1. India has been ranked 53rd among 60 countries in the 2017 Digital Evolution Index (DEI). The list is topped by Norway, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Finland. The Fletcher School at Tufts University, in partnership with Mastercard, presented the Digital Evolution Index (DEI) 2017. The Index is a comprehensive research that tracks the progress of the digital economy across 60 countries, taking into account more than 100 different indicators across four key drivers: supply, consumer demand, institutional environment, and innovation. It reflects the state and rate of digital evolution on the one hand, while also identifying avenues for investment, innovation and policy priorities.
2. The Punjab government has recently launched its flagship 'Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar' scheme for jobless youth by flagging off over 100 uberMOTO bikes. Under the scheme, the state government will provide commercial two wheelers and four wheelers to unemployed youth at subsidised rates. The scheme will be a game-changer for the youth of Punjab and will play a catalysing role in encouraging micro-entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the state. The target of Uber is to create 10,000 entrepreneurial opportunities in Punjab in one year and a total of 45,000 in next five years.
3. Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar (78), maestro and custodian of the venerable Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music, has passed away in Pune, Maharashtra on July 30, 2017. He was known affectionately to his legions of disciples and admirers as 'Saeed Bhai'. He was born in Alwar in Rajasthan in 1939 and was a part of the Dagar family of musicians. He represented the 19th generation of Dagar Tradition. Dhrupad – a Sanskrit portmanteau of Dhruva (immovable) and Pad (verse) has its roots since ancient times, mentioned as early as the 3rd Century B.C. in the Natyashastra.
4. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently announced that the 2024 Summer Olympics will be hosted by Paris in France, which is scheduled to be held from August 8-18. Beside this, the IOC has also announced that the 2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be hosted by Los Angeles (United States). Both the decisions will be ratified at the 131st IOC Conference in Lima, Peru on September 13, 2017. The IOC decision means that Los Angeles will become a three-time Olympic city, after hosting the 1932 and 1984 Games – and Paris, which held the Games in 1900 and 1924, will host a centenary celebration in 2024.
5. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N)(PML-N), is the newly elected interim Prime Minister of Pakistan after defeating his rival Naveed Qamar of PPP by 221 votes on August 1, 2017. Abbasi was chosen by Nawaz Sharif as an interim Prime Minister for 45 days which would allow significant time for Shehbaz Sharif to contest elections from Nawaz's vacated constituency, be elected to the National Assembly and become eligible to hold the office of Prime Ministership. Previously, Abbasi served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources in the third Sharif ministry from 2013 to 2017. Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as the Prime Minister by the Supreme Court in July 2017 in connection with Panama Papers scam.
6. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently constituted a committee of experts under the chairmanship of a former Judge of Supreme Court Justice B N Srikrishna to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them. The purpose to form the committee is to recognize the importance of data protection and keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected. The committee will also suggest a draft Data Protection Bill.
7. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy statement for year 2016-17, the policy repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) has reduced by 25 basis points from 6.25% to 6.0% with immediate effect. This move is expected to lower EMIs for home, auto and personal loans. This is the first rate cut since October 2016 and the interest rate is now at 6-year low. In line with record low retail inflation, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.75%, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.25%. The RBI Governor headed, six member Monetary Policy Committee also decided to keep the policy stance neutral in consonance with the objective of achieving the medium-term target for consumer price index inflation of 4%.
8. The 19th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) meetings and other related meetings were held from 17 to 28 July 2017 in Hyderabad, India. RCEP is a proposed comprehensive regional economic integration agreement amongst the 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and its six Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) partners, viz. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea and India. During the 19th round, parallel meetings were held by the three main Working Groups on Trade Trade in goods, services, and investment. The RCEP meeting also highlighted the need to have balanced discussions to progress negotiation across all areas, and to continue to deliver outcomes.
9. The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge "Europaweg (or Europe Bridge)" has recently opened in Randa, Switzerland. It measures 1,620 feet long and rises as high as 278 feet above the Grabengufer ravine. The bridge connects a hiking trail through the Alps between Zermatt and Graechen.
10. Dr. Pushpa Mittra Bhargava (89), the veteran molecular biologist and a vehement critic of genetically modified crops, has passed away in Hyderabad on August 1, 2017. He headed the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, India when the government first set it up. He was a well-known critic of Indian governmental policies and has attained the post of Vice-Chairman in the National Knowledge Commission
11. The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is located in the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It is in news because the Maharashtra government is planning to relocate tigers from Vidarbha region to the sanctuaries elsewhere where their population is smaller, including the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR). At present, STR has only seven tigers. For this, the state government has also set up a committee to examine this issue, and a decision will be taken based on its recommendations. It will also consult experts from the Centre and submit its report in 2-3 months.
12. In Tamil Nadu, the Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated with traditional gaiety to pay tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. The festival, also known as 'Aadi 18', is celebrated on the 18th of Aadi month in Tamil calendar year to express gratitude to water bodies especially Cauvery river. The 18th day of Aadi is usually August 2, is observed as 'Aadi pirappu', a day of offerings and prayers to these rivers. The day is an occasion for rejoicing particularly for those living on the banks of the all the main rivers, its branches and tributaries.
