INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Donald Trump thanks PM Modi for US Independence Day wish, says 'America loves India'
• The Fourth of July — also known as Independence Day or July 4th is a federal holiday in the US commemorating the publication of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a tweet in which he congratulated the people of The United States of America and President Donald Trump on the 244th Independence Day of the USA.
• US President Donald Trump thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes on America's 244th Independence Day.
2. Indian Americans, Taiwanese, Tibetans hold 'boycott China' protests at Times Square
• In the United States, a demonstration calling for boycott of Chinese products was carried out jointly by the Indian American, Tibetan and Taiwanese-American community at the Times Square in New York.
• The protest was continuation of many anti-China protests that have taken place in several cities in the United States since the Galwan standoff between India and China.
• The protesters raised the Indian and Tibetan national flags while chanting pro-India and anti-China slogans. The protesters demanded to put an end on trade by boycotting Chinese products, complete independence of Tibet and support of Taiwan.
• According to the protesters, there are three T's to defeat China, to put an end on Trade- the boycott of Chinese products, complete independence of Tibet and total support of Taiwan.
• They asserted that the three Ts can be successfully handled by a global coalition led by the three world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
3. United States looking at banning Chinese social media apps: Mike Pompeo
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States is "certainly looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.
• Mike Pompeo also said the United States has to take a different path with regard to China as the previous policy of helping them open up their economy with the belief that this would lead to more political freedom has not worked.
• On 29 June, the India government had announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat. This was done in view of the information available that "they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order".
• Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had termed India's decision to ban 59 Chinese apps a 'digital strike’.
4. US announces visa restrictions for Chinese officials under Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act
• The US has announced new visa bans on senior Chinese officials involved in restricting access to foreigners to the sensitive region of Tibet, opening another point of friction amid tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was taking action against an unspecified number of Chinese officials, including from the ruling Communist Party, under a US law that calls on China to let Americans visit Tibet.
• Beijing has continued to obstruct travel to the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas by US diplomats and other officials, journalists, and tourists, while Chinese officials and other citizens enjoy far greater access to the United States.
• Pompeo announced visa restrictions on Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party officials determined to be substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas, pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.
• The Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2018, calls for denying access to the US for Chinese officials known to be involved in restricting visits to Tibet.
• Access to Tibetan areas is increasingly vital to regional stability, given the Chinese human rights abuses there, as well as Beijing's failure to prevent environmental degradation near the headwaters of Asia's major rivers, he said.
• The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader has been demanding meaningful autonomy for Tibetans. But China has viewed the India-based 85-year-old Dalai Lama as a "separatist."
• "In the spirit of true reciprocity, we will work closely with the US Congress to ensure US citizens have full access to all areas of the People's Republic of China, including the TAR and other Tibetan areas," Pompeo said.
• The State Department funding for the Tibetan issues for the fiscal year 2021 beginning October 1 has been proposed to be USD17 million and USD1 million for the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, according to the budget papers which is now making its way through the Congressional approval process.
• Relations between Washington and Beijing have spiralled downward since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which Trump has blamed on China. The two countries have also sparred over China imposing a new national security law in Hong Kong last month.
• Restrictions on American journalists by China and retaliatory actions by the US, and differences over Beijing's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim population in the restive region of Xinjiang have also contributed to the worsening bilateral ties.
5. UK imposes sanctions on Myanmar Army Chief, Deputy
• The United Kingdom has announced sanctions against the Commander in Chief of Myanmar Army General Min Aung Hlaing and his Deputy Soe Win for their alleged involvement in human rights violations against the Rohingyas and other ethnic communities.
• The sanctions freezes all the assets of the two top Army Generals. It also prohibits them from obtaining visas for the country.
• The announcement was made in the British Parliament by the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday.
• This was the UK's first autonomous human right's sanctions regime that allows the government to impose sanctions on those involved in human rights abuses around the world.
• However, the UK expressed its continued support to the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Responding to the sanctions imposed by the UK, the Myanmar Army Tatmadaw spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun denied allegations of human rights abuse. He said that these sanctions are politically motivated.
6. US notifies UN of decision to withdraw from WHO
• The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, although the pullout won't take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new administration or if circumstances change.
• The withdrawal notification makes good on President Donald Trump's vow in late May to terminate US participation in the WHO, which he has harshly criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence.
• The withdrawal notice was sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will take effect in a year, on July 6, 2021.
• Under the terms of the withdrawal, the US must meet its financial obligations to the WHO before it can be finalized. The US, which is the agency's largest donor and provides it with more than USD 400 million per year, currently owes the WHO some USD 200 million in current and past dues.
• On May 29, less than two weeks after warning the WHO that it had 30 days to reform or lose US support, Trump announced his administration was leaving the organization due to what he said was its inadequate response to the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in China's Wuhan province late last year.
7. India, US reaffirm their commitment to work towards ensuring free, open & peaceful Indo-Pacific region
• India and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to work towards ensuring a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
• They also agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in the United Nations, especially during India's membership of the United Nations Security Council.
• Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of shared interests during the virtual foreign office consultations between the two countries yesterday.
• They reviewed the entire gamut of engagements under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including political, economic, commercial, regional and international cooperation.
• In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, they agreed to further strengthen the bilateral health partnership, including on pharmaceuticals and vaccine development. They agreed to remain in touch and move forward on the bilateral agenda through a range of mechanisms like the 22 ministerial that India will host later this year.
• Mr Shringla and Mr Hale discussed ways to further enhance mutually beneficial trade and people-to-people ties, including through visa facilitation for students and professionals. Sources said the issue of F-1 visa students attending online-only classes in the US was raised during the meeting. They said the US side took note and said they will keep the best interests of the students in mind and try and mitigate impact. Sources also said that detailed implementation guidelines are yet to come out.
8. Maldives, Sri Lanka eliminate measles & rubella ahead of 2023 target
• Maldives and Sri Lanka have become the first two countries in the South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of the 2023 target.
• The announcement was made by WHO South-East Asia's Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh after the fifth meeting of the regional verification commission for measles and rubella elimination, held virtually.
• Protecting all children against these killer and debilitating diseases is an important step in endeavour to achieve healthier population and health for all.
• A country is verified as having eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission for over three years by a well-performing surveillance system.
