AWARDS
1. Earth Sciences Ministry announces National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science
• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science have been announced.
• This year the Life Time Excellence Award is being awarded to Professor Ashok Sahni for his significant contribution in the field of Geology, Vertebrate Paleontology and Biostratigraphy.
• The National Award for Ocean Science and technology is being awarded to Dr. V. V. S. S. Sharma, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Vishakapatnam and Dr. M. Ravichandran, Director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa. The National Award for Atmospheric Science and technology will be presented to Dr. S. Suresh Babu.
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is mandated to provide the nation with the best possible services for weather, climate, ocean, coastal and natural hazards, for the Public Safety and socio-economic benefits.
• The Ministry also deals with exploration and sustainable harnessing of ocean resources - living and non-living. The Ministry also plays a nodal role for Antarctic, Arctic, Himalayas and Southern Ocean research.
• MoES aims to provide due recognition and platform to major scientific contributions made by eminent scientists and engineers in various fields of Earth system science.
NATIONAL NEWS
1. New Education Policy 2020 released
• The Union Cabinet approved the new National Education Policy (NEP) and renamed the HRD Ministry as the Education Ministry.
• This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.
• The committee — which suggested changes in the education system under the NEP — was headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan. The NEP was drafted in 1986 and updated in 1992. The NEP was part of the election manifesto of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) ahead of the 2014 elections.
• Making the announcement, Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said there would be a single regulator for all higher education institutions and MPhil would be discontinued.
• In a bid to ramp up digital learning, a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) would be created.
• E-courses will be developed in eight regional languages initially and virtual labs will be developed.
• Top 100 foreign colleges will be allowed to set-up campuses in India and such (foreign) universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India.
• With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling.
• NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8. ECCE will be delivered through a significantly expanded and strengthened system of institutions including Anganwadis and pre-schools that will have teachers and Anganwadi workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. The planning and implementation of ECCE will be carried out jointly by the Ministries of HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal Affairs.
• The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula. Other classical languages and literatures of India also to be available as options. No language will be imposed on any student.
• Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body .
2. PM Modi greets all CRPF personnel on 82nd Raising Day
• On the 82nd Raising Day of the Central Reserve Police Force (27 July), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah extended greetings to its personnel.
• Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu too extended greetings to CRPF personnel and their families.
• The CRPF came into existence as Crown Representative's Police on July 27, 1939. It became the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949. It has completed 80 years of glorious history. CRPF has the mandate to secure the internal security scenario of the country.
3. Country remembers Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary
• The Nation remembers former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary on 27 July.
• Popularly known as people's president and Missile Man of India, Dr. Kalam passed away in Shillong on 27th July 2015, while delivering a lecture to students.
• Dr Kalam served as the 11th President of the country. Before that, in his aerospace scientist avatar, Kalam had worked for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) — India's premier space research bodies.
• Kalam's role in the development of the Indian ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology was one of highlights of his storied career. During his days as a scientist, he played a major part in the Pokhran-II nuclear test.
• He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
4. First five Rafale fighter Jets land in India
• Five Rafale jets, the first of the 36 contracted by India, landed at the Ambala air base.
• The fighter jet, to be inducted into the Indian Air Force’s ‘Golden Arrow’ squadron, is the first imported fighter jet to be inducted into the IAF in 23 years after the Russian Sukhoi-30 fighters.
• The first Su-30 entered IAF service in June 1997.
• IAF chief RKS Bhaduria was at the airbase to receive the Rafales and the team of pilots led by Group Captain Harkirat Singh, the commanding officer of the No 17 Squadron, also known as the “Golden Arrows”
• The first Rafale’s tail number, RB-001, denotes the initials of the IAF chief Rakesh Bhadauria who had led the complex negotiations for the Rafale deal.
• The jets, specially tailored for the IAF, started their 7,000 km flight home from Mérignac in France and these jets were refueled mid-air by the French air force before it landed at the Al Dhafra air base near Abu Dhabi.
• As it cruised over the Indian Ocean, it was warmly welcomed by the Navy’s warship INS Kolkata deployed in the Arabian Sea.
• India’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI joined them soon after when the five Rafales entered Indian airspace, escorting them through to Ambala.
