retains sugarcane FRP at ?275 a quintal

The Cabinet cleared a fair and remunerative price (FRP) of ?275 per quintal — the same as last year — for sugarcane sold to mills during the forthcoming sugar season of 2019-20, much to the chagrin of sugarcane growers.

The FRP is the minimum price that sugarcane farmers are legally guaranteed to get from sugar mills. The crop, which has a more than 10 per cent recovery rate, will get an additional ?2.75 per quintal for every 0.1 per cent increase.

Farmers in many States such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, are paid on the basis of the FRP set by the Centre. Others, in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu etc, have a State Advised Price.

The Cabinet also decided to create a sugar buffer stock of 4 million tonnes — 1 mt more than last year — to help the sugar industry, which has been reeling under an output glut. This may cost the national exchequer up to ?1,674 crore, adding that it is based on the market price and availability of sugar. This move may be reviewed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution at any time for withdrawal/modification.

 

8. IBBI Tightens Screws On Resolution Professionals

In a big move to tighten norms governing resolution professionals, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India has placed multiple restrictions including on taking up employment after completion of a resolution process by the relatives of resolution professionals.  
As part of the new rules, RPs would not be able to get employment when they are in the possession of authorisation to take up work under the insolvency law. This goes further to state that an insolvency professional and their relatives cannot accept any employment from the successful resolution applicant concerned for one year, the amended norms state. These new norms will be effective from January 1, 2020. An insolvency professional shall not engage in any employment when he holds an 'Authorisation for Assignment' or when he is undertaking an assignment. This would enable an individual to seek registration as an insolvency professional even when he is in employment. He must, however, discontinue employment when he wishes to have an 'Authorisation for Assignment'. Further, an individual would be permitted to serve as an independent director on the governing board of an insolvency professional agency up to the age of 75 years. 
Insolvency resolution professionals are professionals registered with the IBBI to perform the liquidation and recovery process for individuals, companies and limited liability partnerships. The professionals play a key role in disbursing dues to all forms of creditors and pay out liabilities as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. 
Over the last two years, demand for RPs have soared in the country in line with the government’s action to quickly resolve pending bankruptcy cases of large businesses but controversies surrounding potential conflicts of interest have made news too. These new norms seek to correct some of the loopholes and ensure that RPs or companies aren’t unduly benefitting from the process.

 

9. Panel favours cryptocurrency ban in India 

An inter-ministerial committee set up by the government on virtual currencies has proposed banning of private cryptocurrencies in India by enacting a law and imposing fines and penalties for carrying on activities related to such cryptocurrencies. The committee headed by finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has proposed a draft bill “Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019", which has been placed in the public domain. The committee has, however, taken a lenient view on the government launching an official digital currency, asking it to keep an open mind on the matter. As virtual currencies and its underlying technology are still evolving, the group has proposed that the government may establish a standing committee to revisit the issues addressed in the report as and when required.

The committee has suggested the use of distributed-ledger technology (DLT) or blockchain in India, especially in financial services. The DLT-based systems can be used by banks and other financial firms for processes such as loan-issuance tracking, collateral management, fraud detection and claims management in insurance and reconciliation systems in the securities market.

The DLT-based systems can be used by banks and other financial firms for processes such as loan-issuance tracking, collateral management, fraud detection and claims management in insurance and reconciliation systems in the securities market.

The committee identifies the potential use cases for blockchain technology in areas such as payments systems including cross-border and small value payments; data identity management or know-your-customer requirements by various financial entities; insurance; collateral and ownership (including land) registries; loan issuance and tracking; e-stamping; trade financing; post-trade reporting; securities and commodities and internal systems of financial service providers. The advantages of using DLT are mainly seen in terms of reducing administration and transaction costs, obviating duplication and improving accuracy of data, improving the speed and efficiency of transactions and detecting fraud.

 

10. NPCI ties up with JCB for global RuPay card 

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB International, along with domestic banks, have launched RuPay JCB Global Cards.

Banks including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank, Union Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Andhra Bank, City Union Bank, and TJSB Bank will issue these cards, which will be accepted in India at all POS terminals and ATMs that accept JCB cards.

