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 He was born as Narendranath Dutta in an affluent family in Kolkata on January 12, 1863.  He was an Indian Hindu monk and a chief disciple of the 19th century Indian mystic. Arts and Culture  He was hailed as a Dhyana Sidha, a meditation expert, by his guru Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.  He devoted his life to the service of the nation and humanity and laid emphasis on the power of meditation.  After getting attracted to the idea of meditation in childhood, he achieved fame at the World's Parliament of Religions held in Swami Vivekananda: Nation remembers Chicago in 1893. Swami Vivekananda, one of the finest  His speech made the culture and spiritual leaders and intellects India has heritage of India popular. EVER produced on his death anniversary.  With his incredible knowledge of Highlights: Indian and Western culture and colourful personality, he made an  Every year, July 4 is observed as irresistible appeal to all sorts of the death anniversary of Swami Americans who came in contact Vivekananda. with him during the global  Swami Vivekananda played an dialogue on different kinds of faith important role in introducing the in the US. philosophies of yoga and Vedanta to the West. Ramakrishna Mission:  He is best known for his speech at  In 1897 Swami Vivekanand the World Parliament of Religion founded the Ramakrishna Math in Chicago in 1893 which started and the Ramakrishna Mission, an with the opening remarks, “My Indian socio religious reform sisters and brothers of America.” movement.  About Swami Vivekananda: It subscribes to the ancient Hindu philosophy of Vedanta and bases  Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902), its work on the principles of karma died on July 4, 1902, when he was yoga, the principle of selfless work just 39 at Belur Math in West done with dedication to God. Bengal.

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 He gave a new theory of ethics & ensure it will last for the duration of morality based on the intrinsic the winter. purity and oneness of the Atman.  This highly decorated monument is built in the small seaside village of In 1984 the Government of India declared Blokhus in the northwest Denmark. that 12 January, the birthday of Swami  It is reminiscent of a pyramid, is made Vivekananda, will be celebrated as up of 4,860 tonnes of sand. National Youth Day.  Led by the seasoned artist Wilfred Stijger of Holland, 30 of the world's most gifted sand sculptors worked in the making of the giant structure.  The Dutch designer said his creation was inspired by the coronaviurus pandemic.  He said he put a coronavirus pathogen as a crown atop the castle to illustrate how the virus is ruling our world, and not allowing us to do what we want to do.

World’s tallest sandcastle: A sandcastle Note: The Sand Sculpture Festival in recently built in Denmark has established a Blokhus takes place every summer. new Guinness World Record. About Blokhus Village:

Key Points:  This village is located in Jammerbugt Municipality of North Jutland in  It has established new Guinness World Denmark. Record of 21.16 metres.  The village is a popular beach town  The Gunness world record was accounting for around 1 million measured by an authorized surveyor and signed and witnessess. visitors every year.  It was originally named Hune Hvarre.  Denmark’s new sandcastle is 3.5  meter taller than earlier record of In 1600s there were barely any trees 17.66 meter set by Germany in 2019. this village.  So, timber was imported from Norway. About Denmark’s Sandcastle: In order to store timber, locals constructed some houses out it.  The structure of the sandcastle is built  These houses are called as ‘block in the shape of a triangle to avoid houses’ after which village has been collapsing like many others have. given Danish name Blokhus.  A wooden structure was built around it to allow the artist to carve the About Denmark: incredible figures in the sand.   To ensure the sand sticks on, it was Denmark officially the Kingdom of mixed with around 10% clay. Denmark, is a Nordic country in  When everything is finished, an extra Northern Europe. layer of adhesive was applied to

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 It is a Scandinavian country comprising the Jutland Peninsula and around 406 islands.  It is bordered to the west by the North Sea, and its islands are located on the sea lane from the Baltic to the main oceans of the world, as well as the trade route from the Nordic countries to Central Europe.  It is an independent country since the Indian Army Memorial: During his four day late 10th century and is also one of the visit to the UK and Italy, Indian Army Chief oldest states of Europe. Manoj Naravane will be meeting his  The capital of Denmark is counterparts and senior military leaders with Copenhagen. the aim of enhancing India's defence  The currency used here is Danish cooperation. Krone.  The current prime minister of Highlights: Denmark is Mette Frederiksen.  Additionally, the Indian Chief of About Guinness Book of World Records: Army Staff (COAS) will also be inaugurating the Indian Army  Guinness World Records was Memorial at Cassino in Italy which is originally the Guinness Book of about 140 km away from Rome. Records from its inception in 1955  The memorial commemorates over until 1999. 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen  It is a reference book published who took part in the effort to liberate annually, listing world records both of Italy in World War II. Apart from this, human achievements and the extremes 900 Indian soldiers were also of the natural world. commemorated on this memorial.  The brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, the book was co founded by twin History: brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter What was happening in Italy in WWII? in Fleet Street, London, in August 1954.  Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had  After the founding of The Guinness joined Nazi Germany in 1936. Book of Records office at 107 Fleet  In 1940 it entered WWII (1939 1945) Street, London, the first 198 page against the Allies. edition was bound on 27 August 1955  But in 1943, Mussolini was and went to the top of the British best overthrown and instead, Italy declared seller lists by Christmas. war on Germany.  As of the 2021 edition, it is now in its  The invasion of Italy by the Allies 66th year of publication, published in coincided with an armistice that was 100 countries and 23 languages, and made with the Italians. maintains over 53,000 records in its database. What was India’s involvement in World War II?

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 In the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II, over 5,000 Indian soldiers laid down their lives while fighting to save Italy from fascist forces.  The Indian Army was the largest volunteer force during WWII, with over 2.5 million Indians participating.  Nearly 50,000 Indians were enlisted for Italy’s liberation between September 1943 and April 1945.  These troops fought the Axis powers The Light of Asia: It is the title of a new book (Germany, Italy and Japan) as part of authored by Jairam Ramesh. the Allies. Ramesh is a Member of Parliament, former  Three infantry divisions of the Indian Union Minister, and Congress leader. Army took part in the Italian campaign. These were the 4th, 8th and 10th About: Indian Divisions.  Besides Casino, Italy has many  This new book titled “The Light of cemeteries where Indian soldiers are Asia” is a biography of an epic bio buried. Perugia, Luca, Florence, San poem on the Buddha. Marino, Cesena, Forli, Ferrara, and  He digs deep in his new book to bring Bologna are a few of the Italian cities out the fascinating story behind the that Indian soldiers helped to liberate epic 1879 poem, “The Light of Asia” during World War II. by Sir Edwin Arnold, that took the  Six Indian soldiers who were part of world by storm and in some ways, allied contingents fighting for the brought the Buddha’s story to the liberation of Italy also received the world at the turn of the last century. prestigious Victoria Cross.

Note:

Both the UK and Italy are important partners for India in the fields of defence, healthcare, aerospace, education, clean technology, renewable energy and information and communication technology among others.

Books and Authors:

Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji: The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi recently received the first copy of the book, ‘The Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.’

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The book is penned by Late Mrs. Baljit Kaur Tulsi Ji, who is the mother of noted lawyer Shri KTS Tulsi Ji.

Govind Ramayan Controversy:

 PM Modi, on 5 august 2021, had mentioned about Shri Guru Gobind Ji's Gobind Ramayan during his address at the Bhoomi Poojan of the Ram Janmbhoomi.  However, the statement was criticized Exercise Shield: A Trilateral Table Top by many and it was said that the Sikh Exercise (TTX) – 2021 anti narcotics and guru never wrote anything as such, maritime search and rescue exercise, ‘Exercise with some even staging protests. Shield’, was held between Indian and Sri  The book has now been published by Lankan Navies and Maldives National the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Defence Force through virtual mode. the Arts (IGNCA). Key Details: About Guru Gobind Singhji:  The two day exercise, TTX 2021, was  Guru Gobind Singhji was a spiritual held virtually on July 14 and 15 with master, warrior, poet, and philosopher. the Indian Navy’s Western Naval  He was born in 1666 in Patna. Command as the lead agency.  He was the tenth and last of Sikh  The exercise is aimed at enhancing gurus in human form. mutual understanding and exchange of  He was enthroned at the 'Guru Gaddi' best practices procedures for at the age of 9 after his father Guru countering common transnational Tej Bahadur Ji, the 9th Guru. crime.   He transformed the Sikh religion into This exercise commenced with the what it is at present with the institution opening address by Rear Admiral of the Khalsa solidarity. Gurcharan Singh, Chief Staff Officer (Operations), Western Naval  Sahib Ji completed the sacred Command, Mumbai. scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, in  the final form that he ordained as the Rear Admiral Prasanna Mahawithana, next and perpetual Guru of the Sikhs. Director General Operations, Sri Lanka Navy, and Colonel Ibrahim Hilmy, Area Commander Maldives National Defence Force participated in the inaugural session. Defence  The exercise was coordinated by Maritime Warfare Centre, Mumbai.

About TTX 2021:

 This exercise is a part of ongoing efforts towards strengthening maritime partnership amongst the three

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countries and further boosts the  Furthermore, there has been a steep security environment in the Indian increase in recovery of narcotics in the Ocean Region [IOR]. IOR in recent years and has been a  It was focused at enhancing maritime major concern for maritime security security cooperation and mutual agencies. understanding, exchange of best  For instance, in April the Navy had practices, procedures for countering recovered over 300 kg of narcotics common trans national maritime from a fishing vessel in the Arabian crimes such as narcotics smuggling, Sea estimated to cost ₹ 3,000 crore in evolving modalities for exchanging the international market. Thus, information, intelligence and to assist disrupting smuggling routes, which each other in maritime search and emanate from the Makran coast and rescue. flow towards the Indian, Maldivian and Sri Lankan destinations. Significance: Background:  Interaction between the three neighbouring countries in the Indian The exercise came as a follow up to India, Sri Ocean Region (IOR) has also grown Lanka, and the Maldives agreeing to focus on significantly in recent years, in ways of enhancing maritime security consonance with India’s policy of cooperation in the IOR at the fourth National ‘Neighbourhood First’ and vision of Security Adviser (NSA) level trilateral ‘Security and Growth for all in the meeting held in Colombo in November last Region (SAGAR).” year with the participation of India’s National  The exercise gains additional Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the top relevance in light of the successful defence brass from Sri Lanka and the Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2 Maldives. executed in support of MV X Press Pearl, the Singapore flagged cargo ship that caught fire on May 21.  The cargo ship MV X Press Pearl was carrying 1,486 containers of chemicals and cargo when it went up in flames near the Colombo Port. Apart from the 325 metric tonnes of fuel in its tanks, the ship was loaded with 25 tonnes of hazardous nitric acid.  The Sri Lankan Navy, Airforce and the Indian Coast Guard jointly doused the fire in an operation that took days. However, the ship sank off the War Memorial of Capt Gurjinder country’s coast on June 17.  Environmentalists have dubbed it as Singh Suri: The Indian Army one the worst ecological disasters in recently inaugurated a War Sri Lanka’s history. Memorial of Capt Gurjinder Singh

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Suri in Gulmarg near the Line of Pakistani post was destroyed, Control (LOC). killing 17 Pakistani soldiers.  During 1999, Capt Gurjinder Key Details: Singh Suri was attached to 12  The war memorial was Bihar when the battalion was inaugurated on the occasion of deployed in the Gulmarg the birthday of Captain sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Gurjinder Singh Suri, who  It was here at Faulad Post died during the operation situated at a height of 11,200 “Birsa Munda” in 1999. feet, on a cold November day  Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej that this 25 year old Captain Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), Suri attained martyrdom by father of Captain Gurjinder sacrificing his life in the Singh Suri, MVC defence of the motherland. (Posthumous) was also About Captain Gurjinder Singh present on the occasion. Suri:  Gurjinder Singh Suri was later awarded Maha Vir Chakra  Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri (Posthumous). was born on 4th July 1974 in Ambala district of Haryana in About the Operation Birsa Munda: a military family.  Operation Birsa Munda was a  He was the Son of an army punitive raid conducted veteran Lt Col T P Singh and against a Pakistani post by a Smt Surjit Kaur. Bihar battalion of the Indian  His younger brother Randhir Army, in the month of Singh who is currently serving November 1999. Lieutenant Colonel in the  This was the time when Indian Army.. Operation Vijay had drawn to  His grandfather, Subedar a close, but the LOC was still Gurbaksh Singh had active with sporadic incidents participated in overseas of trans Line of Control campaigns during World War violence. II and also during the wars in  In a swift and meticulously 1947 48 and 1962. planned operation, the entire  His father Lt Col TP Singh Suri, a Sikh Light Infantry

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veteran, took active part in the  He was the lone recipient of 1971 war with Pakistan in the Maha Vir Chakra, the second Naushera sector of Jammu highest military decoration for and Kashmir. gallantry, during the  He went on to join the investiture ceremony on National Defence Academy, August 15, 2000. Khadakvasla, in July 1993 and was commissioned into Army Ordnance Corps in June 1997.  Capt Gurjinder Singh Suri, commissioned in Ordnance Corps, while on attachment to 12 Bihar Battalion in their finest innings, did something which made the Ordnance, the logistic arm of the Army and 12 Bihar, the sword arm, proud of this young Khalsa. AI Powered Grievance  During 1999, Capt Gurjinder Management Application: Raksha Singh Suri was attached to 12 Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, on 15th Bihar when the battalion was July 2021, launched an Artificial deployed in the Gulmarg Intelligence (AI) powered grievance sector of Jammu and Kashmir. management application in New  It was here at Faulad Post Delhi. situated at a height of 11,200 feet that Captain Suri attained Key Points: martyrdom by sacrificing his  This is the first AI based life in the defence of the system developed to improve motherland. grievance redressal in the  For his conspicuous act of Government. bravery and supreme sacrifice,  The app has been developed Capt Gurjinder was awarded by the Ministry of Defence in the Maha Vir Chakra the collaboration with IIT posthumously. Kanpur.