5. ‘MyGov’ initiative completes 6 years, PM Modi calls it a forum celebrating participatory governance
• MyGov platform, aimed at empowering people to connect with the government, marked six years on 26 July 2020 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that it has emerged as a noteworthy forum that “celebrates participative governance”.
• MyGov platform is a unique, path-breaking initiative in participatory governance involving the common citizen at large.
• The first-of-its-kind platform was launched on July 26, 2014 by Prime Minister Modi.
• The idea of MyGov brings the government closer to the common people by the use of an online platform creating an interface for healthy exchange of ideas and views involving the common citizen and experts with the ultimate goal to contribute to the social and economic transformation of India.
6. Haryana to host 4th Khelo India Youth Games
• Haryana will host the 4th Khelo India Youth Games. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced this through video conferencing.
• The Khelo India Youth Games is scheduled to take place after the Tokyo Olympics next year.
• The Games will be held at Panchkula in Haryana. Mr Rijiju said, usually the Khelo India Youth Games take place in January every year. He said, however, this time owing to the pandemic, we have to postpone it.
7. PM Modi launches three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities via video conferencing.
• These facilities are located at the National Institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research, at Kolkata, Mumbai and Noida. He said that these hi-tech testing facilities will boost the testing capacity by almost 10,000 daily tests. More number of tests will assist early detection and treatment which will bolster the fight against the Coronavirus.
• These labs will not be limited to testing for COVID, but in future, will also be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Dengue and several other diseases.
• In a small span of time, there are almost 1,300 such labs in the country now.
8. Ministry of Earth Sciences launches mobile App "Mausam" and “Meghdoot” mobile application
• The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences launched two mobile apps 'Mausam' and 'Meghdoot' to propagate data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for public users and those involved in agriculture to track weather updates and other features.
• The data being fed to the app comes from the state- and district-based IMD weather stations across the country.
• The Meghdoot app was developed jointly by the Digital Agriculture & Youth (DAY) team at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
• Mausam and Meghdoot will allow smartphone users on Android and iOS to access real-time weather updates, forecasts, radar images and be proactively warned of impending weather events, the ministry revealed at the time of launch. The mobile app was developed for the public to "communicate weather information and forecasts in a lucid manner without technical jargon.”
• Mausam carries features like current weather, forecast, warnings and Radar images, and doesn't require its users to register.
• The Meghdoot app is still under construction, with many of its features still to be updated with feeds or data. For now, the app gives weather feeds from the past ten days, forecasts for the next seven days. Some features still awaiting data include crop-specific advisories, a live 'Nowcast' tab for warnings of localized weather phenomena and intensities updated every 3 hours, and a
• The app is a joint initiative by IMD and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and does require a registration process to use the app's features.
9. Govt launched four schemes for setting up of Bulk Drugs & Medical Devices Parks
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda launched four schemes of Department of Pharmaceuticals for promotion of domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and medical devices parks in the country .
• This is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and his clarion call for making India Atma Nirbhar in the pharma sector.
• For this the Government of India has approved four schemes, two each for Bulk Drugs and Medical Devices parks.He exhorted the industry and the States to come forward and participate in these schemes.
• India is often referred to as ‘the pharmacy of the world’ and this has been proved true especially in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic when India continued to export critical life saving medicines to needy countries even during the countrywide lockdown.
• However, despite these achievements, it is a matter of concern that our country is critically dependent on imports for basic raw materials, viz. Bulk Drugs (Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates (DIs) and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)) that are used to produce some of the essential medicines. Similarly in the medical devices sector, our country is dependent on imports for 86% of its requirements of medical devices.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for promoting domestic manufacturing of KSMs, DIs and APIs and medical devices will go a long way including to boost domestic manufacturing of 53 bulk drugs, on which India is critically dependent on imports.
• The list of 41 products contained in the scheme guidelines will enable domestic production of 53 bulk drugs. Financial incentives will be given to a maximum of 136 manufacturers selected under the scheme as a fixed percentage of their domestic sales of these 41 products manufactured locally with required level of domestic value addition.
