Daily GK Updates - 29th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 7th Economic Census begins from Tripura: The Government of India begins the 7th Economic Census from Tripura. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct the census.  It will be launched in other states and union territories in August and September. It will be conducted after a gap of 5 years. The fieldwork is expected to be completed by December and the results at the national level is expected to be available by March 2020.

Note: As per the last Economic Census conducted in 2013, there were 58.5 million establishments employing around 131 million workers. The economic census gives insights on the economic activities being carried out across the country, their geographical distribution, the number and distribution of workers, types of ownership and sources of finance. The economic census is the only source of information on the significantly large unorganized sector in the country.

2. 5th Dharma-Dhamma conference was held in Rajgir: The 5th international Dharma-Dhamma conference was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju. The aim of the conference is to address people about the terror, violence and global warming prevalent in the world. The conference will also address the subjects of Sat-Chit-Ananda and Nirvana which are the pivotal topics of Buddhism.

Note: Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar; Governor of Bihar: Phagu Chuhan.

3. Girish Bapat appointed as chairman of estimates committee: Girish Bapat has been appointed the chairman of the "Estimates Committee" of the parliament. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the appointment. Estimates committee is one of the three financial standing committees of the parliament apart from the public accounts committee and committee on public undertakings.

4. K'taka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa wins confidence Motion: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has won Confidence Motion in the State Assembly by a voice vote. Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar declared that the Motion moved by Mr Yediyurappa has won the confidence of the House. Earlier, as the House assembled, BS Yediyurappa moved a one-line confidence motion seeking to prove the majority of his three-day-old government. KR Ramesh Kumar (Karnataka Assembly Speaker) has announced his resignation as Karnataka Assembly Speaker soon after BS Yediyurappa government won floor test in the house.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal invited as a partner country for Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has invited Nepal to be the partner country for this year's 'Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019' scheduled to be held at Kurukshetra. He extended the invitation to Ambassador of Nepal to India Nilamber Acharya.

Note: Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee; President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

2. Rajnath Singh arrives in Maputo on a three-day visit to Mozambique: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Maputo on a three-day visit to southern African country, Mozambique. India is willing to forge a strong bilateral relationship with Mozambique by increasing regular engagement and cooperation in multiple spheres. Mr Singh will hold talks with President, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and Interior Minister of Mozambique during his visit. India and Mozambique will sign bilateral agreements to boost military cooperation. During the defence minister's visit, India will also hand over two fast interceptor boats and 44 SUVs to Mozambique.

3. Global Tiger Day: 29 July: The ‘Global Tiger Day’ is being celebrated across the world to create awareness about tiger conservation and protection of the natural habitat of tigers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the results of the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 in New Delhi. According to PM Narendra Modi, India is one of the safest habitats in the world with 2967 tigers. Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 with Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers. The Tiger Estimation exercise is believed to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage, the intensity of sampling and quantum of camera trapping.

Note: Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with the initiative of conserving India's national animal. Tigers are considered as an “umbrella species” as their conservation also conserves many other species in the same area. The 2014 country-level tiger assessment had shown a 30% increase of tigers from 1706 in 2010, the tiger population has increased to 2226 in 2014.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1.  Nikoloz Basilashvili wins the German Tennis Championships: Nikoloz Basilashvili wins the German Tennis Championships. He defeated Andrey Rublev to successfully defend his title at the German Tennis Championships. With the win, he has become first player to win the event in successive years since Roger Federer in 2004-2005.

2. Egan Bernal claims Colombia's 1st Tour de France title: Egan Bernal became the 1st Colombian to win the Tour de France which finished in Paris, France. He beat the defending champion Geraint Thomas of Britain by 1 minute 11 seconds. The 22 year old Bernal has also become the youngest rider to win the race in 110 years. The Tour de France is an annual men's multiple stage bicycle race.

3. Bajrang Punia booked a berth in India's World Championship squad in 65kg category: Bajrang Punia (25 years) booked a berth in India's World Championship squad in the 65kg category defeating Harphul Singh in the trials held in New Delhi. Ravi Kumar Dahiya (U-23 World Championship silver-medallist) earned his chance by winning the most competitive 57 kg category during the trials. It featured seven wrestlers, including Sandeep Tomar and Utkarsh Kale. The World Wrestling Championship is slated to be held in Kazakhstan from September 14th to 22nd.

4. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju receives Special Olympics Torch came from Singapore: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has received the Special Olympics Torch “Flame of Hope” from the Chairman of the Special Olympics International Football Championship (SOIFC), Dr. Amar Prasad Reddy in New Delhi. The Flame of Hope after travelling from Singapore to Delhi, reached New Delhi. The championship will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai from 3rd to 6th August 2019. According to Mr. Rijiju, the Union government will fully support the Special Olympics and international football championships in Chennai.

Note: The ‘Flame of Hope’ symbolises courage and celebration of diversity uniting communities around the globe. The SOIFC 2019 is an initiative of Special Olympics, an international organization that serves athletes with intellectual disabilities.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1.  NITI Aayog partners with WhatsApp to promote women entrepreneurs: WhatsApp has partnered with NITI Aayog, under the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to announce its plan to support and promote women entrepreneurs in India. WhatsApp will also partner with the Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards 2019,flagship initiative of NITI Aayog.

AWARD AND HONOURS

1. Meryl Streep to receive Tribute Actor Award at TIFF 2019: Veteran star Meryl Streep will be honoured Tribute Actor award at the 2019 in 44th Toronto International Film Festival.  The 70-year-old actor will be the first-ever recipient of the award in TIFF. Streep is a 3 times Oscar winner for the Iron Lady, Sophie's choice and Kramer vs Kramer.

DEFENCE

1. RAW officer appointed as new BSF Director General: IPS officer V.K. Johri has been appointed as the next Director General (DG) of the country’s largest border guarding force, Border Security Force(BSF). He will succeed Rajni Kant Misra who retires on 31st of July 2019. He is presently serving as the Special Secretary in the external intelligence agency RAW, under the Cabinet Secretariat. The order has been issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) that is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Note: BSF Established in: 1 December 1965; Headquarters of BSF: New Delhi.

Note: The BSF is the country's largest border guarding force (present strength of about 2.5 lakh personnel) and is tasked to secure two of India's most important and sensitive fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The two other border guarding forces are ITBP (China) and SSB (Nepal and Bhutan).

2. Lt Gen Paramjit Singh to be new DGMO of Army: Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, who has vast experience in counter-terror operations, will be the next Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army. Lt Gen Singh, currently serving as General Officer Commanding of the Army's Nagrota-based XVI Corps, will take over as the new DGMO on October, succeeding Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.

OBITUARIES

1. Senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy passes away: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy (77-years) passed away in a hospital in Hyderabad. Recently, Jaipal Reddy was diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. He was a four-term MLA, member of Lok Sabha for five terms and member of Rajya Sabha for two terms.

2. Meghalaya assembly speaker Donkupar Roy passes away: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy (64-years) passed away at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon following a brief illness.

Mr. Donkupar Roy was elected as the assembly speaker in March 2018. Donkupar Roy served as Chief Minister of Meghalaya (from 19th March 2008 to 18th March 2009). He was the head of the United Democratic Party, a political party recognised in Meghalaya.

3. Former Gujarat MP Vitthal Radadiya passes away: Former Gujarat MP Vitthal Radadiya passed away. He was one of the Saurashtra’s most prominent politicians and was former Member of Parliament from Porbandar in Gujarat. Vitthal Radadiya also served as a director of IFFCO and was the chairman of the Rajkot District Co-operative Bank. 

4. Saudi King Salman's elder brother, Prince Bandar passes away: King Salman’s elder half-brother Prince Bandar (96-years) passed away. He was the eldest living son of the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud. Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was not an active political royal within the ruling Al Saud family and had been passed over in the line of succession to the throne. He was the tenth son of the country’s founding monarch. Prince Bandar’s sons, however, hold important posts- Prince Faisal bin Bandar is governor of Riyadh; Prince Abdullah bin Bandar heads the National Guard.

Daily GK Updates - 28th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt inks MoU with industry body to streamline deliver of services under Ayushman Bharat: To streamline deliver of services under the Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat, its implementing agency inked an MoU with industry body NATHEALTH. The partnership between National Health Authority (NHA) and the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) aims to streamline all innovations ensuring that it increases the efficacy of service delivery of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The collaboration provides an industry interface for testing innovations, providing mentorship and creating channels for facilitating support required for scaling these innovations. This will bolster NHA’s effectiveness in implementing its innovation strategy, which is aligned with the its vision of ‘Health for All’, its CEO Indu Bhushan said.

2. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu releases book titled ‘New-Age Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0’: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released titled ‘New-Age Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0’ book written by Rajya Sabha Member, Narendra Jadhav. He congratulated him for giving the Book which is of great contemporary relevance. This book examines and elaborates on various dimensions of the so-called Industrial Revolution 4.0.

3. Dr Jitendra Singh reviews status of implementation of various projects under MDoNER: Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) reviewed the status of implementation of various projects under MDoNER. Key highlights of the meeting: During the meeting, it was informed that India’s first Bamboo Industrial Park will be set up in Manderdisa in Dima Hasao district of Assam in an area of 75 hectares at a cost of Rs 50 crore. The in-principle approval will be granted to this project in August this year. It was informed that the target is to complete the project by March 2021. The Minister was also informed that another project for Bamboo Park in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh would be taken up by NEC.

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Hepatitis Day 2019: 28 July:  World Hepatitis Day (WHD) was observed on July 28, 2019. It is observed to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis. The theme of the World Health Organization (WHO) for WHD 2019 is “Invest in Eliminating Hepatitis”. WHO will release new estimates for additional investments needed to achieve globally agreed hepatitis elimination goals by 2030, in the context of the universal health coverage. The host country for World Hepatitis Day 2019 is Pakistan. The global events will be held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 27-28 July 2019.

Note: The date of 28 July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. 

2. World Nature Conservation Day: 28 July: World Nature Conservation Day was observed on July 28, 2019. It is celebrated with an objective to increase awareness about natural resources and protecting them. The day recognizes that a healthy environment is a foundation for a stable and productive society and to ensure the well-being of present and future generations.
Note: World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Founded: April 29, 1961, Headquarters: Rue Mauverny, Gland, Switzerland

3. BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting 2019 Held In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Foreign Ministers Meet was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 25-26, 2019. India was represented by Gen. (retd) VK Singh who is the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. Key Points: The members condemned terrorism in all its forms & manifestations and recognized terrorist acts as criminal and unjustifiable. Views were exchanged on key issues on the international agenda. They called for an expedited adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2462 (2019). The Ministers looked forward to their next meeting on the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which will be held in September 2019.

Note: BRICS: BRICS as an idea was coined in Foreign Ministerial meeting of Brazil, Russia, China and India in Newyork in September, 2006. BRIC officially came into existence in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. South Africa became its member in 2010.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Guwahati in 2020 January: Ministry of Sports has announced that the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Guwahati from January 18-30, 2020. It will be conducted in partnership with IOA, SGFI, and Assam. Participants: It will be conducted in partnership with Indian Olympic Association, School Games Federation of India and Assam as host State. The inaugural edition was held in New Delhi, while Pune hosted the second one this year. It is expcted that more than 10,000 athletes and officials will be participating in the mega event.
Khelo India is national level multidisciplinary grassroots games in India. It is held for two categories, mainly U-17 years school students and U-21 college students.

2. Mary Kom wins gold in President’s Cup: Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom claimed the gold medal in the 23rd President’s Cup, asserting her supremacy in a lop-sided 51kg bout final in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. The Olympic bronze medallist pugilist decimated Australian April Franks 5-0. The 36-year-old Indian had also won a gold medal at the India Open boxing tournament in May. Mary Kom, who claimed her sixth world title last year in Delhi, will be looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the World Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The 2019 World Boxing Championships for women will be held from September 7 to 21.

3. Max Verstappen wins German Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took his second win of the year in a chaotic and incident-strewn German Grand Prix held in intermittent rain. The Dutchman led a topsy-turvy result in which Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took second from the back of the grid and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat was third. Lewis Hamilton had a day to forget, finishing 11th after two mistakes. But the Briton did not lose any ground to team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the championship after the Finn crashed.

Note: Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro

AWARD AND HONOURS

1. Sudarsan Pattnaik wins People’s Choice Award in U.S: International sand artist, Padmashri Sudarsan Pattnaik won People’s Choice Prize at Boston International Sand Art championship in the US. Pattnaik was among the 15 top sand artists selected from across the world to participate in the 2019 Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival in Boston. Representing India at the festival, Patnaik bagged the award for his sand art on plastic pollution with the message ‘Stop Plastic Pollution, Save Our Ocean’.