13. Hassan Rouhani has been officially sworn-in as the 7th President of Iran for his second term on August 3, 2017. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei gave his official approval for the president-elect by giving him a decree to assign him his duties. Rouhani won re-election in May 2017, after securing 57% of the votes and defeating his main contender Ebrahim Raeisi. Under Iran's election law, a president-elect is required to gain the Leader's official approval before being sworn in before the Parliament. Rouhani will take the oath of office in Iran's Parliament on August 5, 2017. The oath of office will be administered by Chief Justice, Sadeq Larijani.
14. Mukesh Ambani has become the Asia's second richest man according to the 2017 Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI). According to the 2017 index, Ambani's net worth has risen to $35.8 billion (around Rs 2.2 lakh crore), making him the 19th richest person in the world, up from 29 at the end of 2016. The increase in the net worth of the chief of Reliance Industries comes partially from the rise in stock price of the energy major, which has made major bets on the retail and telecom industries. Currently, Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma is the richest person in Asia with a net worth of $43.2 billion.
15. The Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is located in Somwarpet taluk of the Kodagu district in Karnataka and spread across an area of 102 kms. It is home to rare and endangered birdlife such as Nilgiri Flycatcher, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Grey Headed Bulbul, blue winged parakeet, small sunbird, white-bellied blue flycatcher, etc. One can spot varieties of animal species that includes Indian Hare, Spotted Deer, Giant Flying Squirrel, Otter Species, Indian Wild Dog, Travancore Flying, Brown Palm Civet, Wild Pig, Indian Giant Squirrel, etc. It is a must-visit sanctuary to hear the heartwarming sounds of the birds.
16. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently constituted a committee on fair market conduct, which will be headed by former Lok Sabha secretary and law secretary T K Viswanathan. The panel will have representations from SEBI, mutual funds, brokers, audit firms, stock exchanges, data analytics firms and legal firms. The committee has been tasked with suggesting improvements to the existing SEBI norms, including on insider trading and Fraudulent and Unfair Trade practices (FUTP). It has been specifically asked to look at trading plans, handling of price-sensitive information during takeovers and aligning of insider-trading rules with provisions of the Companies Act. The committee has also been tasked with suggesting short-term and medium-term measures for improved surveillance of the markets, as well as issues of high-frequency trades and harnessing of technology and analytics in surveillance. The committee will submit its report within 4 months.
17. Dhirendra Swarup, who was a public interest director at the BSE, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). He succeeded Sudhakar Rao. Swarup is a former Chairman of Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and has over four decades of experience across finance, budgeting, public debt management, public policy and pension reforms. He was also chairman of the Cash and Debt Management Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from 2000 to 2003.
18. Mohammad Mustafa, a 1995 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for a period of 3 years. At present, he is the joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services. SIDBI is an independent financial institution aimed to aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME) in India and is headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
19. The Pin Valley National Park is located within the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The Park forms a natural habitat for a number of endangered animals such as snow leopard and Siberian ibex with its snow laden unexplored higher reaches and slopes.
20. India's first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility has inaugurated near Hyderabad on August 4, 2017. It has been established a line with the 'Make in India' initiative and Government's policy to encourage private sector participation in defense product. It is a joint venture between the $2.5 billion Kalyani Group and Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd. The Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant will make anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Spike and the production is expected to start soon within weeks.
21. Noted economist Dr. Rajiv Kumar will be the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, which is a think-tank that replaced the Planning Commission. He will succeed Arvind Panagariya, who will leave the government think tank on August 31, 2017 and return to Columbia University. Currently, Rajiv Kumar is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, a non-governmental think tank on public policy based out of New Delhi. He had also been part of a Government appointed high-level search Panel that went into the appointment of regulators in the Indian financial sector. Meanwhile, the Centre has also appointed Vinod Paul, a Paediatrician at AIIMS, as a member of NITI Aayog.
22. The high level committee under the Chairmanship of Justice BN Srikrishna has recently submitted its on review of the Institutionalization of Arbitration Mechanism in India. The committee has recommended for setting up an Autonomous Body, Arbitration Promotion Council of India (APCI) having representatives from all stakeholders for grading arbitral institutions in India. The APCI may recognize professional institutes providing for accreditation of arbitrators. The APCI may hold training workshops and interact with law firms and law schools to train advocates with interest in arbitration and with a goal to create a specialist arbitration bar comprising of advocates dedicated to the field. It has also recommended for creation of a specialist Arbitration Bench to deal with such Commercial disputes, in the domain of the Courts.
23. The Microsoft India has tied up with the state of Telangana to use its artificial intelligence-based MINE platform to screen children for eye problems and prevent avoidable blindness. The Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE) is an artificial intelligence platform to reduce avoidable blindness. With this tied up, Telangana has become the first Indian state to deploy artificial intelligence for eyecare screening.
24. The Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is located along the Western Ghats in Mukundapuram taluk of Thrissur District of Kerala. The sanctuary is an important bird area with 192 recorded avian species such as grey-headed bulbul, Indian rufous babbler, white-bellied blue-flycatcher, Ceylon frogmouth, Indian edible-nest swiftlet, Malabar trogon and Loten's sunbird. The sanctuary also offers trekking paths for the adventure traveller.