• Any company, partnership firm, proprietorship firm or a LLP registered in India and possessing a minimum net worth (including group companies) of 30% of proposed investment is eligible to apply for incentives under the scheme. An applicant can apply for any number of products.
• The incentives would be subject to annual ceilings communicated in the approval letter. The incentives would be given for a period of 6 years. In case of fermentation based products, the rate of incentive is 20% for the first four years, 15% for the fifth year and 5% for the sixth year.
• States will be selected through a challenge method. The States interested in setting up the parks will have to ensure assured 24*7 supply of electricity and water to the bulk drug units located in the park and offer competitive land lease rates to bulk drug units in the park.
10. Bureau of Indian Standards Mobile App BIS-Care launched
• Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched the Bureau of Indian Standards Mobile App BIS-Care.
• He also launched three portals on Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training of e-BIS.
• The mobile app BIS-Care can be operated on any Android phone and consumers can check the authenticity of the ISI-marked and hallmarked products through this Application.
• Customers can also lodge complaints using this medium.
• “e-BIS” is an integrated portal which covers all the functions of BIS including enlisting the services of outside agencies for factory and market surveillance and development of mobile app-based and AI-enabled surveillance methods. Hence, BIS is strengthening its capacity of enforcement with implementation of e-BIS.
11. Lord Ram's images to be displayed at Times Square to celebrate August 5 Ram Temple groundbreaking
• Images of Lord Ram and 3D portraits of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be beamed across the giant billboards at the iconic Times Square on August 5 to celebrate the temple's groundbreaking ceremony.
• The organisers have described the commemoration as a one-of-a-kind and historic event.
• Times Square in New York is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
• Arrangements were being made to celebrate the historic moment in New York on August 5, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
• Among the prominent billboards that are being leased for the occasion are the giant Nasdaq screen and the 17,000-square-foot wrap-around LED display screen, considered among the largest continuous exterior displays in the world and the highest-resolution exterior LED screen in Times Square.
• Images of the words 'Jai Shri Ram' in Hindi and English, Lord Ram's portraits and videos, 3D portraits of the temple's design and architecture as well as pictures of the laying of the foundation stone by Modi will be displayed across several billboards.
12. Cabinet approves MoU signed between India & Zimbabwe on Traditional Systems of Medicine
• The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Republic of India and the Republic of Zimbabwe on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.
• The MoU was signed on November 3rd, 2018.
• This will provide a framework for the cooperation between the two countries for the promotion of traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy and will mutually benefit the two countries in the field of Traditional Medicine.
• The main objective of the MoU is to strengthen, promote and develop co-operation in the field of traditional systems of medicine between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
13. Power Minister dedicates Sembcorp’s 3 wind projects to nation
• The Union Power Minister, Raj Kumar Singh on July 29 dedicated Sembcorp’s State-of-the-art SECI 1,2 and 3 wind projects with 800 MW capacity to the nation.
• Sembcorp Energy India Limited (SEIL) which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries, on July 29 announced the completion of the latest 800MW wind power projects, bringing India its renewable energy capacity to 1730 MW.
• He congratulated SEIL and the Singapore government for their dedicated work and commitment in the field of the renewable energy sector.
• Sembcorp has become a first independent power producer, with the full commissioning of its 300MW SECI 3 wind project, to fully commission its projects awarded in the first three wind auctions which were held by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
• These assets will be able to provide clean energy to power more than 6,00,000 homes and to avoid over 2 million tonnes/annum of carbon dioxide emissions.
• This capacity will also be the largest operational wind capacity with any developer to-date from SECI auctions.
14. Health Minister releases book on Standard Treatment Guidelines for SUD, Behavioural Addictions
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare released the e-book titled “Standard Treatment Guidelines for the Management of Substance Use Disorders and Behavioural Addictions” that aims to tackle substance abuse and behavioral addiction.
• The Guidelines will help towards reducing the treatment gap for substance use disorders and help the country in its progress towards becoming healthier, happier and more prosperous.
15. Unlock 3.0 guidelines to come into force from Aug 1; Schools, Colleges to remain closed till Aug 31
• Union Home Ministry has issued new guidelines for opening up of more activities in areas outside the Containment Zones.