DEFENCE

1. INS Tarkash arrives at St. Petersburg, will take part in Russian Navy Day parade: INS Tarkash was received warmly at St. Petersburg on Thursday where it will take part in the Russian Navy Day parade. According to Russian news agency TASS, more than 40 ships will take part in the naval parade with participation also from 40 planes and helicopters. A total of 4,000 servicemen will also be part of the celebrations.

Note: Russia Capital: Moscow, Currency: Russian ruble, President: Vladimir Putin

2. CRPF celebrates 81st raising day: 27th July:  Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF, paid tributes to those who laid down their lives for the nation, at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi on the occasion of its 81st Raising Day. Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai offered floral tributes at the Memorial. Speaking on the occasion, Rai said CRPF lives and dies for the country. He underlined the fact that CRPF leaves no stone unturned in winning the hearts of those who have turned against the nation to get them into mainstream before coming down heavily on anti-national elements.

Note: CRPF Founded: 27 July 1939, Motto: Service and Loyalty, Headquarters: New Delhi

Chief- Rajeev Rai bhatnagar Founded: 27 July 1939

Daily GK Updates - 27th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Railway’s first printing press heritage gallery opened: The Western Railway (WR) has thrown open to the public the first printing press heritage gallery of the Indian Railways at Mahalaxmi. With this, the WR Mahalaxmi General Stores Depot (GSD) has become the first in Indian Railways to portray a heritage gallery of the printing and allied machines used in the WR Printing Press since 1948, which are still in working condition. The press came into existence in 1912 under the Greater Indian Peninsular Railway (GIP) Bombay, as the railway needed stationery and tickets to run the operations.

Note: Union Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal; Headquarter of Western Railway: Churchgate (Mumbai).

2. Kaiga Atomic Energy station sets a World record: Kaiga Atomic Energy station (Karnataka) sets a World Record in continuous operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Station (KGS-1) among nuclear power plants of all technologies. KGS-1 (220 MW) in an indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) fuelled by domestic fuel which started commercial operation on November 16, 2000.

3. Kargil veteran Lt Col Dr Samir Rawat invited to ICP: Kargil veteran Lt Col Dr Samir Rawat has been invited as an eminent keynote speaker at the 32nd International Congress of Psychology 2020 (ICP) in Prague which is the most prestigious and biggest international event in the psychological world with over 8000 delegates participating in ICP..

4. CM Naveen Patnaik launches revamped Odisha Tourism website: Chief Minister of odisha launched the revamped website of Odisha Tourism, odishatourism.gov.in. The website involves a pilot implementation of an e-commerce platform for Odisha handlooms and handicrafts by promoting state brands Boyanika and Utkalika.

Note: CM of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik, Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal.

5. Gujarat tops in rooftop solar installation across the country: Gujarat ranks on top in the installation of rooftop solar projects with an installed capacity of 261.97 megawatts. Total rooftop solar installation in India currently stands at 1,700.54 MW. Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with 198.52 MW and 151.62 MW.

Note: Gujarat CM: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat. Capital: Gandhinagar.

6. Arunachal CM launches statewide tree plantation programme: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has launched the state-wide tree plantation programme ‘Clean-Green Arunachal Campaign 2019’ in Itanagar. The campaign under the State Forest department will plant 1-lakh tree saplings in the next 24 hours. The campaign is being held as part of Van Mahotsav celebration and has set the target of planting 1 Cr tree within the next five years. Arunachal is known globally for its huge forest cover and is considered one of the eighteen 'biodiversity hotspots' in the world.

Note: Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: B. D. Mishra.

7. UP becomes No. 1 in implementation of Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna: Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation ofPradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country. As per the statement released by the state government, 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under the scheme till 31st March 2019. Implementation of this ambitious central government scheme started in the state from January 2018 under which people between age group of 18 to 70 get an accidental insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh by paying a nominal premium of 12 rupees annually. Uttar Pradesh stands second in the country in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana, another flagship scheme of the Union Government.

