1. Antonio Vitorino, a lawyer and politician from Portugal, has been elected Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM). He will succeed William Lacy Swing on 1st October 2018. IOM is the UN Migration Agency and is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration with over 10,000 staff serving in over 400 offices across more than 150 countries. It provides services and advice to Governments and migrants, such as humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.
2. India has pledged $5 million in assistance to the UN agency working for the welfare of Palestinian refugees to help bolster its "severe funding crisis" following US' cut in its annual aid to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). A total of 20 countries, including India, announced contributions to the 2018 budget of the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East during a meeting. While India pledged $5 million, Sweden will contribute $250 million over four years, the UK $51 million and the UAE $50 million among other donors. UNRWA has been providing health, education, relief and social services, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance, to some 5.3 million Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation — Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — for 65 years.
3. In a remarkable achievement, the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai has been declared as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 30th June 2018. The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at Manama in Bahrain. This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be included on the World Heritage List. Now, India has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites. While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall sixth in the world.
4. On June 29, the Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for enhancing early warning system for effective management of all kinds of disaster in the state, including flood, drought, heat wave, lightning, and road accidents. The MoU will help state government to integrate new generation digital algorithm-based technologies and best practices from 48 RIMES member countries with the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). The RIMES is a UN Registered international and inter- governmental institution, owned and managed by its 48 Members and Collaborating States for building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning information.
5. The International Day of Tropics is observed every year on June 29 to raise awareness to the specific challenges faced by tropical areas, the far-reaching implications of the issues affecting the world's tropical zone and the need, at all levels, to raise awareness and to underline the important role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The day celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face. It provides an opportunity to take stock of progress across the tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region.
6. S Ramesh, a 1981 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), has taken over charge as the new chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the apex policy-making body for indirect taxes. Prior to his elevation, he was Member (Administration) in the Board. He succeeded Vanaja N Sarna, who superannuates on June 30, 2018. The CBIC is the apex body for administering the levy and collection of indirect taxes of the Union of India viz. Central Excise duty, Customs duty and Service Tax, and for facilitating cross border movement of goods & services. It is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. It deals with the tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs & Central Excise duties and Service Tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics to the extent under CBEC's purview.
7. Indian Kabaddi team clinched the Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 title by defeating Iran 44-26 in the summit clash in Dubai on June 30. In a battle between the top two sides of the world, the three-time world champions did not give Iran any ground to recover with Captain Ajay Thakur and youngster Monu Goyat led the raid charts. India's defence was also excellent with Surjeet Singh returning with seven tackle points. India inflicted two all-outs on Iran, en route the massive victory. The six-nation invitational tournament was organised by International Kabaddi Federation (IKF). The Indian team will now focus on the Asian games. India is the reigning world champions and they now hold the title of the Kabaddi Masters too.
8. The Union government has constituted a committee a 13-member committee to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level in the backdrop of plans to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation. The Committee for Sub-National Accounts will be headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a retired professor of IIM Ahmedabad. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) will change the base year to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers from the existing 2011-12 with an aim to capture changes in the economy. The panel will review the concepts, definitions, classifications, data conventions, data sources and data requirements for preparation of State Domestic Product (SDP) and District Domestic Product (DDP) and to lay down revised guidelines. It will also suggest measures for improving SDP and DDP in the country taking into consideration availability of data and requirements of the Centre and states/union territories.
9. The conference of Ministers for Power, New & Renewable Energy of States & Union Territories will be held on 3rd July at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The purpose of the conference is to review the implementation of various ongoing Schemes/ Programmes & deliberate on a host of issues pertaining to Power and Renewable Energy sectors. The excerpts of the issues to be discussed on the conference are as follows: 100% Household Electrification (under Saubhagya) by December 2018, UDAY performance assessment, shifting to prepaid system in three years and 24X7 Power for All – From 1st April 2019. The delegates will also discuss the proposed draft amendments in the provision of Captive Generating Plant in Electricity Rules, 2005 and flexibility in utilization of Coal. The conference will be inaugurated by R K Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy.
10. The novel "Eleventh Hour" is authored by Crime writer Hussain Zaidi to pay tribute to the men in uniform. The book is inspired by and derived from real-life events – a vast stash of RDX that has remained undiscovered since the Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and the agencies totally clueless about it; the jailbreak in Bhopal of five men; the hijacking of an Indian ship and a commercial vessel by Somali pirates and Pakistan's designs to spread terror in India. The novel is published by HarperCollins India. Zaidi, who has done investigative, crime and terror reporting in various newspapers, is the author of several books including "Black Friday", "Dongri to Dubai", "Mafia Queens of Mumbai" and "Byculla to Bangkok". Several of his books have been adapted into movies including the eponymous "Black Friday", directed by Anurag Kashyap; "Shootout at Wadala", based on "Dongri to Dubai", directed by Sanjay Gupta; and "Phantom", based on "Mumbai Avengers", directed by Kabir Khan.
11. Former India captain Rahul Dravid and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting have been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame for their stupendous achievements in international cricket. Along with Dravid and Ponting, retired England woman wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor was also named in the 'Hall of Fame' during a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland on July 1, 2018. With this, Dravid became only the 5th player from India to be named in the elite list. The other four Indians are former skippers Bishan Singh Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble.
12. As per US State Department's 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, North Korea has been tagged "worst human trafficking nation" for the 16th straight year, citing the use of forced labour. North Korea has been included in the Tier 3 category, which is the lowest ranking, along with China, Russia and Iran. The report stated that the North Korean government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so. It is continued to use forced labour in prison camps and labour training centres. In a stark contrast, South Korea has been ranked at the highest category, that is, in the list of Tier 1 countries for the 16th consecutive year, along with US, UK, France and Canada.
13. NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) have signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) to implement fertiliser subsidy disbursement through Blockchain Technology. Both will work on implementing a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) application for using the technology in subsidy disbursements. They will jointly develop the use case, under take research, interact with multiple stakeholders, develop Blockchain solutions, exchange learnings, organise forums, and disseminate learnings across their networks. It must be noted that approximately Rs 70,000 crore of subsidy is disbursed to manufacturing units every year for selling around 31 million MT of fertilisers below cost and the fertilizer subsidy disbursal takes two to three months' time. With the implementation of Blockchain Technology, it is expected that the distribution will become effective and efficient, and subsidy transfer could be automated and made real time.
14. The first-ever International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated across the world on 30th June 2018 to recognize the importance of parliaments and their responsibility of representing the people. The day is not only an occasion to stress the critical importance of parliaments in any democratic society but also to reinforce the call for a global parliament. It is also an opportunity for parliaments to take stock, identify challenges, and ways to address them effectively. This date was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in a resolution 72/278 adopted on May 22nd as it coincides with the day in 1889, on which the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) — the global umbrella organization of parliaments — was founded. The parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 193 countries, 79 are bicameral and 114 are unicameral, making a total of 272 chambers of parliament with over 46,000 members of parliament. The oldest parliament is the Althingi, the Icelandic Parliament, founded in 930.
15. Rajat Sharma, who is the Chairman and Chief Editor of Hindi news channel INDIA TV, has become the new president of Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) for a period of 3 years. He beat former cricketer Madan Lal by 517 votes in the DDCA election 2018. The results of the DDCA polls were announced on 2nd July 2018 and Sharma's group swept the elections winning all 12 seats. Sharma's team will consist of Rakesh Kumar Bansal, who has been elected as the vice-president with 48.87% votes in his favour. Meanwhile, Vinod Tihara has been elected as Secretary, Om Prakash Sharma is the new Treasurer and Rajan Manchanda is the Joint Secretary. Rajat Sharma was conferred with Padma Bhushan award in 2016.
16. Australian hockey team has won the 2018 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy by defeating India in the final via penalty shoot-off at Breda, the Netherlands on July 1, 2018. It was Australia's record 15th Champions Trophy title. While India won their second consecutive silver medal, hosts the Netherlands bagged the bronze beating Olympic champions Argentina 2-0 in the third-fourth place match. The 2018 Hockey tournament was the 37th and the last edition of the prestigious Hockey Champions Trophy for men. It will be replaced by the Hockey Pro League (HPL) in 2019.
17. Anjolie Ela Menon, the well known muralist, has recently been conferred with the prestigious National Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh government in Delhi for her contribution in visual arts. The award was conferred in recognition of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through her meaningful paintings in a variety of media. Beside her, Artist A. Ramachandran was also conferred with the Kalidas Award. Menon is counted among India's most accomplished artists and is the recipient of numerous national and international awards including the Padma Shri. She recently received a doctorate from Rabindra Bharati University.
18. For the first time, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the world's first-ever cannabis-based medicine "Epidiolex" made from marijuana. It is a milestone approval that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law. The drug, manufactured by UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals, will be used to cure children aged 2-years old, who suffer from Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, rare childhood-onset forms of epilepsy. Epidiolex is a purified form of cannabidiol (CBD), one of the hundreds of molecules found in the marijuana plant. It contains less than 0.1% of Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol (THC), which makes people high. In simple words, the new drug is an oral solution of cannabidiol (CBD) and does not cause intoxication or a high.
19. The International Asteroid Day (IAD) is observed every year on June 30 to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard and to inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat. In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolution A/RES/71/90 to proclaim Asteroid Day globally on June 30. The day is an annual global event which is held on the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska event that took place on 30th June 1908, the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history.
20. On July 2, the first meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) will be held at Central Water Commission (CWC) office in New Delhi to resolve disputes over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The meeting of the 9-member Authority will be chaired by the CWC Chairman S Masood Hussain, who is also heading the Cauvery Authority. The meeting will discuss the issues including water storage in Cauvery basin reservoirs, the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka as per the schedule and duly complying with all aspects of the judgement of the Supreme Court in this regard. As per Supreme Court's direction, the Central Government constituted CWMA on 1st June 2018. The CWMA is an umbrella body, which will monitor water management on a day-to-day basis, including the water level and inflow and outflow of reservoirs in all the basin states.
21. The Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Assam has become the first oil public sector undertaking (PSU) to adopt an online legal compliance system by introducing 'Legatrix'. The cloud-based compliance management system 'Legatrix' is a one-stop solution for effectively managing the organisation's legal and regulatory compliances through monitoring control at different levels. It encompasses the requirements of laws like labour, taxation, IT, commercial, export-import, corporate laws and other industry-specific laws. This initiative augments the NRLs contribution towards the Digital India Mission and induces greater transparency in its operations.
22. India's first dedicated 'Khadi Mall' will soon be set up by the Jharkhand government to boost market for khadi and khadi made products. The land in the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) campus will be made available to the Khadi Board to develop the country's first Khadi mall. The artisans would be provided technological aid for value addition in their products, while rural, urban and tourism 'haats' will provide them markets for their goods.
23. The Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) of Odisha has become the largest habitat of the endangered estuarine crocodiles in India with a record number of their nesting sites spotted in it. Recently, the enumerators have spotted 101 nests of crocodile in Kanika, Gahirmatha, Mahakalapada and Rajnagar wildlife forest range divisions under the park. As per the January 2018 crocodile census report, the water bodies of Bhitarkanika are home to 1,698 saltwater crocodiles. Estuarine crocodiles are also found in West Bengal's Sundarban areas having the country's largest mangrove cover. Besides, the mangrove wetlands in Andaman Islands are home to these species, but those cannot match the density and population of crocodile available in the wild habitats of Bhitarkanik National Park (BNP).
24. Milan Shankar Tare, a fisherman from Maharashtra's Palghar district, has been selected for the 2018 National Maritime Search and Rescue Award. The award recognises Tare's act of bravery at sea and selfless duty in sync with the highest traditions of maritime fraternity. On 9th May 2018, Tare saved the lives of 12 people from a sinking fishing boat named Shivneri. He used his judgement to locate the distressed boat in the dark. He also alerted other boats to join the rescue operation off the Satpati coast. The prestigious award consisting of a commendation certificate and cash prize will be presented to Tare in New Delhi on 5th July.
25. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed Colombia's Chiribiquete National Park (CNP) on its list of world heritage sites. The park, which straddles the southern provinces of Caquetá and Guaviare, is the country's largest and has one of the highest rates of plant diversity in the northern Amazon. It is also famous for its table-top rock formations known as tepuis, which rise out of the forest. The national park was established on September 1989, after hundreds of rock paintings dating as far back as 18,000 years BCE were discovered on the vertical rock faces of the area. It is the ninth site in Colombia to be given world heritage status.
26. Premier stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has signed pact with the Bombay Metal Exchange (BME) for the growth and systematic development of commodity derivatives markets in the non-ferrous metals complex. Through this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the BSE and the BME will co-ordinate and work jointly on initiatives to deepen the understanding of commodity market among stakeholders. The BME will assist the BSE in designing new and innovative deliverable products in commodities like aluminium, copper, zinc, nickel and lead among, others.
27. The National Doctors' Day is celebrated on July 1 all across India to express gratitude and acknowledge the dedication and commitment of the doctors' towards our society. It is an attempt to emphasize on the value of doctors in our lives and to offer them our respects by commemorating one of their greatest representatives. The day is also marked to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. Dr Roy was a highly respected physician and a renowned freedom fighter. He is often considered the great architect of West Bengal, who founded five eminent cities, Durgapur, Kalyani, Bidhannagar, Ashokenagar, and Habra.
28. The Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) under the Government of NCT of Delhi has been ranked the "Best Dental College" in India for the 7th year in a row. The evaluation was done on the basis of reports of independent rating agencies of Hansa Research, Drshti Strategic Research Services and Nielsen India. MAIDS outshone 310 dental colleges to become No 1 in dental education in India. The MAIDS is the first and only dental hospital in India to be accredited by the National Accreditation of Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). The institute offers a five-year undergraduate programme, Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), with an annual intake of 40 students and is the only government institute to offer a postgraduate program, Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), in all nine dental specialties.
29. Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei has won the Malaysian Open Badminton men's singles title for a historic 12th time. In the men's final in Kuala Lumpur on July 1, he defeated young Japanese shuttler Kento Momota in straight games 21-17 23-21 in 71 minutes. In the women's singles final, top seed Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan defeated China's He Bingjiao by 22-20, 21-11.
30. Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni (86), the former Chief of the Naval Staff, has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on July 2, 2018. He was the 14th chief of the Indian Navy from December 1987 to November 1990. He participated in the Liberation of Goa and played a stellar role in the India-Pakistan War 1965 and in 1971. Nadkarni is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Nausena Medaland the Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service.
31. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, launched the 'Happiness Curriculum' for students of nursery to Class 8 in government schools on July 2, 2018. The curriculum was launched in the presence of the Dalai Lama. Students across schools can expect a 'happiness' period of 45 minutes. Each class will begin with a five-minute meditation session. The Happiness period was designed and prepared by a team of 40 Delhi government teachers, educators and volunteers over a period of six months. It will also include value education and mental exercises.
32. Major General Jose Eladio Alcain of Uruguayan Army has been appointed new Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). He will succeed Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden, who will complete his two year assignment in July 2018. In 1948, the UN Security Council (UNSC) established the UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to investigate the dispute between India and Pakistan regarding the disputed state of Kashmir. In 1949, UNCIP was absorbed into the UNMOGIP, which supervises the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and to monitor the peace in Kashmir.
33. P.K. Shrivastava has taken over charge as the new Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) with effect from July 1, 2018. Previously, he was Additional DGOF and member at OFB, and was in charge of Armoured Vehicles, headquartered in Avadi, Chennai. The OFB is an industrial organisation, functioning under the Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence. The headquarters of OFB is located in Kolkata, West Bengal.