• The process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further in Unlock 3, which will come into effect from 1st of August.
• The new guidelines are based on feedback received from States and Union Territories and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments.
• The restrictions on movement of individuals during night have been removed. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums will be allowed to open from 5th of August.
• In this regard, Standard Operating Procedure will be issued by the Health Ministry for ensuring social distancing. Independence Day functions will be allowed with social distancing and by following other health protocols. Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till 31st of August.
• International air travel of passengers has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat Mission. Further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner. All activities except Metro Rail, Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars shall be permitted outside containment zones.
• Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations will not be permitted. With Diwaker, Suparna Saikia, AIR News, Delhi.
• Activities in the Containment Zones shall be monitored strictly by State and UT authorities and the guidelines relating to containment measures in these zones shall be strictly implemented. The Health Ministry will monitor the proper delineation of Containment Zones and implementation of the containment measures.
• States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain activities outside the Containment zones or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary. However, there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods.
16. Ayush Minister launches dedicated Web-Portal for National AYUSH Mission
• Ayush Minister, Shripad Naik chaired a webinar of AYUSH/health ministers of all the states and UTs in order to review the centrally sponsored scheme of National AYUSH Mission and the operationalization of AYUSH Health & Wellness centres.
• During the occasion, Shripad Naik also launched a dedicated web-portal for the National AYUSH Mission for submitting Utilization certificates, State Annual Action Plans, information related to DBT, Physical & Financial Progress Report, etc.
• AYUSH/health Ministers from all the States and UTs along with the principal secretaries/secretaries (AYUSH/Health), Directors/Commissioners also participated in the webinar.
• The step of launching a dedicated web-portal for National Ayush Mission is to bring transparency and ease of doing work with the use of IT applications, as per the policy of the government.
• During the webinar, 15 AYUSH/Health Ministers shared their views on the operationalization of the Ayush Health & Wellness Centres and the implementation and the progress of National AYUSH Mission in their states and UTs.
• Ayush Ministers also ensured their complete cooperation to operationalize the health wellness centres and to bring significant progress on the approved activities under the National AYUSH Mission.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Between 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists in Afghanistan, says UN report
• The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities said that the terror group al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under the Taliban umbrella from Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.
• The group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan. The current leader of AQIS is Osama Mahmood.
• AQIS is reportedly planning retaliation operations in the region to avenge the death of its former leader.
• The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a “large terrorist group present in Afghanistan”, has claimed responsibility for various high-profile attacks in Pakistan and has facilitated others by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Lahskhar-e-Islam.
• The total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a threat to both countries, is estimated at between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them with TTP.
• A number of other terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan, most operating under the umbrella of the Taliban but some aligned with ISIL-K.
• Al-Qaida is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces and its leader Aiman al-Zawahiri remains based in the country.
• The monitoring team estimates the total number of al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan at between 400 and 600.
• The monitoring team also estimates the current ISIL-K membership in Afghanistan at 2,200. The leader is sheikh Matiullah Kamahwal, previously the head of ISIL-K in Kunar. The leadership also includes Syrian national Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani and Sheikh Abdul Tahir.
2. India announces 400 million dollar currency swap for Sri Lanka
• India finalised a $400-million currency swap facility for Sri Lanka under the SAARC framework.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed documents for giving effect to the currency swap facility for the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The arrangement will remain available till November 2022, and the Indian mission in Colombo informed senior officials of the Central Bank Sri Lanka government about the decision.
• This currency swap was extended by India following a request from the Sri Lankan side for the facility under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Currency Swap Framework in order to cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• A currency swap facility helps a country obtain foreign currency loans at better interest rates than by borrowing directly from the market, and repayment is done at the exchange rate fixed at the time of borrowing. This eliminates risks due to fluctuations in exchange rates.
3. US takes over Chinese consulate in Houston, Beijing lodges protest
• US federal agents and law enforcement officers entered the Chinese consulate compound in Houston with locksmiths after the mission was shut down amid spiralling tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• The Chinese foreign ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the US law enforcement officers’ “forced entry” into the consulate and lodged a diplomatic protest.
• The Trump administration ramped up its confrontation with China, ordering Beijing’s consulate in Houston to close over concerns about economic espionage.