NPCI had earlier tied up with Discover for international cards.

issues with the proposal for scrapping MDR which is being discussed.

 

11. ICICI Bank rolls out digital platform InstaBIZ for MSMEs

The platform called InstaBIZ offers over 115 products and services online through the mobile and internet banking channel.

Betting big on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and self-employed customers, private sector lender ICICI Bank announced the launch of a new digital platform that would allow these segments to undertake their business banking transactions digitally and instantly.

The platform called InstaBIZ offers over 115 products and services online through the mobile and internet banking channel, including instant overdraft facility of up to ?15 lakh, business loans, easy bulk collection and payment of funds through multiple digital modes, automatic bank reconciliation and also undertake all  export-import transactions.

The current book size for MSMEs and self-employed persons in the country is about ?25-lakh crore. It is the first digital banking platform to enable instant payment of GST using the challan number in a single click payment. Additionally, they can instantly apply for a Point-of-Sale machine as well as instant marine insurance policy.

 

12. RBI committee recommends increase of loan limits to MSME sector 

A Committee constituted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), headed by former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha, has recommended that the limit for collateral free lending should be increased to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

The Committee has also recommended revision of loan limit sanctioned under MUDRA to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh.

The recommendations also include a proposed Rs 5,000 crore distressed asset fund for MSMEs. The fund may be used to assist units in clusters where large number of entities may have become non-performing due to changes in the external environment.

 

13. Cars 24 gets NBFC licence 

Cars24, an online marketplace for used vehicles, has received the licence of a non-banking financial company (NBFC) from the Reserve Bank of India, and is venturing into the consumer lending business. It has also announced the formation of a separate entity — Cars24 Financial Services — under the Cars24 group to provide instant access to credit. The used-car dealer will be launching its services in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in August 2019 and will scale up to the other cities gradually.

Credit facilities will be provided to customers as well as finance channel partners to help them expand their businesses. While the customers will be eligible for a credit based on the car value they are buying, channel partners will be eligible to a credit as high as Rs 1 crore depending upon their requirement. For consumers, the average ticket size of a loan would be Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. The company is targeting loan disbursement worth $25 million (Rs 170 crore) within the maiden year of its launch. It will also allow consumers to sell their cars to Cars24 at any time in future to pay back the loan - a first-of-its-kind feature in the Indian used car financing market.

 

14. FDI inflow registered growth of 79% during last 6 years

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has increased during the last six years from 36.05 billion US Dollars in 2013-14 to 64.38 billion US Dollars in 2018-19, registering a growth of 79 per cent.

The intent is to make the FDI policy more investor-friendly and remove the policy bottlenecks that have been hindering investment inflow into the country.

 

15. IAF contingent returns after successful completion of Garuda exercise

The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent that took part in Garuda 2019, a bilateral Indo-French exercise hosted by the French Air Force (FAF) from July 1 to 12 at Mont-de-Marsan, returned to India after the successful completion of the exercise.

Garuda VI was the largest international air training exercise of 2019. The IAF contingent consisted of 134 air-warriors. The participating aircraft included four Su-30 MKI fighters besides one IL-78 and two C-17 aircraft that provided logistic support during induction and de-induction. The contingent departed for the exercise from India on June 25 with an objective of operating in the international environment at Mont-de-Marsan, France.

Objectives for the exercise were to foster a closer relationship between India and France so as to promote interoperability through exchange of knowledge and experience. The exercise ensured that the participating forces were exposed to operational environment in an international scenario. Garuda VI was planned in two phases. In these phases, both IAF and FAF flew missions involving Large Force Engagement (LFE) air combat exercises in near realistic environment and exchanged best practices towards enhancing our operational capability. IAF undertook operations both by day and by night.

During the exercise, IAF maintenance crew ensured 100 per cent serviceability of all assets, thus ensuring that all missions were flown on all days as planned.