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 The AI tool developed as part of the initiative has capability S- Economics to understand the content of the complaint based on the contents therein.  As a result, it can identify repeat complaints or spam automatically.  Based on the meaning of the complaint, it can categorize complaints of different Retail Direct Scheme: The Reserve Bank of categories. India (RBI) on 12 July 2021 introduced a “RBI Retail Direct facility” scheme. Features of the App: This facility has been introduced by RBI  This AI powered application because till the early July 2021, retail investors will automatically check out did not have direct access to Government and analyse the complaints of Securities (G Sec) but could get access only through aggregator model at the level of the people. exchanges and the 'Retail Direct Gilt (RDG)  It will help in reducing human account' will allow hassle free trading in govt intervention, save time and bonds for retail investors. bring more transparency in Key Details of RBI's Retail Direct Scheme: their disposal.  RBI’s Retail Direct Scheme is a one  it has the capability to stop solution to facilitate investment in understand the content of the Government Securities (G Sec) by complaint based on the individual investors.  Under this scheme, retail investors contents. will be provided a facility to open and  The app can identify repeat maintain Retail Direct Gilt Account complaints or spam (RDG Account) with RBI. automatically.  The starting date for the Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) account is yet to be  The app will also categorize announced by the RBI, but other complaints into different modalities have been spelt out. categories.  This facility was launched as part of continuing efforts towards increasing  Also, it can inspect retail participation in government geographical analysis of securities. complaints in a category. Salient features of the scheme:

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 Under the scheme, Retail investors anywhere between 5 years and 40 (individuals) will have the option to years. open & maintain ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ (RDG Account) with RBI. About RBI:  No fee will be charged on opening and  It refers to the Reserve Bank of India. maintaining account with RBI.  The RBI is India's central bank, which  Both resident Indian retail investors controls the issue and supply of the and non resident retail investors can Indian rupee. now open and maintain a RDG  It carries out India's monetary policy Account wth RBI to access its G secs and exercises supervision and control platform. over banks and non banking finance  The RDG account can be opened companies in India. singly or jointly with any other retail  RBI was set up in 1935 under the investor who fulfills the eligibility Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. It is criteria. headquartered in Mumbai.  The same account will be valid for  RBI plays an important part in the bidding in primary G secs auctions as Development Strategy of the well as secondary market trading in Government of India. Negotiated Dealing System – Order  The current Governor of RBI is Matching (NDS OM). Shaktikanta Das. Note: NDS OM is the RBI platform for buying and selling G secs and other money market instruments in the secondary markets.

What are G secs?

 G secs are debt instruments issued by government to borrow money.  These instruments are not tax free.  They are the safest form of investment Khadi: Khadi and Village Industry because they are backed by Commission (KVIC) has secured trademark government. registration for its brand name “Khadi” in  Since they are issued by the three countries. government they carry no risk of default (risk of losing money), hence,  The three countries are Bhutan, they are called Gilt edged instruments. Mexico and United Arab Emirates  They are however, subject to (UAE). fluctuations in interest rates. Key Details:  It can be issued two categories 1. Treasury Bills: They are short  KVIC obtained trademark registration term instruments that mature in 91 in Bhutan on July 9, 2021. days, 182 days and 364 days.  UAE granted the trademark 2. Dated Securities: They are long registration on June 28, 2021 making term instruments that mature it the first gulf country to secure the trademark registration for Khadi.

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 Earlier, KVIC received trademark establishing and developing khadi registration for “Khadi” in Mexico in and village industries across rural December 2020. areas in association with other  Apart from these countries, KVIC’s agencies engaged in rural trademark applications are pending in development. 40 countries across the world that  It is headquartered in Mumbai, include the USA, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Maharashtra. Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand,  It has its six zonal offices across Singapore, Brazil and others. Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Kolkata,  These trademark registrations will Mumbai and Guwahati. prevent any misuse of the brand name “Khadi” globally. Trademark of KVIC:  KVIC has got registrations in various  KVIC has exclusive rights to use classes that pertain to Khadi fabric, trademark ”Khadi” and “Khadi Khadi readymade garments and India”. village industry products like Khadi  National Internet Exchange of soaps, Khadi cosmetics, Khadi incense India Domain Dispute Policy sticks among others. (INDRP) Arbitration Tribunal had  It is for the first time in the history of rejected the claim by private entity KVIC that sustained efforts have been that “Khadi” is a generic word. made in the last 5 years to protect the brand “Khadi” which was given to us About Khadi: by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.  Khadi refers to hand spun and Background: hand woven cloth. Raw materials like cotton, silk, or wool can be  KVIC has also had trademark spun into threads on charkha registrations in certain classes of (traditional spinning implement) word “Khadi” in five countries – to obtain khadi. United Kingdom, Germany,  It was launched in 1920 as a Australia, Russia and China political weapon in Swadeshi besides European Union, till date. movement started by Mahatma About KVIC: Gandhi.  Khadi is sourced from different  Khadi and Village Industries parts of India such as: Commission (KVIC)  Cotton variety is sourced from  KVIC is a statutory body Andhra Pradesh, Uttar established in April 1957. Pradesh, Bihar and West  It was established during 2nd Five Bengal. Year plan, under the ‘Khadi and  Silk variety of Khadi is Village Industries Commission sourced from West Bengal, Act of 1956’. Bihar, Odisha and North  It works under Ministry of Micro, Eastern states. Small and Medium Enterprises.  Khadi poly from Gujarat and  KVIC seeks to “plan, promote, Rajasthan. facilitate, organize and assist in

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 Woollen variety is obtained with the directions on Storage from Himachal Pradesh, of Payment System Data. Haryana, Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir.  However, RBI has stated that this order will not impact existing Mastercard customers.  The central bank has asked Mastercard to inform all card issuing banks and non banks to conform to these directions.

Background:

 On April 6 2018, RBI had RBI Imposes Restrictions on issued a circular directing all Mastercard: The Reserve Bank of system providers to ensure India (RBI) recently imposed that all information related to restrictions on Mastercard payments systems operated by Asia/Pacific Private Limited. them are stored in India.  All the firms were given a Highlights: period of six months to comply and report compliance  The supervisory action has to RBI. been taken in exercise of  powers vested in RBI under However, foreign card Section 17 of the Payment and networks were reluctant to Settlement Systems Act, 2007 store data in India citing (PSS Act). various issues.  The restrictions were imposed Previous Restrictions by RBI: By RBI for adding new domestic customers from In April 2021, the RBI had imposed 22nd July 2021. restrictions on American Express Banking Corp and Diners Club Key Points: International Ltd from on boarding domestic customers from May 1,  MasterCard will not be 2021, citing non compliance. Earlier, allowed to add customers, be the RBI had also put curbs on HDFC it for debit, credit or pre paid Bank on onboarding new card cards onto its network as the entity has failed to comply

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What is the reason for such restrictions?

 As per Kazim Rizvi, founding director, The Dialogue, the RBI’s decision to restrict entities from onboarding customers is a crucial development to ensure that all BHIM UPI in Bhutan: Union payment system operators Finance Minister Nirmala store or localize their end to Sitharaman along with Finance end transaction data only in Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Namgay India. Tshering, on 13 July 2021 launched BHIM UPI in Bhutan via a virtual About Mastercard Asia/Pacific ceremony. Private Limited: Note: BHIM UPI stands for  Mastercard is a major Bharat Interface for Money Payment System Operator, Unified Payments Interface. which is authorised to operate a card network in the country BHIM UPI app has been launched in as per the Payment and Bhutan in collaboration between the Settlement Systems Act, 2007 National Payment Corporation of (PSS Act). India (NPCI) and the Royal  Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte. Monetary Authority (RMA) of Ltd. was founded in 1993. Bhutan to enable and implement BHIM UPI QR based payments in  The Company's line of Bhutan. business includes providing various business services. Highlights:

 With this launch, Bhutan has become the first country to adopt India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI)

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standards for its Quick  It was launched on December Response (QR) code. 30, 2016.  It is also the second country  This app facilitates e after Singapore to have BHIM payments directly through UPI acceptance at merchant banks and supports all Indian locations. banks which use UPI.  Bhutan will also become the About Unified Payments Interface only country to both issue and (UPI): accept RuPay cards as well as accept BHIM UPI.  Unified Payments Interface  During the launch, Sitharaman (UPI) is an instant real time also carried out a live payment system which allows transaction using the BHIM users to transfer money on a UPI app to purchase organic real time basis, across products from a Bhutanese multiple bank accounts OGOP outlet. without disclosing details of  The services have started in one’s bank account to the Bhutan under India’s other party. “Neighbourhood First” policy. Significance of launch of BHIM  She described BHIM UPI as UPI in Bhutan: one of the brightest in facilitating digital transactions  The launch of BHIM UPI in in India during the pandemic. Bhutan has enabled the seamless connection of the About BHIM: payment infrastructures of  It is an Indian mobile payment both countries. App to enable fast, secure,  During covid 19 induced reliable cashless payments lockdown, BHIM UPI became through the mobile phone. an effective mechanism of  It has been developed by payment. In 2020 21, it National Payments processed 22 billion financial Corporation of India (NPCI). transactions of worth rupee 41  It is based on Unified lakh crore. Payments Interface (UPI).  The app now in Bhutan will  It is named after B. R. also benefit more than Ambedkar. 200,000 Indian tourists,

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businessmen, and Bhutanese very own initiative for Debit citizens who travel to Bhutan and Credit Card payments. each year.  The card can also be used for transactions in Singapore, About NPCI: Bhutan, UAE, Bahrain and  National Payments Saudi Arabia. Corporation of India (NPCI) About Bhutan: is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and  Bhutan officially known as settlement systems in India. the Kingdom of Bhutan is a  It is an initiative of Reserve landlocked country in the Bank of India (RBI) and Eastern Himalayas in South Indian Banks’ Association Asia. (IBA) under the provisions of  It is bordered by the Tibet the Payment and Settlement Autonomous Region of China Systems Act, 2007. to the north and India to the  It is a “Not for Profit” south. Bhutan is geopolitically Company under the in South Asia and is the provisions of Section 25 of region's second least populous Companies Act 1956 (now nation after Maldives. Section 8 of Companies Act  The Capital of Bhutan is 2013), with an intention to Thimphu. provide infrastructure to the  The currency of Bhutan is entire Banking system in India Bhutanese ngultrum. The for physical as well as current Prime Minister of electronic payment and Bhutan is Lotay Tshering. settlement systems.

RuPay Card Scheme:

 RuPay is the first of its kind domestic Debit and Credit Card payment network of India.  The name, derived from the words ‘Rupee and ‘Payment’, emphasises that it is India’s

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Shyam Srinivasan: Federal Bank and Business Standard Banker shareholders have approved the of the Year 2020 Awards. motion of re appointment of Shyam  Srinivasan is among the few Srinivasan as managing director and foreign bankers who chose to chief Executive officer (CEO) of the move to smaller Indian banks federal bank. after fairly long, successful stints in foreign banks (the Highlights: others include RBL Bank’s  He will serve for a period of Vishwavir Ahuja and DCB three years from 23rd Bank’s Murali Natrajan). September 2021 to 22nd About Federal Bank: September 2024.  Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  Federal Bank Limited is a approved his reappointment major Indian commercial on July 09, 2021. bank.  Srinivasan took over as  It has also set up Federal Bank MD & CEO in Representative Offices at Abu 2010 and has been at the helm Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman since then. and Dubai.  It is headquartered in Aluva, About Shyam Srinivasan: Kochi.  Shyam Srinivasan has served  It was founded on 23 April as the Managing Director 1931 by K.P Hormis. (MD) & Chief Executive  This bank handles more than Officer (CEO) of The Federal 15% of India’s total inward Bank Ltd. remittances in 2018.  He assumed the post of CEO  It is also listed in NSE, BSE of the bank on 23 September and London Stock Exchange. 2010.  It operates through four  He has a bachelor of segments: engineering (B.E.) and PGDM 1. Treasury, degree. 2. Corporate or wholesale  He has been conferred with banking, Distinguished Alumnus 3. Retail banking and Award 2017 of IIM Calcutta 4. Other banking operations.