25. The Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Swachh Bharat Mission in Uttar Pradesh. It was recently announced by Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, Yogi Adityanath has also made Kumar's upcoming film "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" tax free. The movie stresses on the importance of building toilets and ending open defecation in the country.
26. India's first helicopter-taxi (heli-taxi) service will be started in Bengaluru, Karnataka for those who cannot afford to spend time battling traffic to travel across the city. The Kempegowda International Airport will become the first airport in India to have this facility. The service will be operated by Thumby Aviation Private Limited and is expected to take off within three months. Initially, the helicopter service will be operated between Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport and the Electronics City area. The travel time will be cut down to 15 minutes instead of the two hours taken by road.
27. The Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) is an organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) to impart knowledge and skills to the professional foresters and help them to develop competence for managing the country forest and wildlife resources on a sustainable basis. It is located at the New Forest campus of Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Currently, IGNFA is functioning as a Staff College for the officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS).
28. The researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have developed a low-cost highly sensitive nanometre-scale carbon monoxide sensor by employing an innovative fabrication technique. It is known that Carbon Monoxide (CO) can have adverse effects on the health of people exposed to it. Thus, it becomes necessary to have good, low-cost carbon-monoxide sensors. Typically, a sensor would be a thin, current carrying plate whose resistance changes on exposure to carbon monoxide. This in turn changes the value of the current flowing through it. This change when measured indicates the level of carbon monoxide in the air. The research is published in Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical.
29. The Pampadum Shola National Park (PSNP) is the smallest national park located in the Idukki district of Kerala. It protects a moderate amount of montane evergreen shola forest that is associated with the wildlife rich Eravikulam National Park. Some notable birds found here such as Nilgiri wood-pigeon, white-bellied shortwing, vernal hanging parrot, blue rock-thrush, blue-capped rock-thrush and Nilgiri flycatcher, and black-and-orange flycatchers.
30. The 8th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES)-2017 will be hosted by India and is scheduled to be held on November 28, 2017. The NITI Aayog in association with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Andhra Pradesh government have been assigned with organising the event. The GES brings together investors and entrepreneurs from around the world to create new opportunities for collaboration. The summit will promote economic growth, inclusion and opportunities among entrepreneurs from across the world, with a special focus on emerging nations from Africa and Asia. The summit was started in 2010 under the leadership of then US President Barack Obama at Washington DC to bring entrepreneurs from across the globe on one platform.
31. Justice Dipak Misra, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will have a tenure of nearly 13 months. He will succeed Chief Justice J S Khehar, who will retire on August 27, 2017. Justice Misra is known for the judgment on Yakub Memon who made a last minute attempt to escape the gallows. He had rejected his plea for a stay on the death warrant. Memon was convicted in 1993 Mumbai blasts, in which 257 people were killed.
32. The Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (NSBS) is located to the west of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village in Gujarat. it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat and one of the largest in India. It harbors over 250 species of wetland birds such as rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, brahminy ducks and herons.
33. India's first micro forest will be built in Raipur, Chattisgarh. Approximately, 19 acres of land which housed around 70 government office buildings will be converted into micro forest in order to create an oxy-zone. The micro forest will provide fresh air to Raipur which is the 7th most polluted city in the world. It will reportedly be open to the public in the next 8 months.
34. India has been ranked 43rd among 43 nations in the 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI). The list is topped by Norway, followed by Switzerland, Iceland and Sweden. The multi-dimensional index is compiled by Natixis Global Asset Management with support from CoreData Research, a U.K.-based financial research firm. The index ranks 43 countries on the basis of four factors viz. material well-being, health, finances and quality of life. The purpose of the index is to provide a global benchmark for retirees and future retirees so that they can evaluate and compare the suitability of various nations, and plan their retirement according to their expectations and needs.
35. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed every year on August 9 to promote and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population. This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection.
36. The Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. It is home to Nilgai, feral cattle, chital deer, wild boar, Indian porcupine, etc. The park is famous avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season. The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods, provides grazing grounds for village cattle, and earlier was primarily used as a waterfowl hunting ground.
37. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Google India has launched Android Skill Development programme to impart mobile development training on the Android and Web platform and to improve the quality of mobile app development ecosystem in India. The NSDC is a public-private partnership enterprise under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. Under the initiative, NSDC will introduce a specific course with the scope to train developers to create applications for the mobile platform that can be used on smartphone and tablets running on the Android operating system. The NSDC and Google India will also work together to focus on up-skilling Android trainers under the programme.
38. The Mandla Plant Fossils National Park (MPNP) is located in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh and covers an area of 274,100 square metres. This national park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago spread over seven villages of Mandla District viz. Ghuguwa, Umaria, Deorakhurd, Barbaspur, Chanti-hills, Chargaon and Deori Kohani.
39. Real Madrid, a professional football club of Spain, has won the 2017 UEFA Super Cup football tournament by defeating Manchester United in the final by 2-1 at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 8, 2017. It is their 4th UEFA Super Cup title.
40. The Oxford University Press (OUP) has recently launched online dictionaries in Tamil and Gujarati languages. The launch is a part of Oxford Global Languages (OGL) initiative with an aim to build dictionaries and lexicographical resources for around 100 of the world's languages and to make them available online. Before Tamil and Gujarati versions, the Hindi online dictionary was launched in 2016. Thus, the OGL is a bold initiative from OUP for a modern challenge and a huge opportunity.