34. India's first-ever state-of-the-art e-waste recycling unit will come up in Bengaluru, which produces an estimated one lakh tonne of electronic waste a year. The Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), a research institute that comes under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, will set up the unit in the next four months. The purpose to set-up an e-Waste recycling unit is to provide a complete solution for recycling of plastics wastes generated from Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipments (WEEE). Bengaluru, which accounts for about a third of India's software exports and is home to about 7,000 startups, occupies 3rd place in the country in producing e-waste after Mumbai and Delhi. Currently, e-waste generation in India is estimated to reach 52 lakh tonnes in 2020, with India being ranked as one of the top five generators of e-waste.
35. The famous cultural festival "Behdienkhlam 2018" was celebrated at the small peripheral town of Jowai, the District headquarters of Jaintia Hills District in Meghalaya with joy and religious fervour. The festival witnessed a colourful display of 12 rots or 'rath' at the sacred pool 'Aitnar'. It is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars Tribals. It is celebrated mid-July every year after the sowing is over. The festival ends with a final salutation to the divine powers when the women of the tribe offer sacrificial food to their almighty. The festival is also known as the festival for chasing away the Demon of Cholera.
36. Major General Vikram Dogra has become the first serving Indian Army officer and the only General across the world to have successfully completed a gruelling 'Ironman' competition held in Klagenfurt, Austria on July 1, 2018. The Ironman is an international triathlon consisting of three consecutive events- 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km of running (a full marathon). It is considered one of the toughest one-day sporting events in the world.The competitors have to complete the events in sequence within 17 hours to earn the title of 'Ironman'. Maj Gen Dogra completed the event in 14 hours and 21 minutes. More than 3000 athletes from 50 countries participated in the event. Maj Gen Dogra, who is currently posted as Director General Resettlement, was one of the participants.
37. India will host the 19th edition of IUFoST World Food Science and Technology Congress 2018 in Navi Mumbai from October 23-27, 2018. The IUFoST stands for 'International Union of Food Science and Technology'. The 5-day event will bring together researchers, academicians, professionals, policy makers and industry leaders from across the globe to showcase innovation, exchange breakthrough ideas and drive policy issues. The focal theme for the 19th edition of the prestigious World Congress of Food Science and Technology is '25 Billion Meals a Day by 2025 with Healthy, Nutritious, Safe and Diverse Foods'. IUFoST 2018 will provide insight on key concepts on recent advances in food sciences, food processing and agriculture technologies.
38. The Sunil Mehta committee which was formed with a view to tackle Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) and creating credit capacity submitted its report with recommendations to Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on July 2, 2018. The Sunil Mehta panel presented project 'Sashakt' and has recommended a five-pronged strategy to deal with NPAs in the country's banking system. The five-pronged strategy includes — SME Resolution Approach (SRA), Bank Led Resolution Approach (BLRA), AMC / AIF led resolution approach, NCLT / IBC approach, and asset-trading platform. The report recommends a five pronged approach for loans from Rs 50 crore, Rs 50-500 crore and loans above Rs 500 crore. The committee has also suggested an asset trading platform for both performing and non-performing assets. The plan focuses on turning around assets in a manner that will create additional jobs by reviving businesses and prevent job losses from foreclosures.
39. The Madhya Pradesh government has launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidised power scheme 'Sambal' for labourers and poor families. The purpose of the scheme is to make sure that all the households have power facility in the state. One crore 83 lakh workers registered under Sambal Yojana in the state till now. Under this scheme, outstanding electricity bill worth five thousand 179 crores rupees is to be waived off. Under the subsidised power segment of this scheme, registered labourers of the unorganised sector and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of Rs 200 per month while Power connection would be provided free of cost to the beneficiaries. In case the bill is lower than Rs 200, the beneficiary will have to pay the actual bill amount and if the bill amount crossing Rs 200, then the difference amount would be subsidised by the state government.
40. Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, is set to host the Monsoon session of the state Legislature today after a gap of 47 years. This will be the fourth time that the monsoon session of the state Legislature, normally held in Mumbai, will take place in Nagpur. The session will commence in Nagpur from July 4 to 20, 2018. Traditionally, Nagpur hosts the winter session of the legislature in December every year whereas the budget and monsoon sessions are held in Mumbai. According to an official of the Vidhan Bhavan, the monsoon sessions of the state Legislature were earlier held in Nagpur in 1961, 1966 and 1971. As per the Nagpur Pact-1953, the district in the Vidarbha region was accorded the status of second capital of Maharashtra. The pact also required one session of the state Legislature to be held in Nagpur every year.
41. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched user-friendly android app "cVigil" for citizens to report any violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections. The unique Internet-based beta version of the application 'cVIGIL' stands for "citizens' vigil". The app will be active only in States where elections have been announced. The application will be operationalised for the first time from the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan. By using this app, citizens can immediately report on incidents of misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer to lodge a complaint. The user will get 5 minutes to report an incident after having clicked a picture or a video. To prevent any misuse, the app will not allow uploading of the pre-recorded or old images and videos. The new app is expected to fill in all these gaps and create a fast-track complaint reception and redressal system.
42. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched its in-house developed & single integrated e-marketing platform named Khadi Institution Management and Information System (KIMIS) in New Delhi on July 3, 2018. The system can be accessed from anywhere in the country for the sale and purchase of Khadi and Village Industries products. This software will give real-time data of sales and will also give the updated status of stocks of khadi bhawans and godowns, allowing better planning and control of inventory of the KVIC. Approx 480 Khadi institutions and showrooms are linked with this billing software and it will be useful in raising demand and supply of goods in high demand.
43. The Union government has constituted a ministerial panel headed by the finance minister to decide about fund allocation for infrastructure projects from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) announced in the budget. The 4-member committee will approve recommendations made by the sub-committee headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary on list of infrastructure projects to be financed from the CIRF. Other members of the committee include Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Shipping; Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Railways Minister and Human Resource Development Minister. The 15-member sub-committee has secretaries from different ministries who will examine and evaluate proposals received from ministries on infrastructure projects. Besides, it will prioritize the list of infrastructure projects each year for being financed by the fund. The budget 2018 has amended the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, and has renamed the Central Road Fund as CRIF.
44. The world's first all-digital art museum has opened at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan. It features around 50 kaleidoscopic installations triggered by motion sensors, which are projected across every surface of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit space with the help of lights. The museum appears to be a set of halls with black walls without the lights.
45. The World Sports Journalists Day (WSJD) is observed every year on July 2 to mark the services of sports journalists for the promotion of sports. This day has been earmarked as the official day of celebration because of its significance as the date when the International Sports Press Association (ISPA) was established at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The purpose of the day is to encouraged sports journalists to strive for excellence in their work and to set an example to the world – not only to the world of sport, but to the world at large.
46. India's first 'MOVE: Global Mobility Summit' will be organised by NITI Aayog in New Delhi on September 7-8, 2018. The six themes for the summit are: Asset Utilization and Service, Comprehensive Electrification, Alternative Energy, Reinventing Public Transit, Logistics and Goods Transport, and Data Analytics and Mobility. The purpose of the MOVE Summit is to bring together and engage with key stakeholders within the rapidly transforming global mobility landscape and to evolve a public interest framework for a shared, connected, zero emission and inclusive mobility agenda for the future. This Summit will help drive Government's goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration and job growth and also speed up India's transition to a clean energy economy. Approx 1,200 experts from across the world including Government leadership, Industry leaders, Research Organizations, Academia, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organisation will participate.
47. Angela Ponce from Seville has created by becoming the first-ever transgender woman to be crowned Miss Universe Spain, after beating 22 contestants. She will representing her country at the 67th Miss Universe 2018 pageant in Philippines in December 2018. This comes six years after the Miss Universe organisation put an end to the ban on transgender contestants in the competition in 2012.
48. "Pandharichi Wari" is the most important pilgrimage of Maharashtra. It is more than 700 years old tradition in which devotees of Lord Vitthala called Varkari trace the route to Pandharpur. This year, in 2018, Wari will resume from July 6. For this holy function, thousands of devotees will trace WARI route from Dehu and Alandi, the native places of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshvar Maharaj in Pune district, on foot. Both the sants were the renowned devotee of Lord Vitthala. Dnyaneshwar's palakhi leaves from Alandi, while Tukaram's begins at Dehu. The chants of Vitthal Vitthal Jay Hari Vitthal will resonate in the air next 20 days when Wari will resume from Dehu. It will reach its final destination at the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur on July 22 for Ashadhi Ekadashi celebration. Upon reaching Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi, these devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga River/Bhima River before proceeding to visit the Vitthal temple.
49. Justice L Narasimha Reddy, the former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, has been appointed as Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad for a period of three years. President Ram Nath Kovind in his capacity as Visitor of the University appointed Justice Reddy as Chancellor of of UoH. Justice Reddy, who is also the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal, served as a Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, between 2001 and 2015.
50. The Kerala government has constituted an expert panel comprising eminent writers and language experts to choose an official song for the state. Rani George, the Cultural Department Secretary, would be the convenor of the panel. While eminent critic M Leelavathi, poet Ezhachery Ramachandran, M M Basheer, M R Raghava Warrier and K P Mohanan would be the members of it. The expert panel would select a suitable song from among the entries received and shortlisted by the Akademi.
51. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched user-friendly android app "cVigil" for citizens to report any violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections. The unique Internet-based beta version of the application 'cVIGIL' stands for "citizens' vigil". The app will be active only in States where elections have been announced. The application will be operationalised for the first time from the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan. By using this app, citizens can immediately report on incidents of misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer to lodge a complaint. The user will get 5 minutes to report an incident after having clicked a picture or a video. To prevent any misuse, the app will not allow uploading of the pre-recorded or old images and videos. The new app is expected to fill in all these gaps and create a fast-track complaint reception and redressal system.
52. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched its in-house developed & single integrated e-marketing platform named Khadi Institution Management and Information System (KIMIS) in New Delhi on July 3, 2018. The system can be accessed from anywhere in the country for the sale and purchase of Khadi and Village Industries products. This software will give real-time data of sales and will also give the updated status of stocks of khadi bhawans and godowns, allowing better planning and control of inventory of the KVIC. Approx 480 Khadi institutions and showrooms are linked with this billing software and it will be useful in raising demand and supply of goods in high demand.
53. The Union government has constituted a ministerial panel headed by the finance minister to decide about fund allocation for infrastructure projects from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) announced in the budget. The 4-member committee will approve recommendations made by the sub-committee headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary on list of infrastructure projects to be financed from the CIRF. Other members of the committee include Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Shipping; Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Railways Minister and Human Resource Development Minister. The 15-member sub-committee has secretaries from different ministries who will examine and evaluate proposals received from ministries on infrastructure projects. Besides, it will prioritize the list of infrastructure projects each year for being financed by the fund. The budget 2018 has amended the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, and has renamed the Central Road Fund as CRIF.
54. The world's first all-digital art museum has opened at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan. It features around 50 kaleidoscopic installations triggered by motion sensors, which are projected across every surface of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit space with the help of lights. The museum appears to be a set of halls with black walls without the lights.
55. The World Sports Journalists Day (WSJD) is observed every year on July 2 to mark the services of sports journalists for the promotion of sports. This day has been earmarked as the official day of celebration because of its significance as the date when the International Sports Press Association (ISPA) was established at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The purpose of the day is to encouraged sports journalists to strive for excellence in their work and to set an example to the world – not only to the world of sport, but to the world at large.
56. India's first 'MOVE: Global Mobility Summit' will be organised by NITI Aayog in New Delhi on September 7-8, 2018. The six themes for the summit are: Asset Utilization and Service, Comprehensive Electrification, Alternative Energy, Reinventing Public Transit, Logistics and Goods Transport, and Data Analytics and Mobility. The purpose of the MOVE Summit is to bring together and engage with key stakeholders within the rapidly transforming global mobility landscape and to evolve a public interest framework for a shared, connected, zero emission and inclusive mobility agenda for the future. This Summit will help drive Government's goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration and job growth and also speed up India's transition to a clean energy economy. Approx 1,200 experts from across the world including Government leadership, Industry leaders, Research Organizations, Academia, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organisation will participate.
57. Angela Ponce from Seville has created by becoming the first-ever transgender woman to be crowned Miss Universe Spain, after beating 22 contestants. She will representing her country at the 67th Miss Universe 2018 pageant in Philippines in December 2018. This comes six years after the Miss Universe organisation put an end to the ban on transgender contestants in the competition in 2012.
58. "Pandharichi Wari" is the most important pilgrimage of Maharashtra. It is more than 700 years old tradition in which devotees of Lord Vitthala called Varkari trace the route to Pandharpur. This year, in 2018, Wari will resume from July 6. For this holy function, thousands of devotees will trace WARI route from Dehu and Alandi, the native places of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshvar Maharaj in Pune district, on foot. Both the sants were the renowned devotee of Lord Vitthala. Dnyaneshwar's palakhi leaves from Alandi, while Tukaram's begins at Dehu. The chants of Vitthal Vitthal Jay Hari Vitthal will resonate in the air next 20 days when Wari will resume from Dehu. It will reach its final destination at the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur on July 22 for Ashadhi Ekadashi celebration. Upon reaching Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi, these devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga River/Bhima River before proceeding to visit the Vitthal temple.
59. Justice L Narasimha Reddy, the former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, has been appointed as Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad for a period of three years. President Ram Nath Kovind in his capacity as Visitor of the University appointed Justice Reddy as Chancellor of of UoH. Justice Reddy, who is also the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal, served as a Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, between 2001 and 2015.
60. The Kerala government has constituted an expert panel comprising eminent writers and language experts to choose an official song for the state. Rani George, the Cultural Department Secretary, would be the convenor of the panel. While eminent critic M Leelavathi, poet Ezhachery Ramachandran, M M Basheer, M R Raghava Warrier and K P Mohanan would be the members of it. The expert panel would select a suitable song from among the entries received and shortlisted by the Akademi.
61. The 8th International Convention of Saurashtra Patel Cultural Samaj 2018 has started in California, United States on July 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed International Convention through video conferencing on July 6. He appealed to NRI community to motivate at least five foreign families to visit India every year for Bharat Darshan. This can pave a new way to serve the purpose of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat Abhiyan, ultimately providing a great boost to India's tourism development. He also talked about how NRIs can contribute to the success of Mahatma Gandhi's dream, Swachh Bharat. He also appealed to the NRI community to work towards the dream of creating a New India.
62. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has launched a mobile app 'GST Verify' to protect interest of consumers. It is an android app to verify if the person collecting GST from the consumer is eligible to collect it or not. It also provides the details of the person/company collecting GST. This app, developed by B Raghu Kiran joint commissioner GST Hyderabad, can be used all across the country. Here, after downloading the app, customers can check the bill if there is any GST amount mentioned, if yes verify through this app if she/he is genuinely registered person or not. This will help customers save the amount shown as tax from the fraudster if he is cheating them.
63. The Andhra Pradesh government and the delegates of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have recently signed a pact for the establishment of a Gaming Digital Learning Hub in the state. As per agreement, UNESCO will soon set up the Design University for Gaming in Visakhapatnam. For the installation of the university, UNESCO has asked the state government to allocate 100 acres of land in Visakhapatnam for developing the city as International Gaming and Digital Learning Hub. The hub is being seen as potential medium for creating around 50,000 jobs in 10 years. The UNESCO delegates stated that Gaming Technology will be the best source of income in future and IT giants like UBSoft, Samsung, Microsoft etc are ready to establish their centres in Visakhapatnam.