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 It has a branch in first . It is set to approach the International Financial Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Services Centre (IFSC) of to seek ARC licence. India at GIFT City. . Under the first phase, 22 stressed accounts amounting to Rs 89,000 cr has been identified to transfer to NARC. . With this, Rs 2 lakh cr worth of bad loans accounts will be transferred to newly incorporated bad bank. . SBI is expected to transfer bad loans worth Rs 20,000cr. . PNB will transfer about Rs 8,000cr stressed assets while, NARC: The National Asset . Union Bank of India will Reconstruction Company (NARC) transfer about Rs 7,800cr recently become a legal entity NPAs to NARCL. registered with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) Mumbai finally. About NARC:

NARC also called as bad bank is . NARC was incorporated on finally here in India. It is considered July 7, 2021. as a one stop solution for banking . It has an authorized capital of systems stressed assets menace. Rs 100 cr and paid up capital of Rs 74.6cr. Note: Bad bank refers to a . 16 banks, 12 state owned and financial institution that takes 4 private banks will invest in over bad assets of lenders and NARCL. undertakes resolution. . Canara Bank will be sole Key Details: sponsor of NARL with 12% stake. . It has been created in . SBI is going to be second collaboration with both Indian largest shareholder with 9.9%. Banks Association (IBA) and . NARC will be headed by both Public and Private Sector stressed assets expert from Banks. SBI named Padmakumar

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Madhvani as Managing . Thus, this bad bank model Director. will help both government and . NARC is having a public banks to manage NPAs. sector character.

Background: ITFS: IFSCA recently issued a . Finance Minister Nirmala framework for Setting up and sitharaman, during the 2021 operating International Trade 22 Union Budget session had Finance Services Platform (‘ITFS’). announced the setting of an . The complete text of the ARC & Asset Management framework can be accessed on Company (AMC) for the IFSCA website. resolution of Non Performing Assets (NPA) in the Indian Key Details: Banking Sector. . . Indian Banks Association ITFS is an electronic platform for facilitating the Trade (IBA) had filed an application Finance Services at in June 2021 with Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to International Financial incorporate NARCL and India Services Centres through multiple Financers. Debt Management Company . The framework will enable (IDMCL) to manage bad loans. exporters and importers to avail various types of trade What was the need? finance facilities at competitive terms, for their . Total stress in banking system international trade is more than Rs 15 lakh crore. transactions. . So, the banks are burdened . This will help in their ability with stressed assets and to convert their trade limited capital which they find receivables into liquid funds it difficult to manage NPAs. and to obtain short term . Furthermore, the Government funding. can only provide a limited . This framework will provide capital. an opportunity to the participants to avail trade

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finance facilities for trade . Currently, GIFT IFSC is the transactions such as: maiden international financial a) Export invoice trade services centre in India. financing b) Reverse trade financing, c) Bill discounting under Environment letter of credit, d) Supply chain finance for exporters, e) Export credit (packing credit), insurance/ credit guarantee, f) Factoring and any other eligible product, on the ITFS platform

About IFSCA: Bryum Bharatiensis: A group of polar biologists from India stumbled upon a plant species, during an expedition to Antarctica, in . The International Financial 2017. Services Centres Authority However, it was only recently, that the (IFSCA) was established in scientists could confirm that the plant species had been discovered for the first time. April 2020 under the About Bryum Bharatiensis: International Financial  On the 36th expedition undertaken by Services Centres Authority Indian scientists in the icy continent, Act, 2019. the scientists from the Central . IFSCA is headquartered at University of Punjab discovered a rare, dark green plant species. GIFT City, Gandhinagar,  The plant species were found at the  Gujarat. Larsemann Hills, overlooking the Southern Ocean, near one of the . It is a unified authority for the world’s remotest research stations, development and regulation of Bharati.  The novel plant species, discovered by financial products, financial Indian scientists in Antarctica is hailed services and financial Bryum Bharatiensis, by the scientists.  The plant species was later recognized institutions at the International as mosses. Financial Services Centre  The newly found moss species is (IFSC) in India. named after the Hindu goddess, Bharati, who also lends her name to India’s research station in Antarctica.

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 In addition, it is named so by the scientists to pay tribute to their country of origin, i.e., India. Traversing the discovery:  After strenuous research of five long years, spent collecting, sequencing, and comparing samples of plant DNA, the Indian scientists unanimously reached a conclusion that the discovered species was indeed novel.  It is the first time, since the launch of the first research station in Antarctica, four decades ago, that India discovered a new plant species. Flash Floods: Flash flood caused by the  The breakthrough discovery featured heaviest rainfall has left dozens dead and in a peer reviewed paper which has several thousand missing in Western Europe. been accepted in the leading international journal the ‘Journal of Record rainfall in Western Europe caused Asia Pacific Biodiversity.’ rivers to burst their banks, devastating the Significance: region.  The tedious research being conducted Germany: is very significant for India and Science, at large, as it opens new  Germany has been the worst affected doors for more such studies in the region. with fast moving torrents of water  It will also be interesting to know how inundating entire towns and villages in these mosses survive one of the western and southern parts. world’s toughest weather in  The country is experiencing one of its temperatures going as low as 70 worst weather disasters since World degrees. War II. Concern:  At least 80 people have died and  However, the discovery is also a hundreds more are unaccounted for in matter of concern as it indicates the Germany after some of the worst changing topography of the icy flooding in decades. continent, due to the effects of global  The Rhineland Palatinate state in climate change. “Antarctica is getting Germany is one of the worst affected greenified. regions with around 1,300 people  According to Prof Bast in a BBC report, many temperate species of "assumed" to be missing in the district plants that previously could not of Ahrweiler, as per the local survive in this frozen continent are government. now seen everywhere because of the  Along with the Rhineland Palatinate warming up of the continent. state, the German regions of North  Adding to the grave concerns Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and regarding the perils of climate change, Saarland have also been heavily the scientists further noticed melting glaciers, crevasse infested ice sheets, affected. and glacial melt water lakes on top of  Some 15,000 police, soldiers and ice sheets, during their expedition. emergency service workers are at the scene to aid with search and rescue,

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while helicopters picked stranded About Flash Floods: residents from roof tops and tanks cleared roads of fallen trees and debris. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and Belgium: depressions.

 Belgium has also reported at least 12 Cause: dead after the extreme weather, which political leaders have blamed on  It may be caused by heavy rain climate change. associated with a severe thunderstorm,  The village of Schuld was almost hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater entirely destroyed. Officials say, a from ice or snow flowing over ice major dam near the Belgian border, sheets or snowfields. the Rurtalsperre, is overflowing  Huge amounts of water flowing in slightly. rivers are due to incessant heavy rains  Around 1800 people had to evacuate and melting of snow, resulting in in the town of Chaudfontaine, in Liège severe flooding. province.  They can also occur even if no rain has fallen, for instance after a levee or Netherlands: dam has failed, or after a sudden release of water by a debris or ice jam.  The Netherlands is also badly affected,  They can occur within minutes or a with further flooding in Luxembourg few hours of excessive rainfall. and Switzerland.  The Meuse River in Limburg was Impact: predicted to burst out of its banks and reach its highest level in 200 years.  Flash floods induce severe impacts in  Several municipalities in Limburg both the built and the natural province have declared a state of environment. emergency making evacuation  Flash floods can rip through river beds, compulsory. urban streets, or mountain canyons sweeping everything before them. Luxembourg:  Especially within urban areas, the effects of flash floods can be  The Luxembourg government has set catastrophic and show extensive up a crisis cell to respond to diversity, ranging from damages in emergencies triggered by heavy rains buildings and infrastructure to impacts overnight. on vegetation, human lives and  Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier livestock. Bettel reported that "several homes"  An impact severity scale is proposed have been flooded and were "no in 2020 providing a coherent overview longer inhabitable". of the flash flood effects through the Background: classification of impact types and severity and mapping their spatial  Scientists have repeatedly warned that extent in a continuous way across the human induced climate change would floodplain. bring pulses of extreme rainfall such as this one.

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 Depending on the affected elements, CO2 that has the ability to the flood effects are grouped into 4 warm the planet. categories: 1) Impacts on built environment  Not only the Amazon 2) Impacts on man made mobile rainforests, but some forests objects, in Southeast Asia have also 3) Impacts on the natural turned into carbon sources in environment (including vegetation, agriculture, the last few years as a result geomorphology, and pollution) of the formation of plantations 4) Impacts on the human and fires. population (entrapments,  injuries, fatalities). This study was published in science journal, Nature. The scale was proposed as a tool on  The study was conducted by prevention planning, as the resulting maps offer insights on future impacts, highlighting making 600 flights over four the high severity areas. areas of Amazon.  It was led by researchers from Brazil National Institute for Space Research to collect data on amount of carbon dioxide present in atmosphere.

Key Findings:

 As per research, role of Amazon rainforest as a carbon sink appears to be in decline. Amazon rainforest: The Amazon  According to study, four areas forests in South America, which are were emitting 410 million the largest tropical forests in the metric tons of carbon dioxide world, have started emitting carbon each year. dioxide (CO2) instead of absorbing  Four regions absorbed carbon emissions. roughly 120 million metric Key Details: tons of carbon.  Thus, sections of Amazon  A significant amount of were giving off 290 million deforestation in eastern and metric tons as net emissions. southeastern Brazil has turned the forest into a source of Causes and Impact:

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 Changes in Amazon are being Guiana, Suriname, Guyana driven by factors such as and Venezuela. deforestation, wildfires, and  Amazon represents half of climate change. Earth’s remaining rainforests  Emissions were the result of and comprises largest & most fires, often set intentionally by biodiverse tract of tropical humans. rainforest worldwide.  This could devastate the  The Amazon rainforests cover ecosystem and is a troubling about 80 % of the basin and as sign for fight against climate per NASA’s Earth change. observatory, they are home to  In 2019, fires in the Amazon nearly a fifth of the world’s were visible from space. land species and are also home to about 30 million Amazon Rainforest: people including hundreds of  Alternatively called as indigenous groups and several Amazon jungle or Amazonia, isolated tribes. is a moist broadleaf tropical  Other than this, the basin rainforest in Amazon biome produces about 20 per cent of covering major portion of the world’s flow of freshwater Amazon basin in South into the oceans. America.  The Amazon basin is huge with an area covering over 6 million square kilometres, it is nearly twice the size of India.  About 5,500,000 km2 areas are covered by rainforest.  Territory in this region belongs to nine nations. Majority of forest is contained Fit for 55 Package: The European Commission recently unveiled its ‘Fit for within Brazil (60% of 55’ package of revised climate and energy rainforest). laws on 14 July 2021.  It is followed by Peru (13%), Highlights:

Colombia (10%,) and rest in . This package is aimed at aligning key Bolivia, Ecuador, French EU policies with the new 55 percent net emissions reduction by 2030.

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. The EU unveiled sweeping new better care of the environment by policy legislation to help meet its pledge to cut design as opposed to being forced into emissions of the gases that cause global desperate measures at the future climatic warming by 55 percent over net tipping point. emissions reduction by 2030. Paris Climate Deal: . The EU also unveiled a controversial plan to tax foreign companies for the . pollution they cause. EU’s legislation was released in line with the Paris Climate deal. . Key features: World leaders had agreed six years ago in Paris to make efforts towards keeping global temperatures below 2 degrees . The legislation provides for de facto Celsius, ideally no more than 1.5 degrees phasing out of gasoline and diesel cars C by the end of the century. by 2035. . It comprises of new levies on gases from heating buildings. . It also involves a revamp of the bloc’s emissions trading program. National . Under this programme, steel producers and cement makers will pay for every ton of carbon dioxide their factories emit. . Taxes on shipping and aviation fuels were also introduced for the first time. . Cargo ships may not be able to dock in ports like Rotterdam, Netherlands, or Hamburg, Germany unless they run on cleaner fuels. . Commercial airliners will be required to fill up with synthetic fuel produced with green energy. . It also provided for a “Carbon Border NEIFM as NEIAFMR: The Union Cabinet Adjustment Mechanism.” chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi . This plan imposes duties on foreign on 14 July 2021 gave the approval for companies that in turn will increase the changing the nomenclature & mandate of price of certain goods like steel, North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine aluminum, concrete and fertilizer. (NEIFM) as North Eastern Institute of . The new legislation will involve around a Ayurveda & Folk Medicine Research dozen major proposals — most of them (NEIAFMR). building on laws already in place to meet the EU’s old goal of a 40 percent cut in Key Details: gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels — and must be endorsed by  The proposal to change the the 27 member countries and EU nomenclature and mandate of NEIFM lawmakers. to NEIARMR was approved keeping in view the need for imparting quality Aim of the legislation: Education and Research in Ayurveda ‘Fit for 55’ legislation is aimed at freeing & Folk Medicine at Pasighat, the continent from fossil fuels and take Arunachal Pradesh.

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 The consequential changes will also be carried out in the Memorandum of Association & Rules and Regulations.