• Maldives reported its last endemic case of measles in 2009 and of rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported the last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and of rubella in March 2017.
• Member countries of WHO South-East Asia region had set 2023 as the target for elimination of measles and rubella. Bhutan, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste are other countries in the region who have eliminated measles.
9. WHO acknowledges evidence emerging about airborne spread of novel coronavirus
• The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged "evidence emerging" of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people.
• The WHO has previously said the virus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease spreads primarily through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground.
• Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead for infection prevention and control, said there was evidence emerging of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive.
• Any change in the WHO's assessment of risk of transmission could affect its current advice on keeping 1-metre (3.3 feet) of physical distancing. Governments, which rely on the agency for guidance policy, may also have to adjust public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.
• Van Kerkhove said the WHO would publish a scientific brief summarising the state of knowledge on modes of transmission of the virus in the coming days.
10. WHO initiates Independent Panel to evaluate global response to Covid-19
• WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the initiation of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) to evaluate the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Panel will be co-chaired by former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Prime Minister Clark leads the United Nations Development Programme and President Sirleaf is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Operating independently, they will choose other Panel members as well as members of an independent secretariat to provide support.
• At the historic 73rd World Health Assembly in May, Member States adopted a landmark resolution that called on WHO to initiate an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the lessons learned from the international health response to COVID-19.
INDEX AND RANKINGS
1. India Ranked 117th in SDG Index 2020, Sweden Tops: Sustainable Development Report 2020
• India has been ranked at 117th position with a score of 61.92 on the SDG Index 2020.
• It is facing major challenges in 10 of the 17 SDGs including zero hunger, good health, gender inequality among others.
• The index has been topped by Sweden.
• The 2020 report has reviewed the performance of 193 UN Member States out of which 166 were ranked under SDG index 2020.
• This annual report provides the most up-to-date data to track and review the performance of all 193 UN member states on the 17 SDGs.
2. Himachal Pradesh: Nadaun Police Station ranked as one of best Police Stations of India
• Nadaun Police Station of Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh has been ranked as one of the best Police Stations of the country.
• Certificate of Excellence was provided to this Police Station by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu presented this Certificate of Excellence received by him from Union Home Minister to the Chief Minister in Shimla today.
• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated the State Police in general and Nadaun Police Station of district Hamirpur in particular for being ranked as one of the best Police Stations of the country and the best Police Station of the State.
• The ranking of police stations is carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and the same was released by the Union Home Minister in a ceremony during DGPs Conference, recently.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS, BANKING & DEFENCE NEWS
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews ongoing projects of Border Road Organisation
• Defence minister Rajnath Singh reviewed border infrastructure projects at a high-level meeting with work on strategic roads, bridges and tunnels set to be expedited in the coming days.
• The review meeting focused on projects across all sections of the border, including Eastern Ladakh where works on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) are continuing.
• The state of forward connectivity to border areas was reviewed and the consistent need of boosting the ongoing projects and expediting the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas was discussed.
• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is inducting the latest equipment and machines to the border areas and new techniques are being used to stabilise roads in difficult terrains.
• Trials have also been carried out to induct indigenously-built modular bridges in the forward areas.
• BRO has surged its efforts and 30% more work has been carried out in the last financial year as compared to the past despite the threat of Covid-19.
• Despite unprecedented snowfall, breaking a 60-year-old record, all strategic passes and roads were cleared this year for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates.
2. Indian Railways to transform itself as 'Net Zero' Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030
• Indian Railways is taking decisive steps to transform itself as a 'Net Zero' Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030.
• It is endeavouring to be self reliant for its energy needs by utilising its vacant land for renewable energy projects.
• Railways is committed to utilize solar energy for meeting its traction power requirements and become a complete 'Green mode of transformation.
• The Railways Ministry has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on mega scale.
• The use of solar power will accelerate Rail Minister Piyush Goyal's mission to achieve conversion of Indian Railways to 'Net Zero' Carbon Emission Railway.
• The present demand of Railways would be fulfilled by the solar projects being deployed, making it the first transport organization to be energy self-sufficient. This would help in making Railways green as well as Atma Nirbhar.
• Railways has started energy procurement from various solar projects like 3 MWp solar plant set up at MCF, Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, one project of 1.7 MWp at Bina in Madhya Pradesh which shall be connected directly to the Overhead Traction System has already been installed and is presently under extensive testing. It is likely to be commissioned within 15 days. Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. is working to proliferate the use of solar energy on mega scale. It has already floated tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilized railway lands.
3. NHAI to undertake performance assessment & ranking of highways in country
• National Highways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country.
• The assessment audit and ranking of the National Highways is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to highway commuters.
• The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for benchmarking highway performances in Indian context.
• The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads. They are - Highway Efficiency, Highway Safety and User Services.
• On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality.
• Additionally, important parameters like operating speed, access control, time taken at toll plaza, road signages, road markings, and accident rate will also be considered while conducting the assessment.
• The score obtained by each Corridor in each of the parameters will provide feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways.
4. Indian Coast Guard & Indonesia Coast Guard sign MoU to boost maritime relations
• India and Indonesia - maritime neighbours - have signed a MoU on 'Maritime Safety and Security' as part of their Indo-Pacific visions to establish rules-based order amid China's growing belligerence in the region.
• As maritime neighbours, believes in Rules-Based Order and upholding the tenets of the 1982 UNCLOS, this MoU will strengthen cooperation by augmenting information exchange mechanisms.
• This real time Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) will then be the foundation for controlling and responding to incidents of piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration and other such maritime crimes which will bring safety and security to the region and also result in protection of precious marine environment.
• The MoU will also provide avenues to improve interoperability and carry out joint search and rescue when required.
• There is also immense scope of jointly working towards capability and capacity building through closer involvement of all stakeholders.
• Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) reached a level of cooperation and working mechanism that resulted in signing of a significant MoU on 'Maritime Safety and Security' through telepresence on July 6.
• India and Indonesia are historically connected through the Indian Ocean and it has been the resolve of both nations to ensure safe and secure sea passage for all seafarers in the region. This is enshrined in PM Narendra Modi's vision of SAGAR i.e. Security And Growth for All in the Region.