IAF appreciated FAF for the professional conduct of the exercise and overall excellent support provided. Participation in an International air exercise assumes importance in view of the continued engagement of the IAF with friendly foreign countries. Over the last decade, IAF has been actively participating in operational exercises hosted by various countries, wherein collaborative engagements have been undertaken with the best air forces in the world.

The operational lessons learnt by IAF during the exercise will assist IAF in adding more teeth to its overall war waging capabilities and assist us in better jointmanship with the friendly forces.

 

16. Over 7 crore 32 lakh farmer families receive first two instalments of under PMKSNY 

Over seven crore 32 lakh farmer families across the country have received the first and second instalments of 2 thousand rupees each under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana amounting to 14 thousand 646 crore rupees. 
Uttar Pradesh with over two crores twenty lakh farmer families topped the list followed by Andhra Pradesh with 72 lakh and Maharastra 50 lakh farmers. 
PM-KISAN envisages covering approximately 14 crore 50 lakh beneficiaries across the country subject to exclusion criteria.

 

17. Govt cuts interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) 

The government has lowered interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) and other similar funds in line with a general decline in overall interest rates in the financial system. For the July-September, General Provident Fund and other similar funds will pay 7.9% interest rate to its subscribers, as compared to 8% in the previous quarter. This interest rate will be applicable on provident funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate is in line with that of Public Provident Fund.

Earlier, the government had cut interest rates on some small savings schemes, including PPF and Senior Citizen Savings Scheme, by 10 basis points for the July-August quarter, amid a decline in overall interest rate in the financial system. For example, PPF for the July-September quarter will fetch 7.9% interest rate (annual), as compared to 8% in the previous quarter.

 

PEOPLE IN NEWS

1. Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane appointed next vice chief 

In major rejig in the Army, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane has been appointed the next vice-chief of the force. Lt Gen Naravane succeeds Lt Gen D Anbu who retires on August 31.

Lt Gen Naravane will be in contention for the Army chief’s post as he will be the senior-most commander when incumbent Gen Bipin Rawat retires on December 31.

In another key appointment, Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Anil Chauhan will be new General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command.

Lt Gen A S Kler has been appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South-Western Command, succeeding Lt Gen Cherish Matheson. Lt. Gen Matheson retires on August 31. Lt Gen I S Ghuman has been appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command. He will succeed Lt Gen Abhay Krishna.

Lt Gen R P Singh has been appointed head of the Western Command. He succeeds Lt Gen Surinder Singh who retires from service on July 31.

Lt Gen Singh is currently serving as commander of the 21 Strike Corps.

 

2. Indian bodybuilder Ravinder Malik clinches Mr South Asia title 

Indian bodybuilder Ravinder Kumar Malik has clinched Mr. South Asia title; He was crowned the overall champion at 12th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Malik, the winner of 80 kg category, was adjudged best bodybuilder among the winners of nine senior men's weight categories.

 

3. Boris Johnson appointed UK's new prime minister 

Boris Johnson has been appointed as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom after Theresa May stood down over her failure to lead Britain out of the European Union.  Johnson, 55, was appointed to the premiership by Queen Elizabeth II in a formal meeting at Buckingham Palace. His elevation to the UK's highest political office was a formality after being announced as the winner of an internal ruling Conservative Party leadership contest involving a ballot of the party's some 160,000 members.

During his campaign, Johnson pledged to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement brokered during months of arduous negotiations between May and EU leaders or leave the bloc on the UK's scheduled departure date of October 31 without a deal. 

 

4. Priti Patel takes charge as home secretary in Boris Johnson cabinet 

Priti Patel, an ardent Brexiteer who was among the most vocal critics of Theresa May’s Brexit strategy, took charge as Britain’s first Indian-origin home secretary as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top team. She replaces Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid, who moves to the Treasury department as the first ethnic minority Chancellor of the Exchequer.

 

5. Yediyurappa sworn-in as Karnataka chief minister for fourth time 

Karnataka BJP President BS Yediyurappa was sworn-in as chief minister of the state for the fourth time. He earlier spelt his name as BS Yeddyurappa. This comes three days after HD Kumaraswamy government of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition failed to win trust vote. The council of ministers will take oath later as the BJP is said to be still in the process to finalise the names of MLAs who would be part of the Yediyurappa government.