Significance:

 The inclusion of Ayurveda within the mandate of the Institute seeks to be highly beneficial for the people of North East region for imparting quality education and research in Kisan Sarathi: The Central Government, on Ayurveda and Folk medicine. 16 July 2021 launched digital platform named’  The institute will also provide Kisan Sarathi.’ opportunities for students of Ayurveda and Folk medicine not only in India Highlights: but also the neighboring countries  The platform Kisan Sarathi was launched such as Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, to facilitate farmers to get 'right Mongolia, China and other Central information at right time' in their desired Asian countries. language. About North Eastern Institute of Folk  This digital platform was jointly launched Medicine (NEIFM): by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Electronics and Information  The NEIFM, Pasighat was established Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for systemic research, documentation through video conference on the occasion and validation of traditional folk of 93rd ICAR Foundation Day. medicine and health practices of the  The Minister asked the ICAR Scientists to region. take up research on new technological  The institute was established with the interventions in the area of transportation following objectives: of farmer’s crop from their farm gate to 1. To function as an apex research warehouses, markets and the places where centre for all aspect of Folk they want to sell with minimum damage. Medicine, 2. To create an interface between About Kisan Sarathi: traditional healers and scientific  Through this digital platform, the farmers research, survey, documentation can avail personalized advisories on validation of folk medicine agriculture and allied areas directly from practices, remedies and scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra therapies for possible usage in (KVKs). public health care and future  This initiative of Kisan Sarathi will research etc. empower farmers with the technological interventions and reach farmers in remote areas.

About ICAR Foundation Day:

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 Indian Council of Agriculture Research 4. National Award for Innovation (ICAR) celebrated its 93rd foundation day and Technology Development by virtually on 16 July 2021. Farmers  The ICAR has played a pioneering role in  The dignitaries virtually felicitated about ushering Green Revolution and subsequent 60 Awardees in 16 different categories. developments in agriculture in India The Awardees included through its research and technology o 4 ICAR Institutes development, therefore making a visible o 1 All India Coordinated impact on the national food and nutritional Research Project security. o 4 Krishi Vigyan Kendras  It has played a major role in promoting o 39 Scientists excellence in higher education in o 11 Farmers agriculture.  Apart from the Awards, the Hindi Rajbhasha Awards in the various Theme of 2021: categories were also conferred during the occasion. This Year, the day was celebrated on the theme “Yoga for Well being”. About ICAR:

Key Details:  ICAR was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies  The Indian Council of Agricultural Registration Act, 1860. Research has been recognizing and  rewarding the institutions, scientists, It is an autonomous body responsible for teachers, farmers and agricultural coordinating agricultural education and journalists every year. research in India under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education  On the occasion of the foundation day, (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture. Shri Tomar announced awards in various  categories and released the publications of The Union Minister of Agriculture serves ICAR in the presence of Union Minister as its president.  for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union headquarters is in New Delhi. MoS for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Kailash Choudhary and Ms. Shobha Karandlaje.  The ICAR conferred 16 Awards in 4 major categories during the occasion. The awards are 1. National Award for outstanding contributions for Agricultural Institutes 2. National Award for outstanding COVID Teeka Sank Surakshit Van, Dhan contributions in Agricultural aur Uddyam: Shri Arjun Munda, Minister of Researches Tribal Affairs, today, virtually launched the 3. National Award for Application nationwide campaign 'COVID Teeka Sang of Agricultural Technologies” Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam.' and Key Points:

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 This campaign is being launched in continue with their livelihood partnership with UNICEF (United activities. Nations Children's Emergency fund)  The goal of the campaign is to spread and WHO (World Health Organization) awareness among more than 50 lakh to increase the COVID 19 vaccination tribals about the free COVID 19 of 10.5 crores tribal people in India. vaccination available at nearby centres  It will help in beating “infodemic” and that getting vaccinated protects against coronavirus vaccine and myths, them from hospitalization and death. rumors, disinformation & misinformation that are adding to The 3 Js of the Campaign: infodemic. The campaign will be focusing on three key  It focuses on reassurance, pride & self areas: efficacy and promotes ‘Livelihoods with Health’ in tribal areas. 1. Jeevan (Life): Every life and livelihood is  This campaign seeks to make the Van precious and vaccination is key to life. Dhan Vikas Kendras and villages to be 2. Jeevika (Livelihood): Vaccination will the first in respective states to be help in continuing Van Dhan Vikas declared COVID free and free of all Kendra and livelihood activities without restrictions. any fear of contracting the disease. It will  The campaign will leverage the 45,000 also save hospitalization and other Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVK) of opportunity costs. the Tribal Co operative Marketing 3. Jaagrookta (Awareness): Simplification Development Federation of India of registration process for vaccination, (TRIFED). place, accessibility to different people and age groups, including women & elderly Note: TRIFED is a national level population. cooperative body under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Significance of Campaign: Government of India (GoI).  This campaign will leverage strength  The campaign is an important step at and network of Self Help Groups and vaccinating the tribal people to ensure other common points like Haats & that the tribal areas are not impacted Bazaars, Common Service Centres, by the third wave of the pandemic. fertilizers outlet centres, VDVKs & milk collection points. Implementation: How this campaign will run?  The ground level workers in villages, SHGs, traditional village headsmen,  The Campaign will be run by using and the Van Dhan Kendras will be the wall paintings comprising tribal motifs focal points to implement the in a bid to promote vaccine uptake and campaign. COVID Appropriate Behaviour.  It will also use non traditional Objectives: partnerships and community reach such as involvement of traditional  The main objective of this campaign is leaders like tadvis/patels, incentivizing at keeping the tribal communities safe adoption of vaccines using local health from COVID 19 and enables them to

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structures in order to vaccinate Tribal  It functions under the Ministry of population. Tribal Affairs.  It was founded in 1987. About Van Dhan Yojana:  It works towards marketing  The Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative development of tribal products and of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and provides marketing support to the TRIFED. products made by tribals through a  The scheme was launched on 14 April network of retail outlets. 2018 to create livelihood generation  It is a component of the ‘Mechanism for tribal gatherers and transform into for Marketing of Minor Forest entrepreneurs. Produce (MFP) through Minimum  This scheme is implemented through Support Price (MSP) & Development Ministry of Tribal Affairs as Nodal of Value Chain for MFP’. Department at the Central Level and  The idea is to set up tribal community TRIFED as Nodal Agency at the owned Van Dhan Vikas Kendra National Level. Clusters (VDVKCs) in predominantly  At State level, the State Nodal Agency forested tribal districts. for MFPs and the District collectors  The current Managing Director of are envisaged to play a pivot role in TRIFED Pravir Krishn scheme implementation at grassroot level.  Locally the Kendras are proposed to be managed by a Managing Committee (an SHG) consisting of representatives of Van Dhan SHGs in the cluster.  Under Van Dhan Yojana Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) is established for providing skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility. MoU on coking Coal: The Union Cabinet  Each VDVK cluster set under the chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheme contains 15 tribal SHGs (Self recently approved a Memorandum of help groups) i.e. about 300 Understanding (MoU) between India and beneficiaries per cluster and the Russia on cooperation in coking Coal. Government provides Rs. 15 lakhs for each cluster. The MoU was signed between Ministry of Steel (India) and Ministry of Energy (Russia). About TRIFED: Note: Coking coal is used for Steel making.  It refers to Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of Benefits of MoU: India.  The MoU will help India reduce its  TRIFED is a national level apex dependence on far located countries organization.

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like Australia, South Africa, Canada Note: Coking coal is different than thermal and the US for sourcing of coking coal. coal because thermal coal does not produce  It will benefit the entire steel sector by coke when heated. reducing their input cost as Russia is geographically closer compared to the said countries.  This will lead to reduction in cost of steel in the country and promote equity and inclusiveness.  The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism for co operation in the coking coal sector between India and Russia.

Objective of MoU: MoU with Denmark: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra The main objective of the MoU is Modi recently approved Memorandum of strengthening cooperation between the Govt. Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of of India and Govt of Russia in the steel sector. Health & Family Welfare (India) and Ministry of Health (Denmark) on Cooperation in areas The activities involved in the cooperation are of Health and Medicine. aimed at diversifying source of coking coal. Benefit of the MoU:

 The MoU will strengthen the bilateral What is Coking Coal? ties between both India and Denmark  Coking coal, also known as in the health sector through joint metallurgical coal, is used to create initiatives, development of research coke, one of the key irreplaceable and technology development. inputs for the production of steel.  It will also help in improving the  Coke quality is largely influenced by public health status of the people of coal rank, composition, mineral both the countries. content and the ability to soften when India Denmark relations: heated, become plastic, and resolidify into a coherent mass. Bituminous class  Foundation for a friendly relationship coals of high, medium, and low between India and Denmark was laid volatile rank that possess these by the Indian Prime Minister Pandit properties are called “coking” coals. Jawaharlal Nehru.  This coal has low content of ash,  He visited Denmark in 1957 after moisture, sulphur and phosphorus. India’s independence in 1947.  High quality coking coals are in great  Both the countries have set up a demand by steel producers, who need diplomatic relation by establishing these coals to make high quality coke Denmark’s embassy in New Delhi and to maximise the productivity of their India’s embassy in Copenhagen. blast furnace operations.  Relation between both the countries is cordial and friendly.

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 It is based on cooperation in the fields  It is an apex regulatory body for of politics, economics, academic and overall regulation and licensing of research. Both the countries hold regional rural banks and apex periodic high level visits. cooperative banks in India.  However, in 2012, Government of  It is under the jurisdiction of Ministry India (GoI) had decided to scale down of Finance, Government of India(GoI). its diplomatic ties with Denmark when  It was established on the it refused to appeal in their Supreme recommendations of B.Sivaraman Court against decision by its lower Committee to implement the National court of rejecting extradition of prime Bank for Agriculture and Rural accused of Purulia arms drop case, Development Act 1981. Kim Davy. Objective: History:  Promoting agriculture and rural About Tranquebar: development through participative financial and non financial  Tranquebar, a town in southern Indian interventions, innovations, technology state of Tamil Nadu was a Danish and institutional development for Colony in India from 1620 to 1845. securing prosperity.  It was sold, along with the other Danish settlements in India, to Great Functions and activities: Britain in 1845.  NABARD provides refinancing  Nicobar Islands were also colonized facilities to Commercial banks, State by Denmark and were sold to British co operative banks, Central Co in 1868. operative banks, Regional rural banks and Land Development banks.  It provides refinance assistance for agriculture, promoting rural development activities.  It also provides all necessary finance and assistance to small scale industries.  GoI created the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in NABARD in 1995 96, with an initial corpus of Rs.2,000 crore.  It supervises State Cooperative Banks (SCBs), District Cooperative Central Foundation Day of NABARD: Union Banks (DCCBs), and Regional Rural Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Banks (RRBs) and conducts statutory addresses a webinar on 40th foundation day of inspections of these banks. National Bank For Agriculture And Rural  NABARD is also known for its ‘SHG Development (NABARD). Bank Linkage Programme’ which About NABARD: encourages India’s banks to lend to self help groups (SHGs).  It was established on 12 July 1982.

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Deuba had the support of 149 parliamentarians.  Both the claims did not comply because, Nepal’s house of representatives comprises of 275 members.

Political crisis in Nepal:

 Political crisis in Nepal began in May 2018 when KP Sharma Oliled CPNUML & National Communist Sher Bahadur Deuba: The Supreme Court of Party joined hands and decided to Nepal, on 12 July 2021 passed an order to serve as joint chairmen of ruling party. appoint Nepali Congress President Sher  CPNUML was largest party in House Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister Nepal of Representatives , however, within two days. increasing disputes within the ruling party resulted in split again. Nepal's Supreme Court also reinstated the  After the split, in December 2020, dissolved House of Representatives for second Prachandaled party expelled Prime time in five months. Minister Oli as coChair and Prachanda Background: was made first Chairman.  In 2020, the house of representatives  The parliament was dissolved by was dissolved which was reinstated caretaker Prime Minister K.P. Sharma again after the order of Supreme Court Oli in May. in 2021.  Nepal was thrown into a constitutional  On May 10, 2021 Prime Minister Oli crisis after Mr. Oli lost a confidence lost vote of confidence and house was vote on the 10th of May. dissolved again.  Then, the President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari on the advice of Mr. About Article 76 (7) of Constitution of Oli dissolved 275member lower house Nepal: on May 22, 2021 for second time in  President has the power to dissolve five months. House of Representatives or  She also announced snap elections on Parliament under Article 76 (7) of November 12 and November 19. Constitution of Nepal. Why Parliament was dissolved?  Under Article 76 (7), the Prime Minister of Nepal can dissolve House  The parliament was dissolve by of Representatives and announce new Bidhya Devi Bhandari after date to conduct election within six considering claims of support by both months in case Prime Minister sides. appointed under Clause (5) fails to  KP Sharma Oli had claimed to have own vote of confidence or when no support of 153 lawmakers including member can be appointed as Prime members of Janata Samajbadi Party Minister. while, Nepali Congress President About Nepal:

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 Nepal officially the Federal Highlights: Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia.  National Election Board of Ethiopia It is mainly situated in the announced that the ruling party won Himalayas, but also includes parts 410 seats out of 436 in the federal of the IndoGangetic Plain, parliament. bordering Tibet of China to the  This landslide victory assured a north, and India in the south, east, second term for Prime Minister Abiy and west. Ahmed.  It is narrowly separated from About: Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the  Abiy Ahmed came to power in April Indian state of Sikkim. 2018 after the former prime minister  Nepal is a multinational state, with resigned amid widespread protests. Nepali as the official language.  He had taken many steps for political  Kathmandu is the nation's capital. and economic reforms during his  The current President of Nepal is tenure but also drawn intense Bidya Devi Bhandari. international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead.