64. The National Security Guard (NSG) will be the first central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing instead of the railway warrant under an agreement signed with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The MoU was signed between NSG and IRCTC at the headquarters of the special force in New Delhi. This system will eliminate the need for carrying railway warrants by the NSG personnel. Under the MOU, the IRCTC will extend the ticketing facility to the NSG headquarters and it may be later provided to the field units. A railway warrant is a voucher issued for train travel for certain categories such as government employees, security force personnel and retirees at subsidised rates or free of charge, exchangeable for a ticket.
65. Vishwas Patel, who is Director at Infibeam Avenues, has been appointed as new Chairman of Payments Council of India (PCI), the apex body representing the companies in the payments and settlement system. He succeeded Naveen Surya, who has been elevated to the post of Chairman Emeritus. PCI has also announced the appointment of Loney Antony, Managing Director, Hitachi Payment Services as its new Co-Chairman. PCI was formed under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] in 2013 to cater the needs of the digital payment industry.
66. The Ministry of Coal has launched the Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS) and 'Khan Prahari' mobile application in New Delhi. The basic purpose of CMSMS is reporting, monitoring and taking suitable action on unauthorised coal mining activities. The CMSMS is a Web-based GIS application through which location of sites for unauthorised mining can be detected. The basic platform used in the system is of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology's (MeiTY) map which provides village level information. The leasehold boundary of all the coal mines will be displayed on this map. The system will use satellite data to detect changes by which unauthorised mining activity extending beyond the allotted lease area can be detected and suitable action can be taken on it. The 'Khan Prahari' app uses space technology to curb illegal coal mining activity in the coalfield areas of the country, and provides people with a platform where they can report such incidents. One can upload geo-tagged photographs of the incident along with textual information directly to the system.
67. India will operate the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport as a Sri Lanka-India joint venture in Hambantota. The $210 million facility, 241km south-east of Colombo, is dubbed the "world's emptiest airport" due to a lack of flights. Mattala airport, named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was funded through high interest Chinese commercial loans. The airport was officially opened in March 2013. It has the capacity to handle one million passengers a year and is expected to handle five million passengers, 50,000 tonnes of cargo and 6,250 air traffic operations per annum by 2028.
68. On July 4, the Gujarat government launched a statewide mission 'Poshan Abhiyan' to eradicate malnutrition among children by providing them nutritious food through Anganwadi centres. The state government has also launched 'Purna' project to eliminate malnutrition among girls in the age group of 14 to 18. 'Purna' stands for Prevention of Under Nutrition and Reduction of Nutritional Anaemia among Adolescent Girls. The nationwide National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on March 8, 2018.
69. In a unique ruling, the Uttarakhand High Court has recently declared the "entire animal kingdom including avian and aquatic" as legal entities with a distinct persona and corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person. A Division Bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh bestowed the unique status on animal kingdom while issuing a series of directions to prevent cruelty against animals. All the citizens throughout the State of Uttarakhand are hereby declared persons in loco parentis as the human face for the welfare/protection of animals. The court also declared all Uttarakhand natives the guardians of animals and endowed them with the duty to ensure their welfare and protection.
70. Bajrang Punia from India has clinched gold in the 65kg category at the 2018 Tbilisi Grand Prix tournament by defeating Iranian wrestler Mehran Nasiri in the final in Georgia on July 6, 2018The win shows that Bajrang will be a serious medal contender at the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia. He will represent India in the 65kg after Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) handed him exemption from trials. . Punia is the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
71. Sunita Parmar, a Hindu woman in Sindh province, has created history by becoming the first from the minority community to contest the provincial assembly elections in Pakistan that are scheduled to be held on July 25. Parmar, who is from the Meghwar community will contest as an independent candidate for the Sindh Assembly constituency from Tharparkar district which has the highest number of Hindus in Pakistan. Sunita vowed to improve standards of education for women and poor health facilities in her constituency.
72. Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan has been sworn in as new Chief Justice of the Hyderabad High Court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad. Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan administered the oath at a function in the Raj Bhavan on July 7, 2018. Justice Radhakrishnan was Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court before being shifted to Hyderabad. He was the Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court for a brief period.
73. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired from the Supreme Court on 7th July 2018, has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). His tenure as NGT Chairperson has been specified as being for a period of 5 years from the date he assumes office, or till he reaches the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Justice Jawad Rahim, who is the acting chairperson of NGT. The NGT was established on October 18, 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. The tribunal's principal bench is located in New Delhi while its zonal benches are in Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai and its circuit benches are in Shimla, Shillong, Jodhpur and Kochi.
74. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will set up a state-of-the-art Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO) at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad to find indigenous solutions to meet the challenges posed by the growing air traffic and for enhancing safety, capacity and efficiency of aircraft operations in the country. Union aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has recently laid the foundation stone for CARO which will be spread over 27 acres and cater to air navigation services and airport/engineering research. It will houses latest infrastructure and be equipped with simulators. The CARO will take up research work on 4 priority areas: increasing airport throughput with the existing infrastructural limitations; airspace optimization; cost-effective infrastructure solutions for the upcoming 56 RCS airports and integrating drones in civil airspace.
75. Uday Kumar Varma, the former Information and Broadcasting secretary, has been appointed as new member of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), a self-regulatory body for general entertainment channels. Varma, who is former IAS officer of 1976 batch from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, succeeded Wajahat Habibullah. The 13-member council, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Vikramajit Sen, has actor Sharmila Tagore, theatre person Arundhati Nag and JNU professor Ira Bhaskar as some of its members, besides representatives of the National Commission for Women, National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the National Commission for Minorities, among others. The BCCC is an independent self-regulatory body set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) in June 2011 to look into complaints pertaining to all non-news general entertainment channels in India.
76. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the 3rd Indian cricketer to reach the coveted milestone of playing 500 international matches. He achieved this feat during the second T20 International against England at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on July 6, 2018. Today's T20 International was Dhoni's 92nd in the shortest format. Apart this, the former India captain has played 90 Test matches and 318 One Day Internationals. Dhoni is now the 9th player in the history of cricket and only the third Indian player, after Sachin Tendulkar (664 matches) and Rahul Dravid (509), to complete 500 international games. Some of the other names to feature on this list are – Mahela Jayawardene (652), Ricky Ponting (560), Shahid Afridi (524) and Jacques Kallis (519).
77. On July 6, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared the 438 sq. km. of area around Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). The move will prohibit construction and commercial mining activities and restrict hotels and resorts near the reserve in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. The area supports an ecologically sustainable habitat in the Western Ghats landscape for about 60-65 tigers, 600 to 800 Asian elephants and gaur apart from other animals of significance. This reserve harbours 227 species of birds, 50 species of fish, 21 species of amphibians and 34 species of reptiles. The reserve, comprising the wildlife sanctuary and the national park, extending over an area of 321 sq. km, was declared a core/critical tiger habitat in 2007. The reserve is a critical part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve spread over 5,500 sq. km.
78. The International Round Table Conference on "Data for New India'' has organised by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in New Delhi during 9-10th July, 2018. The Conference was inaugurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda. The purpose of the Round Table Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia. Such a Conference is being organized in India for the first time. In the Conference, the experts from National and International agencies would deliberate on key statistical issues, such as data governance structure and capabilities, organizational issues, managing data systems in a federal structure and resource mobilization for ensuring quality statistical products to be produced. The conference is expected to suggest measures paving way for initiating the reform process in the Indian Statistical System.
79. J N Sadhu (94), the Veteran journalist, has passed away in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. He worked with The Indian Express for nearly 35 years. Sadhu retired from The Indian Express over three decades back and settled down in Shimla. After retirement, he was into active writing as freelance journalist.
80. Kabutari Devi (70), the famous Kumaoni folk singer, has passed away in Pithoragarh , Uttarakhand on July 7, 2018. Devi, whose songs depicted the struggles in the life of Pahari women, shot to fame after her maiden performance at All India Radio, Lucknow in the 1980s. The folk singer has received several honours, which includes the Ministry of Culture, Government of Uttarakhand for her outstanding contribution which echoed the sound of Kumaon hills. Devi is remembered by folk historians as an original voice that represented the culture of the hills.
81. India's premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar from Tripura clinched gold with a score of 14.150 in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin in Turkey on July 8, 2018. This is Dipa's first medal in a World Challenge Cup. She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400. Dipa has also qualified in balance beam finals by finishing third in the qualification with a score of 11.850. She returned to action after nearly two years of lay-off due to Anetrior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury.
82. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the 17th World Sanskrit Conference (WSC) in Vancouver, Canada on July 9, 2018. More than 500 scholars and delegates from over 40 countries are participating in the 5-day conference and will exchange their knowledge by presenting papers on various subjects. There will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like – History and Education of Women in Vedic Literature, Sanskrit Buddhist Manus, introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries and research on the Gargiyajyotisa. Over 500 papers on various themes are likely to be presented during the conference. The purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people. The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.
83. Mundakkal Mathew Jacob (90), popularly known as M. M. Jacob, has passed away in Pala near Kottayam on July 9, 2018. He was the senior Congress leader and former Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob. Jacob, a former Union Minister, had also served as deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha in the 80s. Hailing from Ramapuram in the Kottayam district, Jacob had served as a general secretary and treasurer of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and the Chairman of the Kerala State Seva Dal Board. He was also a member of the AICC for many years.
84. Recently, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has extended the term of K. Kasturirangan Committee to draft a new education policy till August 31. The committee, which was supposed to submit the report by 30 June, had sought an extension to give final shape to the policy and the minister has approved it. This is the third extension granted to the panel. Initially, it was supposed to submit its report by December 2017. The existing National Education Policy (NEP) was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992. A new National Education Policy (NEP) was part of the BJP manifesto. Apart from Kasturirangan, the committee has 8 members, including mathematician Manjul Bhargava. The committee headed by the former ISRO chief will also take into account the report of a panel headed by former cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian. K Kasturirangan headed ISRO between 1994 and 2003 and was awarded the country's second-highest civilian honour — Padma Vibhushan — in 2000.
85. The International Day of Cooperatives (IDC) is observed every year on first Saturday of July to recognize and reaffirms the role of cooperatives in economic, social and cultural development and in the achievement of social policy objectives. The 2018 IDC was celebrated on the 7th of July with theme 'Sustainable societies through cooperation'. The 2018 theme is to create an opportunity for cooperatives to show how they run successful businesses while respecting our natural environment and the resources it offers.
86. The book "Winning Like Sourav: Think & Succeed Like Ganguly" has been authored by Abhirup Bhattacharya. As per the book, Ganguly's mantra was simple: If he believed that a youngster was talented, he would have enough opportunities to prove his worth. This provided a much-needed calmer atmosphere for the young player as it was certain that he will not be dropped after one failure. Ganguly is credited with nurturing players such as Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and building concept of 'Team India' and 'Men in Blue'. It was Sourav Ganguly's gamble on talented youngsters waiting for the opportunity that helped India from losing one of its greatest cricketers of all times – Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ganguly had taken over the reins of the Indian cricket team from Sachin Tendulkar after the match-fixing exposes in 2000. Bhattacharya says the book, replete with statistics and anecdotes, is not a biography but attempts at drawing management lessons and inspiration from the life of an exemplary skipper like Ganguly.
87. 'The English Patient', the wartime love story by Michael Ondaatje, has won the Golden Man Booker Prize at the closing event of the Man Booker 50 Festival in Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre in London on July 8, 2018. The prize was instituted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Man Booker prize. The English Patient is a compelling work of fiction – both poetic and philosophical. It is that rare novel which gets under your skin and insists you return to it time and again, always yielding a new surprise or delight. It moves seamlessly between the epic and the intimate – one moment you're in looking at the vast sweep of the desert and the next moment watching a nurse place a piece of plum in a patient's mouth. That movement is mirrored in the way your thoughts, while reading it, move between large themes – war, loyalty, love – to tiny shifts in the relationships between characters.
88. Anju Khosla (52) has become the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon, which is one of the toughest one-day sporting events. The New Delhi resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria, in 15 hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds. It comprises 3.86 km swimming leg, 180.25 km bike leg followed by a marathon (42.2 km), to be completed without a break. In Austria, out of the 2,761 competitors, 2,315 crossed the finish line with Anju 38th out of 41 in her age category (W50). Among women, she was 319th out of 336 athletes and overall 2,257th.
89. Indian lifter Jhilli Dalabehera from Odisha bagged the bronze medal in the 48 kg category at the 2018 IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships at Tashkent, Uzbekistan on July 7, 2018. She lifted 167 kg (75 kg + 92 kg) in 48kg to finish third on the podium. With this, Jhilli has become the second woman lifter after Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (in 2013) to win a medal in the Junior World Championships.
90. The 6th edition of biennial World Cities Summit (WCS-2018) has started in Singapore with theme "Liveable & Sustainable Cities: Embracing the Future through Innovation and Collaboration" from July 8. The 2018 theme will explore how cities can be more liveable and resilient through better governance and planning, technology and social innovations, as well as collaborations with various stakeholders and with other cities. It is an exclusive platform for government leaders and industry experts to address sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships. The key highlights of the Summit include the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize and the annual World Cities Summit Mayors Forum. The 5-day event is co-organised by the Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is held in conjunction with the Singapore International Water Week, the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, and the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition.
91. The first-ever 'India Tourism Mart (ITM)' will be hosted by the Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi from 16th to 18th September 2018. Regarding to this, the Tourism Ministry has partnered with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) to organize the event. The purpose of the event is to create an annual Global Tourism Mart for India in line with major international travel marts being held in countries across the world. The Mart will provide a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries to interact and transact business opportunities.
92. India's ace squash player Dipika Pallikal has been appointed as Asia's representative in the prestigious Athletes Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The appointment was made by the CGF. The CGF Athletes Advisory Commission was proposed in August 2017 and had reached out to all 71 member Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to nominate an athlete with the potential to serve the Athletes Commission. Each continent is represented by one athlete in CGFAAC. The Indian Olympic Association/CGA India had proposed the name of Commonwealth gold medallist Pallikal to represent Asia in the CGFAAC. The CGFAAC is the body that represents and speaks on behalf of all Commonwealth athletes. The CGFAAC currently comprises seven highly-accomplished Commonwealth athletes and medallists with significant previous Games and sports, civic and academic leadership experience.
93. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will lead the 18-member Indian men's hockey squad in the 18th Asian Games, which is scheduled to begin in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18. Midfielder Chinglensana Singh Kangujam has been named vice-captain for the tournament and he will be joined by the experienced Sardar Singh, Manpreet Singh, Simranjeet Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad in the midfield. In India's forward-line, Akashdeep Singh has made a comeback in the squad while experienced SV Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Dilpreet Singh have retained their places in the team. The team's defence will be handled by Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar and Birendra Lakra.
94. The 67th plenary meeting of North Eastern Council (NEC) has started at Shillong in Meghalaya on 9th of July, which was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. NEC is a regional planning body of eight Northeastern states. DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh, Governors and Chief Ministers of all the Northeastern states took take part in the 2-day meeting, which is being held for the first time after the Union Cabinet brought NEC under direct control of the Home Ministry. During the meet, they reviewed various presentations on matters related to all-round development of north-eastern region. Apart from this some of the major issues including transformation of several districts in the region, strengthening livelihood programmes, water resources management, doubling farmers' income by 2022, road connectivity, Implementation of 'Poshan Abhiyan' Ayushman Bharat pertaining to the northeastern states were discussed in the plenary.