This is Yediyurappa's fourth stint as the Karnataka chief minister and second in the current Assembly. He had taken oath as the Karnataka chief minister in May 2018 after the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state polls.

The party failed to secure support from other parties prompting Yediyurappa to resign before voting on the confidence motion. He was the chief minister for just three days.

Yediyurappa became Karnataka chief minister for the first time in 2007. The stint lasted only a week with the JDS backtracking on its promise to extending support to the government. His second stint was the longest - three years two months - between May 2008 and July 2011, when he was indicted by the Karnataka Lokayukta in a corruption case forcing him to resign.

His fourth stint has come in the backdrop of a huge defection drama - for which the Congress-JDS coalition blamed Yediyurappa - earlier this month. Eighteen of the MLAs - including two Independent -- withdrew support to the Kumaraswamy government. This brought the Congress-JDS alliance in minority in Karnataka Assembly.

 

6. MS Dhoni begins training with Parachute Regiment 

World Cup-winning former India cricketer MS Dhoni has begun his two-month training with Indian Army's Parachute Regiment. The battalion has its headquarters in Bengaluru.

He holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army unit of the Parachute Regiment (106 Para TA battalion).

The honour was accorded to him by the Indian Army in 2011. Dhoni was given this honour along with Abhinav Bindra and Deepak Rao.

In 2015, the Ranchi lad became a qualified paratrooper after having completed five parachute training jumps from Indian Army aircrafts in the Agra training camp.

Earlier, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman had made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour where India will be playing three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches beginning August 3.

Ever since the culmination of World Cup in the UK where India reached the semi-finals, speculations have been rife about Dhoni's retirement, but the team management has asked him to hang around as they groom Rishabh Pant with an eye on the 2020 World T20 in Australia.

 

7. Mark Esper sworn in as US defense secretary after record-length vacancy 

Mark Esper, an army veteran and former defense industry lobbyist, was sworn in as the US secretary of defense after receiving Senate confirmation.

Esper will succeed the Marine general Jim Mattis. His confirmation ends a record stretch for the Pentagon without a secretary of defense, which began when Mattis stepped down last December after clashing with Trump over the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

Trump initially nominated Patrick Shanahan, who served as acting secretary of defense until the disclosure of domestic violence incidents within his family caused the former executive to withdraw from the nomination process in June.

 

8. Ajay Bhadoo appointed Joint Secretary to President 

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Saturday approved the appointment of Ajay Bhadoo as Joint Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind.

Bhadoo, a Gujarat batch IAS officer is currently serving as the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner.

He took charge of the Municipal Commissioner’s post in July 2018.

 

DAYS AND EVENTS

1. Kerala Tourism launches 'Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas' music fest. 

The Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragaas - the five-day music festival organised by Kerala Tourism Department - kicked off with a bamboo symphony by Unnikrishna Pakkanar followed by a concert by Chitravina N Ravikiran.

The festival brings a rare treat of classical and ethnic musical traditions of the sub-continent, featuring both vocalists and instrumentalists. The venue is set to reverberate with performances of leading singers like ghazal maestro Jaswinder Singh.

 

2. Non Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting held in Venezuela 

The Non Aligned movement ministerial meeting was held in Caracas, Venezuela. The ministerial meeting brought together 120 member nations as well as 7 observer countries, 10 multilateral international organisations including the United Nations (UN), and 14 specially invited nations.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin represented India in the meeting.

 

3. National Broadcasting Day-23 July 

On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company. The Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio on 8th of June, 1936.

 

4. International Chess Day-20 July 

International Chess day is celebrated on 20 July every year to honour the foundation of the Federation Internationale des Eches (FIDES) in 1924. The idea to celebrate this day as the international chess day was proposed by UNESCO, and it has been celebrated as such since 1966, after it was established by FIDE.