About Ethopia:

 Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa.  It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia (Somaliland) to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest.  The capital and largest city of Ethopia is Addis Ababa.  The currency used here is the Ethiopian birr.

Ethiopia Parliamentary Elections: In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity party won national parliamentary election.

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 As a young girl, Malala Yousafzai was not allowed to go to school as the Pakistani Taliban had banned girls from going to school.  However, the young girl refused to stay home and publicly advocated for the right to education for girls from as early as September 2008.  In 2009, Malala started a blog and wrote about life under Taliban rule. She also wrote about her desire to go to school. For three years, she and her father advocated for the right for girls to attend school. Malala Day 2021: The International Malala  As Malala Yousafzai became more Day is observed on July 12 to commemorate recognized, the dangers facing her the birthday of young Pakistani activist, increased and she received numerous Malala Yousafzai. death threats.

Malala Yousafzai is an international symbol, The attack on Malala: who took the initiative to prioritize female education in her home country, Pakistan.  In October 2021, the teenager was attacked by Taliban gunmen after she Malala Day History: publicly advocated for the education of girls.  The United Nations had designated  July 12 in 2013 as Malala Day to She was left critically injured. honour women and children’s rights  Nine months after being shot, on her around the world. 16th birthday, the fierce girl delivered  She delivered the speech at the United a speech at UN headquarters on Nations (UN) headquarters on women’s right to education. women's rights and education, calling Malala Fund: world leaders to reform their policies and on July 12, which was also her  She founded the Malala Fund, a birthday. nonprofit organization in 2013 along  The speech gained several rounds of with her father to ensure free, safe, standing ovations and and this address quality school education for girls led to the declaration of Malala Day around the world. by the UN. Books: About Malala:  She coauthored her autobiography  Malala Yousafzai is a young Pakistani titled “I Am Malala”, which is an human rights activist. international bestseller.  At age 17, Malala was the youngest  She even published a children's picture recipient ever of the Nobel Peace Prize. book about her life experience in  She was born in Mingora, Pakistan, on October 2017, which was July 12th, 1997. titled'Malala's Magic Pencil.'

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 She also wrote another book about the Russian journalist Anna herself and the refugee girls she met in Politkovskaya (1958–2006), who was her campaigns. The book titled, ‘We murdered in Moscow on 7 October Are Displaced: My Journey and 2006 to silence her reporting about Stories from Refugee Girls Around the the war in Chechnya. World’, was published in 2018.  She also won the International Prize for Equality and NonDiscrimination in She finished her degree in Philosophy, Politics 2013. and Economics at the University of Oxford in  She was appointed as the UN June 2020. Messenger of Peace by the United Awards and Honours: Nations in April 2017. She became the youngestever to hold the post.  Malala Yousafzai has received  She was also awarded an honorary numerous national and international Canadian citizenship in April and honours over the years. Some of became the youngest person to address which are as follows: the House of Commons in Canada.  Malala Yousafzai jointly won the  The UN has declared her as “the most 2014 Nobel Peace Prize along with famous teenager in the world” in its Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights Decade in Review report in late 2019. activist from India. At 17 years, Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel laureate.  She is the second Pakistani national to receive a Nobel Prize after Abdus Salam who won Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979.  She won the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice in November 2012.  She also won the International Children’s Prize in 2013.  She won the Simone de Beauvoir Prize, an international human rights prize for women’s freedom, in January 2013.  The European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in October 2013. Right to Repair Movement: The right to  She also won the Harvard repair movement has recently been making Foundation’s Peter Gomes waves across the globe. Humanitarian Award in September 2013. Key Details:  Yousafzai was honoured with the  Anna Politkovskaya Award – Reach From the United States (US) to Europe, All Women in War in 2013. pressure is mounting on manufacturers around the world to give consumers  Note: The award has been constituted to remember and honor

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the right to repair their own electronic  The right to repair movement started devices. sometime in the 1950s, at the  Activists and organizations around the beginning of the computer era. This world argue that these electronic movement allows consumers the manufacturers are encouraging a ability to repair and modify their own culture of ‘planned obsolescence’ — consumer electronic devices, where which means that devices are designed otherwise the manufacturer of such specifically to last a limited amount of devices requires the consumer to use time and to be replaced. This, they only their offered services. claim, leads to immense pressure on  The main aim of the movement is to the environment and wasted natural get tech companies to make tools, resources. spare parts, and repair manuals  However, it has been facing accessible to the public. tremendous opposition and resistance  This can help consumers and repair from tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, shops fix devices and extend their life Tesla, and even Amazon. span.

Reason for their resistance: Note:

 In response to this executive order,  The right to repair electronic products American companies say they fear for in their entirety is a real ecological and their business. economic issue.  They argue that sharing information in  For years, tech giants and this way would violate the intellectual manufacturers have been doing property of their products. everything to prevent consumers from  The other main argument is that being able to repair their products. independent repairers could be harmed  Instead they have favored the purchase when attempting to repair a product or of new devices. by using it after a faulty repair.  They also believe that this will threaten data and cybersecurity.

Background:

 The US President Joe Biden had recently signed an executive order asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish rules to allow consumers to repair their electronic devices under their own conditions. These rules are intended to boost Bastille Day: Bastille Day also known as the competition in the US economy. National Day of France is celebrated on the  The UK, too, introduced righttorepair 14th of July every year. rules that should make it much easier to buy and repair dailyuse gadgets Key Points: such as TVs and washing machines.

What is the right to repair movement?

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 Bastille Day is the common name considered the signal to the French given in Englishspeaking countries to Revolution. the national day of France.  Within days of the storming,  In French it is known officially as La feudalism was abolished in France and Fête Nationale or le 14 juillet. by August the “Declaration of the  This day marks the fall of Bastille, a Rights of Man and of the Citizen” was military fortress and prison, on July 14, published. 1789, when an angry mob stormed  A year later, in 1790, a Fête de la into it, signaling the beginning of the Federation was held to celebrate the fall of French Revolution. the Bastille and to symbolize the unity of the French people during the Revolution.  The first celebration can be traced  Delegates from across France gathered in back to July 14, 1790, exactly one Paris to declare their allegiance to a single year after the Bastille fell. Since then, nation which was an important unifying it has continued to grow, and large aspect of the Revolution. parties are held all over the world.  The slogan “Vive le 14 juillet!” (“Long live the 14th of July!”) has continued to be associated with the day.

History:

 The Bastille was originally built as a fortress guarding the eastern entrance of the city of Paris during the 1300s.  It was later used as a French state prison and a place of detention for BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ important persons during the 17th and Meeting: The Union Minister for Labour & the 18th centuries. Employment Bhupender Yadav, on 15 July  Prisoners who were directly sent there 2021 chaired the BRICS Labour & under orders of the king would get no Employment Ministers’ Meeting under India’s trial or right of appeal, at times Presidency. including political prisoners who Ministers of the member countries viz. Brazil, spoke against the rules and laws set by Russia, India, China and South Africa the ruling king. Detained citizens participated in the meeting. awaiting trial were also held at the Bastille. Key Details about the Meet:  Despite plans to demolish the building in the late 18th century, the Bastille  The BRICS Labour & Employment had come to represent the Bourbon Ministers’ Meeting was organized by monarchy and the harsh acts carried India to exchange views on the impact out by them. of Covid19 on global labour market,  It was stormed by an angry mob of enhance information sharing, discuss revolutionists on July 14, 1789, who and agree upon specific areas of then released the seven prisoners cooperation between BRICS Member being detained at the site. It is largely countries.

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 Discussion on four priority areas of role of gig and platform workers in the cooperation took place namely: labour market. 1. Promoting Social Security  The Minister further emphasized the Agreements amongst BRICS need for the signing of Social Security Nations; agreements amongst BRICS nations to 2. Formalization of Labour promote the welfare of the Markets; international migrant workers. 3. Participation of Women in the Labour Force; About BRICS: 4. Gig and Platform Workers:  It is the acronym coined for an Role in the Labour Market. association of five major emerging  The significant aspect of the meeting national economies which are Brazil, was the adoption of the BRICS Labour Russia, India, China and South Africa. & Employment Ministers’ Declaration. Originally the first four were grouped  The Ministerial Declaration as "BRIC", before the induction of recognizes that the COVID19 South Africa in 2010. pandemic has negatively impacted the  The BRICS members are known for efforts made to address unemployment, their significant influence on regional decent work deficits and inequality. affairs.  It also illustrates the strong  All are also the members of G20. determination of BRICS Member Since 2009, the BRICS nations have countries to recover with stronger met annually at formal summits. national economies, inclusive labour  BRICS headquarter is situated at markets and social protection systems. Shanghai, China. BRICS members are  Shri Bhupender Yadav, in his known for their influence in regional welcome address, stressed the need to affairs. enhance the intraBRICS solidarity and promoting sustained, inclusive, full and productive employment and decent work for all.  He highlighted the path breaking reforms by Government of India (GoI) in amalgamation, simplification and codification of its labour laws into four labour codes, namely 1. The Code on Wages 2019 2. The Code on Social Security 2020 3. The Industrial Relations Code 2020 4. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 World Day for International  The new Labour Codes provide Justice 2021: The International integrated pathways towards robust formalization of the labour market, Justice Day also referred to as Day increasing participation of women in of International Criminal Justice or the labour force and enhancing the International Justice Day, is an international day celebrated

www.civilserviceindia.com 38 throughout the world on July 17 as commemorates the adoption part of an effort to recognize the of ICC's founding treaty. emerging system of international  Established in 1945, the ICJ is criminal justice. the United Nation's principal judicial organ. Highlights:  It is the only principal UN  The International Justice Day body which is located in The is celebrated by honouring Hague (Netherlands) outside individuals working to New York. advocate the fundamental Theme for World Day for human rights of victims International Justice 2021 affected by criminal acts.  The day brings together all  The theme for World Day for people who want to support International Justice 2021 is justice, advocate victims' ‘A Call for Social Justice in rights, and aid in the the Digital Economy.’ prevention of crime that  This theme has been adopted threatens the world's peace, for 2021 to celebrate the safety, and wellbeing. World Day for International Justice. History:  The topic is extremely  On 1 June 2010, at the relevant for this year as with Review Conference of the the swift pace of adoption of Rome Statute held in Kampala the digital economy aided by (Uganda), the Assembly of the Covid19 pandemic, the State Parties decided to frequent incidents of internet celebrate 17 July as the Day frauds, breach and theft have of International Criminal also increased manifold. Justice. About International Court of  On July 17, 1998, the Justice (ICJ): International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the  ICJ is the first permanent and International Criminal Court independent international (ICC), adopted the Rome judicial institution that is Statute and the day also capable of trying individuals accused of the most serious

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violations of international  China’s cybersecurity is a threeyear humanitarian and human action plan to develop China’s cybersecurity industry. rights which include the crime  It is estimated to be worth more than of genocide, a war of crimes, 250 billion yuan ($38.6 billion) by and crimes against humanity. 2023.  the Cyberspace Administration of  International Criminal Court China (CAC) proposed draft rules (ICC) came into being when calling for all datarich tech companies several states adopted a statute with over 1 million users to undergo in Rome. security reviews before listing overseas.  This statue is known as the  The plan came in the backdrop of a Rome Statute of the regulatory probe of Chinese International Criminal Court. ridehailing giant Didi Chuxing for violating data privacy laws.  However, the ICC does not replace the national courts but Cybersecurity Law of China: it is available when a country  This law, commonly referred to as can't or won't carry out Chinese Cybersecurity Law, was investigations and prosecute enacted to increase data localization, data protection, and cybersecurity for perpetrators. national security.  It was enacted by Standing Committee of National People’s Congress on November 7, 2016.  Law came into force on June 1, 2017.  Cybersecurity is recognized as a basic law in China.  Thus, puts cybersecurity law on top of pyramidstructured legislation on cybersecurity.