41. M Venkaiah Naidu, the former Union Minister, has been sworn-in as 13th Vice President of India on August 11, 2017. He has been administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind at a special function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. He was born on 1st July 1949 at Chavatapalem, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Before being elected to the second highest constitutional post of the country, Mr Naidu has held several positions and carried his successful political career during his three decade long public life. He has served as national president of BJP from 2002 to 2004. In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government, he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development. In present Narendra Modi led government, Naidu served as the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs and Information and Broadcasting.
42. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) , the capital and commodity market regulator, has recently allowed Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) to launch India's first gold options contract soon. It will allow investors and hedgers to minimise their price risk at a fraction of cost compared to currently available futures trading. The headquarters of MCX is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
43. The International Biodiesel Day (IBD) is celebrated every year on August 10 with an aim to turn the focus to non-fossil fuels. The day also honours the research experiments by Sir Rudolf Diesel who ran an engine with peanut oil in the year of 1893. The Biodiesel is an alternative fuel which can be used in place of fossil fuels. It is manufactured from vegetable oils, recycled grease, algae, and animal fat.
44. Davinder Singh Kang from Punjab has become the first Indian to qualify for the final round of the javelin throw at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London. He was under pressure to touch the 83 m in his final attempt and he was the last man to take the throw. He did it in style by sending the spear beyond the qualification mark to the huge relief of the Indian camp. Kang's best effort of 84.22m put him in the seventh position among the final round qualifiers.
45. The Vansda National Park (VNP) is a protected area which represents the thick woodlands of the Dangs and southern Gujarat and is situated in the Vansda tehsil, Navsari District of Gujarat. It is home to important animals such as Indian leopard, rhesus macaque, common palm civet, Hanuman langur and small Indian civet. There are 443 species of flowering plants like teak, sadad, khakhro, kadad, humb, timru, kalam, bamboo, dudhkod, mahudo, behda, umaro, kusum, tanach, asan, shimlo, etc.
46. Prasoon Joshi, the famous lyricist, has been appointment as the new chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of three years. He succeeded Pahlaj Nihalani, who has been accused of autocratic conduct and of morally policing films. Joshi is known for putting forth his opinion on contemporary issues. He became more prominent after penning songs for films like Fanaa, Rang De Basanti, Black, Delhi 6 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He twice won the National Award for Best Lyricist – first in 2008 for 'Maa' (Taare Zameen Par) and then in 2013 for 'Bolo Na' in Chittagong. He also wrote the lyrics for the anthem of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
47. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, has launched a nationwide campaign "Gaj Yatra" in New Delhi to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day (WED). The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states. The World Elephant Day (WED) is celebrated every year on August 12 to focus the attention of various stakeholders in supporting various conservation policies to protect elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory.
48. Dr Ruth Pfau (87), a German doctor and nun who dedicated her life to eradicating leprosy in Pakistan, has passed in Karachi, Pakistan on August 10, 2017. She was hailed as Pakistan's "Mother Teresa" after her work towards helping people displaced by the 2010 Pakistan floods. Dr. Pfau trained Pakistani doctors and attracted foreign donations, founded Pakistan's National Leprosy Control Programme and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, which has a presence in every Pakistani province. She received numerous awards in Pakistan and Germany including the Hilal-e-Imtiaz – Pakistan's second highest civilian award – in 1979, the Hilal-e-Pakistan in 1989 and the German Staufer Medal in 2015. She wrote four books in German about her work in Pakistan, including To Light A Candle, which has been translated into English.
49. The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS) is located in Virudhunagar and Madurai districts of Tamil Nadu and covers an area 485.2 sq Kms. Over 240+ species of birds are seen in this sanctuary including 14 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats, such as the critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture and the long-billed vulture. In addition to grizzled giant squirrels, the sanctuary is home to numerous animals such as barking deer, bonnet macaque, common langur, elephants, flying squirrels, gaur, Indian giant squirrel, leopard, lion-tailed macaques, mouse deer, Nilgiri langur and Nilgiri Tahrs. There are over 220 species of butterflies including many rare and endemic species. Some of the rare butterflies spotted here include Eversheds ace , Silver royal , Orange awlet , Hampsons hedge blue , etc.
50. The Government of India will soon launch a new sub-scheme named "Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)" as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Initially, AGEY will be implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on pilot basis with each Block provided upto 6 vehicles to operate the transport services. The Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas. This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such as access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of backward rural areas. This will also provide an additional avenue of livelihood for SHGs.
51. The World Elephant Day (WED) is observed every year on August 12 to focus the attention of various stakeholders in supporting various conservation policies to protect elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory. On the occasion of 2017 WED, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, has launched a nationwide campaign "Gaj Yatra" in New Delhi to protect elephants in the country. The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.
52. The Orang National Park (ONP) is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam and covers an area of 78.81 square kilometers. The park has a rich flora and fauna, including great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, pigmy hog, elephants, wild buffalo and tigers. It is the only stronghold of rhinoceros on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river.