• Relations between the two countries were elevated to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' in May 2018 during Modi's visit to Indonesia. The focus on maritime security was re-iterated with the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
• Amid recent tensions in the South China Sea, the Indonesian government has reiterated its position on the rule of international law through diplomatic notes addressed to the United Nations, while declining China's offer to hold bilateral talks on overlapping claims.
• In a diplomatic note dated May 26, Indonesia reiterated that it is not a party to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea. It added that the nine-dash line map which China uses as a basis for its claims in the waters lacks an international legal basis.
5. IRDAI gives its nod to Insurance companies to launch corona Kavach Health Insurance Policies
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed 29 general and health insurers to launch short-term ‘Corona Kavach' health insurance policies.
• The policy will cover medical expenses occurred due to coronavirus disease.
• IRDAI has designed a standard Covid specific product addressing basic health insurance needs of ensuring public with common policy wordings across the industry. The sum insured amount of the policy ranges between fifty thousand rupees to five lakh rupees.
• This policy can be availed by persons between the age of 18 to 65 years. People can avail the Corona Kavach policy for Self, spouse, parents, parents-in-law and dependent children up to 25 years of age.
• The IRDAI has said that the policy will also provide for any co-morbid condition triggered due to Covid-19 during the period of hospitalization.
• The authority had issued clearance to 30 General and Health Insurance companies to market this Corona Kavach Policy.
• Several insurers have already announced the launch of the ‘Corona Kavach' policies for three -and-a-half months; six-and-a-half months; and nine-and-a-half months.
• Home care expenses benefit up to a period of 14 days will also be covered in the policy for those seeking treatment within the comfort of their own homes, on the advice of a medical practitioner.
6. US Provides Nearly $5.9 Million In Health Assistance To India To Control COVID-19
• The United States has provided nearly $5.9 million in health assistance to India to slow the spread of Covid-19.
• The amount is being used to help India hinder the spread of the disease by providing care for the affected, disseminating essential public health messages to communities and strengthening case-finding and surveillance.
• The assistance is also being used to mobilize innovative financing mechanisms for emergency preparedness and response to this pandemic.
• This builds on a foundation of nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance, which includes more than $1.4 billion in health assistance, the United States has provided to India over the last 20 years.
• This was done in an update of the US efforts in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The State Department and the US Agency for International Development have now committed nearly $508 million in emergency health, humanitarian, and economic assistance.
• This is on top of the funding the US has already provided to multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are helping communities around the world deal with the pandemic.
• In South Asia, America's Covid-19 assistance has gone to Afghanistan ($18 million), Bangladesh ($9.6 million), Bhutan ($500,000), Nepal ($1.8 million), Pakistan ($9.4 million) and Sri Lanka ($1.3 million).
• The IMF approved nearly $1.4 billion in emergency aid to Pakistan to help it weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
7. Hero Cycles cancels 900 crore trade deal with China
• Hero Cycles has cancelled trade deals worth 900 crore rupees with China.
• Hero Cycles Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj Munjal said, the company has boycotted Chinese companies and decided not to do any trade with Chinese in future.
• He said the company will now manufacture the high-tech cycles in India. He said that the company is now looking for opportunities in other countries and planning to set up a plant of Hero Cycles in Germany, from where the cycles would be supplied to all European countries.
8. GoI, World Bank ink 750 million US dollar agreement for MSME Emergency Response Programme
• The Government and the World Bank have signed a 750 million US dollar agreement for the MSME Emergency Response Programme.
• It aims at supporting increased flow of finance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
• The World Bank's MSME Emergency Response Programme will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs.
• This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time.
9. World Bank to provide 400 million dollars to enhance support for rejuvenating River Ganga
• The World Bank and the Government signed a loan agreement under which the World Bank will provide 400 million dollars to enhance support for rejuvenating the Ganga.
• The Second National Ganga River Basin Project will help stem pollution in the iconic river and strengthen the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people.
• The 400 million dollar operation comprises a loan of 381 million dollar and a proposed Guarantee of up to 19 million dollar.
• The new project will extend the Government and World Bank’s engagement in this critical national programme to make the Ganga a clean, healthy river. The World Bank has been supporting the government’s efforts since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project.
10. CIDC initiates skill Development Programme in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) established by the NITI Aayog has initiated a skill Development Programme in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to provide 'Employment oriented training and Skill development for the marginalized section.
• The NHIDCL, Port Blair in partnership with Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) has planned a 3 months course from 01 Aug 2020 to 31 Oct 2020 for Mason trade for the local youth/ school dropouts (10th Pass) at Mayabunder.
11. Central Railway workshop manufactured a narrow gauge locomotive
• Amid the Corona virus-enforced lockdown, the Central Railway's workshop at Parel in Mumbai has manufactured a narrow gauge locomotive which will be utilized for hauling passengers and good trains on the Kangra Valley.
• It is a 'ZDM3' type locomotive was manufactured while adhering to social distancing norms and limited resources due to the prevalent lockdown conditions.
• This was the third of the 12 locomotives for which the Central Railway has received order.
• These Locos are provided with dual cab to drive from either end with good visibility of track ahead.
• Most importantly, the locos are equipped with a cold start system to enable their working in severe winter conditions in Northern India. The locos are provided with safety features such as automatic emergency braking, vigilance control device and electronic speedometer with recorder.
12. 151 trains proposed to be run by Private operators would be in addition to existing trains
• The Ministry of Railways has recently invited Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for private participation for operation of passenger train services over 109 Origin Destination(OD) pairs of routes through introduction of 151 modern Trains (Rakes).
• This would be over and above the already existing trains.
• These trains are going to run on the routes where the demand for trains is already higher than the existing capacity.
• The driver and guard of the trains will be Railway officials . The safety clearance of trains will be done by Railways only.
• The 109 OD Pairs have been formed into 12 Clusters across the Indian Railway network. Each Train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches.
• The project would entail private sector investment of about ₹30,000 crore. This is the first initiative of private investment for running Passenger Trains over Indian Railways network.
• Majority of Trains to be manufactured in India (Make in India). The private entity shall be responsible for financing, procuring, operation and maintenance of the trains.
• Trains shall be designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph. There would be a substantial reduction in journey time.The running time taken by a train shall be comparable to or faster than the fastest train of Indian Railways operating in the respective route.
13. CBDT, SEBI sign MoU for data exchange
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to facilitate the sharing of data between Sebi and CBDT on an automatic and regular basis.
