NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Defense
Ministry, FSSAI sign MoU to promote the use of millets: The Ministry of Defense and Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) signed an MoU to promote the use
of millet & healthy eating practices among the Armed Forces and
ensure safe & nutritious food. The MoU was signed in the presence of
Rajnath Singh (Defense Minister) and Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (Minister of Health).
During the event, both ministers also unveiled a book titled ‘Healthy
Recipes for Defence’. FSSAI CEO: G Kamala Vardhana Rao
2. A
new book ‘Prism: The Ancestral Abode of Rainbow’ released: A book titled, 'Prism: The Ancestral Abode of Rainbow', has
been released from the rocket launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre
(SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The book was authored by Vinod
Mankara (National award-winning filmmaker-writer). It was released by S
Somanath (ISRO Chairman) and handed over to S Unnikrishnan Nair (VSSC
Director). It is a collection of science articles, which is published
by Kozhikode-based Lipi Books.
3. INS
Sunayna participated in CMF Ex 'Op Southern Readiness-2023': INS Sunayna has participated in the 'Op Southern Readiness
2023' exercise conducted by Combined Maritime Forces(CMF)
in Seychelles from 10-12 July 2023. Aim: To strengthen
multilateral ties and enhance cooperation It is a multinational initiative
aimed at enhancing maritime security, countering piracy to ensure the region's
safety and freedom of navigation. Participating Navies: USA, Italy, UK,
Seychelles Defence Forces & Marine Police, EUNAVFOR members
4. Justice
Alexander Thomas appointed as acting Chief Justice of Kerala HC: The Central Government has notified the appointment of Justice
Alexander Thomas as acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. He
has replaced Chief Justice SV Bhatti, who was transferred to the
Supreme Court. He was appointed additional judge of the Kerala High Court on
January 23, 2014, and was made a permanent judge on March 10, 2016. He served
as a government pleader (1996-1998) and senior government pleader (1998-2001)
in the High Court of Kerala.
5. J&K
CS launches 'Mobile Dost App': Jammu & Kashmir Chief
Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta has launched a path-breaking
Mobile-Dost-App in sync with the vision of Apka -Mobile-Hamara-Daftar. It is a
pioneering initiative for mobile-based delivery of citizen-centric services
in the UT.
Aim:
To enhance accessibility and convenience ensuring that every individual of
J&K will get benefited from government services at their fingertips It will
provide access to all the Government Services directly.
6. Sikkim tops, UP among bigger states in grievance
redressal index: Sikkim has topped the northeastern
states in addressing public complaints, followed by Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh. The ranking was made in the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and
Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) monthly report, released by the Department of
Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Personnel
Ministry for states for June 2023. Government of Sikkim tops the ranking among
the northeastern states with a score of 66.70 percent, followed by the
government of Assam with a score of 57.45 percent and the government of
Arunachal Pradesh with a score of 52.30 percent. Sikkim has disposed of 173
grievances with an average closing time of 43 days from January to June 2023. Lakshadweep has
topped the ranking among the Union Territories with a score of 70.41
percent, followed by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands with a score of
64.55 percent, and Ladakh with a score of 55.25 percent. Lakshadweep has
disposed of 181 grievances with an average closing time of 14 days to emerge as
the topper of this group. Uttar Pradesh topped the ranking among
states with more than 17,500 grievances with a score of 63.90 percent,
followed by Jharkhand with 48.95 percent and Madhya Pradesh with 43.53 percent.
Uttar Pradesh disposed of 1,23,633 grievances with an average closing time of
24 days to emerge as the topper of this group. A total of 62,929 grievances
were redressed by state/UTs in June 2023. The DARPG initiated the process of
rankings states/UTs from May 2023 onwards on the basis of their performance on
the CPGRAMS portal.
7. IIT Guwahati researchers develop Al-based model for
knee X-ray: Researchers from
the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed
a Deep Learning (DL) based framework, namely OsteoHRNet, that
automatically assesses the Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) severity from X-rays
images. This AI-based model can be used to detect the severity level of the
disease and assist medical practitioners remotely for a more accurate
diagnosis. Knee Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal disorder in
the world and has a prevalence of 28 percent in India. There is no possible
cure for Knee OA except total joint replacement at an advanced stage. Hence, an
early diagnosis is essential for pain management and behavioral correction. MRI
and CT scans provide a 3-D image of the knee joints for effective diagnosis of
Knee OA but their availability is limited and expensive. For routine diagnosis,
X-Ray imaging is very effective and more economically feasible.