• In a retaliatory move, China has already ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province.
• After the Chinese diplomatic staff vacated the building, a number of black SUVs, trucks, two white vans and a locksmith's van entered the compound, a media house reported.
4. Maldives celebrates 55th Independence Day on 26th July
• Maldives celebrated its 55th Independence day on 26th July.
• President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their greetings to the neighbouring country on the occasion.
• Both leaders have written to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih conveying their greetings and assuring continued support to development and democracy in Maldives.
• Indian high commission in Male while extending its greetings, said India will continue to support post-COVID economic recovery in Maldives and additional financial assistance will be announced soon. It said India first' policy of Maldives and Neighbourhood first policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship.
• Indian government has also provided 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines under operation Sanjeevani and 600 tons of essential food items to Maldives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian high commission on the occasion has organised a photo exhibition depicting milestone events between the two neighbours. This year also marks 55 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and the Maldives.
5. First container train from India reaches Bangladesh
• The first-ever container train from India arrived at Benapole in Bangladesh, indicating furtherance of the Indian foreign policy that has come to be known as 'neighbourhood-first'.
• After beginning its journey from Majerhat station near Kolkata in West Bengalthe train with 50 containers reached its destination with a consignment of soaps, shampoos, and other FMCG items along with textile fabric.
• This container train is going to be a regular service connecting various terminals of Indian Railways network to Bangladesh.
• It will connect nominated terminals of Concor (Container Corporation of India) to Benapole, Jessore, Singia, Noapara and Bangabandhu Setu West railway stations in Bangladesh.
• Concor India had signed an MoU with the Bangladesh Container Company Ltd in 2017. A trial run of the first container train was staged in April 2018 from Kolkata to Bangabandhu Setu West railway station.
• An average lorry takes 15 days to transport goods from India to Bangladesh. With this container train service, goods can reach Bangladesh within 25-48 hours.
6. India hands over 10 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh
• India provided 10 railway locomotives to Bangladesh as grant assistance, with the leadership of the two sides committing themselves to more connectivity and infrastructure initiatives to boost trade and create new supply chains.
• The broad gauge locomotives, modified to suit height restrictions in Bangladesh, were flagged off by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and railways minister Piyush Goyal during a virtual ceremony that also featured their Bangladeshi counterparts AK Abdul Momen and Mohammed Nurul Islam Sujan.
• The move was part of a sharpened focus on India’s “neighbourhood first” policy, with New Delhi unveiling several moves in recent days to boost economic activity and help countries in the region cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• It also followed closely on the heels of the launch of parcel and container train services by India and Bangladesh and the trans-shipment of goods from Kolata to Agartala via Chattogram port.
• India’s concessional lines of credit of nearly $10 billion for Bangladesh are the largest provided to any country, and Dhaka’s exports increased by 43% to cross the $1-billion mark in 2019, Jaishankar invited Bangladesh’s business community to enhance their engagement with India.
• The leadership of both countries is committed to reviving railway links that existed before 1965, when the war with Pakistan led to their closure.
• Of the seven rail links that existed at the time, four are functional, two more – Chilahati-Haldibari and Shahbazpur-Mahisasan – are being revived and a new link between Agartala and Akhaura is being built with grant assistance from India.
7. India begins reconstruction of 300-year-old Sree Sree Joy Kali Matar Temple in Bangladesh
• India began the reconstruction of a 300-year-old temple Sree Sree Joy Kali Matar Temple in Bangladesh's northern Natore district.
• The reconstruction is happening with Indian grant assistance of Bangladeshi Taka 97 lakhs and a total cost of Bangladeshi Taka of 1.33 Crores under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) scheme of India.
• Sree Sree JoyKali Mata Temple is one of the oldest temples situated in Natore and was built at the beginning of 18th century by Dayaram Roy, Dewan of Queen Bhahani of Natore and the founder of Dighapatia Royal Family. The compound of the temple also houses a Lord Shiva temple.
• Durga and Kali Puja are celebrated every year at the temple.
• India is also funding the construction of Ramakrishna Temple, Restoration of Sree Sree Anandomoyee Kali Mata Mandir in the country.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurate the new Supreme Court Building
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, today jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in Mauritius through video conference.