Provisions of Law:

 The law requires network operators to China's CyberSecurity Industry Plan: The store data within China. Ministry of Industry and Information  It also allows Chinese authorities to Technology of China has drafted a conduct spotchecks on network cybersecurity industry plan. operations of company. The Law offers principal norms on some of the The draft comes as Chinese authorities step up issues that are not immediately urgent efforts to draft regulations to better govern but having longterm importance. data storage, data transfer, and personal data  It also provides elaborate regulations privacy. and definitions on legal liability.  For illegal conduct, Law provides for Key Points of the Plan: punishments like fines, suspension for

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rectification, revocation of permits & Bashar alAssad: Syrian President Bashar business licenses. Assad was sworn in 17 July 2021 for a fourth sevenyear term. Is the law applicable to whole country? Key Highlights:  As specified in local laws as “One country, two systems” principle, this  He was reelected in a landslide victory law is applicable to the whole country with 95.1 per cent of the votes. except its special administrative  The win delivers Assad seven more regions like Macau and Hong Kong as years in power and lengthens his these regions have a high degree of family's rule to nearly six decades. autonomy.  His father, Hafez alAssad, led Syria for 30 years until his death in 2000. About China:  Mr. Assad was facing symbolic  China, officially the People's Republic competition from two candidates — of China, is a country in East Asia. former Deputy Cabinet Minister  It is governed by the Communist Party Abdallah Saloum Abdallah, and of China. Mahmoud Ahmed Marei, head of a  It is a recognized nuclear weapons small, officially sanctioned opposition state and has the world's largest party. standing army, the People's Liberation  Mr. Assad’s victory comes as the Army, and the secondlargest defense country is still devastated by the budget. conflict.  The capital of China is Beijing.  Fighting has subsided but the war is  The currency used here is Yuan (CNY) not over. An economic crisis is getting and Renminbi (RMB). worse in a country where over 80% of  The yuan is the unit of account of the the population lives below the poverty country's economic and financial line and the local currency is in a free system while Renminbi is the official fall. currency of China where it acts as a medium of exchange. About Syria:  The current President of china is Xi  Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Jinping. Republic, is a country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia.  It borders Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.  Its capital and largest city is Damascus.  The currency used here is Syrian pound.  The current President of Syria is Bashar alAssad.

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7) Cabinet Committee on India Polity Investment and Growth 8) Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development.

The members are as follows:

1. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet:

Composition Reconstituted Cabinet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Committees: The central Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home government has reconstituted the Affairs Cabinet committees, including the one on parliamentary affairs, ahead  Appointments committee of the Monsoon Session, scheduled decides all higher level between July 19 and August 13. appointments in the Central Secretariat, Public Enterprises, The Government has reconstituted Banks and Financial Cabinet Committees under the Institutions. Transaction of Business Rules. 2. Cabinet Committee on These include Accommodation: 1) Appointments Committee of Composition the Cabinet 2) Cabinet Committee on Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Accommodation Affairs, Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, 3) Cabinet Committee on Minister of Road Transport and Economic Affairs (CCEA) Highways; Minister of Micro, Small 4) Cabinet Committee on & Medium Enterprises, Smt. Parliamentary Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of (CCPA) Finance; Minister of Corporate 5) Cabinet Committee on Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister Political Affairs of Railways, Minister of Commerce 6) Cabinet Committee on & Industry. Security Special Invitees

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Shri Jitendra Singh,Minister of Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State(I/C) of the Ministry of Finance; Minister of Corporate Development of North Eastern Affairs, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Region; Minister of State in the Minister of Agriculture &Farmer Prime Minister’s Office, Minister of Welfare, Minister of Rural State in the Ministry of Personnel, Development: and Minister of Public Grievances & Pensions, Panchayati Raj, Shri Ravi Shankar Minister of State in the Department Prasad, Minister of Communications of Atomic Energy; Minister of State and Information Technology; and in the Department of Space, Shri Minister of Law and Justice, Smt. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of State(I/C) of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Dr. Housing &Urban Affairs; Minister Subrahamanayam Jaishankar, of State(I/C) of the Ministry of Civil Minister of External Affairs, Shri Aviation; and Minister of State in Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, the Ministry of Commerce and Minister of Commerce & Industry, Industry Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the  Committee on Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Accommodation determines Gas and Minister of Steel. the guidelines with regard to the allotment of government  Economic Affairs Committee accommodation. directs and coordinates the governmental activities in 3. Cabinet Committee on economic area. Economic Affairs: 4. Cabinet Committee on Composition Parliamentary Affairs: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Composition Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence, Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Shri Raj Nath Singh, Minister of Affairs, Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Defence, Shri Amit Shah, Minister Minister of Road Transport and of Home Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Highways; Minister of Micro, Small Sitharaman, Minister of Finance; & Medium Enterprises, Shri Minister of Corporate Affairs, Shri D.V.Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Ramvilas Paswan, Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Smt. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public

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Distribution, Shri Narendra Singh the progress of government Tomar, Minister of Agriculture business in the parliament. &Farmer Welfare, Minister of Rural 5. Cabinet Committee on Political Development: and Minister of Affairs: Panchayati Raj, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications The Cabinet committee on Political and Information Technology; and Affairs, led by Prime Minister Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Narendra Modi, will comprise 12 Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Union ministers Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Composition Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Change; Minister of Information and Raj Nath Singh, Minister of Defence, Broadcasting, Shri Prahlad Joshi, Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Affairs, Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister of Coal and Mines. Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Ministry of Micro, Small Special Invitees and Medium Enterprises, Smt. Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of of State Parliamentary Affairs; Finance; Minister of Corporate Minister of State in the Ministry of Affairs, Shri Ramvilas Paswan, Heavy Industries and Public Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food Enterprises, Shri V Muraleedharan, and Public Distribution, Shri Minister of State Parliamentary Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Affairs; Minister of State in the Agriculture &Farmer Welfare, Ministry of External Affairs Minister of Rural Development: and Minister of Panchayati Raj, Shri  Parliamentary Affairs Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Committee will chalk out the Communications and Minister of schedule of the Parliament Electronics and Information sessions, scrutinize Technology; and Minister of Law nongovernment business and and Justice, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur decide on the bills and Badal, Minister of Food Processing resolutions to be presented in Industries, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Parliament. This Minister of Health & Family committee alsoknown as Welfare; Minister of Science & SuperCabinet also looks after

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Technology; and Minister of Earth  The Committee on Security Sciences, Shri Piyush Goyal, decides on all important Minister of Railways, Minister of appointments in the Commerce & Industry, Shri Prahlad government from the rank of Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary joint secretary to national Affairs; Minister of Coal; and security issues, defence Minister of Mines, Shri Arvind expenditure of India and Ganpat Sawant, Minister of Heavy matters related to atomic Industries & Public Enterprises energy.

 Political Affair Committee 7. Cabinet Committee on deals with all political matters Investment and Growth: related to domestic and Composition foreign affairs including CentreState relations and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, policy matters concerning Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath foreign affairs that do not Singh, Minister of Defence, Minister have external or internal of Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah, security implications. Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Micro, Small 6. Cabinet Committee on Security: and Medium Enterprises Shri Nitin Composition Jairam Gadkari, Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Prime Minister Narendra Modi,Shri Sitharaman and Minister of Rajnath Singh, Minister of Railways & Minister of Commerce Defence,Shri Amit Shah, Minister of & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. Home Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance &  Committee on Investment will Corporate Affairs, and External identify the key projects Affairs Minister Dr. required to be implemented on Subrahamanayam Jaishankar. a timebound manner in different sectors. This committee decides all important appointments in the 8. Cabinet Committee on government from the rank of joint Employment & Skill Development: secretary and above was also not Composition changed.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Zubin Irani, Minister of Women & Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Child Development and Textiles, Singh, Minister of Home Affairs Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Finance State (I/C) Culture, MOS (I/C) & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Tourism. Sitharaman, Shri Narendra Singh Committee on Employment and Tomar, Minister of Agriculture Skill Development will provide &Farmer Welfare, Minister of Rural direction to all policies, programmes, Development: and Minister of schemes and initiatives for skill Panchayati Raj, Shri Piyush Goyal, development aimed at increasing the Minister of Railways & Minister of employability of the workforce. Commerce & Industry, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Minister of Note: All the committees are Human Resource Development, Shri headed by the Prime Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of except two, Parliamentary Affairs Petroleum &Natural Gas: and Committee and Committee on Minister of Steel, Dr. Mahendra Accommodation which are headed Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill by the Home Minister. development & Enterpreneurship, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, MOS(I/C)Labour & Employment and Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State(I/C) of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs; Minister of State(I/C) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Piyush Goyal: Union Minister Piyush Goyal is set to be be the Special Invitees Leader of the House in the Rajya Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister Sabha. of Road Transport and Highways; He will replace Thaawarchand Ministry of Micro, Small and Gehlot, who is now the Governor of Medium Enterprises, Smt. Harsimrat Karnataka. Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries, Smt. Smriti Highlights:

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o This replacement signals the o No. Office of leader of the induction of younger leader House is not enshrined in for a role which is usually constitution. handled by veterans. o It is provided under Rules of o Piyush Goyal was deputy Rajya Sabha. leader when Gehlot was Rajya Sabha or Council of States: leader of the house. o Thaawar Chand Gehlot has o It is the upper house of been now appointed as bicameral Parliament of India. governor of Karnataka. o It is a permanent body and is o Before becoming a minister in not subject to dissolution. 2014, Goyal was BJP o It has a maximum treasurer. He was also membership of 245 as of 2021. engaged in poll management Out of 245, 233 members are activities. elected by legislatures of o As deputy leader of the House states and union territories by of Elders, Goyal has been an single transferable votes effective floor manager and through Open Ballot. played a role in passage of o 12 members are nominated by key legislations. President for their contributions in the fields of About the Leader of the House in art, science, literature and Rajya Sabha: social services. o Leader of House is the “leader o Maximum seating capacity of and parliamentary Rajya Sabha is 250 in which chairperson” of majority party 238 can be elected and 12 are in Rajya Sabha. nominated. o The Leader is usually either a o Article 80 of Constitution cabinet minister or another provides that, members sit for nominated minister. staggered terms lasting six o The Leader of the House is years. responsible for organizing o Elections are held every year government meetings and with about a third of 233 business in the House. designates up for election every two years. Is it a constitutional post?

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Note: The Upper House was units (both new and ongoing founded on 3 April 1952 by the projects) for judicial officers Constituent Assembly of India. It of District and Subordinate is headquartered in New Delhi. Courts, 1450 lawyer halls, 1450 toilets complexes and 3800 digital computer rooms.  This will be a new step towards building better courts for a new India.  The Cabinet also gave its approval for the implementation of the scheme in a mission mode through National Mission for Justice Development of Infrastructure Delivery and Legal Reforms Facilities for Judiciary: The Union with an aim to develop a Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister wellequipped judicial Shri Narendra Modi has recently infrastructure to facilitate the approved the continuation of the administration of justice in a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) manner that allows easy for Development of Infrastructure access and timely delivery of Facilities for Judiciary. justice to all.

Key Details: Implementation of the Scheme from 2021 to 2026:  It has been approved for further five years from The projects that will be undertaken 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2026. under the CSS Scheme for the  The total cost of the scheme is period between April 1, 2021 to estimated at Rs 9,000 crore, March 31, 2026 are as follows: out of which will be Rs 5,357 i. Construction of 3800 court crore will be Central share, halls and 4000 residential including Rs 50 crore for the units for Judicial Officers (JO) Gram Nyayalayas Scheme. in all the District and  This proposal seeks to help in Subordinate Courtsin all the construction of 3800 court District and Subordinate halls and 4000 residential

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Courts with an expenditure of  Setting up of digital computer Rs.4500 crores. rooms will also improve ii. Construction of 1450 digital capabilities and give Lawyers’ Halls in all the impetus to the digitization District and Subordinate initiation being pursued as a Courts with an expenditure of part of India’s Digital India Rs.700 crore. vision. iii. Construction of 1450 toilet  This will help in improving complex in all the District and the overall functioning and Subordinate Courts with an performance of the Judiciary. expenditure of Rs.47 crore. Continued assistance to the iv. Construction of 3800 Digital Gram Nyayalayas will also Computer Rooms in the give impetus to providing District and Subordinate speedy, substantial and Courts with an expenditure of affordable justice to the Rs.60 crore. common man at his door step. v. Operationalisation of Gram Nyayalayas in implementing Monitoring of the Scheme: states with an expenditure of  Department of Justice has Rs.50 crore. developed an online Benefits of this scheme: monitoring system with technical assistance from  The CSS Scheme will ISRO. increase the availability of  The online monitoring system wellequipped Court Halls and will enable data collection on Residential Accommodations the progress of completion of for Judges / Judicial Officers court halls and other measures of District and Subordinate undertaken. Courts all over the country.  The upgraded “Nyaya  The courts are also being Vikas2.0” web portal and provided with better amenities mobile application has been enabling winwin situation for upgraded for monitoring both the judiciary and the physical and financial lawyers and also to ease of progress of CSS judicial living of common man. infrastructure projects by

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geotagging completed and  The Court can function as a ongoing projects. mobile court at any place within the jurisdiction of such Background: Gram Nyayalaya, after giving  A Centrally Sponsored wide publicity to that regard. Scheme (CSS) for  They have both civil and Development of Infrastructure criminal jurisdiction over the Facilities for Judiciary has offences. been in operation since  Gram Nyayalayas has been 199394. given power to accept certain  The central assistance is evidences which would provided to the State otherwise not be acceptable Governments / UT under Indian Evidence Act. Administrations under the Composition: Scheme for construction of court halls and residential  The Gram Nyayalayas are units for Judicial Officers / presided over by a Judges of District and Nyayadhikari, who will have Subordinate Courts. the same power, enjoy same salary and benefits of a About Gram Nyayalayas: Judicial Magistrate of First The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 Class. that came into force from 2 October  Such Nyayadhikari are to be 2009 was enacted for establishment appointed by the State of Gram Nyayalayas for speedy and Government in consultation easy access to justice system in the with the respective High rural areas of India. Court. Jurisdiction:

 A Gram Nyayalaya has jurisdiction over an area specified by a notification by the State Government in consultation with the respective High Court.