53. The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU), which is India's first-ever aviation university, will soon be inaugurated at Fursatganj in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. The central university is planned as an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation with an aim to facilitate and promote aviation studies, teaching, training and research. Air Vice Marshal (retired) Nalin Tandon has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor.
54. The International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) will be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in the Bay of Bengal in November 2017. The ships and aircraft of the members and observers of the IONS including China, India and Pakistan will participate in the exercise. The IONS is a regional forum of Indian Ocean littoral states, represented by their Navy chiefs, launched by India in February 2008. It presently has 23 members and nine observers.
55. The Desert National Park (DNP) is located near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan and covers an area of 3162 km². The park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. The sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. It is home to desert fox, Bengal fox, desert cat, wolf, hedgehog, blackbuck and chinkara.
56. Melbourne has been declared the world's most liveable city for the 7th consecutive year by The Economist's annual global liveability survey, despite soaring housing costs and serious congestion challenges. The annual survey assesses 140 cities and ranks them according to their stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Others in the 10 most liveable cities in the world include Vienna (3rd), followed by Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Helsinki and Hamburg. As per the survey, the least liveable city was Damascus at 140th place, followed by Lagos (139), Tripoli (138), Dhaka (137), Port Moresby (136), Algiers (135), Karachi (134), Harare (133), Douala (132) and Kiev (131).
57. India will host the next steering committee meeting of the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline in New Delhi. The decision was taken during the 6th joint Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation. The benefit of the TAPI project is that it will give an opportunity to India to secure its interest in Central Asia. The project's success will also ensure that India, Pakistan and Afghanistan find ways of cooperating on other issues as well.
58. India's first museum on the Partition of the Indian Sub-continent will soon open in Amritsar, Punjab, which focuses on stories and display memorabilia of survivors. The museum will include newspaper clippings and donated personal items meant to tell the story of how the region's struggle for freedom from colonial rule turned into one of its most violent episodes, as communal clashes left hundreds of thousands of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs dead and another 15 million displaced from their ancestral homes. It will also have 'The Gallery of Hope', where visitors can scribble messages of love and peace. Tickets are priced low at Rs10 for Indians and Rs150 for foreigners.
59. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has launched the "Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali" campaign to celebrate pollution-free diwali. Diwali is an integral part of our rich tradition and a festival that embodies joy and happiness. In recent times, the pattern of celebration has changed somewhat and has got associated with excessive bursting of crackers, which contributes significantly to air and noise pollution. As a result, there has been a significant impact on the environment and health of the people. Thus, as a part of the campaign, the Environment Ministry will undertake various activities to create awareness among various stakeholders and encourage people to participate in combating air pollution.
60. Sohail Mahmoodm, the senior diplomat, has taken charge as the new Pakistan's high commissioner to India. He succeeded Abdul Basit. The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi is the diplomatic mission of Pakistan in India. Prior to this, Mahmood served as Pakistan's ambassador in Turkey.
61. The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (PTR) is a protected area located in Chittur taluk in Palakkad district of Kerala and covers an area of 391 square kilometers. It is alos home to lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri tahr, elephants, Bengal tigers, Indian leopards, Nilgiri marten small Travancore flying squirrel, etc. According to recently conducted tiger census at the regional level in 2016, there are 33 tigers in Periyar reserve and 25 in Parambikulam reserve respectively, which is informed by the Forest Minister K Raju in the state assembly on August 18, 2017. It must be noted that as per a tiger census conducted at the national level in 2010, considered as authoritative figure, there were 38 tigers in Parambikulam spread over 643 sq feet area and 34 in Periyar that covers an area of 925 sq feet.
62. The two-day Chief Electoral Officers' Conference of all States and Union Territories has been inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti and Election Commissioner OP Rawat in New Delhi on August 18, 2017. The event is being organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to review performance as well as to explore new initiatives and improve the election management and voter experience. The conference stressed on the need of providing E-services to stakeholders and emphasised the requirement to develop E-Payment gateways for various election services of Election commission. It also stressed the need for extensive training programmes on Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) as the ECI has decided to conduct all future elections using it along with Electronic Voting Machines.
63. The 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup will be held in India from October 6 to 28, which is first-ever FIFA tournament in India. It is in news because the curtain raiser function for FIFA U-17 World Cup was held in Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on August 19, 2017. The trophy for FIFA World Cup was also displayed at the stadium. The objective of the programme was to promote football in India, especially among children and youth.
64. The Periyar National Park (PNR) is a protected area near Thekkady in the districts of Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta in Kerala and covers an area of 925 km2. It is notable as both elephant reserve and tiger reserve. The park is made up of tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests, grasslands, stands of eucalyptus, and lake and river ecosystems. It is surrounded by agricultural regions such as tea, cardamom, and coffee. It is also home to gaur, sambar, wild pig, Indian giant squirrel, Travancore flying squirrel, jungle cat, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, etc.
65. Rahul Doshi (12), an Indian-origin boy, has been crowned as the UK's 'Child Genius' in a popular television quiz competition, after answering all questions correctly. He won the Channel 4 show 'Child Genius' by beating his nine-year-old opponent – Ronan by 10-4 in the programme's finale on August 20, 2017. In the final, Rahul impressed with knowledge of his chosen subject – Edward Jenner's medical innovation and methodology in 18th Century England. He clinched the title by answering a question on 19th Century artists William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais. He has an IQ of 162, which is believed to be higher than the likes of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, and qualifies him to be a member of Mensa club – the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world.
66. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been selected for the prestigious National Agriculture Leadership Award-2017 by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) under the chairmanship of well known agriculture scientist Prof MS Swaminathan. Rao. The Chief Minister has been selected for the award for his innovative services rendered to the welfare of farmers and the farm sector. The award will be presented on September 5, 2017 at Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi.
67. The World Mosquito Day (WMD) is observed every year on August 20 is to raise awareness about the threat of malaria and other diseases transmitted by one of the world's deadliest killers – the mosquito. The day also marks the historic discovery by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans and that laid foundations for scientists across the world to better understand the deadly role of mosquitoes in disease transmission and come up with effective innovative interventions.
68. Para Athlete Devendra Jhajharia and Hockey player Sardar Singh have been selected for the 2017 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, Women Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur and shooter P. N. Prakash are among the 17 sportsmen who will be given Arjuna Awards for their outstanding performance. Seven persons have been chosen for Dronacharya Awards for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events. They include late Dr. R. Gandhi in Athletics, Brij Bhushan Mohanty in Boxing and P.A. Raphel in the field of hockey. Dhyan Chand Award will be given to Bhupender Singh in Athletics, Syed Shahid Hakim in Football and Sumarai Tete in Hockey for their life time contribution to sports development.The awardees will receive their awards from the President Ram Nath Kovind in a special function at Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2017.
69. The Karnataka Government has recently launched an ambitious clouding seeding Project Varshadhari in Bengaluru to deal with poor monsoons in the state. Under the project, an aircraft will spray chemicals to induce rainfall. The purpose of the project is to condense small water particles by clouds (size less than 10 microns) to droplets of 50 microns, which can constitute rains. It is an experimental project that will cover Bengaluru, Gadag and Yadgir districts of the state. The Cloud seeding (also known as weather modification technique) is an artificial way to induce moisture in the clouds so as to cause a rainfall.
70. The Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is located in Bishalgarh, Tripura and covers an area of 18.53 square kilometres. It is famous for its clouded leopard enclosures. It is woodland with an artificial lake and natural botanical and zoological gardens. It gives shelter to about 150 species of birds and the unique bespectacled monkey, Phayre's langur. The sanctuary has been developed both as a wildlife sanctuary and as an academic and research centre.
71. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has launched the Mentor India Campaign in New Delhi on August 23, 2017. The campaign is a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can nurture and guide students at more than 900 Atal Tinkering Labs. The labs are dedicated workspaces where students from Class 6th to 12th learn innovation skills and develop ideas that will go on to transform India. The Atal Tinkering Labs have been established across the country as a part of the Atal Innovation Mission. The aim of campaign is to maximize the impact of the labs.
72. Ashwani Lohani, an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), has been appointed as the new Chairman of Railway Board after AK Mital tendered his resignation following recent train accidents. Presently, Lohani is serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Earlier, he served as the Divisional Regional Manager of Delhi and was also ITDC chairman as well as the director of the Rail Museum in the capital.
73. The 58th edition of Subroto Cup International Football Tournament has started in New Delhi. A total of 99 teams from India and abroad are participating across three categories in this edition of famous inter-school football tournament. Teams from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Afghanistan and Singapore are participating in this edition. The one month long football carnival will be played in three categories Sub-Junior boys (Under-14), Junior Girls (Under-17), Junior Boys (Under-17). This season seems to be more promising with a special emphasis on "BETI-BACHAO, BETI-PADHAO, BETI-KHILAO". Some of the key highlights of this edition will be special awards in different categories, an increase in cash awards, and special initiatives like Delhi Darshan for participants.
74. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has declared right to privacy a fundamental right under the constitution on August 24, 2017. A nine-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar ruled that right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 and entire Part III of the Constitution. The ruling on the highly contentious issue was to deal with a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing the benefits of various social welfare schemes. Others members of the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, R F Nariman, A M Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, S K Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer also shared the same view. The nine judges unanimously overruled the two earlier judgements of the apex court that right to privacy is not protected under the Constitution.
75. Microsoft has launched its 'Project Brainwave' deep learning acceleration platform for real-time artificial intelligence (AI). With the help of ultra-low latency, the system processes requests as fast as it receives them. The 'Project Brainwave' uses the massive Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) infrastructure that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years. The real-time AI is becoming increasingly important as cloud infrastructures process live data streams, whether they be search queries, videos, sensor streams, or interactions with users.
76. The 2017 International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" has started in Moscow, Russia on August 24 and will continue till September 3, 2017. The Indian Navy Band "Tri- Services" is participating in the fest. It is the parade of the best military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place every year at Red Square in Moscow. This Music Festival is a mega event, where military musicians represent the variety of national, artistic and military traditions of the world. Every year about 1500 musicians, military men and other artists from around 40 countries perform at the "Spasskaya Tower". The Festival is duly considered one of the largest international events in Russia and attracts tremendous response of the general public.