 

5. World Hepatitis Day- 28 July 

World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28 July every year to increase awareness and understanding about viral hepatitis and the disease causes due to it. The theme of World Hepatitis Day 2019 is “Invest in eliminating Hepatitis”. The theme focuses on the hepatitis elimination goals by 2030, in the context of the universal health coverage. The country that will host World Hepatitis Day 2019 is Pakistan. In Islamabad, Pakistan, the global event will be held on 27-28 July 2019. There are five main hepatitis viruses namely A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.

 

6. World Nature Conservation Day-28 July 

World Nature Conservation Day is observed on 28^th July all over the world with the objective of increasing awareness about and protecting the natural resources.

 

AWARDS

1. Vocalist Sowmya to get Music Academy's 'Sangita Kalanidhi 

Well-known Carnatic vocalist S Sowmya was selected for the prestigious 'Sangita Kalanidhi' award this year by The Music Academy.

A disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr S Ramanathan and Sangita Kala Acharya T Muktha, Sowmya is one of the foremost exponents of the art today.

Sowmya would preside over the 93rd annual conference of The Music Academy scheduled to be held from December 15 to January 1, 2020.

Seetha Narayanan, a veteran vocalist and M S Sheela, who has been a torch-bearer of Carnatic music in Karnataka, would receive the Sangita Kala Acharya award.

Popular Nagaswaram artiste 'Vyasarpadi' Kothandaraman has been selected for the TTK Award.

Vocalist Rajkumar Bharathi, great grandson of national poet Subramani Bharathi will get the TTK Award.

Arati N Rao, an assistant professor in Bengaluru-based Jain University, has been chosen to receive the Musicologist Award.

The Nritya Kalanidhi title would be conferred on Bharatanatyam dancer Priyadarshini Govind.

The Sangita Kalanidhi and other music awards would be conferred at the Sadas of the Music festival on January 1, 2020.

 

2. Meryl Streep to become first ever recipient of Tribute Actor Award at TIFF 2019

Veteran star Meryl Streep will be honoured Tribute Actor award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. She will be the first-ever recipient of the award.

 

SPORTS NEWS

1. Keshav Dutt, Prasun Banerjee chosen for Mohun Bagan Ratna 

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Keshav Dutt and former India Football Captain Prasun Banerjee will be conferred the 'Mohun Bagan Ratna' during its annual day celebrations on the 29th of this month.  

Mohun Bagan will also felicitate pacer Mohammed Shami, India's hat-trick hero of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, while Ashok Chatterjee will be given the Lifetime Achievement award. This is for the first time Mohun Bagan's executive committee has decided to confer their highest honour to a non-footballer. July 29 is celebrated as the 'Mohun Bagan Day' because on this day in 1911, the Mariners became the first club to defeat a British club, East Yorkshire Regiment, and lift the IFA Shield.

 

2. ICC suspends Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect, saying that the Full Member had failed to prevent government intervention in the administration of sport in the country. The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in London.

Zimbabwe Cricket will not receive ICC funding and the country's teams will not be allowed to participate in ICC events until the suspension is lifted. Following the suspension of its cricket board, Zimbabwe's participation in the men's T20 World Cup qualifying tournament, starting in October 2019 is in doubt.

 

3. Byju's replaces Oppo as Team India's official sponsor: BCCI 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Bengaluru-based education and learning app Byju's, which is owned by Think and Learn Private Limited, has replaced Oppo India as the official Team India sponsor. The deal period will begin from 5 September, 2019 until 31 March, 2022.

Byju's will be taking over all associated sponsor rights of the current team sponsor Oppo Mobiles India Private Limited. Byju's logo will be seen on the Indian team jersey September 2019 onwards when the home series against South Africa begins.

 

4. Pro Kabaddi League (KL) side UP Yoddha ropes in Gambhir as brand ambassador 

Pro Kabaddi League outfit UP Yoddha has roped in former India cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir as their official brand ambassador for the season 7 of the tournament. The franchise has created a special promo with the team players to introduce Gambhir as their ambassador.

 

5. Table Tennis: Dejan Papic accepts contract to become India coach for a year 

Dejan Papic accepted one-year contract to become India head coach.  The Canadian is expected to join the Indian camp next month ahead of the qualification events for the Tokyo Olympics. The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) had short-listed Papic back in March but it was only a couple of weeks ago that SAI sent him the contract. More crucial time was lost when he took some time to sign the contract.