95. The Odisha government and Tata Trust will jointly spend Rs 1,000 crore for development of cancer care facilities in the State over the next 5 years. Under the Odisha comprehensive cancer care programme, a state-of-the-art Tata Memorial Hospital will be set up in Bhubaneswar. The State will provide 25 acres of land free of cost for the hospital. The existing Acharya Harihar Cancer Care Hospital at Cuttack will also be upgraded. A special purpose vehicle called the Odisha Cancer Care Foundation will be constituted as the management entity. It will be under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department. It was also decided that 15 clinical units having different levels of cancer treatment facilities will be set up across the State. Comprehensive diagnostic facilities will be made available in government medical colleges at Burla, Bhawanipatna, Berhampur, Koraput, and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
96. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has launched a mobile help centre "'Saathi'" to reach out to people undertaking the annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath. The initiative 'Saathi' was launched by Abhay Vir Chauhan , the Inspector General of CRPF (Jammu Sector). The purpose of this initiative is to provide help and information to yatris staying in camps outside the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. The CRPF personnel of the mobile help centre will be visiting various camps in Jammu and apprising the pilgrims about the security measures to be kept in mind. In addition , the trained CRPF personnel of the centre would provide first aid treatment to people in need and would also be distributing medicines. Beside this, a help desk of the CRPF is already functional at the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp and another named 'Madadgaar' (helper) at the Jammu Tawi Railway Station and other information centres.
97. South Korean consumer electronics major, Samsung has set up the world's largest mobile phone factory in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The facility was inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The new plant will help the company raise its capacity in a phased manner, from 68 million units at present, to 120 million by 2020. Presently all Samsung mobile phones, including its flagship Galaxy S9, S9+ and Galaxy Note8, are manufactured at its Noida plant. The Noida factory, which was set up in 1996 , is one of the first global electronics manufacturing facilities set up in India. A bigger manufacturing plant, which is spread over 129000 sq. metres, will help Samsung meet the growing demand for its innovative products and services across the country and also fulfil the company's goal of making India an export hub for the world.
98. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved Lining Project of Son Canal in Shahbad-Bhojpur region of Bihar, which would benefit the agriculture sector immensely in the region. The estimated cost of this project is USD $503 million out of which US $352 million is being provided by ADB. This project on completion will bring immense benefits to agriculture sector of Shahbad-Bhojpur region of Bihar.
99. The Gujarat Government has granted religious minority status to Jewish community living in the state. The GR to this effect was issued on July 6 by the state's Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. As religious minority members professing the faith of Judaism, they shall get the religious minority rights envisaged in the Constitution and various acts and rules of the state government. They shall also get benefits of welfare schemes formulated for religious minority communities within the jurisdiction of Gujarat. With this, Gujarat has become the 3rd state in India to grant religious minority status to Jews after West Bengal and Maharashtra.
100. Union Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Rathore has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs. five lakh to National Level Archer Gohela Boro for her medical treatment. The financial assistance has been given from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons. This is in addition to financial assistance of over Rs. 3.37 lakh already provided to her upto January 2018. The archer is suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus combined with other multiple disorder. She hails from village Amguri in Kokrajhar district of Assam.
101. The World Population Day (WPD) is observed every year on July 11 to bring attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. One must know that Earth has limited resources & for humanity to prosper, we must use them optimally. The 2018 theme is "Family planning is a human right". Let's take a conscious call while planning our families, so our children can coexist with the environment without any dearth of resources.
102. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched 'The Eat Right Movement' to empower the citizens by improving their health and well-being. It is a platform to provide credible information to help make informed and healthful eating choices. It is built on two broad pillars – "Eat Healthy and "Eat Safe". "Eat Healthy" is about making healthy food choices. "Eat Safe" is about ensuring food safety from procurement to consumption and disposal of food. Led by the FSSAI, it is a collective effort, to nudge the citizens towards making right food and dietary choices. The aim of the programme is to cut down salt/sugar and oil consumption by 30% in three years.
103. The Western Ghats (India) bagged the 4th best tourist spot in Lonely Planet's top five "2018 Best in Asia" list, a collection of 10 of the best destinations to visit in the continent for the year. The Western Ghats is older than the Himalayas and well known for its rich and unique flora and fauna. It is one of the Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots and UNESCO World Heritage site. It supports the life of 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1814 species of non-flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, 6000 insects species and 290 freshwater fish species. Lonely Planet is considered a Bible by travellers worldwide. The list is topped by Busan in South Korea, followed by Uzbekistan and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).
104. India has been ranked 57th most innovative nation among 130 countries in the 11th edition of Global Innovation Index (GII-2018), which is developed jointly by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). GII is a leading bench-marking tool for business executives, policymakers and others seeking insight into the state of innovation around the world. The ranking is constantly being used to evaluate progress on a continual basis. The GII ranks 126 economies based on 80 indicators. It is now in its 11th edition and has become a major input for policymakers on innovation around the world. On the global front, Switzerland maintained its number one position in the Global Innovation Index rankings. Other countries that fell in the top 10 list were Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, the US, Finland, Denmark, and Germany.
105. State-run telecom firm BSNL has become the India's first Mobile operator to launch Internet Telephony Services. The facility will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app. Now, BSNL Customers will be able to make calls using BSNL's mobile app "Wings" to any phone number in the country and even from abroad. The app can be activated using internet anywhere in the world and calls can be made. The fee of Rs 1,099 includes unlimited calling within India. Before this, phone calls on mobile apps were possible within users of a particular app and not on telephone numbers. Using this service, BSNL customers will be able to make calls on any network in the country even by using BSNL wi-fi or any other service provider. The services will be activated from July 25 onwards.
106. Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, who is the Vice Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), has assumed charge as the 97th President of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The AIU was founded in 1925, and initially it was known as the Inter-University Board of India. The AIU currently has more than 720 members, represented by Vice Chancellors. It facilitates coordination and mutual consultation among Universities and acts as a liaison with the Central and State governments. Besides promoting academic excellence nationally and internationally, the AIU is also a body that is very much involved in cultural and sporting activities in higher education domain.
107. The Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue. With this, M. Venkaiah Naidu became the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement. He signed an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza, on 10th July 2018. The MOU with 6 articles of cooperation seeks to promote Inter-Parliamentary dialogue, Capacity building of parliamentary staff, Organisation of conferences, forums, seminars, staff attachment programmes, workshops and exchanges, Collaboration in mutual interest in regional and international multilateral parliamentary bodies in furtherance of bilateral relations and friendship between the two nations.
108. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has granted "Institutions of Eminence" (IoEs) status to IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in the public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, BITS Pilani and Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation in the private sector. The Jio Institute has been selected under the Greenfield Category. The aim of this move is to improve the level of educational institutes in the country, so that they can compete with foreign institutions. The goal is to bring them into the top 500 institutions in the world within the next 10 years, and eventually in top 100. The Government will grant Rs 1,000 crore funds to the three public institutions in the next five years though; the private institutes will not be eligible for government funding.
109. On July 10, the Indian naval ship INS Sumitra became the first-ever warship to enter port of Sabang in Indonesia. It was received by traditional dancers and Indonesian traditional band. The ship was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to Indonesia PK Rawat, Indonesian foreign affairs officials, members from Indian embassy, Indian businessmen and Indonesian naval and air force officers onboard. The warship was deployed in Malacca Straits. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jakarta in May 2018, in a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, it was decided that New Delhi will develop the strategically important Indonesian port Sabang in the Indian Ocean, close to the Andamans.
110. Ramesh Abhishek, secretary in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), has released State Business Reform Assessment 2018 at an event in New Delhi on July 10. In it, Andhra Pradesh has topped the ease of doing business rankings, while Telangana is in 2nd and Haryana is in 3rd position. DIPP in collaboration with the World Bank conducts an annual reform exercise for all States/UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP). In it, 17 states have achieved a reform evidence score of more than 90% and 15 have achieved a combined score of 90% and more. While Chhattisgarh has topped in terms of property registration, Rajasthan has topped in terms of construction permit. West Bengal has topped in terms of labour regulation and Karnataka topped in terms of environmental registration. Uttarakhand has topped in terms of land availability and Odisha has topped in terms of paying taxes. Uttar Pradesh tops in terms of obtaining utility permit.
111. Dr. TCA Raghavan, a 1982 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as Director General of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) with effect from 24th July 2018. The post is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India (GoI). Earlier, Dr. Raghavan has served as India's High Commissioner to Islamabad and Singapore and has served in our missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait.
112. On July 12, Indian Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) on the Defence Salary Package that will include free personal accident death, free permanent total disability cover and other accidental benefits to the deceased soldier and family. The revised MoU will benefit a large number of serving and retired Army personnel who have their accounts with the SBI. The first MoU between SBI and the Indian Army was signed in 2011 and was renewed in February 2015. The renewed MoU will be valid till January 3, 2019.
113. Dada JP Vaswani (99),the Spiritual leader and head of Sadhu Vaswani mission, has passed away in Pune, Maharashtra on July 12, 2018. Born in Hyderabad, Sindh (Pakistan) on 2nd of August 1918, Vaswani was a world renowned spiritual leader known for promoting vegetarianism and animal rights. He is credited to have written over 150 self-help books. Sadhu Thanwardas Lilaram Vaswani, who founded Sadhu Vaswani Mission, was his Guru. He was the recipient of the 1998 U Thant Peace Award, given by the United Nations. Dada Vaswani's birthday is celebrated as a Global Forgiveness Day.
114. The Gujarat government has given in-principle approval for 'Seema Darshan' project for developing more infrastructure facilities from T-Junction to Zero Point at Nadabet near Suigam in Banaskantha district to instill patriotism through a unique Gujarat initiative. The project, which is being developed on the pattern of Wagah Border, will include an exhibition hall and a parade ground with an amphitheatre for 5,000 people. People can watch the border where the Gujarat's seacoast meets the landmass. The project seeks to show how the BSF jawans protect the border round-the-clock. The project will encourage local economic activity in the Rann region, alongside visit to adjoining flamingo and wild ass sanctuaries.
115. The play script "Hello Farmaish", which is being shortlisted for The Hindu Playwright Award 2018, is written by Sneh Sapru. The play script is a satire that describes as a drama with bold streaks of magic realism. The winner of The Hindu Playwright Award will be announced on August 9, 2018 on the eve of the opening of the 14th edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest in Chennai on August 10. The award, instituted in 2008, carries a prize of Rs 2 lakh for the best original, unpublished and unperformed play script in English.
116. India has become the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This move will enable Indian companies to undertake joint investments in regions in which the EBRD operates. Here, India takes a shareholding in the EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing. London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It aims to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe and invests in 38 emerging economies. The EBRD is also working closely with leading Indian organisations, such as FICCI, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
117. Prof N N Wig, the doyen of Psychiatry in India, has passed away in Chandigarh on July 13, 2018. He led many pioneering studies related to mental health at national and international levels and headed departments in various prestigious institutions like AIIMS, Delhi and PGIMER, died here at the age of 88 after a brief illness. Born on 1st October 1930 in Gujranwala (Pakistan), Wig founded the psychiatry department in Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in 1963. He dedicated his entire life towards creating awareness among people towards mental illness. He also contributed to the classification of psychiatric disorders in India and at the international level.
118. Sprinter Hima Das has created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold at the IAAF World Under- 20 Athletics Championships in Tempere, Finland on July 12, 2018. Das, who is from Dhing village in Assam's Nagaon distrist, has clinched the top spot in the women's 400 meters final race on the third day of the competitions. She clocked 51.46 seconds to win the gold. No woman before Das has won a gold medal in a World Championship at any level, be it youth, junior or senior. She is also the first Indian, men or women, to have won a gold in a track event at the world level.
119. The book "Aluminium: The Future Metal" has been authored by Tapan Kumar Chand, the CMD of NALCO. It gives a comprehensive overview of the strategic metal and its futuristic role in the growth of industry and economy of the country. The book is recently released by Narendra Singh Tomar , the Union Minister of Mines, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
120. Shrimat Pandey is the newly-appointed chairman of the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) and will have tenure of five years. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court, administered oath of office to Pandey. The Commission was established on 2nd January 2000 under the ERC Act, 1998 o play a more effective role in the development of energy sector.
121. The Government of India (GoI) has invited US President Donald Trump to be chief guest at the 2019 Republic Day Parade. The US is yet to officially accept India's invite, which offered in April 2018. The invitation has been extended against the backdrop of tensions over tariffs, with the Trump administration pressurizing India to reduce oil imports from Iran. In addition, the abrupt postponement of the heavily anticipated 2+2 dialogue dealt a significant blow to the Indian government. However, the US claimed that the delay would not affect ties, and the summit has been scheduled to take place in September 2018.
122. The 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 13th July 2018 for showcasing blocks which will be auctioned by the states in FY 2018-19 to the potential investors. The aim of the conclave was to carry forward the efforts of the Union Government for strengthening the mineral auction regime as well as help in expediting auctions and bring in greater participation from the stakeholders. This Mining Conclave provided unique opportunity to the State Governments to showcase their auctionable mineral blocks with regard to its exploration, mineral resources, transport connectivity from mineral block, policy scenario in State and incentives to attract prospective investors. It also provided a great opportunity to the investors to identify the mineral blocks and participate in the auction of suitable mineral blocks.
123. The Odisha Government has constituted Heritage Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to preserve the history and culture of Odisha. The Heritage Cabinet will maintain coordination between the institutions and departments working to preserve and spread Odia language, culture and literature. It will also prepare policies, and prepare and approve short-term and long-term plans. In short, the aim of the Heritage Cabinet is to spread and preserve history and culture of Odisha and enrich Odia language further. The Cabinet comprises eight members, including the Chief Minister. While the Chief Secretary will be Secretary of Heritage Cabinet, secretary in the department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture will be its convenor. The secretaries of all the departments concerned will be special invitees.
124. Angelique Kerber has won the 2018 women singles' Wimbledon tennis tournament by defeating 7-time winner Serena Williams by 6-3 6-3. With the win, Kerber has become the first German woman to win the title since Steffi Graf in 1996. Serena was bidding a record-equaling 24th major trophy.
125. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day tour of eastern Uttar Pradesh, dedicated the 171 km long Bansagar Canal Project to the nation in Mirzapur on July 15, 2018. The project, which is a joint venture of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, has been constructed at the cost of about Rs 3400 crore. This project will provide a big boost to irrigation in the Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh and about two Lakhs farmers will be benefited. Apart from dedicating the Bansagar Canal Project, PM Modi dedicated a bridge over River Ganga at Balughat in Chunar, which will facilitate connectivity between Mirzapur and Varanasi. PM also laid the Foundation Stone of the Mirzapur Medical College. Beside this, Mr Modi will also lay the Foundation of two bridges on local river Belan. The construction of both the bridges is much awaited demands of villagers of Halia block of the district for better transportation particularly in rainy season.
126. India has become the Vice-Chair (Regional Head) of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organization (WCO) for a period of two years, from July 2018 to June 2020. According to a Finance Ministry release, the position will enable India to take on leadership role of Asia Pacific Region of the organization. The WCO has divided its Membership into six Regions. Each of the six Regions is represented by a regionally elected Vice-Chairperson to the WCO Council. Currently, WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.
127. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution 2428 (2018) to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan. The measure will stop the flow of weapons to armed groups in the country. It is in addition to the current sanctions, till May 31, 2019. Under the terms of Resolution, all Member States must prevent arms and related equipment of all types from entering South Sudan. The Resolution 2428 renews a travel ban and asset freeze against designated individuals and entities till May 31, 2019. It also renews the mandate of the Panel of Experts, who assists the work of the sanctions committee, until July 1, 2019. The resolution expresses deep concern at the failures of South Sudanese leaders to bring an end to the hostilities and condemns the continued and flagrant violations of previous peace agreements.