77. Rajiv Bansal, the 1988 batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre, has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India for three months. Bansal, who is additional secretary and financial adviser at the petroleum ministry, will replace Ashwani Lohani — who has been appointed as the Chairman of Railway Board. It must be noted that Bansal is taking over as Air India CMD at a time when the government is working on the modalities for the disinvestment of the loss-making national carrier. He had served at the civil aviation ministry between 2006 and 2008.
78. Sushma Swaraj, the Union External Affairs Minister, will inaugurate India's first Videsh Bhavan on August 27, 2017 at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As a first pilot project, four offices of MEA – Regional Passport Office (RPO), Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office, Branch Secretariat and Regional Office of ICCR – have been assimilated and brought under one roof at the state-of-art office. The pilot project of the Videsh Bhavan of Mumbai is part of the Centre's policy to bring together different offices of the MEA under a single roof and work closely with states as more and more Indians are going abroad for employment, education, business and tourism. In other words, the "Videsh Bhavan" at Mumbai is the first integrated office complex of the Ministry of External Affairs established in any State of India.
79. Nandan Nilekani, the Infosys co-founder and the architect of Aadhaar, has been appointed as the new non-executive chairman of the board of directors of Infosys. The sweeping changes have been made to the board in an attempt to restore stability after the resignation of Vishal Sikka as CEO, and a bitter rift between Narayana Murthy and the board came to the fore. Nilekani's appointment will allow Infosys to focus on the strategic changes it needs to make in order to capitalize on the attractive opportunities in the years ahead. Nilekani served as Infosys's CEO from 2002 to 2007.
80. The Union Cabinet has recently increased the 'creamy layer' ceiling for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to Rs 8 lakh per annum from the existing Rs 6 lakh for central government jobs. With this, those in the OBC category earning up to Rs 8 lakh per annum would now get reservation benefits.
81. The book "I Do What I Do" has been authored by Rahguram Rajan, the former RBI governor. This book conveys what it was like to be at the helm of RBI in those turbulent but exciting times. Rajan explains economic concepts in a readily accessible way. Equally, he addresses key issues that are not in any banking manual but essential to growth: the need for tolerance and respect to assure India's economic progress, for instance, or the connection between political freedom and prosperity. The book is published by HarperCollins India and will be launched in Chennai on 4th September 2017, exactly a year after Rajan quit as RBI governor.
82. The first edition of Rural Games or Grameen Khel Mahotsav will kick-start from Delhi and will take place between 28th August to 3rd September 2017. The purpose of the Rural Games is to popularize the indigenous games like wrestling and athletics and will also have fun games like Matka Race, Tug of War for senior citizens. In the first stage, the games will be held in Alipur, Mehrauli, Nangloi, Najafgarh and Shahadara where ten thousand youngsters will participate. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will also launch sports talent search portal. The portal will enable any person from across country to upload his information and as per that the Ministry will tap their talent and train them further in their respective disciplines.
83. The Chitwan National Park (CNP) is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal and covers an area of 932 square kilometres. The park is considered to have the highest population density of sloth bears with an estimated 200 to 250 individuals. It is also home to golden jackals, fishing cats, jungle cats, leopard cats, large and small Indian civets, Asian palm civets, crab-eating mongooses and yellow-throated martens.
84. The 2nd edition of Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 31, 2017 with theme "Peace, progress, and prosperity". The 2-day conference is being co-hosted by the India Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank, in collaboration with RSIS, Singapore, and NIFS, Colombo — both research and study centers. The representatives from around 35 countries are expected to participate in the event. From India, External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will participate in the conference. The conference will also be attended by officials from the USA, Australia and Germany among others.
85. The Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay and Indore, have jointly developed a biosensor that makes it possible to detect kidney disorders in less than 8 minutes. The biosensor can accurately measure both the pH and urea concentration with a single drop of urine. The researchers who developed it say that it will help make a point-of-care test to determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally. The biosensor is made by encapsulating an enzyme urease and a molecule FITC-dextran in alginate microspheres. The combination glows in response to a chemical reaction with urea and changes in pH when urine is added. The fluorescence reduces when the pH is acidic and increases when it is alkaline. The changes in fluorescence intensity are measured, which helps to calculate the values of pH and urea. Thus, it will help make a rapid and accurate point-of-care diagnostic test for kidney disorders.
86. The National Sports Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 29th August to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand. On this occasion, in 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind has confered Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The Khel Ratna Award is honoured for the players spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years at international level. The Arjuna Awards are given to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports while the Dronacharya Award is sports coaching honour.
87. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Xiamen in China's Fujian province to attend the 9th BRICS summit, which will be held from September 3-5, 2017. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will pay a State visit to Myanmar from September 5th to 7th. This will be Prime Minister Modi's first bilateral State visit to Myanmar. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold discussions with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest and also call on President U Htin Kyaw. Apart from his engagements in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, Mr Modi will visit Yangon and Bagan.
88. The Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) has become the world's first derivatives exchange to launch diamond futures contract. Initially, the contracts are launched in size of 1 carat with compulsory delivery. This will create an entirely new market for the diamond players where sellers can deliver their certified diamonds to different buyers.The launch will also lead to efficient price discovery based on demand and supply and a nationwide market participation. Till date, over 100 members and around 4,000 clients have registered with the exchange. The exchange will offer a fair, transparent and nationwide market, bringing in large market participation into diamond trade. It will result in efficient price discovery and provide an effective hedging platform for all stakeholders. The new exchange will be able to make a meaningful contribution towards further development of commodity markets.