• The shared data could be used for the purpose of inspection and scrutiny.
• The MoU signed by the two bodies will ensure that both CBDT and SEBI have seamless linkage for data exchange.
• In addition to the regular exchange of data, CBDT and SEBI will also exchange from each other on request and suo moto basis, any information available in their respective databases, for the purpose of carrying out scrutiny, inspection, investigation and prosecution.
NATIONAL NEWS
1. Uttarakhand suspends Kanwar Mela in wake of COVID-19
• In Uttarakhand, Police has issued a notice of suspension of Kanwar Mela due to COVID-19 and request devotees not to come to Haridwar as the district's borders have been sealed.
• Earlier, Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said that Kanwariyas who enter Haridwar defying the ban on the annual Kanwar Yatra will have to serve a 14-days quarantine at their own expenses.
• The annual yatra, which sees a huge congregation of Kanwariyas in Haridwar to collect the holy Ganga water, was cancelled this year in view of the Coronavirus pandemic. District Administration is maintaining strict vigil in order to prevent entry of Kanwariyas into the city.
• The month of Sawan, in the Hindu calendar, is of huge significance to devotees of Lord Shiva who go on Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar every year.
• But this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttarakhand Government has said, Kanwar Yatra will not be possible and Ganga water will be taken from Har ki Pauri and sent to all states for the devotees of Shiva.
2. Karnataka launches Weavers' Sammaan Yojana
• Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa launched Weavers Weaver Samman Yojana.
• Under this scheme, 19,744 handloom weavers in the state will get annual financial assistance of two thousand rupees through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• The State Government has allocated 10.96 crore rupees under the programme.
• There are 40,634 handloom weavers registered with Seva Sindhu software. Out of them 37,314 applications for financial assistance have been approved. Chief Minister said that all the eligible handloom weavers will be given financial assistance under Weavers Sammaan Yojana.
3. Disengagement with Chinese Army starts in Galwan Valley
• Both Indian and Chinese troops have retreated two kilometres each along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley.
• The Chinese Army is removing tents and moving back from certain areas of the Galwan Valley, in a first sign of disengagement of troops from the area.
• The disengagement process will begin in other friction points including PP-14, PP-15, Hot Springs and Finger area.
• With the retreat from both sides, a four kilometre no-man zone has been created.
• The two sides have also agreed, sources said, not to do any aerial surveillance of the retreated area, to rebuild trust which was badly damaged due to the June 15 bloodbath.
• Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft generally used for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, had been pressed into service in Ladakh for high altitude surveillance. The P-8Is carried out similar surveillance operations during the 2017 India-China standoff in Doklam in Sikkim.
• However, sources said PLA has removed tents and structures at PP14 and rearward movement of vehicles of the PLA were seen at general area Galwan, Hot Springs and Gogra.
• The retreat is limited to these areas and not other contentious points along the LAC. Around 30,000 troops of Indian Army are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Chinese troops along the LAC in Ladakh, following the additional deployment of three brigades since the violent face-off last month.
• The tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.
• India has been insisting on restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh to restore peace and tranquillity in the region.
• India and China have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in the last few weeks to ease tension in the region. However, there was no visible sign of end to the standoff though the two sides agreed to initiate disengagement of the forces from the region.
4. WHO appreciates Indian government to contain spread of coronavirus
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has appreciated the works done by the Indian government to contain the spread of coronavirus.
• Chief Scientist at WHO, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said that it is an achievement for India that in the last couple of months, India has become self-sufficient in testing kits.
• She said, Indian government took serious steps from the beginning and put in place certain measures in January itself based on the WHO recommendations. She said, India should also focus on data management originating from the pandemic.
5. Govt blocks 40 websites of unlawful organization SFJ
• The Centre blocked 40 websites linked to pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for ‘a campaign for registering supporters for its cause’.
• Sikhs For Justice(SFJ), an unlawful organization under the UAPA, 1967, launched a campaign for registering supporters for its cause. On recommendations of MHA, MeitY, has issued orders under sec 69A of the I.T. Act, 2000, for blocking 40 websites of SFJ”.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is the nodal authority for monitoring cyberspace in India.
• The home ministry had banned the SFJ for its alleged anti-national activities.
• The SFJ pushed for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda. The US-based organisation had declared July 4 as the inaugural day for registration of referendum on Khalistan.
• Earlier this week, the Centre had declared nine Khalistani terrorists, including SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has been spearheading a campaign under the banner of “Referendum 2020” for a separate Khalistani state, as ‘individual terrorists’ under recently amended fourth schedule of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act).
• Others designated as individual terrorists under UAPA are Babbar Khalsa International’s UK chief Paramijit Singh, Canada-based head of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Germany-based members of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) Gurmeet Singh Bagga and Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, and Pakistan-based terrorists – head of BKI Wadhawa Singh, Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force) and Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force).
6. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Covid Hospital built by DRDO in record time
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID hospital in Delhi.
• It is a one thousand -bedded hospital with 250 ICU beds and the facility was built in a record time of 12 days by Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO along with Home Ministry, Health Ministry, the Armed Forces, Tata Sons and other industry players.
• The Ministers were also accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy.
• The Defence Minister expressed satisfaction after visiting the hospital. He appreciated the efforts of stakeholders in building this facility in such a short span of time.
• The national capital is currently experiencing a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections with an increasing number of patients requiring medical care.
• An urgent need to augment the existing hospital beds capacity of Delhi for the COVID-19 patients was discussed between Home and Defence Ministries on the modalities of deploying a one thousand bed hospital in a span of less than 14 days.
• All the guidelines of the World Health Organization are being followed in this hospital.
• The DRDO was asked to establish the hospital. It undertook the design, development and operationalisation of the facility on a war footing. With the permission from the Indian Air Force, land situated near the New Delhi Domestic Airport Terminal T1 was identified and construction work by DRDO commenced on the 23rd of June.
7. UP sets new record; more than 25 crore saplings planted on a single day during Van Mahotsav
• In Uttar Pradesh, a new record was created by planting more than 25 crore saplings in a single day.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated various institutions and government departments for participating in this 'Van Mahotsav' drive while maintaining social distancing and said that despite the corona crisis such big events can be held.
• The unique feature of this year's plantation drive was to keep children and old age persons away from it due to corona crisis and use of those plants who have medicinal properties.