128. The play script "Guilt", which is being shortlisted for The Hindu Playwright Award 2018, is written by Bengaluru-based Swetanshu Bora. The play script is about re-discovering relationships, post tragedy. An actor and playwright, Mr. Bora performs and writes in Hindi and English. The winner of The Hindu Playwright Award will be announced on August 9, 2018 on the eve of the opening of the 14th edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest in Chennai on August 10. The award, instituted in 2008, carries a prize of Rs 2 lakh for the best original, unpublished and unperformed play script in English.
129. Kalpesh Yagnik (55), the veteran journalist and Dainik Bhaskar Group, has passed away in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on July 14, 2018. Born on 21st June 1963, Yagnik was associated with the Bhaskar Group since 1998. He was both an excellent writer and editor who wrote on social issues.Tim
130. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has constituted a 10 Member Committee, headed by the Injeti Srinivas (Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs), for review of the penal provisions in the Companies Act, 2013. The basic aim of the committee is to examine de-criminalisation of certain offences and to suggest ways to replace it with in-house mechanism, where a penalty could be levied in instances of default. The committee will examine the existing compoundable offences in the Companies Act – 2013 viz. offences punishable with fine only or punishable with fine or imprisonment or both. It is also required to be seen as to whether any non-compoundable offences punishable with imprisonment only, or punishable with imprisonment and also with fine under the Companies Act, 2013 may be made compoundable. The Committee shall submit its report within 30 days to the Central Government for consideration of its recommendations.
131. Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated 4 Rajya Sabha members viz. Farmer leader and former MP Ram Shakal, sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh and Founder of Delhi-based "India Policy Foundation" Rakesh Sinha. Raghunath Mohapatra is an internationally renowned sculptur famous for his stone carvings. Practicing since 1959, Mr. Mohapatra has trained over 2000 students. He has contributed to the preservation of traditional sculpture and ancient monuments, and has worked on the beautification of the Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri. Mr. Mohapatra's famous works include a six-feet high statue of the Sun God carved in grey sandstone in the Central Hall of Parliament, the lotus carving at Vir Bhoomi memorial of Rajiv Gandhi in New Delhi, and the Wooden Buddha in Paris.
132. Kutchi community celebrates its New Year on Aashadhi Beej, which falls in month of Ashada (July / August).
133. Haryana has launched 'I am not afraid of English' initiative to make primary school students fluent in English.
134. For the first time ever, United Nations Member States have agreed an all-encompassing "Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration" to better manage international migration, address its challenges, strengthen migrant rights and contribute to sustainable development.
135. India's home minister Rajnath Singh has recently inaugurated the world's largest state-of-the-art visa centre in Dhaka with modern facilities, promising shorter waiting times for applicants. This Integrated centre at Jamuna Future Park (JFP), Dhaka is the largest Indian visa centre in the world with 18,500 square feet commercial area.
136. The UN members have unanimously elected Iceland to take a seat on the world body's 47-member Human Rights Council. US had left the UNHRC in June, 2018 calling it a cesspool of political bias for its criticism of Israeli regime's crimes against Palestinians.
137. On 15 July, 2018, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Bansagar canal project in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. This dam project is a joint venture between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and includes a total canal network of 171 kms. These canals will bring waters from Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh for Adwa Barrage, Meza Dam and Jirgo reservoir. The project promises to be greatly beneficial for the farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh. It would hopefully benefit 1 lakh 70 thousand farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts.
138. Vikas (acronym for VIKram Ambalal Sarabhai) Engine is the workhorse liquid rocket engine powering the second stage of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), second stage and the four strap on stages of Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the twin engine core liquid stage (L110) of GSLV Mk-III.
139. Sanskrit is one of the languages in the Eighth Schedule and is also an official language in Uttarakhand.
140. World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on 15th July every year. This day is celebrated to expand awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development. The United Nations General Assembly decided in resolution A/RES/69/145 to depute 15 July as World Youth Skills Day.
141. Under the existing legal regime, a candidate is allowed to contest from up to a maximum of two constituencies in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly polls. The PIL filed seeks to limit this to one seat because it leads to wastage of public money in getting the election conducted once again for the constituency which is left vacant by the winning candidate.
142. On 16 July, India's supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha under extreme conditions. Brahmos is India's only supersonic cruise missile and it can cruise at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, or three times the speed of sound.
143. On July 16, 2018 IIT-Madras unveils "world's first" remotely operable LEAP (Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope.
144. Ayushman Mitra Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) will be a medical professional assisting patients seeking treatment. Their main work will be to assist patients coming to the hospital, and coordinate between patients and hospitals. The AB-NHPS aims at providing a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually and benefiting more than 10 crore poor families.
145. The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1952 and its main work is in areas covering the international conventions and standards related to customs, trade, IPR protection etc.
146. UK has topped an annual global ranking of nations' soft power. The 2018 'Soft Power 30' index is published by UK-based strategic communications consultancy firm Portland and the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. This index has listed 30 countries in which France gets second place, Germany third and United States fourth. India does not feature in this list.
147. The planned National Youth Empowerment Scheme will provide military training to 10 lakh young men and women every year to instil nationalism, discipline and self-esteem.
148. On July 12, the government sharply increased the monetary threshold for filing appeals in tax disputes in various courts and decided to withdraw many pending appeals to cut down litigation and improve ease of doing business. The new monetary threshold for filing appeals in tribunals handling income tax as well as customs, excise and service tax disputes has been doubled from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.20 lakh. In the case of high courts, the monetary threshold is now Rs.50 lakh instead of Rs.20 lakh earlier. In the Supreme Court, the threshold has been increased from Rs25 lakh to Rs 1 crore. This will bring down tax litigation by 37%.
149. The 2018 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit is to commence from August 30, 2018 in Nepal. This is the fourth summit of BIMSTEC since its formation in 1997. Nepal is hosting it for the first time. It will see the heads of states from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand along with Nepal.
150. The 1504 kilometers of Western DFC cover Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and UP. The Eastern DFC cover UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana.
151. The Union Government has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Anil Swarup ( former Secretary of School Education) to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS). The Committee will deal with on issues like expansion, strengthening training infrastructure, rationalizing resources, reducing manpower deficiency affecting NCC and NSS. The Committee will also submit recommend for building synergies between these two institutions viz. NCC and NSS and further strengthen them for empowering the youth. At present, there are 13.5 lakh cadets in NCC in the age group of 12 to 26 years with pan India presence in about 703 out of 716 districts.
152. The Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes was organized by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the Ministry of AYUSH at India International Centre, New Delhi on 17th and 18th July 2018. The aim of the conference was to upgrade quality of education, research, hospital care facilities in the national AYUSH institutions throughout the country and develop them as light house institutions. The AIIA is a public Ayurveda medicine & research institution and is located in New Delhi.
153. India's first greenfield skill training centre will come up at Baranga near Bhubaneswar in Odisha. For this, the Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone of NSTI Bhubaneswar on July 16. The aim of the state-of-the-art institute will be to impart training to the trainers & create a skill-based ecosystem to meet expectations of the industry. The National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) would provide a variety of hybrid skill training programmes, both long and short term, along with advanced diploma programme. The institute would impart training in Systems Applications Products (SAP), Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare and agriculture, mobile repairing, solar technician and technician mechatronics, advanced Diploma in IT Networking and Cloud Computing, Training of Trainers (ToT) in Pedagogy for Sector Skill Councils, ToT for conventional courses including fitter, electrician, plumbing and welding. The Institute will be set up at a cost of Rs. 160 crore, on a 5 Acre land.
154. On July 14, Classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, columnist Rakesh Sinha, Sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra and farmer leader Ram Shakal have been nominated by the President Ram Nath Kovind to the Rajya Sabha. The new nominations have been made to fill the vacancies caused due to the retirement of nominated members Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha, Anu Aga and K Parasaran. Under Article 80 of the Constitution, the President can nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha "from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art and social service." The nominated members have six-year term. The other sitting nominated members include boxer Mary Kom, columnist Swapan Dasgupta, advocate K.T.S. Tulsi, economist Narendra Jadhav and BJP members Subramanian Swamy, Roopa Ganguly, Suresh Gopi and Sambhaji Chhatrapati.
155. The scientists from IIT Delhi have developed a silk-based hydrogel that emulates the process of hair growth, an advance that may help screen novel drugs for treating hair loss without using animal tests. The hydrogel is developed by combining a mixture of silk proteins, isolated from silkworm cocoons, and gelatin. Tyrosinase enzyme was used to develop a stable hydrogel system. The system provided an ideal environment to develop a complete 3D model of hair follicle regeneration. Hair loss is a common ailment, and can be stressful for the people experiencing it. A number of factors including genes, illness, trauma and surgeries can lead to temporary or permanent hair loss. However, as per researchers, alopecia – condition that occurs due to abnormal growth cycle or reduction in the size of hair follicles – is the major reason contributing to permanent hair loss. The study is published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology, which shows how the 3-dimensional mini organs can mimic the different stages of hair growth in humans.
156. Aruna Sairam, the renowned Carnatic vocalist, has been selected for the 2018 Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy. She will preside over the 92nd annual conference to be held between December 15, 2018 and January 1, 2019. The award will be conferred to her on January 1, the day of Sadas. Beside her, Mridhangist Thanjavur R. Ramadoss and vocalist K. Oman Kutty will receive the Sangita Kala Acharya award. T.T.K. Awards will be given to veena player Kalyani Ganesan and nagaswaram player S.R.G. Rajanna. Dr. Premeela Gurumurthy, the Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu University for Fine Arts, will get the musicologist award and dancer Shanta Dhananjayan will get the Nritiya Kalanidhi award, which will be conferred on her January 3
157. According to the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops in 2017 by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), India has the world's fifth largest cultivated area under genetically modified (GM) crops. However, this entire area is under single crop – cotton. Currently, the country with highest area under transgenic crops, at 75 mh, is the United States. US grows GM soyabean, maize (corn), cotton, alfalfa, canola, sugar-beet, potato, apples, squash and papaya.
158. The French National Football team has clinched the 2018 FIFA World Cup by defeating Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15. Croatia were playing in their first World Cup final. They were the smallest country to reach the Final in the modern era. For France, it was a first World Cup crown since winning on home soil in 1998. England's Harry Kane won the World Cup Golden Boot Award as top scorer with 6 goals. Croatia captain Luka Modric won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup's best player despite being on the losing side. Kylian Mbappe of France won the Young Player of the Tournament Award after scoring his 4th goal of the competition in the final. Belgium's Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper. Now, France joined Uruguay and Argentina in winning the World Cup for a second time, after their 1998 triumph over Brazil when Didier Deschamps — now the coach — was the captain.
159. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has partnered with Google to monitor the impacts of human activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools. The purpose of the partnership is to develop a platform to enable governments, NGO's and the public to track specific environment-related development targets with a user-friendly Google front-end. The partnership was launched during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN headquarters in New York. Initially, the focus will be on fresh-water ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. These areas account for 0.01% of the world's water but provide habitat for almost 10 per cent of the world's known species and evidence suggests a rapid loss of freshwater biodiversity. Google will periodically produce geo-spatial maps and data on water-related ecosystems by employing massive parallel Cloud computing technology.
160. The Madhya Pradesh government has inaugurated the state-run power giant National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)'s 250 MW Solar Power Plant at Suwasra in district Mandsaur. This project has been set up mainly on non-agricultural land and generation of electricity has been achieved without affecting the natural eco-system with zero carbon emission at an investment of about Rs 1,500 crore. This is one of the biggest solar plant developed using domestically manufactured Solar cells and modules under the Make in India initiative. The Project has been commissioned in June 2017 and generated electricity is being supplied for consumption in Madhya Pradesh, the sole beneficiary.
161. The Government of India (GoI) has given 'In-Principle' approval for construction and operation of LIGO-India (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in India) Laboratory in Hingoli District of Maharashtra. The LIGO-India Observatory is scheduled to be operational in 2024 in collaboration with the LIGO Laboratory in United States. This is the 3rd observatory identical to two other LIGO observatories in USA: Hanford ( Washington) and Livingston ( Louisiana). Regarding to this, a MoU was signed between DAE-DST of India and National Science Foundation of USA in March 2016. This information was provided by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 18th of July 2018.
162. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has organised "Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan" in five main stem Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal from 9th July to 15th July 2018. It has been observed as 'Shubharambh Saptah'. The campaign has been initiated as part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami Gange programme. The aim of the campaign is to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga Rejuvenation. Plantation activities are being carried out with great enthusiasm all along the banks of the River Ganga with participation of local people. Some of the plants which are being sown during the campaign are Kanji, Sheesham, Farmis, Jamun, Arjun, Gutal, Siras, Chhitvan, Mango, Neem, Semal, Jungal Jalebi, Gulmohar, Kadam, Sagwan, Saal, etc.
163. The biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise "Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18)" will be hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Australia, which is scheduled from 24th July to 18th August. For the first time, the Indian Air Force is participating in the mega exercise with fighter aircraft, which will involve over 100 aircraft from around the globe. The IAF contingent consists of 145 air-warriors including Garud team, 04 X Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17. The contingent is being led by Group Captain CUV Rao VM and would aim to undertake simulated air combat exercises in a controlled environment and mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing IAF operational capability.
164. The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has stated that women have the constitutional right to enter the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala and pray like men without being discriminated against. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions that challenged the traditional ban on the entry of women between 10 and 50 years of age in the Sabarimala temple, which is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. A 5-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said that even if there was no law, women cannot be discriminated against with regard to offering prayer in a temple. As per the temple tradition, entry of women in the 10-50 age group is restricted in the shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, who is considered a 'Naishtika Brahmachari' (perennial celibate).
165. As part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held between India and the US delegation in New Delhi on July 18, 2018. The meeting was co-chaired by, Secretary (Defence Production), Dr Ajay Kumar and Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD, US Government Ms Ellen M Lord. The purpose of the meeting is to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of defence equipment. The DTTI is an important forum leading to the 22 dialogue between the two countries. The meetings are held twice a year, alternately in India and the USA.
166. The book "The House of Islam: A Global History" has been authored by Self-proclaimed former Islamist radical Ed Husain. It explores the intricacies of Islam and the inner psyche of the Muslim world. Through the book, he makes three suggestions to help heal the rancour in the Islamic world – create a Middle East union, implement a Muslim Marshall plan and expel extremists from within Islam. The author also feels that as long as the house of Islam provides shelter for Salafi-jihadis, the rest of the world will attack Islam and Muslims. Salafi-jihadis claim to be the truest of true Muslims and inject total certainty into the minds of their adherents, so that they would be prepared to kill if they could. He suggested that there needs to be a global declaration by all 50-plus Muslim governments and their Islamic leaders, disowning these theological brigands as disbelievers.
167. Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri (62), who worked extensively in films and television shows, has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on July 17, 2018. In her over three decades-long career in the entertainment industry, Rita acted in over 70 movies like Raja, Julie, Beta, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar and 30 TV shows including Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Choti Bahu, Kumkum, Khichdi and many others.
168. The 2018 Nelson Mandela International Day (NMID) marked the 100th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela, the former South African President & Nobel Peace Prize winner, i.e. on July 18. The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) dedicated this year's Mandela Day to 'Action Against Poverty', honouring Nelson Mandela's leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the life and work of a legend who embodied the highest values of the United Nations (UN). Mandela was South Africa's first black president, who spent 27 years in three different prisons and was an anti-Apartheid icon who led a memorable life. His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African President F.W. de Klerk led to the end of the country's apartheid system of racial segregation. For their efforts, both of them jointly received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993.