• The building is the first India assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis to be inaugurated after the Covid pandemic.
• The landmark project has been completed with grant assistance of USD 28.12 million from the Government of India.
9. US urges Pak to immediately reform its 'often abused' blasphemy laws
• Expressing shock and outrage at the killing of American citizen Tahir Naseem inside a courtroom in Pakistan, the US has urged Islamabad to immediately reform its often-abused blasphemy laws and bring the culprit to justice.
• Naseem, 57, accused of blasphemy, was shot multiple times at close range inside Peshawar's Judicial Complex as he awaited to be shifted to prison. He died on the spot.
• The attacker was arrested on the spot and the pistol used in the killing was seized.
• The US government has been providing consular assistance to Naseem and his family since his detention in 2018 and has called the attention of senior Pakistani officials to his case to prevent the type of shameful tragedy that eventually occurred.
• Pakistan's blasphemy laws are indefensible, to begin with, but it is outrageous beyond belief that the Pakistani government was incapable of keeping an individual from being murdered within a court of law for his faith, and a US citizen, nonetheless, said United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Johnnie Moore in a statement.
• As USCIRF has noted countless times, Pakistan's blasphemy law inflames inter-religious tensions and too often leads to violence, said USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava.
• Naseem was first arrested in April 2018 after a local accused him of blasphemy. According to the FIR, the prisoner was charged in February 2019 under the country's blasphemy law. The deceased had denied the charges and decided to stand trial.
10. President Ram Nath Kovind gifts a sports cycle to budding cyclist Riyaz
• Riyaz, a budding cyclist and student of class 9 in the national capital, got his 'Eidi' when President Ram Nath Kovind gifted him a racing bicycle to help him achieve his dream of becoming a world-class cyclist.
• Riyaz's passion is cycling, and he practises hard after studies and work. In 2017, he won a bronze medal in the Delhi State Cycling Championship.
• He went on to participate in a school games event in Guwahati, according to the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, and achieved fourth rank at the national level.
• The president came to know of Riyaz's story of struggle through reports in the media.
• The boy has been taking professional training from coach Pramod Sharma, who regularly trains him at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi.
• Unfortunately, Riyaz had to depend on a borrowed sports cycle for his practice, and all that the budding champion wanted was a cycle of his own. His wish was finally granted on the occasion of Eid.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND BANKING
1. FATF review of India's anti-money laundering & terror financing regime pushed to 2021 due to Covid-19
• The much-awaited Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation of India's anti-money laundering regime and legal measures framed to check financial crimes, scheduled for this year, has been postponed till early next year in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The on-site review to be conducted by experts of the global body was scheduled to begin in September-October but the FATF secretariat in Paris has conveyed to India that the review is being tentatively pushed to January-February next year.
• The FATF is a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog that sets international standards to prevent illegal activities in the economic and financial channels of a country and its inter-connected linkages across the world.
• It conducts "peer reviews of each member on an ongoing basis to assess levels of implementation of the FATF recommendations and provides an in-depth description and analysis of each country's system for preventing criminal abuse of the financial system."
• The review of India's anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regime was scheduled for this year as part of a regular review cycle after 10 years.
• The last such review was done in June 2010.
• The FATF, post this review, had said in 2013 that "India had made significant progress in addressing deficiencies identified in its mutual evaluation report and (the FATF) decided that the country should be removed from the regular follow-up process."
• India has set up a joint working group comprising 22 central investigation, intelligence gathering and regulatory agencies to make presentations and brief the FATF experts, drawn from various countries, this time.
• Some of the prominent agencies in this grouping supervised by the Department of Revenue under the finance ministry include the CBI, ED, Income Tax Department, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Customs, market regulator SEBI, banking regulator RBI and insurance regulator IRDAI.
• The Union government had also deputed Rahul Navin, a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax Department, to work as an officer On Special Duty (OSD) with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take these processes forward.
• Navin has authored a book, ''Information Exchange and Tax Transparency: Tackling Global Tax Evasion and Avoidance'', and served in the international taxation wing of the tax department and worked closely with the OECD, another reputed global economic body.