• More than 8 lakh sites were identified for this drive and each one was geotagged for getting the accurate data. The government has identified 201 varieties of saplings for the drive which includes fruits, Ayurvedic plants, and other environment friendly varieties.
• The beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna were given a drumstick sapling sling with their house and beneficiaries of Pradhanmantri kisan samman nidhi were also encouraged to plant a tree.
• Last year, the state went for a plantation drive of 22 crore saplings,11 crore saplings in 2018 and in 2017, the number was 5 crore. The Chief Minister said that almost 95 percent saplings planted last year are safe. He said that during the Corona pandemic, important Auryavedic plants are providing immunity to the people from this virus.
8. Jal Jeevan Mission offers huge opportunity to migrant returnees
• Government has launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to start extensive public works to provide livelihood opportunities and create local employment to returnee migrants and affected rural citizens due to COVID pandemic.
• This time-bound campaign spanning over 125 days, will involve intensive and focused implementation in 116 districts including 27 aspirational districts, spread in 6 States.
• These are Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• As part of this Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission is aiming to provide household tap connections to every rural household and offers a huge opportunity to engage skilled, semi-skilled and migrant returnees in drinking water supply related works. States have been requested to start works in villages of these districts so that it will not only help to ensure adequate quantity of water at household level but will also help in providing employment to migrant returnees.
• States have been advised to prioritize augmenting or retrofitting existing piped water supply schemes so that these villages become 100 percent Functional Household Tap Connection villages. There is a huge potential to provide household connections to remaining households in villages belonging to poor and marginalized people by retro-fitting of existing piped water supply systems.
• Campaigns will be launched for providing training to impart skills to local people including returnee migrants in plumbing, masonry, electrical aspects, and pump operation, so that skilled manpower will be available for water supply related works. First review meeting for works under Jal Jeevan Mission has been held with these identified States and they have been advised to prepare fortnightly district and village-wise coverage plan for implementing the 'Abhiyan' with special focus on aspirational districts.
9. All centrally protected monuments to open from 6 July
• All ASI protected monuments will be reopened for the public from July 6.
• Earlier in June, the culture ministry had reopened 820 monuments out of the over 3,000 ASI-maintained monuments where religious events take place.
• As many as 3,691 Centrally-protected monuments and archaeological sites maintained by the ASI were shut from March 17 in view of the coronavirus crisis.
• All coronavirus-related protocols issued by the Union health ministry would be followed by the monument authorities.
• Wearing of masks might be made the norm at such sites for visitors.This, however, will be done with the compliance of the state and district administration.
• The monuments that will be reopened will follow strict protocols issued by the health ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
10. Tamil Nadu CM to lay foundation stone for Ariyaloor Medical College through video conferencing
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy will lay the foundation stone for the Ariyaloor Medical College through video conferencing.
• This is one of the four medical colleges in Kallakurichi, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Ariyaloor, which got approval in January 2020.
• The college and hospital, to be set up at a cost of Rs 347 crores, is expected to be a turning point in the annals of the backward Ariyaloor district, bordering Perambaloor, Karur and Trichy districts.
11. E-registration for travellers to Punjab mandatory
• People travelling to Punjab from other states will have to compulsorily register themselves on the state government's web portal or COVA Punjab' mobile application.
• The COVA Punjab (Corona Virus Alert) application has been developed by the state government to provide people with preventive care information and other advisories regarding coronavirus.
• Besides, the travellers will have to undergo 14-day home quarantine.
• The process of e-registration for all travellers to the state has been made mandatory. Travellers can self-register online from the comfort of their homes, as per the guidelines issued by the government, and ensure hassle-free travel for themselves, a government statement said here on Monday.
• The state government has advised people entering or transiting through Punjab to self-register either through COVA Punjab application or a weblink before embarking on the journey, it said.
• The objective of e-registration is to avoid any inconvenience to the travellers due to crowding and long queues at the border checkpoints.
• Passengers (those who are asymptomatic) entering the state and not merely transiting it, after successfully crossing the check-point, will have to undergo self-quarantine at their homes for 14 days, it said.
• During quarantine, they will be required to report their medical status daily either by calling 112 or through the COVA Punjab app.
12. Bihar govt to provide food grains under mid day meal scheme
• Bihar government has taken the decision to provide food grains under mid day meal scheme and cash to over two crore children of primary and middle schools across the state during lockdown and summer vacation period.
• Every enrolled student will get the benefit of this scheme.
• Eight kg foodgrains and rupees 358 will be given to each student of upto class five for the month of May,June and July.
• Similarly students upto class eight will get 12 kg food grains and rupees 536.
• All DMs and concerned officials have been instructed in this regard. Foodgrains will be provided to the guardian of the student while cash amount will be transferred into their account through DBT.
13. 50,000 youths to be trained under Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam
• Assam has decided to engage returnee youths from other states in the implementation of the Jal jeevan mission in the state.
• Union Jal Shakti Department Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat discussed with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal about the status of implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.
• Prime Minister Naredra Modi’s flagship scheme Jal Jeevan Mission has set a target of providing piped water to every rural household in the country by 2024.
• During the conference, the Union Jal Shakti Department Minister urged for expediting the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam so that the state could achieve its target. He called for streamlining the grassroot activities so that every rural household in the state could be provided safe drinking water within the stipulated time frame.
14. Afghanistan President thanks PM Modi for extending COVID-19 related assistance
• Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending COVID-19 related assistance and for hosting SAARC leaders' meeting for coordinated efforts in the region
• Hw said this during the virtual meeting which was called by him to discuss host of issues including building a regional and global consensus on peace talks with Taliban.
• The meeting was also attended by representatives from 20 other Countries and international organisations including the United Nations.
• During the meeting, issues concerning Afghan peace and reconciliation process and support of the regional partners for an independent, unified, democratic and sovereign Afghanistan were discussed.
• India, one of the largest development partners of Afghanistan, with commitment of more than 3 billion US dollars , reiterated the importance of an inclusive, Afghan–led, Afghan–owned and Afghan – controlled peace and reconciliation process.
15. India and China agree on complete disengagement of troops along the LAC and de-escalation
• India and China resolved to push ahead with "complete disengagement" of troops in eastern Ladakh in a timely manner for "full restoration" of peace and tranquility along the LAC even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh undertook a comprehensive review of the situation following withdrawal of Chinese military from several friction points.