8. Students at IIT Madras Develops ‘Smart Agricopter’: A team of three students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a drone name as “Smart Agricopter” to eliminate manual spraying of pesticides in agricultural fields as well as identify crop health by using imaging camera. The Project ‘Smart Agricopter’ is a hexacopter drone which has the capacity to carry 15 litres of pesticide and will allow spraying pesticides ten times faster and with 100 per cent precision at the same cost as manual spraying. The cost of the agricopter is estimated to be around Rs 5.1 lakh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind to visit 3 West African nations from 28th July: President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a week-long visit to three West African nations, Benin, The Gambia and Guinea. (from 28th July to 3rd August). India's diplomatic relations with Africa have undergone an unprecedented transformation in the last five years. This will be the first high-level visit for our Head of State from India to all the three countries in West Africa.

2. US Senate confirms General Mark Milley as next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff: The US Senate has overwhelmingly confirmed four-star Army General Mark Milley (61-years) as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). He will replace General Joseph Dunford. The Chairman is nominated by the President for the appointment and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The United States Senate confirmed him by an overwhelming 89-1 votes.

Note: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is, the highest-ranking and senior-most military officer in the United States Armed Forces. He is the principal military advisor to the President, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Defence.

3. The US & South Korean military exercises to be held in August: An annual military exercise between the US and South Korean military exercises ‘19-2 Dong Maeng (alliance)’ will be held in the month of August. The announcement was made by Choi Jong-kun, the secretary for peace planning to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Earlier, the United States and South Korea had suspended a large-scale exercise and it also cancelled a second exercise after the Singapore summit in June 2018. North Korea has threatened that the country will drop the nuclear talks with the US if it continues the military exercise with South Korea.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI announces Byju's as Team India's new sponsors: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially named Byju's as the new sponsors of Team India (from September 5 to March 31, 2022). BYJU'S (Bengaluru-based online tutorial company) will be taking over the sponsorship from OPPO. Now, BYJU’S will be seen on the Indian team jersey from September 2019 when the home series against South Africa. Oppo had won the Indian team sponsorship rights in March of 2017 by bidding Rs 1079 crores.

2. Kapil Dev led CAC to pick Team India's head coach: Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) led by World Cup-winning former captain Kapil Dev entrusted with the responsibility of selecting India's new coach. Apart from Kapil, former women's captain Shantha Rangaswamy and former men's coach Anshuman Gaekwad have also in the panel.

3. Dressel breaks the Phelps record in 100m butterfly stroke: American star Caeleb Dressel destroyed Michael Phelps’s World record in the 100 metres butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships 2019 in Gwangju (South Korea). Caeleb Dressel take 49.50 seconds in the semi-final event and breaking the old record of 49.82 seconds set by Michael Phelps.

4. Chandigarh gets BCCI affiliation: Chandigarh received affiliation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after nearly four decades. After getting BCCI affiliation, Chandigarh Cricket Association-Punjab had recently decided to merge with Union Territory Cricket Association, thus paving way for the Union Territory to be recognised as a separate entity.

Note: President of BCCI: C.K. Khanna; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai.

5. Mohammad Amir announces retirement from Test cricket: According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Speedster Mohammed Amir (27-years) called time on his Test career. Amir made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2009 and he featured in 36 Tests, taking 119 wickets at an average of 30.47. In July 2019, he was selected to play for the Dublin Chiefs in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament.

Daily GK Updates - 26th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kargil Vijay Diwas: 26 July: India remembers its brave hearts on 26 July which is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas. This year India celebrates the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Indian Armed Forces in ‘Operation Vijay’ against the infiltrating Pakistani troops. The day is named after the successful ‘Operation Vijay’ (in 1999) when India regained the control of the high outposts which had been stealthily taken over by Pakistan. The central theme of this year's celebrations is ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’. President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Kargil War Memorial in Dras (Jammu and Kashmir) and paid homage to soldiers & officers of the Indian Army who were martyred during ‘Operation Vijay’.

Note: The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC).

2. BS Yeddyurappa to take oath as karnataka CM: BS Yeddyurappa, 3-time chief minister of Karnataka, will once again take the oath as Karnataka CM as the Bharatiya Janata Party has staked the claim for government formation three days after HD Kumaraswamy's government failed to prove majority.

3. IIT Kharagpur team develops app CARE4U: ‘CARE4U’ the android-based app which will connect the caregiver to the elderly person.  The app has been built by an interdisciplinary team of the institute of IIT Kharagpur.  This app will inform the caregiver when the elderly person falls down with the exact location.