• The ED is the nodal agency to undertake investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the country.
2. Asian Development Bank approves three million US dollar grant to India
• Multilateral funding agency ADB has approved a USD 3 million (about Rs 22 crore) grant to India from its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to further support the government's emergency response to COVID-19 pandemic.
• The grant, which is financed by the Japanese government, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen India's COVID-19 response.
• The new grant complements ADB's ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response. This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures.
• On April 28, ADB approved USD 1.5 billion COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) programme to support India in its immediate pandemic response efforts, including disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection measures for the poor and economically vulnerable, particularly women and disadvantaged groups.
• The CARES programme is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB's Countercyclical Support Facility.
• CPRO was established as part of ADB's USD 20 billion expanded assistance for developing member countries' pandemic response, which was announced on April 13.
3. Govt notifies amended FDI policy on civil aviation
• The government has notified changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms on civil aviation, which will permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 per cent stake of Air India.
• The gazette notification comes amid the ongoing process of strategic disinvestment of Air India.
• Last month, the government for the third time extended the deadline to bid for Air India as the COVID-19 fallout has disrupted economic activities globally. The deadline was extended by two months till August 31.
• The divestment process for the national carrier was initiated on January 27.
• These rules may be called the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Third Amendment) Rules, 2020.
• Foreign investments in M/s Air India Limited, including that of foreign airlines shall not exceed 49 per cent either directly or indirectly except in case of those NRIs, who are Indian Nationals, where foreign investments are permitted up to 100 per cent under automatic route,” it said.
• Substantial ownership and effective control of Air India Limited shall continue to be vested in Indian Nationals as stipulated in Aircraft Rules, 1937, it added.
• As per the present FDI Policy, 100 percent FDI is permitted in scheduled Air Transport Service/Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline (Automatic up to 49 per cent and Government route beyond 49 per cent). However, for NRIs 100 per cent FDI is permitted under automatic route in Scheduled Air Transport Service/Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline.
• The government permits 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in helicopter services/seaplane services requiring Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approval.
• Foreign airlines are allowed to invest in the capital of Indian companies, operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49 per cent of their paid-up capital, subject to certain conditions.
• The conditions include that inflow must be made under the government approval route and the 49 per cent limit will subsume FDI and FII/FPI investment.
• The investments made would need to comply with the relevant regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), it said.
Earlier in March, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to permit foreign investment up to 100 per cent by those NRIs, who are Indian Nationals, in case of Air India.
4. Commerce Ministry allows export of PPE kits, masks with certain limitations
• The Commerce Ministry has amended its export policy for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and masks.
• Under the new policy, 2 and 3 ply surgical masks and medical goggles can be exported now with certain limitations.
• For 2 and 3 ply surgical masks a monthly export quota of 4 crore has been fixed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Medical Goggles can be exported with a monthly cap of 20 lakh units. Government has also removed a prohibition on export of Face Shields from the country.
DAYS AND EVENTS
1. International Tigers day- 29 July
• July 29 is celebrated across the world as International Tiger Day to raise awareness about the dwindling number of striped cats, who are on the brink of extinction, and to encourage tiger conservation.
• International Tiger Day was created in 2010 at Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. In the summit, governments of tiger-populated countries vowed to double tiger population by 2022.
• Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar released the detailed Status of Tigers Report 2018.
2. World Day Against Trafficking in Persons-30 July
• In 2013, the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action.
• Member States also adopted resolution and designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. This resolution declared that such a day was necessary to “raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights.”
• A Virtual High-level panel for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2020 for a virtual event. This virtual high-level event highlighted the crucial roles of a range of groups of people engaged in responding to trafficking in persons, particularly in the context of the global response to COVID-19.
PEOPLE IN NEWS AND OBITUARIES
1. Padma Shri Folk musician Sonam Tshering Lepcha passes away
• Folk musician and Padma Shri awardee, Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away. He was born in Kalimpong, West Bengal in 1928.
• He started his career as a soldier. He travelled to various parts of Sikkim and compiled a wide range of Indian folk and traditional Lepcha songs and played folk music on All India Radio in 1960.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of folk music.