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 The Order of extension of the term of the “Commission” by 6 months beyond 31.7.2021 and till 31.01.2022 would be notified with the approval of the President.

Background:

 The Commission was constituted under article 340 SubCategorization within OBCs: of the Constitution with the The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime approval of President on 2nd Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 14 October, 2017. July 2021, approved the Eleventh  The Commission, headed by Extension of the term of the Justice (Retd.) Smt. G. Rohini Commission constituted under commenced functioning on Article 340 of the Constitution. 11th October, 2017 and has  It has been approved to since interacted with all the examine the issue of Other States/UTs which have Backward Classes (OBCs) in subcategorized OBCs, and the the Central List by 6 months State Backward Classes beyond 31st July 2021 and Commissions. upto 31st January 2022. What is the reason for the Benefits: extension?

 The proposed extension of  The Commission has come to tenure and addition in its the view that it would require terms of reference shall enable some more time to submit its the “Commission” to submit a report since the repetitions, comprehensive report on the ambiguities, inconsistencies issue of subcategorization of and errors of spelling or OBCs, after consultation with transcription etc. appearing in various stake holders. the existing Central List of OBCs need to be cleared. Implementation:

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 Hence the Commission had for authentic orders to release sought extension of its term, prisoners. up to 31st July 2020.  A bench headed by Chief  However, due to the Justice N V Ramana directed nationwide lockdown and the SecretaryGeneral of the restrictions on travel imposed Supreme Court to submit a on account of COVID19 proposal on the safe digital pandemic, the Commission transmission of its bail orders was not able to go perform the scheme. task assigned to it.  The bench has directed the  Therefore, the term of the implementation of this Commission is being scheme within a month. extended for a period of 6  The bench has also requested more months i.e. up to the states to provide 31.1.2021. information on availability of internet connection in jails across India because the digital transmission scheme would require an internet connection.  Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave was appointed as an amicus curiae to aid with implementing the scheme.

Background: Safe Digital Transmission of Bail  On July 13, 2021, the Order: The Supreme Court of India Supreme Court took sou motu on July 16, 2021, announced that a cognizance of the delay by the system for safe digital transmission Uttar Pradesh authorities in of its bail orders to jails across India. releasing 13 prisoners who Key Details: had been granted bail by the apex court on July 8, 2021.  The bail order scheme will be  The 13 prisoners, who were implemented so that juveniles at the time of authorities do not have to wait conviction, have been lodged

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in Agra Central jail for intent to nominate 11 individuals including periods from 14 to 22 years in two Indian-Americans to serve in key roles. a case of murder.  According to the statement by White House the nominated persons are - Definition of Amicus Curiae: Gabe Camarillo, Alan Estevez, Lisa Wang, Jeff Lane Flake, Kent Doyle  One who is not a party to case Logsdon,Chester John Culver, Rich but assists court by offering Trumka Jr, James A Diossa, Terrence K Wright, with two Indian-Americans information, expertise, or Rahul Gupta and Atul Gawande. insight with bearing on issues in any case are known as Key Roles: “Amicus Curiae”. 1. Rahul Gupta is the nominee for  The decision of considering Director of National Drug Control Policy. brief by amicus is subject to 2. Atul Gawande is the nominee for discretion of court. Assistant Administrator of the Bureau  This figure originated in for Global Health, United States Roman law. Agency for International Development (USAID).  Amicus Curiae is a Latin 3. Gabe Camarillo is the nominee for phrase that literally means Under Secretary of the Army, ‘friend of the court”. Department of Defense 4. Alan Estevez for Under Secretary for Industry and Security, Department of Commerce 5. Jeff Lane Flake for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkey Persons in News 6. Kent Doyle Logsdon for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Appointments: the Republic of Moldova 7. Lisa Wang for Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, Department of Commerce 8. Chester John Culver for Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation 9. Rich Trumka Jr for Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission 10. James A Diossa for Member of the Board of Trustees of the James Rahul Gupta and Atul Gawande: President Madison Memorial Fellowship Joe Biden on 14 July 2021 announced his Foundation

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11. Terrence K Wright for Member of the Board of Trustees of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.

About Rahul Gupta:

 Rahul is the son of an Indian diplomat.  He was born in India and grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC.  He is a national and global thought Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS)’s leader and a driver of innovative Literary Award: Journalist and playwright public policies on health issues. Omchery N N Pillai has been selected for the  Dr Gupta serves as an advisor to Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS)’s Literary several organizations and task forces Award for 2021. on local, national and international public health policy. “His enormous contributions as a whole to  He also led the development of the Malayalam language and literature are state's Zika action plan and its remarkable, which ultimately led to this award. preparedness efforts during the Ebola The award was announced by the BKS Virus Disease Outbreak. president P V Radhakrishna Pillai, general About Atul Gawande: secretary Varghese Karackal and literary wing secretary Firoz Thiruvathra.  Atul Gawande is also founder and chair of Ariadne Labs, a joint center The Jury was headed by the novelist M for health systems innovation at Mukundan. Literary critic Dr K S Ravikumar, Brigham and Women's Hospital and writer and Kerala Chief Secretary Dr V P Joy, the Harvard TH Chan School of Public and Radhakrishna Pillai were part of the jury. Health, and of Lifebox, a nonprofit The award constitutes a cash prize of `50,000 organization making surgery safer and a citation acknowledging the achievement. globally.  During the coronavirus pandemic, he The award ceremony will be held later in co-founded CIC Health, which Delhi. operates COVID-19 testing and vaccination nationally, and served as a About Omchery N N Pillai: member of the Biden transition Omchery hails from Vaikom in Kottayam and COVID-19 Advisory Board. he started his public career as a journalist at  In addition, Atul has been a staff ‘Malayala Rajyam’. writer for The New Yorker magazine since 1998 and written four New York Being a resident of Delhi for the past seven Times best-selling books: decades, he has been promoting Malayalam Complications, Better, The Checklist and Malayalam literature among Keralite Manifesto, and Being Mortal. expats,”

Awards: As a playwright, he contributed many works, including Thevarude Aana and Pralayam, to modern Malayalam

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She was last seen in Netflix's anthology 'Ghost Stories' (2020) in the story which was directed by Zoya Akhtar.

Commonwealth Points of Light award: He is Hyderabad’s hunger activist who recently won the Commonwealth Points of Light award.

He has been feeding thousands of people Danish Siddiqui: He was a Pulitzer Prize- everyday as part of his food drive ‘Hunger Has winning Indian photojournalist who passed No Religion’. away on July 13, 2021.

He was conferred with this top UK award for He was killed in a clash while reporting a fight his drive that helps to feed 1,500 people on a between Afghan troops and the Taliban in daily basis. Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan. The award is for those ‘outstanding individuals who are making a change in their community. He was employed with the international news agency Reuters. Orbituaries: He was a recipient of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize with six others working as a photographer with Reuters news agency in 2018.

Places in news

Surekha Sikri: The National Award-winning actor Surekha Sikri passed away on July 16, 2021, due to cardiac arrest at the age of 75.

Surekha Sikri, the three-time National Award- winning actor, is best known for her majestic performances in ‘Mammo’, ‘Tamas’, ‘Badhaai Ho’, 'Zubeida', 'Salim Langde pe mat Ro', and Population Policy for 2021 2030: Uttar Pradesh popular daily soap ‘Balika Vadhu’. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently launched the State’s population policy for 2021 2030. Highlights:

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. The new policy was unveiled on the occasion of World Population Day. . The UP government is implementing this policy keeping in mind all sections of the society. . The unveiling of the policy comes days after a draft of the population control bill was put up on the state law commission website. . The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has prepared a proposed draft bill for population control, under which a two child norm would be Projects of Science city Ahmedabad: Prime implemented and promoted. Minister Narendra Modi, on 16 July 2021 virtually inaugurated multiple Railway About the new population policy: projects and 3 new attractions at Science city Ahmedabad, Gujarat. . In the new population policy, a target has been set to bring the birth rate to 2.1 per thousand populations by 2026 and to 1.9 by 2030. Key Details: . Provisions have been made for ensuring health services for all and for paying special attention to As per the official release by the Railway pregnant women, infants, sick newborns and Ministry, the Railway projects include the children who are severely malnourished. following: . The new policy aims at the following: 1) Newly redeveloped a) Decrease in the total fertility rate from Gandhinagar Capital Railway 2.7 to 2.1 by 2026 and 1.7 by 2030, b) Increase modern contraceptive station prevalence rate from 31.7% to 45% by 2) Gauge converted cum electrified 2026 and 52% by 2030, Mahesana – Varetha line c) Increase male methods of contraception 3) Newly electrified use from 10.8% to 15.1% by 2026 and 16.4% by 2030, Surendranagar – Pipavav d) Decrease maternal mortality rate from section. 197 to 150 to 98, and infant mortality rate from 43 to 32 to 22, and under 5 The Vadnagar Railway Station which is part of infant mortality rate from 47 to 35 to 25. the Vadnagar – Modhera – Patan heritage circuit has been redesigned by Indian Tourism . Targeting stabilization, the draft of the policy also said the State would attempt to maintain a balance giving it a heritage look with aesthetic stone of population among the various communities. carvings.

About Uttar Pradesh (UP): He also flagged off two new trains i.e . Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. 1) Gandhinagar Capital – . It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh during British rule Varanasi Superfast Weekly and was renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950. Express . Its Capital city is Lucknow. 2) MEMU service trains between . The Chief Minister and the Governor of Uttar Pradesh are Yogi Adityanath and Anandiben Patel Gandhinagar Capital and respectively. Varetha.

He inaugurated the newly built modern railway station of Gandhingar and a five star hotel atop the railway station.

About Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station:

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 Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station  PM Modi also inaugurated the Robotic has also been termed as the ‘Marvel of Gallery which will take the visitors Technology and epitome of through the history of evaluation of passenger’s comfort’ by the Ministry robots. of Railways.  It will be an interactive gallery that will showcase the pioneers of robotic Key Features: technology and will also provide a platform for visitors to explore the  State of art external façade and evolving field of robotics. landscaping  A huge replica of the transformer  Divyang friendly station robot will be at the entrance of the  Spacious entrance lobby with ticketing gallery. facility  The unique attraction will be the  Theme based lighting welcoming humanoid robot that will  Escalators and lifts be able to communicate with visitors  Waiting hall at platforms for around expressing emotions such as joy, 500 passengers surprise, and excitement.  Centralised AC multipurpose waiting lounge Nature Park:  Dedicated exclusive art gallery with live LED wall display lounge  The nature park in Gujarat will have  Inter faith prayer hall many beautiful features such as a  Adequate parking facility chess garden, fog garden, sculpture  Platforms well connected with park, selfie points, and open labyrinth. subways  The nature park will also include an interesting labyrinth designed for the Other Projects: children.

PM Modi also inaugurated an aquatic gallery, About Gujarat: a robotic gallery and Nature Park in the Science City, Ahmedabad.  Gujarat is a state on the western coast of India most of which lies on the Aquatic gallery: Kathiawar peninsula.  The aquatic gallery will spread over an  The state is bordered by Rajasthan to area of 15,000 sq meters. It will be the the northeast, Dadra and Nagar Haveli largest aquarium in India. and Daman and Diu to the south,  It will have 68 tanks, showcasing the Maharashtra to the southeast, Madhya 188 marine species including penguins. Pradesh to the east, and the Arabian  A key attraction of the aquatic gallery Sea and the Pakistani province of will be a 28 meter long unique Sindh to the west. walkway tunnel.  Its capital city is Gandhinagar.  The gallery has been developed in  The Governor and Chief Minister of collaboration with Marine Scape Eo Gujarat are Acharya Devvrat and aquarium, New Zealand. Vijay Rupani respectively.

