NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
National Capital Region Planning Board’s geo-portal “Pariman” now accessible
for public: Geo-Portal
for NCR known as ‘PARIMAN’ was launched on 31.08.2021 in the 40th meeting of
the Board by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Chairman, NCRPB and Union Minister for
Housing & Urban Affairs. For the purpose of effective utilization of remote
sensing and GIS technology, a web geo-portal has been developed by National
Informatics Centre (NIC), initially for use by the National Capital Region
(NCR) participating states and the office of the National Capital Region
Planning Board (NCRPB).
This Geo-Portal will help to improve
decentralized planning and management in the NCR region. The Portal consists of
around 179 Layers presented as Line, Point & Polygon features covering
details of various sectors like Land Use, Transport, Industries, Water, Power,
Health, Shelter, Heritage & Tourism, Disaster Management, etc.
2.
Internet exchanges launched in Durgapur and Bardhaman by National Internet
Exchange of India:
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information
Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India,
inaugurated two new Internet Exchange Points (IXP) of National Internet
Exchange of India (NIXI) at Durgapur and Vardhman. In the presence of S. S.
Ahluwalia, Member of Parliament for Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha, in keeping
with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision to connect every
Indian. It is under the 1000-day plan of the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY).
Key Points:
a)
The
National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) also manages the first Internet
Exchange in the state of Kolkata.
b)
With
the opening of two new Internet Exchange Points in Durgapur and Bardhaman, it
is currently increasing its presence throughout the state.
c)
The
opening of these new NIXI internet exchanges throughout the state will help to
advance and improve broadband and Internet services both locally and in
surrounding areas.
d)
By
improving their broadband services to their end users and changing the lives of
the people in the area, the internet service providers connecting at these
sites will gain.
e)
Every
sector of the state will benefit from the opening of these new IXPs, including
MSMEs and other business sectors as well as the health, education,
agricultural, and startup ecosystems.
f)
Citizens
will have greater access to government benefits and convenience, which will
raise their standard of living.
3.
Jitendra Singh to launch IS4OM for Safe & Sustainable Space Environment: With the help of
the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operation and Management (IS4OM),
India has increased its ability to protect its space assets on its own. Mr. S
Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Indian Space
Research Organization, are slated to officially launch the IS4OM in the
presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Earth
Sciences. Key Points:
a)
The
IS40M system was developed with a comprehensive viewpoint, according to ISRO
(Indian Space Research Organisation), to assure the safety and sustainability
of the space environment while enjoying the benefits of sustainable use of
space for national development.
b)
Additionally,
as part of IS4OM, specialised labs for space debris reduction and cleanup,
compliance verification of UN/Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee
(IADC) recommendations, and diverse R&D activities have been set up.
c)
A
dedicated control centre for operations aimed at monitoring, tracking, and
safeguarding India’s space assets was opened by ISRO in December 2020.
4. Y
S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh elected YSRC president
for life: Yuvajana
Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC) elected Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the chief minister
of Andhra Pradesh, as its “president for life.” Following a change to the
party’s constitution, the following decision was made following the two-day
plenary of the YSRC. Jagan Mohan Reddy would be given lifetime leadership of
the YSRCP, according to Vijayasai Reddy, the leader of the YSRC’s Parliamentary
Party. Key Points:
a)
In
order to assist her daughter YS Sharmila in Telangana, YS Vijayamma, the mother
of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, stated that she is considering resigning from her
position as honorary president of the YSRCP.
b)
She
also launched the YSR Telangana Party in 2021 with the intention of challenging
the state’s assembly elections.
c)
After
parting with the Congress in March 2011, Jagan Mohan Reddy founded the YSRCP.
d)
He
has held the position of party president while his mother Vijayamma has served
as honorary president.
5.
GoI clears appointment of Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay as CMD of GSL: The Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Brajesh Kumar
Upadhyay as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Goa Shipyard Limited
(GSL), a PSU under the Ministry of Defence. Upadhyay has been appointed to the
post for a period of five years from the date of his assumption of charge of
the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Presently, he is
serving as Director (Operations) in the same organisation.
Note: Goa Shipyard Limited Founded: 1957;
Goa Shipyard Limited Headquarters: Goa.
6.
Rajendra Prasad take charge as MD of National High Speed Rail Corporation
Limited: Rajendra
Prasad has been appointed as the Managing Director of National High-Speed Rail
Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) after the government dismissed Satish Agnihotri
over corruption allegations. He is working as Director of Project with NHSRCL
since November 2017 and is overall in charge of civil engineering works of the
Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project, popularly known as the Bullet Train
Project.
Note: National High-Speed Rail Corporation
Limited Founded: 12 February 2016; National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited
Headquarters: New Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Ruling party in Japan records significant victory in legislative vote: In a parliamentary
election in Japan, the ruling party and its coalition partner achieved a
significant victory. In the 248-seat chamber, the Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP) and its minor coalition partner Komeito increased their combined share to
146, well exceeding the majority in the elections for half of the upper house
seats. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio expressed his gratitude for the
decision. He pledged to handle the nation’s most pressing problems, such as the
pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the rising cost of life.
The Japanese Prime Minister declared that
in addition to a constitutional reform, he will continue to advocate for
strengthening Japan’s national security. Additionally, he promised to boost the
Japanese economy. Only two days had passed since the shooting death of former Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign rally before the election.
Note: Prime Minister of Japan: Kishida
Fumio; Capital of Japan: Tokyo; Currency of Japan: Japanese Yen
2.
World Paper Bag Day: 12th July: Every year, World Paper Bag Day is
observed on July 12 to raise awareness of the importance of using paper bags
instead of plastic bags. This day is dedicated to spreading awareness of the
ill effects of plastic and how detrimental they are to our environment. Paper
bags can easily be used to replace one-time-use plastic bags which are
non-biodegradable or, in other words, take hundreds of years to decompose in
landfills. The theme for Paper Bag Day this year is, “If You’re ‘fantastic’, Do
Something ‘dramatic’ To Cut The ‘Plastic’, Use ‘Paper Bags’.”
World Paper Bag Day History: Francis Wolle, an
American inventor, created the first paper bag machine in 1852. Later in 1871,
Margaret E. Knight introduced another machine to generate flat-bottom paper
bags and rose to fame as “The mother of the grocery bag”. Better paper bag
designs and manufacturing processes were developed over time by inventors
Charles Stilwell and Walter Deubener in the years 1883 and 1912 respectively.
3.
World Malala Day: 12th July: International Malala Day is celebrated every year on
July 12 on the occasion of young activist Malala Yousafzai’s birthday. The
United Nations (UN) designated this date to be marked as Malala Day to honour
the young woman who has been advocating for female education. The day is used
as an opportunity to appeal to world leaders to ensure compulsory and free
education for every child.
International Malala Day: History
and significance:
On July 12, 2013, then 16-year-old Pakistani activist delivered a moving speech
at the headquarters of the United Nations. She highlighted the need for access
to women’s education globally and called the world leaders to reform their
policies. Malala was widely appreciated for her remarkable speech. Since July
12 was her birthday, therefore the UN promptly declared that the day will be
celebrated as ‘Malala Day’ to honour the young activist.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
India’s GM D. Gukesh wins Gijon Chess Masters: India’s D. Gukesh
won the Gijon Chess Masters, with eight points out of nine rounds. GM Alexandr
Fier of Brazil finished second with 6.5 points while International Master Pedro
Antonio Gines of Spain came third scoring six points. With the win, Gukesh took
his FIDE rating to 2693. If he crosses the Elo rating of 2700, Gukesh could
well become the sixth Indian to do so after Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan
Sasikiran, P. Harikrishna, Vidit Gujarati and B. Adhiban.
2.
ISSF World Cup, South Korea: India’s Arjun Babuta wins first gold medal: Arjun Babuta of
India earned his first gold medal in shooting at the Changwon, South Korea,
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup stage. Final saw him
overcome silver medalist for Tokyo 2020 Lucas Kozeniesky of the USA 17-9. Arjun
Babuta had previously outperformed Lucas Kozeniesky in the eight-men ranking
round with a score of 261.1 to 260.4. Sergey Richter of Israel finished third
with a score of 259.9, and Paarth Makhija of India came in fourth with a score
of 258.1.
In the eight-man ranking round, Arjun
Babuta has qualified in second place behind Sergey Richter. In the 53-person
field, Paarth Makhija has qualified in fifth position. Shahu Tushar Mane, the
third Indian shooter competing, came in 30th. Thomas Farnik, the nation’s new
foreign rifle coach, won India’s first medal in this event.
About Arjun Babuta: Sport shooter
from India named Arjun Babuta. He competes in the 10 metre air rifle
competitions and is from Chandigarh. Since 2016, Arjun has competed for the
Indian Shooting Team. At the 2016 ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, the 2016 ISSF
Junior World Cup in Gabala, the 2017 ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl,
and the 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup, he competed for India (Sydney).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
Federal Bank and Bank of India penalized by RBI for breaking regulatory
obligations: Due
to shortcomings in regulatory compliance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fined
Federal Bank Rs 5.72 crore. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (financial services
provided by banks) Directions, 2016 has strict penalties for violations.
Federal Bank did not make sure that the insurance company did not compensate
any of its employees providing corporate agency or insurance broking services
with incentives (cash or non-monetary).
Key Points:
a)
The
private lender’s standalone net profit increased by 13.13% to Rs 540.54 crore
in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21 on a 2.72 % increase in total income to Rs 3948.24
crore.
b)
Treasury,
corporate or wholesale banking, retail banking, and other banking operations
make up Federal Bank’s four business segments.
c)
As
of March 31, 2022, the bank had 1282 branches and 1885 ATMs and recyclers.
d)
Shares
of Federal Bank increased 0.41 percent to Rs 97.40.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. On
October 1st, this year, Paper Import Monitoring System to go in Action: The Paper Import
Monitoring System (PIMS) was established by the Directorate General of Foreign
Trade (DGFT) by changing the import policy for major paper products from “free”
to “free subject to mandatory registration under PIMS.” According to the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the new rule will take effect on October 1,
2022. However, the ministry announced in a statement that the online registration
option will be available as of July 15, 2022.
Key Points:
a)
The
PIMS must be used when a Domestic Territory Area unit imports a variety of
paper products, including newspaper, handmade paper, coated paper, uncoated
paper, Litho and offset paper, tissue paper, toilet paper, cartons, labels, and
more.
b)
These
products fall within 201 tariff lines. Paper goods including bank bond and
cheque paper, security printing paper, and others have been exempt from the
requirement to register.
c)
According
to PIMS, an importer must pay a registration fee of Rs 500 no earlier than the
75th day and no later than the 5th day prior to the anticipated date of arrival
of the import consignment in order to receive an automatic registration number.
d)
Multiple
consignments Bill of Entry (BoEs) may be submitted under the same registration
number within the registration’s validity term for the allowable quantity. The
automatic registration number is valid for 75 days.
e)
A
Unit in a Special Economic Zone/Free Trading Warehousing Zone or an Export
Oriented Unit must register under the PIMS at the time of import of the items
covered by the scheme.
DEFENCE
1.
First-ever exhibition and seminar on “AI in Defense” organized: The Department of
Defense Production, Ministry of Defense, will host the first-ever Artificial
Intelligence in Defence symposium and exhibition in New Delhi, which will be
officially inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh. The event
will include a demonstration of the most innovative AI-enabled products that
have been created by services, research organisations, industry, start-ups, and
entrepreneurs. Key Points:
a)
Defence
Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar spoke at a press conference about the event and
described it as a significant occasion where 75 newly developed AI products and
technologies with military applications will be unveiled as part of the
celebrations for the 75th anniversary of independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
and to support the “Aatmanirbharta” initiative in the military.
b)
The
products fall under the categories of cyber security, intelligent monitoring
systems, logistics and supply chain management, speech and voice analysis,
automation/unmanned/robotics systems, command, control, communication, computer
& intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, and
operational data analytics. In addition to the 75 goods that are being
released, another 100 are being developed at different levels.
c)
In
response to a query, Additional Secretary Shri Sanjay Jaju stated that defence
exports reached a record high of Rs 13,000 crore in the fiscal year 2021–2022
with a contribution of 70% from the private sector and the remaining 30% from
the public sector.
d)
The
event will also feature panel discussions with participation from the Services,
academics, students, research organisations, and industry on topics like
“Deploying AI in Defence,” “GenNext AI solutions,” and “AI in Defence –
Industry Perspective.”
Note: Union Defence Minister, GoI: Shri
Rajnath Singh; Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar; Additional Secretary: Shri
Sanjay Jaju
OBITUARIES
1.
Former Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos passes away: Former President of
Angolan, Jose Eduardo dos Santos has passed away at the age of 79. He was one
of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state, who ruled for almost four decades
as president of Angola. He stepped down from the president’s post in 2017. He had
also fought for the continent’s longest civil war and turned his country into a
major oil producer. Santos ruled his country for 38 years, from Agostinho
Neto’s death in 1979 — four years after Angola won independence from Portugal —
until 2017 when he stepped down voluntarily as president.
Note: Angola Capital: Luanda; Angola Currency: Kwanza.
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