4. ICMR launches platform to boost health data quality in India: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute for Medical Statistics (NIMS), in partnership with global nonprofit organisation Population Council, launched the National Data Quality Forum (NDQF). NDQF will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-based initiatives and guide actions through periodic workshops and conferences.

Note:  Director General of ICMR: Balram Bhargava.

5. Cong's Adhir appointed as PAC chairman: The leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was appointed as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC has 15 members from Lok Sabha and seven from Rajya Sabha. The term of office of members of the committee does not exceed one year at a time.

Note: Present Lok Sabha Speaker: Om Prakash Birla.

6. Sunil Kumar given charge as MTNL chief: Sunil Kumar has been given additional charge of chairman and managing director of the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). Kumar is currently Director (Human Resources and Enterprise Business) at MTNL and takes over from P K Purwar who was recently appointed chairman and managing Director of BSNL.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan to send its first man to space in 2022: Pakistan announced that it will send its first astronaut to space in 2022. It will be using close ally China's satellite launching facilities to execute the mission.

Note: Pakistan Capital: Islamabad; PM: Imran Khan; President: Arif Alvi.

2. China launches first private rocket capable of carrying satellites: Beijing-based startup "Interstellar Glory Space Technology" also known as iSpace successfully launched the china’s first commercial rocket.  The 20 m (66-foot) rocket designed by iSpace named Hyperbola-1reached an altitude of 300 kilometres (186 miles).  The rocket is capable of carrying satellites into orbit.

Note: Capital of China: Beijing; Currency: Renminbi.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kristof Milak breaks the Phelps record in 200m butterfly stroke: Kristof Milak shattered Michael Phelps' long-standing world record in the 200 metres butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju. Hungarian teenager Milak won the final in 1:50.73, breaking the previous record of 1:51.51, set by Phelps in 2009.

2. India drops two places in FIFA rankings: The Indian football team slipped two places to 103rd in the FIFA (football's world governing body) rankings released. India has 1214 ranking points to its kitty, down by five points from the previous chart issued last month. The Indian team now lies at 18th among Asian countries. Iran (23rd) is at the top among Asian countries, followed by Japan (33), Korea (37), Australia (46) and Qatar (62). Overall, Belgium leads the chart, followed by Brazil, France, England and Uruguay.

Note: The FIFA World Ranking (publish-monthly) is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Belgium. The teams of the member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest.

3. Goa govt seeks new dates for holding National Games: The Goa government is not able to host the 36th National Games in November this year. The Goa government has requested the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to allot fresh dates in May 2020. Recently, The IOA had fined the Goa government for frequently missing the deadlines to host the games in the last four years. The National Games were earlier scheduled to be held in March- April 2019 but were postponed to November on account of Lok Sabha elections, by polls.

Note: The National Games comprises various disciplines (37 sports) in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Apple acquires Intel's smartphone modem business for $1bn: Apple has announced the acquisition of chip-maker Intel''s smartphone modem business for $1 billion. This agreement enables to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology. Intel had been working on a chipset for the iPhone maker, with the chip expected to be part of iPhones by 2020.

Note: Present CEO of Apple: Tim Cook.

DEFENCE

1. CISF launches a video Hub, encyclopedia for staff: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) launched an online encyclopedia called Securitypedia and also launched customised video interface for its personnel called CISFTube. For Recognising the need to empower its personnel by making technical know-how available to them at the click of a button.

Note: Director General of CISF: Rajesh Ranjan.

2. Defence Minister launches Dashboard of Department Defence Production: Defence Minister launched dashboard of Department Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence. The dashboard will help the Ministry to keep track of the major components of Defence Production, including defence exports, defence offsets, Intellectual Property Rights and Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti. The dashboard is available for the general public at "ddpdashboard.gov.in".

Note: Union Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi passes away: Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi (92-years) passed away in a military hospital. He was the major figure in the country’s transition to democracy after the Arab spring. Essebsi was the oldest head of state after the Queen, has been a major figure in Tunisian politics since the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the long-time despot Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia is often described as the lone success story of the revolutions of 2011 because of its slow but steady progress towards democracy, despite extended economic problems.