89. Ashish kumar Chauhan has been re-appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for the period of 5 years from November 2, 2017 to November 1, 2022. For this, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently gave its approval to re-appoint Chauhan as MD and CEO of the company for next 5 years.
90. The International Day against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) is observed every year on August 29 to raise public awareness about the effects of global nuclear weapon tests or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. The purpose of the day is to end nuclear testing and to promote peace and security.
91. After Kalpana Chawla, Jasleen Kaur Josan has become the 2nd Indian Women and first Sikh women to be selected by NASA for the Mars Expedition happening in 2030. The Orion Mission will be the first man mission to Mars, which is on track to take place in 2030. The candidates were selected from around the world. The 2020 MARS Mission is a one-way mission where the group inhabiting Mars will not return back to planet Earth. However, Jasleen is part of the two-way mission which is set to happen in 2030.
92. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched the world's first IAEA Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) bank at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP) in Oskemen, Kazakhstan. The $150 million facility will help ensure a steady supply of low enriched uranium for countries' nuclear power programmes. The bank is owned and managed by IAEA. It is the first of its kind LEU bank not to be under control of any individual country. The IAEA LEU Bank will be a physical reserve of up to 90 metric tons of low enriched uranium suitable to make fuel for a typical light water reactor, the most widely used type of nuclear power reactor worldwide. The LEU Bank will serve as a last-resort mechanism to provide confidence to countries that they will be able to obtain LEU for the manufacture of fuel for nuclear power plants in the event of an unforeseen, non-commercial disruption to their supplies. The LEU can be used to make enough nuclear fuel to power a large city for three years.
93. Gobindobhog rice from Burdwan district of West Bengal has recently got the Geographical Indication (GI) status. As a result of getting the GI tag, rice from other regions or rice of other varieties cannot be branded as 'Gobindobhog'. Hence, the marketability of the rice would be strengthened, for the local, national and international markets. The region of Burdwan (now divided into the districts of east and west Burdwan) is known as the rice bowl of Bengal. This variety of rice is primarily cultivated in east Burdwan district – in the southern basin of the Damodar river in the Raina 1, Raina 2 and Khandaghosh blocks. The south Damodar belt has been the traditional area of Gobindobhog rice cultivation. The rice has several advantages. It is cultivated late and therefore not much affected by rains. It is less prone to pests as well. The productivity per area is high and farmers get better prices for Gobindobhog rice.
94. Rajiv Mehrishi, the former home secretary, will be the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. He will replace the present incumbent Shashi Kant Sharma who completes his term on September 30, 2017. Meanwhile, three senior bureaucrats were appointed as Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General. They are Ashwini Attri, Anita Pattanayak and Ranjan Kumar Ghose.
95. Rajiv Gauba, A 1982-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, has recently taken charge as the Union Home Secretary after incumbent Rajiv Mehrishi retired from service. He will have tenure of two years. As the Union home secretary, he will have to handle issues like internal security, militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, Maoist problems in the central and east India besides other issues. Earlier, Gauba was serving in the Home Ministry as Officer on Special Duty. Prior to this, Gauba was Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development. He also represented India on the board of International Monetary Fund (IMF) for four years.
96. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its navigation satellite IRNSS-1H into the orbit by the rocket PSLV C39 from the Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikotta, Andhra Pradesh on August 31, 2017. Though, the IRNSS-1H mission was failed as heat shield did not open up for the deployment of the satellite. The IRNSS-1H was a part of the indigenous navigation system called 'NavIC,' that was initially planned to have a constellation of seven satellites. NavIC system is equivalent to the GPS service, having footprint over the whole of India and about 1500 kilometers from its borders on all sides. It helps user agencies to plan and monitor their vehicular movement on the road and on the sea. It can alert fishermen while approaching international maritime boundaries and help public to locate precisely the addresses they require.
97. The Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd., has been included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934. With this, Ujjivan SFB has attained the status of a Scheduled Bank. This status will enhance the market acceptability of the bank in its effort to garner institutional deposits at a competitive price and participate more actively in the inter-bank market. It also opens the door for issuing Certificates of Deposits (CDs), which will be an important source of funding. Currently, Ujjivan SFB has 65 full-fledged brick and mortar branches in eight states and two Union Territories. It plans to convert 160 existing branches and 29 new Unbanked Rural Centres (URCs) by the end of FY 2017-18 and the remaining branches will be converted over a period of two years in line with RBI approval. The headquarters of Ujjivan SFB is located in Bengaluru.
98. The Tanintharyi National Park (TNP) is located at the Tenasserim Hills, Myanmar and covers an area of 2072 km2. The main purposes of the park are habitat conservation. It is home to Sambar Deer, Asian Elephant, Barking Deer, Serow, Red Goral, Malayan tapir, tiger, Leopard and a number of bird species.
99. Sunil Arora, a 1980 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, has been appointed as the new Election Commissioner (EC). The appointment will take effect from the date he assumes the charge. Presently, Achal Kumar Joti is the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) & Om Prakash Rawat is the other Election Commissioner. Arora is the former Information and Broadcasting Secretary and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
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