• As Chinese troops continued to withdraw from Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, the two countries held another round of diplomatic talks, and decided that senior commanders of the two armies will meet "soon" to discuss further steps to "ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation in a timely manner."
• Rajnath Singh also held a telephonic conversation with his US counterpart Mark T Esper during which the border row with China figured prominently.
• China's aggressive posturing along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh was discussed, asingh apprised the US defence secretary about India's position on the row.
• After the online diplomatic meeting under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) said the two sides agreed that maintenance of "enduring peace" in the border areas was essential for overall development of bilateral ties.
• The MEA said the two sides reaffirmed to ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC for "full restoration" of peace and tranquility in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols.
• The Indian and Chinese armies were locked in the bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last eight weeks. The tension escalated manifold after the Galwan Valley clashes in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.
• Both sides have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in the last few weeks to ease tension in the region. However, there was no visible sign of any end to the standoff till Sunday evening.
• On June 30, the Indian and Chinese armies held the third round of Lt General-level talks during which both sides agreed on an "expeditious, phased and step wise" de-escalation as a "priority" to end the standoff.
• The first round of the Lt General talks was held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley. However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the LAC.
• Tensions had escalated in eastern Ladakh around two months back after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on May 5 and 6. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9.
16. Former US National Security Advisor says Indo-US relationship will witness new peaks in 21st century
• Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton has said that China's behaviour in Eastern Ladakh along the LAC worries the United States of America and every citizen in China's periphery.
• The former US NSA Mr. Bolton said, Indo-US relationship will witness new peaks in the 21st century.
• He also asserted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is immensely popular among Indian Americans.
17. Union Cabinet extends Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana till November; 80 crore people to be benefitted
• The Union Cabinet has given approval for extending Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for five more months.
• Under the scheme, five kilogram of Wheat or Rice will be given to every member of the beneficiary family and one kilogram of Chana will be given to each family for five more months.
• The scheme will benefit more than 80 crore people in the country.
• The Cabinet also gave its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The scheme will provide a medium and long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.
• The Government has extended the time limit for availing three free gas cylinders by beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. The beneficiaries can avail the free cylinders till September this year. Earlier, the beneficiaries were able to avail the free cylinders only up till June.
• The Cabinet has also approved development of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for urban migrants and poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• Under the scheme, 1 lakh eight thousand single bedroom flats will be given to nearly 3 lakh 50 thousand people.
• In another major announcement, the Cabinet approved extension of the Employee Provident Fund contribution of 24 per cent for another three months from June to August this year. The scheme entails an expenditure of 4 thousand 860 crore and will benefit over 72 lakh employees in the country. The government will credit the contributions both for the employee and the employer.
• The Cabinet has also approved capital infusion in three Public Sector General Insurance Companies. Mr. Javadekar informed that under it, 12 thousand 450 crore rupees will be invested in Oriental Insurance Company Limited, National Insurance Company Limited and United India Insurance Company Limited.
18. Madhya Pradesh: Farmers start making equipment to reduce farming cost
• Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have started making equipment at the local level to reduce the cost of farming.
• Farmers in Mandsaur district of the state have prepared a unique vehicle named Jugaad by using a motorcycle. This vehicle is very useful for removing weeds and transporting food grains to the market.
• These jugaad vehicles are being prepared at a cost of 20 to 30 thousand rupees. Farmer Dhariyavad Singh said that Jugaad has reduced the cost of labour and wages by 50%. Another farmer Raju said that now we are doing technical farming. The farmers of Mandsaur district have set an example by turning disaster into research. Now there is a need to convert this research into opportunity.
19. 'Guidelines for evaluation of nano-based agri-input, food products in India' released
• Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar released the ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India'.
• These guidelines will help policy makers and regulators to frame effective provisions for future novel nano-based products in the agri-input and food sectors of India.
• It will also encourage the Indian innovators and industries to develop and commercialize new nano-based formulations and products in these sectors.
• Compared to bulk form of chemical inputs in crops, use of nano-nutrients can reduce nutrient run-off into ground and surface water and thus can reduce environmental pollution.
• The formulation of these ‘Guidelines’ is one of the most important steps for delineating quality, safety and efficacy assessment of the novel nano-formulations which can be commercialized.
• These guidelines are also intended to provide transparent, consistent and predictable regulatory pathways for nano-based agri-input and food products in the country. He termed it as an excellent initiative, which has brought on board all the Departments and Ministries dealing with Nanotechnology, and nano based products.
• The guidelines will pave the way for significant benefits for our mission on ‘Doubling Farming Income by 2022’ and ‘National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture.
20. PM Narendra Modi wishes speedy recovery of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a speedy recovery from COVID-19.
• Bolsonaro had tested positive for coronavirus.
• Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia.
21. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray inaugurates four jumbo COVID Care Centres
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated four jumbo COVID Care Centres spread across Mulund, Dahisar, Mahalaxmi Race Course and Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
• A total of 3520 beds have been added to Mumbai's capacity, including 222 ICU beds. The biggest facility has been set up in Mulund with 1700 beds. The facility, built with the help of the City and Industrial Development Corporation - CIDCO will also cater to patients from neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai districts.
• While the 900 bed COVID Care Centre at Dahisar East has been developed with the help of Mumbai Metro authority; the facility at Mahalaxmi Race Course with 700 beds and an extension at Bandra Kurla Complex has been undertaken with the help of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
• Maharashtra is developing these facilities in open grounds due to rising numbers but assured that the facilities are strong enough to brave the rains.
• These field hospitals will have contactless clinics, ICU wards, remote monitoring, central command systems and COVID dialysis beds.
• Meanwhile, the state also signed an agreement with German Drug major Bayer for setting up a 100-bed corona care facility at Chittegaon in Aurangabad.
22. CBSE reduces syllabus for classes 9th to 12th by 30% for academic year 2020-21
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised the syllabus up to 30 per cent for classes 9 to 12 to make up for academic loss during COVID-19 lockdown.
• In a series of tweets, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalize syllabus by retaining the core concepts.
• He said, looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of Class 9th to 12th.
• The rationalization of syllabus up to 30 per cent has been undertaken by the Board for nearly 190 subjects of class IX to XII for the academic session 2020-21 as a one-time measure only.