Daily GK Updates - 25th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GoM on sexual harassment at workplace reconstituted: GoI has reconstituted the Group of Ministers (GoM) looking after the issues of how to prevent sexual harassment at workplace and strengthen legal frameworks. The GoM will be lead by Home Minister Amit Shah. The other members of the reconstituted GoM are: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani.

Note: Union Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah.

2. India’s first dragon blood-oozing tree: Researchers discover Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong district in Assam. This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has been reported from India. Dragon tree species whose sap turns bright red after coming in contact with air.

Note: Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Jagdish Mukhi; Capital of Assam: Dispur; 

3. Ajay Bhalla appointed as Home Secretary: Ajay Kumar Bhalla (1984 batch IAS officer) has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Ministry of Home Affairs with immediate effect for two-year tenure (till August 2021). He will take over as Home Secretary from incumbent Rajive Gauba. Currently, Mr. Bhalla is serving as Power Secretary. Anshu Prakash has been appointed new Secretary, Telecommunications, in place of Aruna Sundararajan, who is superannuating on 31st July.

Note: Home Secretary is the administrative head of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is the principal adviser to the Home Minister on all matters of policy and administration within the Home Ministry. As a Secretary to Government of India, the Home Secretary ranks 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.

4. Lt Gn. Ranbir Singh releases a book on Fire and Fury Warriors: The coffee table book titled 'Fire and Fury Corps - Saga of Valour, Fortitude and Sacrifice', was released by Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh. This book showcases the courage and bravery of the Fire and Fury Warriors and portrays the rich heritage and ethos of the Indian Army.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat.

5. PM Modi releases a book on former PM Chandra Shekhar: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a book "Chandra Shekhar-The Last Icon of Ideological Politics" in New Delhi. The book has been written by Shri Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; and Shri Ravi Dutt Bajpai. The book release event was held at the Balayogi Auditorium, Parliament Library Building. Prime Minister also announced a museum for all former Prime Ministers of India and invited their families to share aspects of their lives.

6. Cabinet approves the merger of National Institute of Miners' Health with ICMR-NIOH: Union Cabinet has approved the merger of National Institute of Miners' Health with ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health. This will help both the institutes in terms of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational health besides efficient management of public money. The Cabinet also approved sale of 481.79 acres of land held by Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited, FACT to the Government of Kerala and utilization of the sale proceeds by FACT. The decision will help the company in reducing bank borrowings and implementing projects for enhancing fertilizers production capacity and upgrading logistics and raw materials.

Note: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister: Prakash javadekar.

7. FM Nirmala Sitharaman to chair 36th meeting of GST Council: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 36th meeting of the GST Council through video conferencing in New Delhi. This will be the first GST Council meeting after the presentation of Union Budget in Parliament on 5th of this month. Among other issues, the GST Council is expected to announce its decision on lowering tax rates for electric vehicles, solar power projects and rationalisation of GST rates on lottery.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ADB sanctions about Rs 2000 Cr for power projects in Tripura: Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned 1,925 crore rupees project for up-gradation of power generation and distribution in Tripura. The amount was recently sanctioned to the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited after the state government had sought the ADB's assistance. The project has been sanctioned for upgrading capacity of 63 MW Rokhia Project to 120 MW at an estimated cost of over 699 crores and modernising Gumti Hydro Electric Project at an estimated cost of nearly 1225 crore rupees. Rokhia project is located at West Tripura district whereas the Gumti project is in Gomati district.

Note: President of ADB: Takehiko Nakao; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

2. Indian origin Priti Patel appointed as Britain's Home Secretary: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian origin Priti Patel (47-years) as the country Home Secretary. The Prime Minister named former Home Secretary Sajid Javid (former banker) to take over from Philip Hammond as the Finance Secretary or Chancellor. Mr Johnson has also named Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab as the country's Foreign Secretary.

Note: The ‘Home Secretary’ is a senior official as one of the Great Offices of State within Her Majesty's Government and head of the Home Office. The Home Secretary is responsible for the internal affairs of England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the United Kingdom.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Virat Kohli maintains number one spot in ICC Test Rankings: International Cricket Council has released the latest rankings of teams and players in different categories.

1. Men's Team Rankings: India topped the Test Team Rankings; England topped the One Day International Team Rankings; Pakistan topped the T20 International Team Rankings.