169. According to Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s latest report "Asian Development Outlook (ADO)", India's GDP growth has been projected to rise 7.3% in current fiscal year FY19 (2018-19). The report, which was published in April 2018, stated that Indian economy's growth will further accelerate to 7.6% in FY20 (2019-20) because the measures taken to strengthen the banking system and tax reform will boost investment. The report also pointed that South Asia, led by India will continue to be the fastest growing sub-region despite rising tensions between the US and its trading partners. The ADO has also retained the combined growth forecast for the major industrial economies — the US, the Euro zone and Japan — as growth in the US and the Euro area remains robust.
170. Rajmata Satvashila Devi Bhosle (83), the noted activist from Konkan region in Maharashtra, has passed away at Sawantwadi on July 18, 2018. She was associated with Sawantwadi Sansthan. She was the wife of the last King of the Sawantwadi Kingdom late Shivramraje Bhosle who was coronated before the merger of the princely state into Union of India.
171. The 8th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting was held at Durban, South Africa on July 20, 2018. In it, J P Nadda (the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) highlighted the achievements of India in the health sector. He said that to reduce Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), India has already initiated universal screening for prevention and management of five common NCDs including hypertension, diabetes and three common cancers of oral cavity, breast and cervix at pan India level. Beside this, India has started a unique initiative called AMRIT Deendayal pharmacy Centres that provide medicines for cancer & cardiovascular diseases and cardiac implants at significantly reduced prices. Apart from this, the unique programme 'Ayushman Bharat' has also launched that rests on the twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres for provision of comprehensive primary healthcare services and National Health Protection Mission for secondary and tertiary care that aims to cover around 100 million families.
172. On July 19, the Elphinstone Road station on the suburban rail network of Mumbai has been rechristened as Prabhadevi station in honour of a local deity Prabhadevi and to erase a "colonial" name. The new nomenclature of the station will be PBHD. The station was named after Lord Elphinstone who had taken over as the then Governor of Bombay in 1853 (1853-1860), the year railways were introduced in India. The deity Prabhadevi also has its own importance as the area is locally known as Prabhadevi, after the temple that was first established by Raja Bhimdev in 13th century.
173. The Chhattisgarh government has launched an online portal and mobile app 'Aabhaar-Aapki seva ka (Gratitude-For Your Service)' to provide transparency in the pension facility. Through this app and the website, 80,000 pensioners of the state will now get all the information related to pension and payment online. The pensioners will get the benefit of senior pension with the State government's 7th pay scale before January 1, 2016. This pension system was launched by the Online Pension Management System (OPMS) for the pensioners of the state.
174. Repco Micro Finance Ltd (RMFL), a non-banking finance company promoted by Repco Bank, has won the 2018 NABARD award for its service to Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage in Tamil Nadu for the fiscal year 2017-18. Since its inception, the NBFC has disbursed loans amounting to Rs 2,500 crore to over 10 lakh beneficiaries through 50,000 SHGs.
175. Viresh Kundu has won bronze in the 97kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the 2018 Asian Junior Championships in New Delhi on July 18, 2018. Viresh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh and trains in Zirakpur, defeated South Korea's Jeongyul Kwon by 14-5 in the 97 kg Bronze medal play-off to win his first international medal.
176. On July 19, the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue has started in New Delhi with theme 'Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Co-operation'. The Delhi Dialogue is a premier annual track 1.5 event to discuss politico-security, economic and socio-cultural engagement between India and ASEAN. In the 2-day event, the political leadership, policymakers, officials, diplomats, business leaders, think-tanks and academicians from India and ASEAN Member States are participating in the discussions. This is the first major event to be organized after the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit that was held in New Delhi in January 2018.
177. Israel has passed a law to declare that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. The nation-state law, backed by the right-wing government, was passed by a vote of 62 for and 55 against and two abstentions in the 120-member parliament after months of political argument. The law was enacted just after the 70th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel. It stipulates that Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it. The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official language alongside Hebrew, downgrading it to a special status that enables its continued use within Israeli institutions. The members of the Arab minority have criticized the law as racist and verging on apartheid.
178. Recently, Myanmar has joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) and became the 68th signatory to the Framework Agreement of the ISA. The primary aim of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It is headquartered at Gwal Pahari village in Gurugram, Haryana. The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
179. Gopal Das Neeraj, the Doyen of Hindi poetry, has passed away in New Delhi on July 19, 2018. Neeraj, who was awarded Padma Shri (1991) and Padma Bhushan (2007), was born in Purvali village of Uttar Pradesh's Etawa district. He won 3 Filmfare awards and penned some of the all-time hits like Likhe jo khat tujhe. His works include: 'Dard Diya Hai', 'Asawari' 'Likh Likh Bhejat Pati' and more.
180. The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed every year on July 15 to call for increased prospects for youth to gain access to quality training and skills development. The purpose of the day is to spread awareness on the importance of youth developing skill development. The 2018 theme is "Improving the image of TVET (Technical & Vocational Education and Training)".
181. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed an online tool "TreadWill" to help people cope with issues related to mental health. The tool has been developed by a team with collaborative support from the Computer Science and Engineering and Humanities and Social Sciences, HSS (Psychology) departments. TreadWill is a website designed to help people deal with stress, low mood, lethargy and other depressive symptoms through different online exercises, questionnaires and games. It will help in overcoming depressive symptoms and becoming more resilient against stressful events in the future.
182. Professor Raj Kumar of the Banaras Hindu University has been appointed the new vice-chancellor (V-C) of the Panjab University (PU) in Chandigarh. The term of the appointment will be 3 years with effect from July 23, 2018, or from the date he assumes charge as V-C. He will succeed Arun Kumar Grover. The appointment was made by the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is chancellor of the university, by exercising powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947.
183. Lakshya Sen from India has clinched historic men's singles gold at the Asia Badminton Junior Championship 2018 in Jakarta on July 22. In the final, he defeated top-seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand by 21-19, 21-18. With this, he became the 3rd Indian shuttler to win singles gold at the competition after Gautam Thakkar and Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu. Sindhu, who is an Olympic silver medalist, won the title in 2012 while Thakkar won gold all the way back in 1965.
184. Recently, Australia announced plans to explore concepts such as firing salt into clouds and covering swathes of water with a thin layer of film in a bid to save the embattled Great Barrier Reef. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed reef, about the size of Japan or Italy, is reeling from two straight years of bleaching as sea temperatures rise because of climate change. The site contains the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. Experts have warned that the 2,300-kilometre long area could have suffered irreparable damage. To resolve the issue, the Australian Government offered US$1.5 million to attract innovative ideas to protect the site. Out of 69 submissions, 6 schemes has been shortlisted that will be tested to see if they are feasible. The short-listed projects include mass producing coral larvae with the aid of 3D-printed surfaces to support new growth, and large-scale harvesting and relocation of larvae.
185. A young Afghan basketball player, Samira Asghari has been nominated for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership. She is among 9 candidates for membership of the body in a move to boost women's rights. Regarding to this, IOC President Thomas Bach stated that the nomination of Samira Asghari will send a message not only to men and women in Afghanistan but also in all those countries where women are facing serious obstacles to pursue sport. For membership, 5 of the 9 candidates due to be voted in October are "Individual Members" proposed by a special committee, 3 of those are women. The other four represent either National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or international sports federations (IFs) which are entitled to representation. All four are men.
186. In the Junior Asian Wrestling Championships 2018, Indian wrestler Mansi Ahlawat had to settle for a Silver after she lost to Japan's Akie Hanai in the 57 kg category final in New Delhi on July 20. In the 53 kilogram category, the Bronze medal was won by Swati Shinde after she defeated Thailand's Duangnapa Boonyasu in the play-off. Earlier, India had clinched a Silver medal through Divya Kakran in the 68 kg category, while the two Bronze medals came through Reena in 55 kgs and Karuna in 76 kgs.
187. The 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018 will be held in Kathmandu from 30 to 31 August. The main focus of the summit will be to increase connectivity between the BIMSTEC nations including roads, airways and transmission lines. The Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional economic bloc comprising 7 member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. The group was formed in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is the current chair of BIMSTEC. It focuses on 14 areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, technology, energy, transport and communications, tourism, counter-terrorism and climate change.
188. In a major initiative to connect all the North-East (N-E) states to the National Gas Grid, the 5 central oil PSUs – IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL, and NRL – have signed a joint venture agreement for executing the North – East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid (N-ENGPG) in Guwahati on July 19, 2018. As per the agreement, a Joint Venture (JV) company will develop, build, operate and maintain the Natural Gas Pipeline Grid (NGPG) connecting Guwahati to the other major North -Eastern cities and major load centres such as Numaligarh Refinery and integrating it with gas producing fields in the region. The project will connect the state capitals of all the 8 NE states – Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with an expenditure of Rs 6000 crore for 1500 Km length gas pipeline in a tentative four years time schedule. The project will be implemented in 3 phases.
189. On July 21, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the Student Police Cadet Programme to build a bridge between the Police and the larger community through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them. The programme focuses on students of Class 8 and 9th and special care has been taken to ensure that it does not lead to increase the workload of students. The programme does not have any prescribed text book nor is any exam envisaged. Only one class in a month is proposed. The programme seeks to cover broadly two kinds of topics: Crime prevention and control, and Values and ethics. Under the first part, the topics covered are – Community Policing, Road Safety, Fight against Social Evils, Safety of Women & Children, Fight against Corruption and Disaster Management. The topics covered under the second part are – Values & Ethics, Respect for Elders, Empathy & Sympathy, Tolerance, Patience, Attitude, Team Spirit and Discipline. The programme will first be implemented in government schools in both urban and rural areas.
190. During the monsoon session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018, which will empower authorities to attach and confiscate properties and assets of economic offenders like loan defaulters & fraudsters who flee the country. The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind in April 2018. It is expected to re-establish the rule of law as the accused will be forced to return to India and face trial for his offences. The bill proposes the formation of a special court under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) to declare a person a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO). A FEO is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution. The cases where the total value involved in such scheduled offences is Rs 100 crore or more, will come under its purview.
191. Deshna Jain (20), who is from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, has been crowned the 2018 Miss Asia (Deaf) title and was the 3rd runner-up in the 2018 Miss International (Deaf) contest held in Taipei, Taiwan, from July 8-July 16. At 20, she is also the youngest contestant to take part in the event. It's the first time since 2009 that an Indian has won any title in the much coveted Miss and Mister Deaf International pageants. Earlier, Deshna became the Miss India (Deaf) 2018 in Jaipur, Rajasthan and represented the country at international platform.
192. Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri was named the 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year in the men's category. Recently, Chhetri became the 2nd Indian footballer to play 100 international games after Baichung Bhutia. He is a star striker for both India and Bengaluru FC. Beside him, Kamala Devi was adjudged the 2017 AIFF Woman Player of the Year and Young Anirudh Thapa was declared as the 2017 Emerging Player of the Year. E Panthoi was named as the 2017 woman Emerging Player of the Year.
193. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched the South East Asia's first-ever Centre for Climate Change (CCC) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The purpose of the centre is to accelerate concerted climate action by various stakeholders in government, private, financial and non -government actors. The Lucknow Centre would help NABARD in increasing its capacity building efforts manifold. Besides, the new institution would also extend professional support to stakeholders for designing climate related projects and take up collaborative studies and action research projects in area of climate change. It would also support capacity building and project preparation effort in developing countries in the region as also in Africa.
194. The Odisha police has launched a drive to bust an international syndicate that peddles "endangered" pangolin, one of the world's most illegally traded mammals. Through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), the Odisha police will crack the international pangolin smuggling racket. MLAT is an agreement between nations to exchange information or provide legal assistance for enforcing laws. Pangolins are the only known mammals with large keratin scales and they use those scales to protect themselves from predators in the wild. They are toothless, nocturnal, live in burrows and feed mainly on ants and termites. Of the 8 species found worldwide, two are found in India: Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). Both the species are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Hence, hunting, trade or any other form of utilisation of the species or their body parts and derivatives is banned. Beside this, In the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List, Chinese pangolin are listed as "critically endangered" and Indian Pangolin as "endangered".
195. Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union Environment Minister, has launched a state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System– SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) at Chandni Chowk in Delhi on July 21, 2018. The system, first of its kind in India, was developed indigenously in record time by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD). The new system will be able to track UV-Index, PM1, Mercury and Black carbon in real time. SAFAR will monitor all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. In addition to regular air quality parameters like PM2.5, PM10, Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, the new system will also monitor the existence of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene. It will be an integral part of India's first Air Quality Early Warning System operational in Delhi and will strengthen the existing air quality network of SAFAR, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
196. According to the Public Affairs Index (PAI) for 2018, Kerala stands as the best-governed state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat. Apart from this, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha ranked the lowest on the index, indicating higher social and economic inequalities. The Bengaluru-based think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC ) has been releasing the index annually since 2016 and ranks the states according to their socio-economic development. The think tank PAC was founded in 1994 by renowned Indian economist and scholar late Samuel Paul. It works to mobilize a demand for better governance in the country.
197. On July 22, the official mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been unveiled during a ceremony in the Japanese capital Tokyo. The Olympic mascot "Miraitowa" is a blue-checked pointy-eared figure, which fuses the Japanese words 'mirai', which means future, and 'towa', which means eternity. Its Paralympic counterpart "Someity" is derived from a type of cherry blossom 'Somei-yoshino'. It is represented as a pink-checked and wears a cape and is sounds similar to English phrase "So mighty". The Tokyo Olympics are schedule to run from July 24 to August 9, 2020. The Paralympics will take place between August 25 and September 6.
198. India won 8 medals in the 2018 Junior Asian Wrestling Championship (JAWC) which concluded in New Delhi on July 22. The medals comprised 2 gold, 3 silver and as many bronze. Here, Indian wrestler Sachin Rathi won gold in 74 kg freestyle category by defeating Bat-Erdene of Mangolia in the final on July 22. Beside him, Deepak Punia also clinched gold in 86 kg weight category in the event. Suraj Rajkumar Kokate and Mohit have won bronze in the 61Kg and 125kg category, respectively. Iran with 189 points topped the team championship. India with 173 points finished second while Uzbekistan with 128 points came third.
199. On July 22, Typhoon Ampil hit Chinese financial hub Shanghai that brought heavy rainfall and disrupted transport and shipping. More than 600 flights from the city's two airports were cancelled and high-speed rail services also impacted. The National Meteorological Centre stated that the typhoon first hit the island of Chongming, 45 km east of the city, with winds of up to 100kmh near its eye. As per reports, the city had already relocated 190,000 people from coastal areas. It said that Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, has suspended rooftop sightseeing. In neighbouring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, more than 42,500 people were relocated. More than 28,000 ships, including 22,900 fishing boats, have returned to port in Zhejiang.
200. The Government of India (GoI) has reduced the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 250. The move will enable more people to take advantage of the girl child savings scheme. The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2016 for the purpose. The interest rate on Sukanya Samriddhi account is revised every quarter, just like other small savings schemes and PPF. For the July-September quarter, the rate has been fixed at 8.1%. Under the scheme, a parent or legal guardian can open an account in the name of the girl child until she attains the age of 10 years. As per the government notification on the scheme, the account can be opened in any post office branch and designated public sector banks. The deposits made to the account, and also the proceeds and maturity amount, would be fully exempted from tax under section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Deposits can be made up to 14 years from the date of opening of the account. After this period, the account will only earn interest as per applicable rates.