The uncertainty over the joining of the national table tennis team’s new head coach Dejan Papic ended when he accepted the one-year contract offered by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The players, who don’t have the services of a head coach since the Asian Games last year, have lost crucial time ahead of the qualification events for the Tokyo Olympics in July-August, 2020.

Papic will be paid USD 7000 per month and his contract will be up for renewal after the Olympics.

 

6. Manny Pacquiao beats Keith Thurman by split decision to clinch WBA Welterweight title

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao went past undefeated Keith Thurman to become the WBA welterweight champion in a split decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

 

7. Hima Das wins 5th gold of the month after successful return to 400m 

Indian sprinter Hima Das extended her sensational run by claiming her fifth gold of the month as she returned to her pet 400m competition with a season-best time of 52.09s in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.

The timing is slower than her personal best of 50.79 seconds, which she managed at the Jakarta Asian Games and she also narrowly missed out on the World Championships qualifying mark of 51.80.

However, it was better than the timing of 52.88 seconds, which she managed earlier in the season.

It was Hima's fifth gold medal since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe.

In her first competitive 200m race of the year, she clocked 23.65 seconds on her way to gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on July 2.

After that, she won her second 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet, also in Poland, on July 7 with a time of 23.97 seconds.

On July 13, she won her third 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with a time of 23.43 while her fourth gold came at the Tabor Athletics Meet in the same country on Wednesday.

It was first competition in 400m for the 19-year-old from Assam, fondly called the 'Dhing Express', in the 400m event since she struggled to finish the Asian Athletics Championship in April this year because of a back issue.

Meanwhile, MP Jabir also won a gold in the 400-metre hurdles race, clocking 49.66 seconds but Mohammad Anas settled for a third-place finish in the 200m with a timing of 20.95 seconds.

Winning a silver was Nirmal Noah Tom in the 200m event with a timing of 46.05s.

 

RANKINGS & INDEX

1. India Ranked 52nd in Global Innovation Index 2019 Commerce and Industry Minister Releases Global Innovation Index Rankings 

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways Shri Piyush Goyal launched the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019 in an event in New Delhi. India improved its ranking in the global innovation index by five places to 52nd in 2019 from 57th position in the last year. The GII rankings are published annually by Cornell University, INSEAD and the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and GII Knowledge Partners. Now in its 12th edition, the GII ranks 129 economies based on 80 indicators, ranging from intellectual property filing rates to mobile-application creation, education spending and scientific and technical publications.

Switzerland retained its number-one spot on the index. Other economies in the top 10 are: Sweden, the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Finland, Denmark, Singapore, Germany and Israel. The GII theme is Creating Healthy Lives - The Future of Medical Innovation.

 

2. Gujarat tops in solar rooftop installations 

In the area of solar rooftop installations, Gujarat has stood first in the country with total 261.97 megawatts (MW) of installed rooftop solar capacity as on July 23, 2019. As per the Central government data, total rooftop solar installations in India is 1700.54 MW.

Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have solar rooftop installations at 198.52 MW and 151.62 MW respectively. The government of India has provided total financial assistance or incentives of Rs 678.01 crore in fiscal 2016-17, Rs 169.73 crore for fiscal 2017-18 and Rs 446.77 crore in fiscal 2018-19 under the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar programme. The Government of India has set a target of installation of 40,000 MW of Rooftop Solar (RTS) projects by the year 2022 in the country including installation of RTS on rooftop of houses.

The minister also stated that in Gujarat out of total 261.97 MW installation, 183.51 MW are subsidised installations and 78.45 MW are non-subsidised installations. No formal study has been done to assess the quantum of power generated through solar panels installed at rooftops of the houses, but on an average it is estimated that 1.5 million units per MW per year are generated from solar rooftop units.

 

3. Reliance Industries overtakes Indian Oil on Fortune Global 500 list 

Reliance Industries (RIL) is now the highest-ranking Indian firm on the Fortune Global 500 list. This year, ranked 106, Reliance Industries (RIL) has replaced IOC (117) as the top-ranked Indian company on the Global 500 list.