8. Air ambulance to be deployed on Samruddhi Expressway: In view of the frequent accidents on
the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, the state government has
decided to deploy air ambulances on the stretch to provide speedy
medical assistance to injured. The government is also planning to build 16
helipads on the expressway to facilitate the landing and take-off of these air
ambulances. The 701-km-long greenfield expressway is turning into a death trap
with a life being lost every third day. A total of 846 accidents have been
reported since December 2022 this year, resulting in 105 casualties over the
eight-month period. The air ambulance will be deployed to evacuate the injured
to hospitals which will prevent deaths due to delay in treatment. With this,
the lives of those seriously injured can be saved. The most recent incident
involved a private AC sleeper bus travelling from Nagpur to Pune, which caught
fire after colliding with a steel pole and road divider, resulting in the
tragic death of 25 people.
9. India welcomes its first regional Al news anchor,
‘Lisa’: In a significant milestone
for the AI industry, Odisha TV, an Odia-based news station, has unveiled
“Lisa,” India’s first regional AI news anchor. Lisa’s introduction marks a groundbreaking
moment in TV broadcasting and journalism, with the potential to revolutionize
the industry. The news station revealed that she would soon be hosting news
updates, showcasing her capabilities as an AI news anchor. Lisa possesses the
remarkable ability to speak multiple languages, including Odia, English, and
others. This unveiling follows a similar development earlier in March when the
India Today Group introduced their own AI news anchor named Sana. Described as
“bright, gorgeous, ageless, and tireless,” Sana boasted multilingual
proficiency and the ability to be controlled effortlessly.
10. Preeti Aghalayam to become first woman director of
IIT, to led IIT Zanzibar: An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras alumna and
professor in the Department of chemical engineering, Preeti Aghalayam has
been named director-in-charge of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Zanzibar campus in Tanzania. Recently, India and Tanzania inked an MoU, which
facilitated IIT Madras to launch its first international campus in Zanzibar,
Tanzania’. The move is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,
which states that “high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to
establish campuses in other countries. Aghalayam, 49, did her B.Tech in Chemical
Engineering from IIT Madras in 1995 and her PhD in 2000 from the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focuses on Chemical Reaction Engineering,
and she is an expert in Underground Coal Gasification, Automotive
Aftertreatment, and CO2 utilization in hard-to-abate industries.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India
to host ASEAN Countries Conference on Traditional Medicines: India would host the Conference on Traditional Medicines for
ASEAN Countries on 20th July 2023. The conference would be conducted by
the Ministry of Ayush, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Mission to
ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat. Aim: To strengthen the platform between India
and ASEAN Countries to share their best practices and draw a roadmap for future
cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicines ASEAN founded: 8 August 1967,
HQ: Jakarta
2. DAC
Approves procurement of 26 Rafale Marine Aircraft from France: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defense Minister,
Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals. 1. Acceptance of Necessity
(AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft from France. 2. The
procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian)
category (constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)) 3.
Endorsed a proposal to establish guidelines that promote indigenous
content in all categories of capital acquisition cases.
3. China
launches world’s first methane-fuelled space rocket: A private Chinese company has launched the world’s first
methane-liquid oxygen space rocket into orbit. The Zhuque-2 carrier
rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket
successfully delivered a test payload into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), the
first in the world to make such an achievement. Methane-powered engines, with
their high performance and low operational costs, are particularly suited for
the developing trend of reusable rockets.
4. Peru declares health emergency over Guillain-Barre
Syndrome outbreak: Peru declared a nationwide emergency
as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, surged in
the country. A 90-day health emergency has been imposed in the country to curb
the outbreak. So far a total of 182 cases have been reported, of which 147 have
been discharged, four people died, and 31 remain hospitalized.
5. Rajnath Singh inaugurates HAL’s regional office in
Malaysia: Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh has inaugurated the regional office of Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) in Kuala Lumpur to facilitate close defence industrial
collaboration between India and Malaysia. It will also serve as a hub for the
HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian region and act as a window for
other Indian defence PSUs. Malaysia has shown interest in the acquisition of Tejas
fighter jets manufactured by HAL. Malaysia is home to the second-largest number
of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO).
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Jyothi
Yarraji wins gold medal at 2023 Asian Athletics C'ships: Jyothi Yarraji has won India’s first gold medal in
the Asian Athletics Championships 2023, held at the Supachalasai
Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. She won the gold medal in the women’s 100m
hurdles race. She clocked 13.09 seconds to win the final race ahead of two
Japanese runners Terada Asuka (13.13s) and Aoki Masumi (13.26s). She holds a
national record of 12.82 seconds. While Abhishek Pal had opened
India’s medal account with a bronze in the men’s 10,000m race.