• The objective is to reduce the exam stress of students due to the prevailing health emergency situation and prevent learning gaps.
• The Board has clarified that no question shall be asked from the reduced syllabus in the Board Exams 20-21 only.
23. Manipur Chief Minister inaugurates five Water Supply projects
• Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated five Water Supply projects, one office building of Weight and Measures Department and Rapid Antigen Detection Testing Centre at Jiribam through video conferencing from the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Imphal.
• The five Water Supply projects located at different districts of Manipur were constructed with the total cost of 48.39 crore rupees having total capacity of more than 26.15 millions of liters per day.
• The New Development Bank has sanctioned 3,000 crore rupees to provide potable water to every household of the state and work orders for the projects have been issued.
• The State Government has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the foundation stone laying ceremony which will be held shortly, he added.
• Regarding the Antigen Detection Centre in Jiribam, the Chief Minister said that it will help in early detection of Coronavirus infection and quick diagnosis. He said that the testing facilities will also be made available to other districts of the state very soon. Mr Singh also said that the government is planning to open a COVID Care Centre in Jiribam district where the number of COVID-19 positive cases has increased suddenly from the last few days.
24. Gujarat govt constitutes a five-member commission to protect rights of tribal
• Gujarat government constituted a five-member commission to decide rightful beneficiaries of Rabari, Bharwad and Charan castes residing in the Ness areas of Gir, Barda, and Aalech forests.
• This decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar.
• The five-member commission would consist of a retired High Court Judge, two retired District Court Judges, a retired Forest Department official and a retired Additional Collector.
• The aim to set up this commission is to protect the Constitutional rights of rightful tribal and to prevent the wrong person from taking benefits of the tribal.
• The State Government has expressed its determination to protect the rights of the tribal.
25. PM Modi says Kashi can develop as a big export hub of country and become an inspiration for Atmnirbhar Bharat
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Kashi can develop as a big export hub of the country and become an inspiration for Atmnirbhar Bharat.
• PM was interacting through video conferencing with representatives of various social organizations and institutions in Varanasi on relief efforts carried out by them during COVID-19.
• Projects worth more than 8 thousand crores are currently running in Varanasi and after recent decisions of the central government new avenues are opening in sectors like handicraft, bee farming, dairy, garment industry and fisheries.
26. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates six new bridges in Jammu Division of Union Territory of J&K
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated six new bridges built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the Jammu Division of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through Video Conference.
• Six bridges have been built at the cost of around Rs 43 crores. Of the six bridges, four bridges are in Akhnoor sector and two in Jammu-Rajpura area. Last month, the Central government had approved an additional Rs 1,691 crore for highway works by the BRO in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
• One of the bridges, Tarnah bridge, which has been e-inaugurated today by the Defence Minister has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 16 crore and falls in Hiranagar area of Kathua district.
• The Tarnah bridge will connect more than two dozen border villages from border Chakra to Tehsil Hirnagar to Jammu-Kathua National highway.
• The bridge will also connect Gurdasspur district in Punjab with Jammu and will be an alternate highway.
• The people of the border were eagerly waiting for the formal inauguration of the bridge and have expressed their gratitude to Union Govt for mass scale development in the border area. On the e-inauguration of the bridge, Member Parliament, Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency Jugal Kishore was present at Tarnah bridge.
27. Operation Samudra Setu culminated after successfully evacuating 3,992 Indian citizens
• Operation Samudra Setu, which was launched on 5th of May this year as part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic has culminated after successfully bringing 3 thousand 9 hundred 92 Indian citizens back to their homeland by sea.
• Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa, Airavat, Shardul and Magar participated in this operation which lasted over 55 days and involved traversing more than 23 thousand kilometers by sea.
• The greatest challenge for the Indian Navy was to avoid any incident of outbreak of infection onboard the ships during the evacuation operation.
• Rigorous measures were planned and medical and safety protocols unique to the operating environment of ships were implemented.
• These were strictly followed while undertaking the Operation Samudra Setu resulting in the safe return of citizens to their homeland.
28. IIT Alumni Council and CSIR-IGIB sign MoU for joint research on COVID-19 and patient data analysis
• The IIT Alumni Council has signed an agreement with the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) to jointly conduct research on COVID-19 and patient data analysis.
• It may be noted that the council is setting up the world's largest molecular diagnostic lab 'MegaLab Mumbai'.
• The council handed over imaging data of over 8,500 patients, who were admitted at the COVID Care Facility at Worli's National Sports Club of India.
• This partnership will not only create a world-leading testing and treatment ecosystem but also establish global data leadership.
• The Council had announced the launch of the world's largest virology lab testing centre with a capacity of conducting one crore tests. The first phase, with a capacity to carry out 10 lakh tests, will be ready by the end of this month.
• The IIT Alumni Council is the largest body of alumni, students and faculty from all the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology and partnering Technical Institutes of Excellence and was formed last year to carry out projects of social importance.
29. PM Modi to inaugurate 3-day India Global Week 2020
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the inaugural address at India Global Week 2020.
• This forum brings together global thought leaders and captains of industry, who will discuss aspects relating to opportunities in India as well as the global economic revival post-COVID.
• The India Global Week 2020 is a three-day virtual conference, being held from July 9 to July 11, themed 'Be The Revival: India and a Better New World', will have 5,000 global participants from 30 nations being addressed by 250 global speakers across 75 sessions.
• The event will also feature a "never-seen-before performance" on 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat' by Madhu Nataraj and a special 100th birth anniversary concert in tribute to sitar maestro Ravi Shankar by three of his most eminent students.
• The three-day summit is being held on a virtual platform given restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
30. Ministry of Culture to reprint 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under NMM
• The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manus, NMM.
• The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July.
• A set was then handed over to Mr. Gonching Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India by Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.
• The National Mission for Manus was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manus.
• One of the objectives of the mission is to publish rare and unpublished manus so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and the general public at large.
• It is expected that all the 108 volumes of the Mongolian Kanjur will be published by March, 2022.
• Mongolian Kanjur, is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia. In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha.
31. MHA permits NIA to investigate Thiruvananthapuram Airport Gold smuggling case
• Union Home Ministry has permitted the National Investigation Agency to investigate the Thiruvananthapuram Airport Gold smuggling case.