201. Fakhar Zaman from Pakistan has become the fastest player to score 1000 runs in One-Day International (ODI) cricket during the 5th match against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on July 22, 2018. He took 18 innings to achieve the feat and broke West Indies great Vivian Richards' record. Richards was the first crickter to complete 1000 runs in ODIs, in Jan 1980, in his 21st innings. Apart from this, Zaman also became the first Pakistan batsman to score a double ton in ODI cricket history and also stitched a world record partnership of 304 runs for the opening wicket with Imam-ul-Haq. For India, Captain Virat Kohli holds the record for being the fastest Indian to cross the 1000-run mark after he took 24 innings to reach the milestone.
202. The NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Lupin Foundation to collaborate in Aspirational Districts Programme. The purpose of the programme is to improve indicators in education, health and nutrition, financial inclusion and skill development, agriculture and water resources, and basic infrastructure in Aspirational Districts of India. As per the terms of the SoI, Lupin Foundation, with the NITI Aayog, will work in 3 states – Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan – to facilitate the creation of an ideal template to develop economic strength, technological viability and moral leadership across three districts in these states as part of Phase I of the cooperation. The phase I of this cooperation with NITI Aayog will focus on the districts of Dholpur in Rajasthan, Nandurbar in Maharashtra and Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, and help develop a comprehensive district-level action plan with integrates various initiatives and interventions.
203. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has set up a ministerial committee to prepare a draft policy for the development of Odia film industry. The committee will also examine different problems being faced by the Odia cinema industry and recommend measures for renovation of the Kalinga Studio, located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The committee, headed by Finance Minister S B Behera, will have to submit its report to the government within one month suggesting steps to be taken for the purpose.
204. The Andhra Pradesh government has launched 'e-Pragati core initiative' at Undavalli to provide integrated services to citizens. The aim of the digital initiative is to connect citizen to 34 departments, 336 autonomous organisations and 745-plus government services. In simple words, e-Pragati will act as a platform to connect all departments and stand alone to resolve the issues. As of now, the initiative offers around 20 services and 100 more will be added by the year-end. The e-Pragati authority will achieve the goals of the project by supporting the seven development missions launched in the areas of e-Governance, Social Empowerment, Skill Development, Urban Development, Infrastructure, Industrial Development and the Services sector. Through this project, the State government intends to realise the vision of 'Sunrise AP 2022'.
205. Justice Tahira Safdar has been named as the new Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court. With this, she will become the first-ever female high court chief justice in Pakistan. Justice Safdar will take charge of her new role following the retirement of incumbent Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Noor Muskanzai, who attains superannuation on 31 August. Safdar belongs to Quetta and is the daughter of renowned lawyer Syed Imtiaz Hussain Baqri Hanafi. She made history in 1982 when she became the first woman civil judge in Balochistan. Currently, Justice Tahira is a member of the 3-judge special court conducting the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf for committing treason by proclaiming a state of emergency on 3 November, 2007.
206. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue new Rs 100 denomination currency notes in the Mahatma Gandhi series. The base colour of the new denomination is lavender and contains other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme both at the observe and reverse. The dimension of the banknote will be 66m x 142 mm which is the same size as that of the Rs 200 note. The obverse (front) side of the note contains a see-through register with denominational numeral 100, a latent image with the numeral and also a Devanagari version of the same. The new banknote has a motif of 'Rani Ki Vav' (the Queen's Stepwell) on the reverse, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The heritage site is a stepwell located on the banks of Saraswati river in Patan, Gujarat. It was built as a memorial to an 11th-century king Bhima I.
207. On July 23, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released the first-ever tribal atlas of Odisha — a set of maps and statistics – to highlight the tribal demography of the state. The atlas has been brought out utilising the data of Census 2011 and other relevant statistics, which is said to be the first of its kind in the country. The atlas has been prepared by the SC & ST Research and Training Institute in collaboration with Academy of Tribal Language and Culture. It has been edited by Prof A B Ota, director of SC & ST Research Institute, and reviewed by development commissioner R Balakrishnan. The atlas displays the salient features of tribal population of Odisha with a series of maps, charts and diagrams. It contains 60 plates pf maps along with corresponding graphs and diagrams which portray the distributional aspects of the Odisha's tribal population, ecological setting of the tribal habitats, their socio-cultural attributes such as linguistic/dialectical affinity, sex composition and literary levels.
208. On July 23, the Union government has constituted a high-level committee to suggest laws against mob lynching and violence. The high-level committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, will submit its suggestions to the Home ministry within 4 weeks. Beside this, the government has also constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to consider the recommendation of the high level committee. The GoM will then examine the report and submit its suggestions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The move came after the Supreme Court asked the government to enact a law to deal with such incidents, terming them as "horrendous acts of mobocracy".
209. The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in Agartala, Tripura on July 22-23, 2018. In the meeting both sides noted the positive impact of Border Haats on the livelihoods of the people living in areas adjoining the Haats. Extensive discussions were held on issues related to review of operations of the four functional Border Haats and suggestions for improvement, timeline for setting up the six additional Border Haats that had earlier been agreed to by both sides and the roadmap for further expansion of Border Haats. It was agreed that the next meeting would be held in Bangladesh on mutually agreed dates. The Joint Committee also visited the Border Haat at Kamlasagar (Sipahijala District, Tripura) – Tarapur (Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh) on 22 July 2018, appreciated its vibrant functioning and noted the need for improvement of infrastructure.
210. On July 23, the Lok Sabha passed the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 that allows a court hearing a cheque bounce case to direct the drawer — the person who wrote the cheque — to pay interim compensation to the person who filed the complaint. The interim compensation, to be paid within 60 days of the court's order, can be up to 20% of the value of the cheque. The court may direct the payee to repay the interim compensation, with interest, if the drawer is acquitted. Now , the bill will go to the Rajya Sabha for its nod. If bill gets Parliament's nod, it will preserve the sanctity of cheque transactions by stopping the practice of people trying to deliberately delay cases through filing of appeals and obtaining stay a on proceedings. The bill, which amends the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, is aimed to reduce the number of cheque dishonour cases pending in courts.
211. The 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference will be organized by Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) with theme "Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces" in New Delhi on July 26, 2018. The 2-day conference will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. It will be attended by over 100 Superintendents of Police & senior officers from the States & CAPFs. The purpose of the 2-day conference is to create awareness among young Superintendents of Police and Commandants regarding latest technologies in areas of Artificial Intelligence; Predictive Policing/ Crime Analytics/ Big data Analytics; Geospatial Technology; Cyber Crime; Surveillance Tracking & UAVs; CCTV Equipment, for effective delivery of Police Services to citizens. The headquarters of BPR&D is located in New Delhi.
212. The book "The Dhoni Touch: Unravelling the Enigma That Is Mahendra Singh Dhoni" has been authored by Bharat Sundaresan. The author tracks down the cricketer's closest friends in Ranchi and artfully presents the different shades of Dhoni-the Ranchi boy, the fauji, the diplomat, Chennai's beloved 'Thala', the wicketkeeping Pythagoras-and lays bare the man underneath. The 203-page tome is an exercise in finding out what makes Jharkhand's universal hero remain an iceberg while the fires rage around him.
213. The 3rd edition of Kabira festival 2018 will be held in Varanasi on November 16 to celebrate the spirit of 15th-century mystic poet Kabir. The annual festival conceived by the Mahindra group and Teamwork Arts, will feature a two-day programme of music, literature, talks and city explorations. The festival will reverberate with music, poetry, discussions and more. It will bring together incredible artists, writers and performers who have imbibed the essence of Sant Kabir.
214. The men's team event of the World Junior Squash Championships 2018 has started in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on July 24. A total of 24 countries, divided into 8 groups, are taking part. India has been seeded 5th and placed in Group 'E' with Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Egypt, which has dominated in the individual events of the world junior championship, has been given the top billing. It had finished runner-up at the last edition in Poland in 2016. Canada has been seeded two and England three. Pakistan, winner of the title in 2016, has been seeded a lowly 11th. The final is scheduled on July 29.
215. Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver who races in Formula One for Mercedes AMG Petronas, has won the 2018 Formula 1 German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring track in Germany.
216. The Kargil Vijay Diwas (KVD) is celebrated every year on July 26 to commemorate India's emphatic victory against Pakistan. The day is named after the success of Operation Vijay. On this day, 26 July 1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders. The celebrations of the 19th KVD 2018 has started at Drass War Memorial in Jammu and Kashmir on July 24 and will continue till July 26. It remembers the supreme sacrifice of 500 war heroes who laid down their lives and those who are still alive.
217. Punjab shot-putter Dhanvir Singh set the new record at the 15th National Youth Athletics Championships in Vadodara on July 23, 2018. He clinched gold medal by throwing 19.69m in his 5th attempt to crack the record of 19.34m set by Navtejdeep Singh in 2011. In the event, Dhanvir was declared as the best male athlete while Kerala's sprint hurdler Aparna Roy won the honours in the girls section. In women's 400 metre hurdles, Kerala's Priya won the gold and set the new record by crossing the finish line in a season-best time of 1:02.52 seconds. In doing so, she erased the previous meet record of 1:02.58 seconds set by P O Sanya in Bambolim in 2015. In women's 200 metre race, Kerala's Ancy Sojan won the gold in 24.91 seconds. Haryana won the overall title with 165 points while Kerala (150) finished in the 2nd place.
218. In Madhya Pradesh, acid attack victims have been included under disability and they will be eligible to get all benefits of various schemes of the government as per Disabilities Act 2016. According to the Commissioner of Social Justice and Disabled Welfare, now 21 types of disabilities including acid attack have been included in place of 7 types of disabilities mentioned earlier in the Disabilities Act 2016. Not only this, Disabled students will also be provided with laptops and tricycles under the Chief Minister's Disabled Education Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme vision impaired, hearing impaired, students with bone deformities and mentally retarded students with minimum 50% marks in Class 9th and those who have been admitted in Class 10th will be benefitted. The state government will also give 50% discount to the disabled persons for travelling on buses. State Government has issued notification for this and action will be taken against the bus operator who does not follow the order.
219. The Assam government has recently decided to set up a separate directorate for the Divyangs. The Social Welfare minister, Pramila Rani Brahma said that appointment to Divyangs will be given at around 4500 posts by December 2018. Beside this, the Social Welfare department will also give Rs 1000 per month to all Divyangs as stipend. The minister said that the new Anganwadi centres to be constructed for the benefit of the women and children.
220. The Langshiang Falls is a major waterfall in the Kynshi River near the village of Sangriang, in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The total height of the falls is generally quoted at around 337m.
221. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest "#Childline1098" to spread awareness on human trafficking and to mark the 2018 World Day against Trafficking in Persons. In it, people are invited to share images of the Childline 1098 logo that they spot at unique locations and send it with a tagline. The #Childline1098 contest carries a cash price of Rs 2,000. The details of the contest are available on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the ministry. The Childline 1098 is India's first 24-hour, free, nationwide emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. At present, it is operational at 450 locations including 76 key railway stations. As Railways often act as carriers of trafficked children, the Ministry signed an MoU with the Ministry of Railways to rescue and rehabilitate runaway, abandoned, kidnapped and trafficked children via Railways.
222. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has organized 2nd meeting of National Council on India's Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan on 24th July 2018 in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. In it, it was declared that Month of September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month (NNM) every year. During the meeting, the National Council approved to include 32 new districts in the current year 2018-19 under POSHAN Abhiyaan by which it will saturate all the districts of the UTs which are left to be included under Phase-I and Phase-II. The POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched nationwide from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on 8th March 2018. It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.
223. South Africa is hosting the 10th edition of BRICS Summit 2018 in Johannesburg on July 25 with theme "BRICS in Africa – collaboration for inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the 4th industrial revolution". In it, the heads of the five BRICS nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are participating. They are expected to deliberate on global hot-spot issues, international peace and security, global governance and trade issues among others. The five BRICS countries account for 26% of the world's landmass and are home to 43% of the world's population. The bloc is composed of emerging markets and the developing world.
224. In Cricket, Pawan Shah has created history by registering the 2nd highest individual score in Under-19 internationals against hosts Sri Lanka in the first innings on the 2nd day of the final 'Youth Test' in Hambantota on July 25, 2018. The Indian innings was declared when the 18-year-old Pawan Shah from Pune was dismissed at 282. His score came off 332 balls with 33 boundaries and a six in just under 7 hours. With this score, Shah became the 2nd Indian to score a double-century after Tanmay Srivastava, who had scored 220 against Pakistan in Peshawar in September 2006. Though, he failed to beat Australian Clinton Peake's 304 not out against India in Melbourne in 1995, which is still the highest score at this Under-19 level.
225. The 18th UNICEF International Children's Film Festival 2018 has been inaugurated by West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi in Kolkata on July 25 in which 36 films from 17 countries would be screened. The 2018 theme is 'Value of Girls', which will be promoted through films, workshops and discussions. The festival has been organised by Cine Central, one of the oldest cine clubs of the country in collaboration with the UNICEF, Nandan and Talash Society. The inaugural film is Moana from the USA. After screening of the opening film, the 2nd phase of the festival would be held from August 9 to 12 at Nandan, and then the festival will be taken across the state and the films will be screened in different district towns till September 30. Other films to be screened in the festival include Doctor Funes Formula (Mexico), White Bridge (Iran), The Monkey King – Uproar in Heaven (China), The Magicians (Netherlands), The Shamer's Daughter (Denmark), Giraffada (France), We are the Best (Sweden).
226. The Odisha government has launched a plantation drive 'Green Mahanadi Mission' to stop soil erosion and recharge groundwater reserve of Mahanadi river. Under the mission, more than 5 crore saplings will be planted over an area of 41,000 hectares. The plantation will be done on either side of major rivers of Odisha as well along roadside length of about 5,000 km over a period of five years at an expenditure of around Rs 5,000 crore. To provide additional livelihood opportunities to the locals, the volunteers will plant fruit-bearing trees like mango, jackfruit and jamun within one kilometre radius of the river bank. Apart from Mahanadi, plantation will also be done on the banks of river Tel and Ib. The plantation drive will be implemented jointly by the departments of Forest, Horticulture and Watershed Development.
227. India's first public sector hotel "Hostess" run entirely by women for women will come up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The flagship project of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has been launched by the state Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran. 'Hostess' will offer state-of-the-art facilities, including automated security features, technology-oriented check-ins and check-outs, laundry service, complimentary breakfast, microwave oven and fitness centre. The facility will have 22 AC rooms and two AC dormitories to host 28 people at a time. Rooms will be charged Rs 1,500 and the dormitory facility Rs 500 for four hours.
228. The Haryana government has recently constituted an inter-district council, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, to identify the developmental priorities of the State. The inter-district council will prepare district specific action plans, assessment of development needs, and delegate powers to panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies. Further the body will regularly review the progress of various flagship programmes of the Centre and the state governments. The finance minister, development and panchayat minister, urban local bodies minister, presidents of zilla parishads, mayors of municipal corporations and presidents of municipal councils or committees at district headquarters would be permanent members of the council.
229. The book "When Coal Turned Gold: The Making of a Maharatna Company" has been authored by Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya, the former chairman of Coal India Ltd (CIL). The author tells the story of how he dealt with the Dhanbad coal mafia, how he changed the way the industry was perceived, how he dealt with the trade unions and the government and, most importantly, how he was able to script one of the greatest success stories the country had ever seen. In all, it's the story of Coal India Ltd's (CIL) transformation from a hugely loss-making enterprise since its formation in the 70s into a profitable Maharatna PSU. It must be noted that CIL contributes to around 82% of India's coal production and is headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.