2. ICC
announces equal prize money for men and women at its global events: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has
announced equal prize money for men’s and women’s teams at ICC events. The
decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in Durban, South Africa. They
would fulfill their commitment to reaching prize money equity by 2030 well
ahead of schedule. ICC's new finance model was also approved, in
which India is set to get 38.5% ($230 million) of the $600 million annual
earnings for the 2024-27 cycle.
3. Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver in discus throw at Para
Athletics World Championships: Yogesh
Kathuniya won a silver medal in the discus throw event at the World
Para Athletics Championships. This secured his qualification for the 2024 Paris
Paralympics, making him the third Indian to achieve this honor. With a best
effort of 43.17 meters, Yogesh displayed exceptional skill, determination, and
resilience. At 26 years old, Yogesh previously secured the second position in
the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. Now, his sights are set on capturing the elusive
gold medal in Paris next year, aiming for a groundbreaking achievement in his
career. Brazil’s Batista dos Santos Claudiney claimed gold with an impressive
throw of 46.07 meters, while Slovakia’s Laczko Dusan secured bronze with a
distance of 42.70 meters.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Razorpay
launches first international payment gateway in Malaysia: Fintech unicorn Razorpay has launched its first international
payment gateway for the Malaysian market with Curlec. In February 2022,
Razorpay acquired a majority stake in the Malaysia-based startup which is now
known as Curlec by Razorpay Aim: To widen its reach in the international
markets and make its capabilities available in emerging markets As per the
report, digital trade in Malaysia contributes 22.6% to the country's GDP and is
expected to rise to 25.5% by 2025
2. A new campaign for banks under Agri Infra Fund
launched: Manoj Ahuja (Secretary, Ministry of
Agriculture) has launched a month-long campaign for banks under Agri Infra
Fund. A new campaign for banks under Agri Infra Fund titled BHARAT (Banks
Heralding Accelerated Rural & Agriculture Transformation). This one
month-long Campaign (from 15th July 2023 to 15th August 2023) with a target of
Rs 7200 crore has launched through Video Conference attended by more than 100
Banking Executives that included MDs/Chairman, EDs of commercial Banks in
public and private sector, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, NBFCs and
select cooperative Banks. He complimented the Banks for their active
involvement and support to promote this Scheme which has resulted in creation
of more than 31, 850 agri infra projects in the country with ₹24750 crore as
loan amount under AIF with an outlay of ₹ 42,000 crores.
3. CPI inflation rises higher-than-estimates to 4.81% in
June 2023: ndia’s retail
inflation for the month of June 2023 increased to 4.81
percent for the first time in five months from an upwardly revised 4.31
percent in May, according to the Ministry of Statistics. This is above the
market forecasts of 4.58 percent The consumer-price index (CPI) based inflation
has remained within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) tolerance band of 2-6
percent for the fourth consecutive month. The consumer food price index (CFPI)
rose to 4. 49 percent in June from 2.91 percent in May. Rural inflation stood
at 4.72 percent while urban inflation stood at 4.96 percent. Sequentially, the
inflation increased to 1.01 percent in June from 0.51 percent in the preceding
month. The inflation rate for vegetables witnessed a contraction of 0.93
percent against a degrowth of 8.1 percent in May. The inflation levels for food
& beverage and fuel segments stood at 4.63 percent and 3.92 percent,
respectively. For cereals, the inflation rate increased marginally to 12.71
percent from 12.65 per in May.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. PM
Modi receives France's highest award Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour: During the visit to France, PM Modi was honoured with
France's highest civilian and military honour, 'Grand Cross of the Legion of
Honour', by French President Emmanuel Macron. With this honour, he also becomes
the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this honour. He
also joined the French National Day (July 14) celebrations as
the Guest of Honour. Other awardees: Nelson Mandela, King Charles,
Angela Merkel, Boutros Boutros-Ghali
2. Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission bags SKOCH Award 2023: The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) has bagged the SKOCH Award 2023 under the theme “State of Governance India 2047” in the Gold category. Reason: For its outstanding efforts in creating marketing avenues for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Union Territory The SKOCH award marks a significant milestone for JKRLM, being the first award received since the inception of the scheme. It represents a remarkable accomplishment for the organization