• The Ministry said the decision has been taken as the organised smuggling operation may have serious implications for national security.
• It came a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an effective investigation into the seizure of gold worth crores of rupees from a diplomatic baggage at the airport in the state capital.
• The gold, weighing over 30 kg, was seized from the diplomatic baggage that had landed by air cargo at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International airport recently from the Gulf.
32. PM Modi to dedicate to nation a 750 MW Solar project at MP's Rewa
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation a 750 MW solar project at Madhya Pradesh's Rewa, and Delhi Metro will be one of its institutional customers outside the state.
• The project comprises three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500-hectare plot inside a solar park.This project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to approximately 15 lakh tonne of CO2 per year.
• Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the solar project to the nation virtually.
• It is the first renewable energy project to supply institutional customers outside the state, including Delhi Metro, which will get 24 percent of energy from the project.
• The remaining 76 per cent is being supplied to the state distribution companies of Madhya Pradesh.
• It also exemplifies India's commitment to attaining the target of gigawatt (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, including 100 GW of solar installed capacity.
• ALSO READ: Solar funding sees a 25% drop but oil and gas firms among top acquirers
• Compared to solar project tariffs of approximately Rs 4.50 per unit in early 2017, the Rewa project achieved the first-year tariff of Rs 2.97 per unit with a tariff escalation of Rs 0.05 per unit over 15 years and a levelised rate of Rs 3.30 per unit over the term of 25 years.
• The Rewa project has been acknowledged in India and abroad for its robust structuring and innovations. Its payment security mechanism for reducing risks to power developers has been recommended as a model to other states by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, it said.
• It has also received the World Bank Group President's Award for innovation and excellence and was included in the Prime Minister's 'A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings'.
• The solar park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMSL), a joint venture of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd and Solar Energy Corporation of India, a central undertaking, the statement said.
• Central financial assistance of Rs 138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for development of the park.
• After the park was developed, Mahindra Renewables Private Ltd, ACME Jaipur Solar Power Pvt Ltd, and Arinsun Clean Energy Pvt Ltd were selected by RUMSL through reverse auction for developing three solar generating units of 250 MW each inside the solar park.
33. DCGI approves Itolizumab for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients
• India’s drug regulator has approved Itolizumab, a medicine used to cure psoriasis for “restricted emergency use” to treat COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress, informed officials.
• Dr V G Somani, approved monoclonal antibody injection Itolizumab, an already approved drug of Biocon for several years, for restricted emergency use.
• It is for the treatment of ‘cytokine’ release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome patients due to COVID-19.
• The approval was given after its clinical trials on COVID-19 patients in India was found satisfactory by the expert committee comprising pulmonologists, pharmacologists and medical experts from AIIMS, among others, for treatment of cytokine release syndrome.
34. Govt launches ASEEM portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities
• In a move aimed at bridging the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce post the migration of workers to their villages and provide employment opportunities to millions of people who have lost their jobs, the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship has developed the Aatmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM) portal that will help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• The ASEEM portal, developed by the National Skill Development Corporation in collaboration with BetterPlace, will provide employers a platform to assess the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans and in turn open up massive job opportunities for the unemployed youth.
• The portal which has integrated all existing data of MSDC has added information of about 20 lakhs migrant workers under the GKRA (Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana).
• The ministry will soon add data of all the 1.2 crore candidates trained under PMKVY 2.0 to the portal and hope the number is likely to go up to 1.5 crore with more and more migrant workers being aligned to jobs in and around their hometowns using the portal.
• The initiative aims to accelerate India's journey towards recovery by mapping skilled workforce
• and connecting them with relevant livelihood opportunities in their local communities especially in the post COVID era.
• The ASEEM portal aims at supporting decision and policymaking via trends and analytics generated by the system for programmatic purposes. It shall help in providing real-time data analytics to NSDC and its sector skill councils about the demand and supply patterns including industry requirements, skill gap analysis, demand per district, state and cluster, key workforce suppliers, key consumers, migration patterns and multiple potential career prospects for candidates.
• The portal will have all the data, trends and analytics which describe the workforce market and map demand of skilled workforce to supply. It will provide real-time granular information by identifying relevant skilling requirements and employment prospects.
35. Govt directs CPCB to boost monitoring system in Ganga, major tributaries
• Government has directed the Central Pollution Control Board to strengthen the monitoring system in Ganga and its major tributaries.
• It also asked the Board to carry out inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries on a regular basis.
• Close monitoring of water quality in coordination with National Mission on Clean Ganga was also emphasised and it was agreed upon that suitable mechanism will be developed.
• Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar urged the officials of both the ministries to work in close tandem and expedite approvals of key river projects of national importance after following due process and also put in institutional mechanisms to monitor water quality of Ganga and its major tributaries.
• Mr. Javadekar also informed that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has in principle approved a special programme for conservation of Gangetic Dolphin, on the lines of Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
• Pending issues of Environment and Forest clearance of National Projects of Central Water Commission, National Water Development Agency and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-AIBP were also discussed.
36. Fish Cryobanks will be set up in different parts of the country: Govt
• Fish Cryobanks will be set up in different parts of the country. This will facilitate all time availability of fish sperms of desired species to fish farmers.
• Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Giriraj Singh announced this on the occasion of National Fish Farmers Day on 10th July 2020. This will be the first time in the world when Fish Cryobank will be established.
• The National Fisheries Development Board in collaboration with the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources will take up the work to establish Fish Cryobanks.
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana was launched with the highest ever investment of over 20 thousand crore rupees during the next five years. This scheme will address the critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, modernisation and establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishermen's welfare.
SPORTS NEWS
1. International Cricket is back in action; 1st test match between England, West Indies to be played at Ageas Bowl.
• The first cricket match of three Test series between England AND West Indies will be played at Ageas Bowl, London.
• With this, the International cricket is finally returning after a hiatus of 117-days caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Host England will be led by all-rounder Ben Stokes in the absence of regular captain Joe Root while Windies will be led by Jason Holder – team’s most experienced player. Holder, embarking on his 33rd Test as captain. The two teams comprise a formidable bowling line-up but it is their batting department that looks pretty weak. With the new ICC rules in place in the wake of the pandemic, it will be interesting to see how the teams come to terms with them.