State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) had been the top-ranked Indian company on the list and was first on the Fortune India 500 list which was started in 2010.

Besides, RIL and IOC, Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), State Bank of India (SBI), Tata Motors, Bharat Petroleum Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Rajesh Exports are the other Indian companies to feature on the list.

ONGC has moved up 37 places to 160th rank on the global list, while SBI lost 20 places to 236th rank. Tata Motors slipped 33 places to 265th position. BPCL rose 39 places to rank 275th spot, while Rajesh Exports slipped 90 places to rank 495th.

US giant Walmart continues to top the Fortune 500 list followed by Chinese state-owned oil and gas company Sinopec Group, which moved one rank up. Dutch company Royal Dutch Shell was ranked third followed by China National Petroleum and State Grid.

Significantly, Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco appeared on the list for the first time, and straight into the top 10 at the sixth position. BP, Exxon Mobil, Volkswagen, and Toyota Motor ranked 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, respectively.

 

4. Maharashtra tops in ATM frauds, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka follow

Maharashtra reported 233 cases of ATM fraud in 2018-19, the highest in the entire country, Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) data revealed. The data showed that Delhi grabbed the second spot with 179 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 147 cases of ATM fraud.

In Maharashtra, people lost Rs 4.8 crore to bank fraud, while in Delhi people lost Rs 2.9 crore. The country witnessed an increase in ATM fraud cases in general (up from 911 to 980). Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura were the only three states that didn’t report a single incident. However, the money lost came down from Rs 65.3 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 21.4 crore in 2018-19.

Police and cybercrime experts were quoted by the daily as saying that this was just the tip of the iceberg as amounts of less than Rs 1 lakh were not considered for the data.

 

OBITUARIES

1. IAEA chief Yukiya Amano dies at 72 

The head of the global nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, has died at the age of 72.

He has led IAEA since 2009, and was due to step down in March because of an unspecified illness.

During his tenure he had overseen a period of tense negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

It is not yet clear who will succeed him, though discussions over his replacement began last week.

The Japanese national had taken over from Mohamed ElBaradei a decade ago and his third term was due to run until November 2021.

However, Amano appeared increasingly frail after undergoing an unspecified medical procedure in September.

 

2. Sheila Dikshit passes away

Three-term Chief Minister of Delhi and president of the state unit of the Congress, Sheila Dikshit, passed away at the age of 81. She had also served as the Governor of Kerala. She is survived by a son and a daughter.

Considered close to the Nehru-Gandhi family, Dikshit was born in Kapurthala. She got married to Vinod Dikshit, a civil servant and son of Uma Shankar Diskhit, a freedom fighter and politician. She started her political career as an MP from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh in 1984.

In 1998, when the Congress was undergoing several changes at the helm, she was elected Chief Minister of Delhi. She continued in the post till 2013. Haunted by charges of corruption, particularly after the CAG report on the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she lost to the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 and later in the 2015 elections.

 

BOOKS

1. Book on history, achievements of Fire and Fury Corps released

The coffee table book titled 'Fire and Fury Corps -- Saga of Valour, Fortitude and Sacrifice', documents the courage and bravery of the Fire and Fury Warriors and portrays the rich heritage and ethos of the Indian Army.

The book was released in Leh by Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh in the year when the nation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. It showcases the history and achievements of the Fire and Fury Corps which guards the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, was released. The book, which is a repository of exemplary valour and utmost dedication to the nation, also brings to the fore the numerous sagas of great courage, supreme sacrifices and other hitherto hidden facets of soldiering displayed by the Corps in various wars.

 

2. PM releases the book "Chandra Shekhar - The Last Icon of Ideological Politics"

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released the book ‘Chandra Shekhar - The Last Icon of Ideological Politics.’ The book has been written by Shri Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; and Shri Ravi Dutt Bajpai. The book release event was held at the Balayogi Auditorium, Parliament Library Building.

The Prime Minister presented the first copy of the book to the Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu.