NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. S.
Phangnon Konyak become first woman member to Preside over Rajya Sabha: Phangnon Konyak, the first woman member to be appointed to
the panel of Vice-Chairperson from Nagaland in the Rajya Sabha. To promote
gender equality, Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Chairman of Rajya
Sabha, nominated four women members out of total of 8 members to the panel
of Vice-Chairpersons. She is a member of Committee on Transport, Tourism and
Culture She is also the second woman from the State to be
elected to either House of the Parliament or the State Assembly.
2. Jyotiraditya
M Scindia inaugurates Heli Summit 2023 and UDAN 5.2: Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, inaugurated
the Heli Summit 2023 and also unveiled RCS UDAN 5.2 and the HeliSewa-App
in Madhya Pradesh. Theme "Reaching the Last Mile: Regional
Connectivity through Helicopters & Small Aircraft". Objectives: Providing
a common platform for all industry stakeholders, and policymakers to discuss
the growth story of the Indian Helicopter and Small Aircraft industry.
3. Nation
celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas at Kargil War Memorial in Drass.: The Nation celebrates the Kargil Vijay Diwas on July
26, remembering the sacrifice made by soldiers of the Indian Army. The
nation celebrates the victory of the Indian Army over Pakistani troops in
Kargil, Ladakh, in 1999, following more than 60 days of intense battle. The
main event was held at Kargil War Memorial in Drass. Raksha Mantri
Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil
Chauhan, attended the ceremony at Drass
4. National
Conference on ‘Moving Mental Health Beyond Institutions: The national conference on "Moving Mental Health
Beyond Institutions" was inaugurated by Bharati Pravin Pawar,
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. Objective: To
address the challenges in implementing the Mental Healthcare Act,
2017 and find solutions to mental health issues. The government is
actively promoting cost-effective treatment for common mental disorders, and
mental health is integrated into the flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme.
5. Ministry
of Textiles organized ‘6th National Conclave: In
association with FICCI and BIS, the Ministry of Textiles conducted
the 6th National Conclave on Standards & Regulations under
the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM). The event included 5
technical sessions in specialized areas of Technical Textiles, such
as Protective textiles, Geotextiles, Build tech, Oekotech. Bureau of
Indian Standards releases four new standards in the field of Medical
textiles, Geotextiles, Agro textiles ,Carpet textiles
6. 3rd and final meeting of G20 Disaster Risk Reduction
Working Group held in Chennai: The third
and final meeting of the G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group under
the chairmanship of India has been held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu This is the
first time a dedicated working group on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has been
constituted, signifying India’s commitment to addressing global challenges
posed by disasters and climate emergencies. This meeting will bring together
G20 countries and their leadership, international organizations and knowledge
partners to engage in drafting the communique encapsulating shared commitments
and key recommendations regarding the working group’s priority areas. These
areas include the Global Coverage of Early Warning Systems, Disaster and
Climate Resilient Infrastructure, Financing Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction, Disaster Response System, and the Ecosystem-based Approach to DRR. The
communique, endorsed by all, will serve as a seminal guiding document for G20
nations, underscoring the critical significance of disaster risk reduction.
7. Jammu to pioneer India’s first Cannabis Medicine
Project: Union Minister of State
Science & Technology Jitendra Singh confirmed that India’s
first Cannabis Medicine Project is set to be pioneered in This project
will play a vital role in Atma-Nirbhar Bharat, as it will be capable of
producing export-quality drugs designed for various neuropathies etc. The
project will spread awareness that this substance of abuse has diverse
medicinal uses, especially for patients suffering from malignancies. The
‘Cannabis Research Project’ of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first-of-its-kind in the
country in public-private partnership with a Canadian firm, which has a “great
potential to put substance of abuse for the good of mankind especially for
patients suffering from neuropathies, cancer and epilepsy This project of
CSIR-IIIM is also important from the perspective of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’
(self-reliant India) as after getting all the approvals, it will be able to
produce export quality drugs meant for different kinds of neuropathies and
diabetic pains.
8. T V Narendran re-appointed as Tata Steel CEO and MD :
T V Narendran has been re-appointed as
the MD and CEO of Tata Steel, for a period of five years effective 19
September 2023. He has over 35 years of experience in the mining and metals
industry. Narendran joined Tata Steel in 1988. He was appointed as Managing
Director of Tata Steel for India and South East Asia on November 1, 2013. In
October 2017, Tata Steel elevated Narendran as Chief Executive Officer and
Managing Director globally.
9. 26 July – Kargil Vijay Diwas: Kargil Vijay Diwas, or Kargil Victory Day is
observed annually on July 26 to mark India’s triumph in the 1999 conflict
with Pakistan. The day honours the bravery and sacrifices made by Indian
soldiers during the intense and prolonged war.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. China
appointed Wang Yi as its new Foreign Minister: Wang
Yi has been appointed as the new foreign minister of
China, replacing Qin Gang, the "missing" foreign
minister. After the abrupt removal of his short-lived successor, Wang Yi,
China's top diplomat, has returned to his previous role as foreign minister,
which he held for nearly a decade from 2013. No reason was given for Mr Qin's
removal, Official silence over his mysterious disappearance to date had sparked
speculation both in China and abroad.
2. First
Rupee trade shipment from Petrapole border to Bangladesh: The first Rupee trade shipment from West Bengal's
Petrapole border to Bangladesh in July 2023 Petrapole is the major land
port for bilateral trade with the neighboring country. The Indian
government has been promoting Rupee trade with several countries to
reduce dependence on the US Dollar and strengthen regional
currency and trade. According to Kamlesh Saini, the manager of the
Land Ports Authority of India the value of the shipment is Rs 1.23
crore.
3. Thani
Al Zeyoudi elected as chair of WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference : Thani
Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, has been elected as the chair
of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation held
to take place in Abu Dhabi. The announcement was made during a
meeting with WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the WTO
General Council in Geneva The conference will be attended by representatives
from 164 countries and will involve reviewing the trading system's
performance and making decisions on future work.
4. WHO
identifies first case of MERS-CoV in UAE this year:
The World Health Organization has identified a case of Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a 28-year-old male
from United Arab Emirates MERS-CoV is a viral respiratory infection caused
by a coronavirus known as MERS The infection is transmitted to humans
through direct or indirect contact with dromedary camels, which
are the natural host and zoonotic source of the MERS-CoV infection. The
symptoms include: Fever, Cough, Shortness of breath
5. Twitter changes logo to ‘X’, replacing blue bird
symbol: The owner Elon Musk, and Chief Executive
Officer Linda Yaccarino of Twitter, revealed its new logo
replacing the blue bird on its website with an X as part of a broader
rebranding effort. The logo – a white ‘X’ seen on a black background was seen
on the network’s site and accounts, evoking mixed reactions and an ocean of
memes from the netizens. It is the latest change since Elon Musk bought the
social media platform for 44 billion dollars last year. Twitter is a free
social networking site where users broadcast short posts known as tweets.
6. FAO launches action plan for to tackle Global Agri
Challenges: The Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched
an Action Plan designed to support the implementation of its
ambitious Strategy on Climate Change 2022-2031. The Strategy, which was
endorsed in June 2022 by FAO’s executive body, the Council, envisages agrifood
systems as sustainable, inclusive, resilient and adaptive to climate change. Global
agrifood systems, which encompass the production of food and non-food
agricultural products, as well as their storage, transportation, processing,
distribution, marketing, disposal and consumption, are currently responsible
for about a third of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Strategy aims to scale
up the visibility, uptake and investment in these solutions by contributing to
adaptive, resilient low-emission economies “while providing sufficient, safe
and nutritious foods for healthy diets, as well as other agricultural products
and services, for present and future generations, leaving no one behind.
7. Italy honours Indian Army’s contribution in World War
II: A memorial has
been unveiled in Italy to honor Indian troops who fought in
the Italian Campaign during the Second World War.
The
memorial is in the form of a live sundial and its motto is “We all live under
the same sun.” The memorial pays tribute to Naik Yeshwant Ghadge, Victoria
Cross, who was killed in action fighting on the heights of Upper Tiber Valley.
8. 26 July – International Day for the Conservation of
the Mangrove Ecosystem: The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove
Ecosystem is celebrated every year on 26 July. Objective – To raise
awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and
vulnerable ecosystem”. This International Day was adopted by the General
Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
in 2015. As per Forest Survey Report 2021, Mangrove cover in India has
increased by 17 sq km as compared to 2019 assessment. It now spread to 4,992 sq
km. Three states in which highest increase in mangrove cover was observed
include- Odisha (8 sq km), Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Harmanpreet
Kaur suspended for breaching ICC Code of Conduct:
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's cricket team, received
a suspension for the next two international matches due to two
violations of the ICC Code of Conduct in the 3rd ODI
between India and Bangladesh. During the match, she expressed her
frustration by hitting her stumps with her bat after being declared
LBW. In the post-match presentation, she criticized the umpiring as
"pathetic" She was fined 50 percent of her match fee.
2. India
ranked 2nd at ISSF World Championship in South Korea 2023: India secured the 2nd position at the ISSF Junior Shooting
World Championships 2023 held in Changwon, South Korea
Indian
shooters achieved a total of 17 medals, comprising 6 Gold, 6 Silver, and 5
Bronze. Seven Indian athletes earned more than one medal each. Abhinav Shaw and
Kamaljeet both claimed two gold medals. Sainyam won three
medals, including a gold in the 10m air pistol women's event, and a bronze
each in the 10m air pistol mixed team and women's team events.
3. Indian javelin throwers bagged gold medals at Lebanon
Athletics 2023: India’s Annu Rani and Kishore Jena won
the gold medal in the men’s and women’s javelin throw events, respectively
at the Lebanon Athletics Championships 2023 in Beirut. Annu Rani recorded
a best throw of 55.32m to top the six-woman field. Her effort, though, was far
from her national record-setting mark of 63.82m, achieved last year. In four
competitions since the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, where she won the
bronze, Annu Rani has not crossed the 60m mark. In the men’s event, Kishore
Jena hurled the spear 78.96m to win the gold. His personal best is 82.87,
achieved in Bhubaneshwar last month. Tokyo 2020 Olympian Shivpal Singh won the
silver with a 73.34m throw, a modest effort compared to his personal best of
86.23m achieved at the 2019 Asian championships in Doha. Seven men competed in
the men’s javelin event. Nabil Al-Akoumi was third with 59.79m Tokyo Olympics
champion Neeraj Chopra holds India’s national record in men’s javelin throw
courtesy his 89.94m mark, registered at the 2022 Stockholm Diamond League in
Sweden.
4. Lahiru Thirimanne announces retirement from
international cricket: Sri Lankan cricketer Lahiru Thirimanne has retired
from international cricket after a 13-year career. The 33-year-old Lankan
featured in 44 Tests, 127 One-Day Internationals, and 26 T20 Internationals,
having made his debut in 2010. He played for Sri Lanka in three ICC T20 World
Cups, including the 2014 edition where the side emerged victorious. Besides, he
also featured in a couple of ODI World Cups. He also had the honour of leading
the team in five ODIs. Thirimanne played his final international tie for Sri
Lanka in March 2022 — a Test against India in Bengaluru. In his prime, he was
considered one of the most prolific batters of the side, especially in the 50-over
format, scoring 3,194 runs in 106 innings at an average of 34.71, including
four tons and 24 half-centuries.
5. Minerva Academy becomes first Indian club to win
Gothia Cup: India’s Minerva Academy
FC scripted history as they became the first team from the
subcontinental nation to lift the prestigious Gothia Cup in Sweden. The
Gothia Cup, an international youth football tournament organized has been held
annually at Gothenburg in the Scandinavian country of Sweden. The prestigious
tournament is organized under the aegis of Allsvenskan club BK Hacken. The
Indian team triumphed in the B13 category of the illustrious event with a 3-1
win over Brazilian side Ordin FC in the final of the tournament on Saturday. The
tournament is the world’s largest and most international youth football
tournament with 1700 teams. The first-ever edition of the tournament was held
in 1975. In total, 4500 games were played on 110 pitches during the tournament.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. IMF
revises India's GDP growth forecast to 6.1% for FY24: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased its
projection for India's GDP growth in the current fiscal year from 5.9% to
6.1%. As per World Economic Outlook, In 2023 the growth rate of
India's economy is estimated to be 6.1 percent, which is 0.2
percentage points higher than what was predicted in April 2023 According
to Danish Leigh, the division chief of the Research department at
IMF, India contributes one-sixth of the total global growth this year
2. PhonePe launches income tax payment feature: Digital payments and fintech platform, PhonePe has launched a
feature to pay income tax through its app. Individuals and businesses can
pay self-assessment and advance tax through UPI or credit card via the
application, without logging into the income tax portal. The amount will be
credited to the tax portal within two working days. Users can pay taxes by
logging into the app and selecting the “income tax” icon. Then, they must
select the type of tax to be paid, assessment year and Permanent Account Number
(PAN) details. After entering the total tax amount, users will be able to pay
using the chosen mode of payment. Taxpayers will receive a Unique Transaction
Reference (UTR) number as an acknowledgment within one working day after paying
the tax while challan for the payment will be available within two working
days. Users can get a 45-day interest-free period and earn reward points on
their tax payments, depending on their bank. PhonePe has partnered with digital
B2B payments service provider PayMate for enabling the feature. Started in
2015, the Walmart subsidiary was recently separated from its e-commerce sibling
Flipkart. PhonePe has about 50 crore registered users and processes 45 percent
of transactions on Bharat Bill Pay System (BBPS). The company became a fintech
in 2017 and launched mutual funds and insurance products.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Draupadi Murmu Confers National Geoscience Awards: President Droupadi Murmu has conferred the National Geoscience
Awards (NGA) – 2022 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. Instituted in
1966, the NGA is a symbol of recognition and appreciation for exceptional
individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence, dedication,
and innovation in the realm of Geosciences. The Ministry of Mines confers this
award every year in three categories comprised National Geoscience Award for
Life Time Achievement, the National Young Geoscientist Award, and the National
Geoscience Award in various fields of geosciences.
There
are six boys and five girls among the awardees from 11 states and UTs. Each
awardee of the PMRBP will be given a medal, a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a
certificate. The Union government the PMRBP award to children for their
exceptional achievements. The award is conferred on children in the age group
5-18 for their excellence in six categories, viz art and culture, bravery,
innovation, scholastic, social service and sports, which deserve national
recognition. This year, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar will be
conferred on 11 children selected from all regions of the country for their
exceptional achievement in the field of art and culture (4), bravery (1),
innovation (2), social service (1), and sports (3).
OBITUARIES
1. Bengal BJP MLA Bishnu Pada Roy dies at 61: MLA of Bharatiya Janata Party from Dhupguri, Bishnu Pada Roy, who was suffering from a lung infection died at the age of 61. He was elected as Member of Parliament in 13th, 15th and 16th Lok Sabha representing Andaman and Nicobar Islands constituency in the years 1999, 2009 and 2014, respectively. He was a hardworking legislator who made many efforts to fulfil people's aspirations. He also worked hard to strengthen @BJP4Bengal.
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