2. Men's Batting Rankings: Virat Kohli (India) topped the Test Batting Rankings; Virat Kohli (India) topped the ODI Batting Rankings; Babar Azam (Pakistan) topped the T20I Batting Rankings.

3. Men's Bowling Rankings: Pat Cummins (Australia) topped the Test Bowling Rankings; Jasprit Bumrah (India) topped the ODI Bowling Rankings; Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) topped the T20I Bowling Rankings.

4. Men's All-Rounder Rankings: Jason Holder (West Indies) topped the Test All-Rounder Rankings; Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) topped the ODI All-Rounder Rankings; Glenn Maxwell (Australia) topped the T20I All-Rounder Rankings.

Note: ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 13th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup will be held in India from February 9 to March 26, 2023.

2. Boxer Maxim Dadashev dies from head injuries sustained in the fight: Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev (28-years) passed away following injuries suffered in his IBF light-welterweight fight against Subriel Matias. Dadashev was reportedly unable to walk to the dressing room after his bout was stopped by trainer Buddy McGirt at the end of the 11th round. He was hospitalised with bleeding on the brain and underwent emergency surgery but failed to recover. Dadashev had won all of his previous 13 fights but had to absorb a barrage of punches from Puerto Rican Matias during the course of the fight in Maryland.

3. Lasith Malinga to retire from ODIs after first Bangladesh match: Sri Lanka fast bowling ace Lasith Malinga (35 years) will retire from 50-over internationals (ODI-Cricket) after the first match against Bangladesh at Kettarama stadium in Colombo (on 26th July). Malinga is the third-highest wicket-taker for the island country behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. He has taken 335 wickets from 225 one-day internationals for Sri Lanka. He has also taken three ODI hat-tricks and is the only player to have achieved the milestone twice during a World Cup.

4. BCCI approves Indian Cricketers Association: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally recognised the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), a non-profit company limited, under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, as the official association for ex-cricketers in India. Former India cricketers Kapil Dev, Ajit Agarkar and Shantha Rangaswamy are the directors at ICA and will hold their positions until elections are held.

Note: The ICA is not affiliated to Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) and is only open to former men and women cricketers, unlike the players’ associations in most countries. The functioning of ICA will be independent of BCCI’s functioning and the association will have to generate its own funds even though the board will provide some initial grants.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. DCC approves Rs 3,050 cr penalty on Airtel, Vodafone Idea: The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) has approved the cumulative penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The penalty was imposed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for not providing points of interconnection to Reliance Jio when it entered the market.

2. Facebook slapped with 5 billion US Dollar fine for users' privacy violation: US regulators formalized a record 5 billion US Dollar fine on Facebook for violation of users' privacy in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal involving 87 million users. According to Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest penalties ever assessed by the US government for any violation. The FTC initiated the investigation after a scandal involving former British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which was accused of illegally accessing data of more than 87 million Facebook users without their prior knowledge.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 6 firms honoured with CSR Journal Excellence Awards: 3rd Edition of the CSR Journal Excellence Awards honoured 6 firms for the best practices in Corporate Social Responsibility. The theme of the event was ‘India First’. The winners of the awards are:

Tata Power won in the category "Education & Skill Training".

ReNew Power won in the category "Women Empowerment & Child Welfare".

YES Bank Ltd. won in the category "Health & Sanitation".

Mahindra & Mahindra won in the category "Environment".

Hindustan Zinc won in the category "Agriculture & Rural Development".

Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. won in the category "Sports".

2. Nishagandhi Sangeetha Awards conferred by Kerala Tourism: Kerala Minister of Tourism presented the inaugural Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram to musicians Parassala B. Ponnammal and T V. Gopalakrishnan in the Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas Music Festival. Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram is Instituted by Kerala Tourism, the award carries ₹1.5 lakh in cash, citation and memento.

Note: Minister for Tourism of Kerala: Kadakampally Surendran; Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: P. Sathasivam.

OBITUARIES 

1. ‘Blade Runner’ actor Rutger Hauer passes away: Dutch film actor Rutger Hauer (75-years) passed away at his home in the Netherlands. He acted in both Dutch and English-language TV series and films. Hauer's roles included a terrorist in 'Nighthawks' with Sylvester Stallone, Cardinal Roark in 'Sin City' and playing an evil corporate executive in 'Batman Begins.' Hauer founded the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association, an AIDS awareness organization.