230. The National Traders Conclave 2018 has been organized by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in New Delhi from July 23 to 25 to address various grievances of the trading community and focus on effective solutions. A speaker of CAIT informed that among the rising problems in trades in recent times, FDI in both multi and single-brand retail and merger of Walmart and Flipkart are posing huge challenges on Indian Market. Regarding to this issue, CAIT demanded that the Centre stop the Walmart-Flipkart deal saying it would encourage predatory pricing and benefit only investors and promoters. The conclave, which is being attended by 1,500 trade leaders, had decided to launch a nationwide movement against the deal. The traders' union also demanded that the government form a policy for e-commerce and constitute a regulatory authority for such businesses. The headquarters of CAIT is located in New Delhi.
231. Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel, a Kalaburagi-based artist, has bagged the Senior Fellowship Award for 2016-17 instituted by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Centre, an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Culture. The fellowship, which carries a cash of Rs 4.8 lakh, is offered to those eligible to work on a particular subject in the field of art and culture for two years. Mr. Patel is selected to work on Deccan Heritage with a special reference to Bahmani Sultanate through his digital painting. He is the only artist from Karnataka selected for the fellowship for the year. Mr. Patel has extensively travelled across the globe and exhibited his artworks in 24 countries. He is also the recipient of National Lalitkala Academy award in 2014. As a freelance artist, he is currently serving as member of the Karnataka Lalithakala Academy.
232. On July 26, Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore has been conferred D Litt (Honoris Causa) by West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at a special convocation of Kazi Nazrul University (KNU) held at the Raj Bhawan. Tripathi, who is also the university Chancellor, also conferred D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) on renowned scientist at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, S M Yusuf at the same occasion. Beside this, Kazi Nazrul University had conferred honorary D Litt on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during its third convocation at its Asansol campus on May 26.
233. Swapan Sarkar (67), the Veteran sports journalist, has passed away in New Delhi on July 26, 2018. He was a versatile sports writer and covered football, tennis, cricket, badminton, table tennis and athletics for his publications. He worked for a number of dailies and was also the Delhi sports correspondent of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) from mid 1990's. Earlier, he had worked for Kolkata's english daily Amrita Bazar Patrika (ABP) and Northern India Patrika. He has briefly worked for Gujarat Samachar. Sarkar was a regular in the Delhi sports circuit having covered events like 1982 Asian Games, 2010 Commonwealth Games along with tournaments like Nehru Cup, Federation Cup, Durand Cup and DCM. He has also covered events like Davis Cup, National Athletics meet.
234. The museum for all former Prime Ministers of India will be constructed in the Teen Murti Bhavan complex that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi. The decision was taken at the 43rd annual general meeting of the NMML chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on July 26, 2018. The Teen Murti Bhavan complex is spread over 25 acres and the present museum for Jawaharlal Nehru occupied half an acre. The new museum would be constructed at a cost of Rs 270 crore and will be separate from the existing structure of the Nehru Memorial. The NMML, as per the Memorandum of Association, is mandated with five tasks and maintenance of a museum of Nehru "personalia, memorabilia'', and other objects pertaining to his life and the freedom movement is just one of them. The other tasks include acquiring, maintaining and preserving papers of nationalist leaders of modern India and other eminent Indians; establishing and maintaining a library on the history of modern India; and facilitating research in modern Indian history.
235. The ambitious scheme of Chhattisgarh government "Sanchar Kranti Yojna" has been launched by President Ram Nath Kovind at Jagdalpur in the Naxal-affected Bastar region of the state on July 27, 2018. Under the scheme, 50 lakh smartphones will be distributed free of cost to rural households, urban poor and college students across the state. The scheme, at an outlay of Rs 1,467.90 crore, is aimed at increasing mobile penetration in a state, which is the lowest in the country at 29% against the national average of 68%.
236. The Global Disability Summit 2018 was held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England on 24th July 2018. It was co-hosted by the UK government with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Government of Kenya to galvanize global efforts to address disability inclusion around the world. The motto of the Conference was to firm up the commitments of the country leaders towards the cause of persons with disabilities. From India, Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, attended the summit. Besides India, global leaders from more than 40 countries attended the summit and have committed themselves to work in the direction of economic empowerment of persons with disabilities. The purpose of the summit was to raise global attention and focus on a neglected area.
237. The book 'Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World (1914-1948)' has been authored by Ramachandra Guha, the renowned historian and author. It will be published by Penguin Random House India and will come in public domain in September 2018. As per sources, the book will not only narrate the story of Gandhi's life, from his departure from South Africa to his dramatic assassination in 1948, but also the history of our freedom movement and its many strands. The book will also include new readings of Gandhi ji's arguments with B.R. Ambedkar, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Subhas Chandra Bose, among others.
238. The citizen centric online portal "Innovate India Platform" has been jointly launched by NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and MyGov on July 26, 2018. The portal will serve as the common point for all the innovation happening across the nation. Through the portal, users can view, comment, share, and rate the innovations crowdsourced on the #InnovateIndia platform. They can view the leaderboard which is calculated based on the votes on each innovation. Citizens can also share their or other organisations' innovation on the platform by logging into the MyGov website. These innovations can also be shared on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.
239. The Government of India (GoI) has approved a new scheme " Mahila Shakti Kendra" to empower rural women through community participation. The cost for implementing the scheme from 2017-18 up to 2019-20 would be shared in the 60:40 ratio between the Centre and states, except for North East and Special Category States where the ratio is 90:10. The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels and at the national level (domain based knowledge support) and state level (State Resource Centre for Women) technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women is provided. This information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, DR. Virendra Kumar in reply to an Unstarred Question in the Rajya Sabha on July 26, 2018.
240. Two Indians, Dr. Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are named among the six winners of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for the year 2018. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation stated in its citation that Vatwani is being recognised for his tremendous courage and healing compassion in embracing India's mentally-afflicted destitutes. Wangchuk has been recognised for his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth in Jammu and Kashmir. The others award winners are from Cambodia, East Timor, Philippines and Vietnam. The Magsaysay Award winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the image of the late Filipino leader Ramon Magsaysay, and a cash prize. They will be conferred with the Magsaysay Award during a formal presentation ceremony at the Cultural Centre in the Philippines on August 31, 2018. The award is often referred to as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
241. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a 16-member committee to examine motor third party insurance pricing aspects and make recommendations on the premium rates for 2019-20. Apart from examining the third party cover pricing aspects, including data related ones; the committee has been tasked to revisit the classification of vehicles, in view of the development in the industry. Its term will be till December 31. This is for the first time IRDAI has formed such a committee, which will be headed by IRDAI Member P.J. Joseph.
242. Assamese film "Xhoihobote Dhemalite" ("Rainbow Fields") has bagged three top awards at the 3rd Love International Film Festival in Los Angeles. Besides the best movie, it also won the awards for best actress (Dipannita Sharma) and best music (Anurag Saikia) at the festival. The film, which is directed by Bidyut Kotoky, deals with the sensitive issue of children of Assam growing up in violent times and witnessing brutality around them. Based on true events, the film also features seasoned actors like Victor Banerjee, Nakul Vaid, Naved Aslam, Nipon Goswami and Nikumoni Barua. More than 150 films from 36 countries were screened during the festival.
243. The World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is observed every year on July 28 raise global awareness of hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The 2018 theme is "Test. Treat. Hepatitis". Hepatitis is a viral infection that causes inflammation in the liver. According to WHO's official report 'Eliminate Hepatitis', "Viral hepatitis affected 325 million people worldwide in 2015, with 257 million people living with hepatitis B and 71 million people living with hepatitis C – the two main killers of the five types of hepatitis.
244. Shivangi Pathak (17) from Haryana, who became the India's youngest women to scale Mt Everest from Nepal side, has recently scaled the highest peak of Africa "Mt Kilimanjaro", which is located in Tanzania. The mountain is about 4,900 metres from its base to 5,895 metres above sea level. Her next target is to scale Europe's highest peak.
245. Noted litterateur Ramakanta Rath has been conferred with the Odisha's highest literary award 'Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman' for 2018 for his life time contribution to Odia literature. He received the award at a special function organised by Odisha Sahitya Akademi on July 26, 2018. The award carries a citation and cash prize of Rs one lakh. Rath, a Padma Bhusan awaredee, was earlier conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, Saraswathi Samman in 1992, Bishuva Samman in 1990 and some others.
246. Cherkallam Abdullah (76), the senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former Kerala Minister, has passed away on July 27, 2018. He was a prominent leader of the Opposition Congress-led UDF in north Kerala. A 4-time MLA from Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district since 1987, Abdullah was the local self development minister in the A K Antony cabinet from 2001-2004.
247. Kane Tanaka (115), a Japanese super centenarian, has become the world's oldest verified living person following the death of Chiyo Miyako on July 22, 2018. Born on 2nd January 1903, Tanaka is in good health, occasionally playing board games and taking short walks in the facility's hallways. She credits family, sleep and hope as her secrets for longevity.
248. Ace Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma has lifted the 2018 Russian Open Badminton trophy at Vladivostok on July 29. In the title clash, Sourabh defeated Japan's Koki Watanabe by 18-21, 21-12, 21-17, and win his first title of the season. In Mixed Doubles, the pair of Rohan Kapoor and Kuhoo Garg lost in the Final against the Russian-Korean team of Vladimir Ivanov and Min Kyung Kim, 19-21, 17-21.
249. In a unique and first-ever in the country, the Assam government has decided to implement a Pranam Scheme to ensure that government staff take care of their parents & physically challenged siblings. The scheme will part away with 10 to 15% of state government employees' monthly salary if they are found guilty of not taking adequate care of their dependent elderly parents and physically challenged siblings.
250. On 2018 World Hepatitis Day (WHD), the National Viral Hepatitis Control programme has been launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in New Delhi to combat the disease by 2030 in the country. Under the initiative, free drugs and diagnostics for Hepatitis B and C will be provided at all government hospitals. This initiative will provide laboratory testing and management of viral Hepatitis with a de-centralized approach. The aim of the programme is prevention and treatment of Hepatitis which is inflammation of the liver due to a viral infection. It is among the leading causes of liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and acute failure of the organ. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-2030), diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases should be eliminated by 2030. Viral hepatitis was included as a focus area in the health related goal Goal 3.3 with world leaders pledging to fight and eliminate it by 2030.
251. In first of its kind event held by any government organization, the Indian Railways launched a program "Mission Satyanishtha" on ethics in public governance for its employees at National Rail Museum in New Delhi on July 27. The aim of the program is to sensitize all railway employees about the need to adhere to good ethics and to maintain high standards of integrity at work.
252. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated India as a nodal centre for preparing flash-flood forecasts to Asian nations including Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. That means the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will have to develop a customized weather model that can issue advance warning of floods. Using a combination of satellite mapping and ground-based observation, this system — called the Flash Flood Guidance System — aims to provide forecasts six hours in advance. Like India, several south-east Asian countries depend on the monsoon and are prone to its vagaries. The proposed model will provide forecasts by computing the likelihood of rainfall and the soil moisture levels to warn of possible floods. The WMO has estimated that flash floods account for 85% of flooding incidents across the world, causing some 5,000 deaths each year.
253. In Tamil Nadu, the tiger population in the reputed Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) has doubled to 60 from 30, due to intensive conservation efforts. The MTR is located in Nilgiri District of the state. On the occasion of International Tiger Day (ITR-2018), forest officials and nature enthusiasts, in and around the Annamalai, Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam tiger reserves in the state were engaged in a door to door awareness programme for tiger conservation. The awareness programmes regarding the importance of preserving the tiger population in the country, were held in various schools.
254. The Unified Commanders' Conference (UCC) for the year 2018 has started at New Delhi on July 30 to review external security challenges as well as the country's preparedness. The 2-day annual conference will provide a platform for discussions at the Apex Level on all 'Joint Issues' among the three Services & Ministry of Defence. The scope of this conference is to enable the forum to facilitate joint stock taking of the previous year's performance of all Services & Departments of Ministry of Defence and jointly chart the course for the next year. The conference will be attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force among others.
255. On July 30, the second and final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been officially published bearing the names of 2 crore 89 lakh 83 thousand 677 citizens of the state. The NRC will feature the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, who have been residing in the North-eastern state before 25th March 1971. Out of 3,29,91,385 applicants 2,89,83,677 have been found eligible for inclusion in complete draft of NRC. That means, the names of 40,07,708 people did not appear in the NRC draft. The Registrar General of India, Mr Sailesh stated that persons whose names are not included in the list will be informed individually about the reasons for non-inclusion. Apart from this, the persons who do not find their names in the draft have the legal right to apply again by filing claims on the NRC website or by visiting a NRC Seva Kendra from the 30th of August to 28th of September.
256. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a 2-member monitoring committee to oversee the Yamuna rejuvenation project. The committee, comprising former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra and retired NGT expert member Bikram Singh Sajwan, has been directed to submit the first action plan by September 2018 and report by December 2018. The green panel also directed the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to assist the committee on the project. The Tribunal directed the authorities to take strict action against encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains. It also directed the Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi Jal Board to hold a meeting on July 30 for identifying land for setting up of a sewage treatment plant on a drain which falls under phase-II of the Yamuna cleaning programme. The current chairperson of the NGT is Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, retired Supreme Court Judge.
257. The International Tiger Day (ITD) is celebrated every year on July 29 to spread the message to protect these endangered species and assist in maintaining ecological integrity. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia with the goal to bring worldwide attention to the dwindling numbers of tigers and their plight. According to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum (GTF), the total number of wild tigers has risen to above 3,000 in 2016. The number is expected to increase in the new tiger counting, which started in January 2018. India is home to 70% of tigers in the world.
258. The Egypt squash team has won the boy's title at the 6th WSF-World junior squash team championship 2018 by defeating England by 2-0 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on July 29. Egypt's Marwan Tarek, who lost the individual championship final, defeated Nick Wall of England in straight games. Czech Republic and USA finished third and secured the bronze medal. Host India finished 11th overall.
259. Wrestler Bajrang Punia has clinched gold in the 71kg freestyle at the 2018 Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul, Turkey. It was his second consecutive gold medal, after he recently won gold at the 2018 Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia. Meanwhile, Sandeep Tomar finished with silver after losing 2-8 in the 61kg final against Iran's Mohammad bagher Yakhkeshi. In the women's competition, Pinki was the lone gold medallist in the 55kg category with her 6-3 win over Ukraine's Olga Shnaider. Beside this, Sangeeta Phogat (59kg) and Geeta (65kg) won bronze medals in their respective categories. Overall, Indian wrestlers returned with 10 medals, including 7 by women in the event.
260. Acclaimed Bengali writer Ramapada Chowdhury (95), whose story 'Abhimanyu' was made into a Hindi movie 'Ek doctor ki maut', has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on July 29, 2018. 'Abhimanyu' was based on the life and work of Dr Subhas Mukhopadhyay who created India's first and the world's second test-tube baby in 1978. Director Tapan Sinha turned the story into a award winning Hindi film 'Ek doctor ki maut' in 1990. Mrinal Sen's Hindi film 'Ek din achanak' (1989) was also based on Chowdhury's story 'Beej'. Chowdhury had penned famous literary works such as 'Pratham Prahar' (1954), 'Banpalashir padabali' (1960), 'Ekhoni' (1969), 'Kharij', 'Bari badle jay' (1988), 'Abhimanyu' (1982). His last book 'Harano Khata' was published in 2015. He was conferred the Sahitya Academy award for 'Bari badle jay' in 1988 and was also the recipient of Rabindra Puraskar, Ananda Puraskar and Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize.
No comments:
Post a Comment