Robotic Gallery in Science City:

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2) In the 2nd phase, 82 villages will be covered with an area of 10000 hectares and 3) Under the 3rd phase, the department has selected 79 villages which will cover the remaining areas.  Sikkim is the first state that is 100 per cent organic with all of its farmland certified organic. The use and sale of Ladakh and Sikkim: Ladakh administration chemical fertilizers and pesticides are recently signed a tripartite MoU with Sikkim banned in Sikkim. State Organic Certification Agency (SOCCA). About SSOCA:  On behalf of the Administration of  Sikkim State Organic Certification Union Territory of Ladakh, the MoU Agency (SSOCA) is an autonomous was signed by the Executive organization established under the Councillor, Agriculture, LAHDC, Leh, Sikkim Government. Stanzin Chosphel, Secretary,  SSOCA registered under society act Agriculture, Ravinder Kumar, Deputy vide registration no:E21/Gtk/2458, Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, dated:31st December,2015 with the Leh, Shrikant Suse with the financial support of Government of representatives of SSOCA and Sikkim. Agriculture Department, Leh.  The Government of Sikkim assigned  The tripartite MoU has been signed work to SSOCA to certify Organic regarding the implementation of Production and processing system in Prampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana the State and country as per National (PKVY) and Mission Organic and International Organic Standards. Development Initiative (MODI) in the  The SSOCA intends to provide an Ladakh region. institutional mechanism for inspection Objective: and certification of organic production, processing and trade in India.  The main objective of this MoU is to o Organic Inspection and get the organic certification after a tie Certification up with the Government of India (GoI). o Forest and Wild Products (Non Timber) Key Points: o Voluntary Certification  The MoU is aimed at making Ladakh Scheme for Medicinal Plant a certified organic UT by 2025 which Produce (VCSMPP) will be completed in three phases. o Participatory Guarantee 1) In the first phase, 85 villages have System (PGS) been identified with an aim to o India Good Agriculture convert 5000 hectares of land into Practices (INDGAP) organic. Certification Geographical Area of Operation of SSOCA

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 SSOCA operates from Extreme North  Sikkim became the 22nd state of the of the Country to the Extreme South Indian Union on 16 May 1975. i.e its work is extended from the  Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. region of Ladakh to Kerala and  The current Governor and the Chief Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat. Minister of Sikkim are Ganga Prasad  Its geographical area of operation is and Prem Singh Tamang respectively. throughout India.  Currently, SSOCA is operating its work in UT Ladakh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, North Eastern States of India, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Goa & Kerala.  In the near future SSOCA is intending to extend its geographical area of operation globally.  And in near future SSOCA is intending to extend its geographical area of operation globally. Rudraksh: Prime Minister Shri Narendra About Ladakh: Modi recently inaugurated the International Cooperation and Convention Centre –  Ladakh is a region administered by Rudraksh in Varanasi. India as a union territory, and constituting a part of the larger region Objective: of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute between India, The objective of the project is to provide Pakistan, and China since 1947. opportunities for social and cultural  Until 2019, Ladakh was a region of interactions between people at the the state of Jammu and Kashmir. international convention centre.  In August 2019, the Parliament of Key Points: India passed an act by which Ladakh became a union territory on 31  This project has been constructed with October 2019. Japanese assistance.  The capital of Ladakh is Leh, Kargil.  It is ideal for holding international  The current Lieutenant Governor of conferences, exhibitions and music Ladakh is Radha Krishna Mathur. concerts and other events.  About Sikkim:  The gallery is done up with murals  Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. depicting Varanasi's art, culture and  It borders China in the north and music. northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in  As many as 108 Rudraksha have been the west, and West Bengal in the south. installed at this convention centre.  It is the least populous and second  Its roof is shaped like a Shiva Linga. smallest among the Indian states and is About Varanasi: also located close to India's Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh.  Varanasi also known as Benares or Banaras is a city on the banks of the

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river Ganges in northern Indian state thereby making animal husbandry of Uttar Pradesh, India. more remunerative to 10 crore farmers  The city dates back to the 11th century engaged in Animal Husbandry Sector. B.C. It is regarded as the spiritual  This package envisages Central capital of India. The city draws Hindu Government's support amounting to pilgrims who bathe in the Ganges Rs.9800 crore over duration of 5 years River’s sacred waters and perform for leveraging total investment of 54 funeral rites. thousand 618 crore rupees for five  Along the city's winding streets are years. some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishwanath, the “Golden Temple,” Financial Implication: dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The financial commitment of Rs.9800 crore by Note: According to Hindu mythology, Government of India over next 5 years starting Varanasi was founded by Shiva, one of three 2021 22 for these schemes would leverage principal deities along with Brahma and total investment of Rs.54,618 crore in Vishnu. livestock sector including share of investments by State Governments, State Cooperatives, Financial institutions, External funding agencies and other stakeholder.

Key Details:

India Policy As per this, all the schemes of the Department will be merged into three broad categories as Development Programmes.

1. It includes Rashtriya Gokul Mission, National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), National Livestock Mission (NLM) and Livestock Census and Integrated Sample Survey as sub schemes. 2. Disease Control programme renamed as Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH & DC) which includes Special livestock package: The Cabinet the present Livestock Health and Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has Disease Control (LH & DC) scheme approved implementation of special livestock and National Animal Disease Control sector package consisting of several activities Programme (NADCP) and by revising and realigning various components Infrastructure Development Fund of Government of India's schemes for next five years starting from 2021 22. 3. The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development fund (AHIDF) and the Key Points: Dairy Infrastructure Development  The CCEA approved the Fund (DIDF) are merged and the implementation in order to further present scheme for support to Dairy boost growth in livestock sector and Cooperatives and Farmer Producer

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Organizations engaged in Dairy Highlights: activities is also included in this third category. The updated draft Drone Rules will Significance and Impact: replace the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021, that  The Rashtriya Gokul Mission will were issued on March 12, 2021. help in development and conservation of indigenous breeds and would also The Draft rules were built on contribute in improving the economic condition of the rural poor. premise of trust, self certification  The National Programme for Dairy and non intrusive monitoring. Development (NPDD) scheme is targeted towards installation of about Key Details of the Draft Drone 8900 bulk milk coolers, thus providing Rules 2021: benefit to more than 8 lakh milk producers and 20 LLPD milk will be As per the updated draft Drone additionally procured. Rules, 2021  Under NPDD, financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation  The new draft rules suggest Agency (JICA) will be availed thus strengthening and creating fresh the abolition of approvals for infrastructure in 4500 villages. certain criteria, reduction of forms to six from 25 and relaxation in granting permission.  It proposes the development of drone corridors for cargo deliveries.  It will offer safety features such as geo fencing, real time tracking beacon. A six month lead time will be given for compliance. Draft Drone Rules, 2021: The  There will be minimal human Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) interface on digital sky on July 15, 2021, issued the updated platform and most permission draft Drone Rules, 2021, for public will be self generated. consultation.  Safety features like ‘No The last date for public consultation Permission – No Take off’ on the draft Drone Rules, 2021, is (NPNT), real time tracking August 5, 2021.

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beacon, geo fencing etc. are to  No pilot license required for be notified in future. micro drones (for non  It will provide an interactive commercial use), nano drones airspace map with yellow, and for R&D organizations. green, and red zones that will  Research and Development be displayed on the Digital entities will not be required to Sky platform. generate certificates of airworthiness, remote pilot The yellow zone has been license, prior permission, and reduced from 45 km to 12 unique identification number. km from the nearby airport  The Quality Council of India perimeter. In the green zone, and certification entities no flight permission will be authorized by the Council will required up to 400 ft and up handle the Issuance of to 200 ft in the area between Certificate of Airworthiness. 8 and 12 km from the  airport perimeter. The coverage of drones as per the draft Drone Rules, 2021,  Import of drones and drone has been increased to 500 kg components will be regulated from 300 kg, including drone by Directorate General of taxis. Foreign Trade (DGFT).  Operating drones with no  All drone training and testing unique identification number to be carried out by an will not be allowed unless it is authorized drone school. exempted.  Directorate General of Civil  Drone operators are required Aviation will prescribe generate a unique training requirements, oversee identification number of drone schools and provide drones by providing requisite pilot licenses online. details on digital sky platform.  Standard operating procedures  A Drone Promotion Council (SOP) and training procedure will be created to enable a manuals (TPM) will be business friendly regulatory prescribed by DGCA on the regime. digital sky platform for self Significance: monitoring by users.

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 The drone attack incident has  To provide a secure & a put focus on security and scalable platform to support safety risks associated with drone technology frameworks drone operations. like NPNT (No Permission,  Therefore, the updated draft No Take off), Drone Rules, 2021, will  To provide flight permission facilitate investments in drone digitally technology in India.  To manage unmanned aircraft  Further, abolishment of operations and traffic in an restrictive practices and efficient manner. stringent licence regime for  It was designed to enable UAS by the government flight permission digitally and offers flexibility to players in managing unmanned aircraft the sectors. operations & traffic efficiently.

Background: What is a Drone?

 Prime Minister Narendra Drone is a layman terminology for Modi, in June chaired a high Unmanned Aircraft (UA). level meeting to discuss the The following are the three subsets drone attack which took place of Unmanned Aircraft in Jammu & Kashmir.  The was attended with the 1. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Home Minister Amit Shah, 2. Autonomous Aircraft Defense Minister Rajnath 3. Model Aircraft. Singh, and National Security Remotely Piloted Aircraft consists Advisor Ajit Doval were also of remote pilot station(s), the present in the meeting. required command and control links What is Digital Sky platform? and any other components, as specified in the type design. Digital Sky platform is an initiative by the Ministry of Civil Aviation The remotely piloted aircraft have (MoCA). been divided into five categories. They are: This initiative was started for the following purpose: 1. Large: Greater than 150kg.

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2. Medium: From 25kg to  The innovative is one of its 150kg. kind training program for 3. Small: From 2 kg to 25kg. School Teachers. 4. Micro: From 250 grams to  This program aims at training 2kg. 50,000 school teachers on 5. Nano: Less than or equal to Innovation, Entrepreneurship, 250 grams. IPR, Design Thinking, Product development, Idea generation etc.  The program has been designed by Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Education and AICTE for School Teachers based on its “Innovation Ambassador Training Program for Higher Educational Institution’s faculty members”. SIATP: Union Education Minister  The training will be delivered and Tribal Affairs Minister jointly in online mode only. launched the ‘School Innovation  Ambassador Training Program’ The first batch of this (SIATP) for 50,000 School Teachers programme will start from on 16th July 2021. 20th of July.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had announced that the Board in collaboration with Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will impart training to 50 thousand teachers as Innovation Ambassadors.

About SIATP: National AYUSH Mission: The Union Cabinet recently approved the continuation of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) as a Centrally

www.civilserviceindia.com 64 sponsored Scheme from 1st April  To set up of new upto 50 2021 to 31st March 2026. bedded integrated AYUSH Hospital Key Points:  To implement AYUSH Public  Total financial implication Health programmes will be of Rs. 4607.30 crore.  To operationalize 12,500  Out of it, Rs 3,000 crore will AYUSH Health and Wellness be Central Share and Rs. Centres. 1607.30 will be State Share. Significance of the mission:  The Mission was launched on 15 09 2014.  This scheme is addresses the gaps in health services by About: supporting efforts of State or Centrally Sponsored Scheme of UT Governments to provide NAM is being implemented by AYUSH health services or Ministry of AYUSH, Government of education across India. Under India. the scheme, special focus is given to specific needs of far It was launched with the following flung areas in order to allocate objectives: higher resources in their  To provide cost effective Annual Plans. AYUSH Services  Benefits of the scheme:  To provide a universal access  It provides a better access to through upgrading AYUSH AYUSH healthcare services Hospitals and Dispensaries by increased healthcare  To co location of AYUSH facilities. facilities at Primary Health  It facilitates better offering of Centers (PHCs), Community AYUSH services and better Health Centers (CHCs) and availability of medicines and District Hospitals (DHs) trained manpower  To strengthen institutional  Improvement in AYUSH capacity at the State level education through well through upgrading AYUSH equipped enhanced number educational institutions ofAYUSH Educational institutions,

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 It also focuses on reducing shock that Section 66A of the communicable and non Information Technology Act, communicable diseases 2000 was being invoked even through targeted public health six years after the apex court programmes using AYUSH had struck it down. systems of Healthcare.  The Supreme Court has taken a very serious view of the Note: The National Health Policy matter. 2017 has advocated  MHA has asked states and mainstreaming the potential of UTs to sensitize law AYUSH systems (Ayurveda, Yoga enforcement agencies for and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, compliance of order issued by Sows rigpa and Homoeopathy) Supreme Court on March 24, within a pluralistic system of 2015. Integrative healthcare.  The Government has also directed that if any case has been booked in States and UTs under section 66A of the IT Act, 2000, such cases should be immediately withdrawn.

What’s the issue?

 The SC recently issued a Section 66A of the Information notice to central government Technology Act,2000: The Ministry while hearing plea filed by of Home Affairs (MHA) has PUCL (People’s Union for recently asked the States and Union Civil Liberties) in which Plea Territories (UTs) to immediately mentioned that even after 7 withdraw the cases registered under years of law being struck the repealed Section 66A of the down, 745 cases are pending Information Technology Act, 2000. and active before district courts in 11 states in which Key Details: accused persons are being prosecuted for offences under  This came after the Supreme Section 66A of IT Act. Court (SC) recently expressed

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 The plea was filed after data What is section 66A of IT Act? collated by Internet Freedom  Section 66A of IT Act Foundation, which was provided for punishment of a tracking cases under “Zombie maximum of three years in provisions”. jail and a fine to a person  As per data, even after of accused of sending March 2015, around 1307 “offensive” messages using cases were registered under it. computer or any other  Attorney General of India, communication device like KK Venugopal, informed in mobile phone or tablet. Supreme court that statute  This section was used to books still carry Section 66A punish online communications of IT Act even though it was which are considered declared unconstitutional. “offensive & menacing and Background: false to cause annoyance, inconvenience, insult, danger,  The Supreme Court had struck injury, hatred, criminal down section 66A on March intimidation or ill will.” 24, 2015 after noting it as “vague and arbitrary”.  It was dubbed as “draconian” because it allowed arrest of several innocent persons.  The SC in its judgment on 24.03.2015 in the matter of Shreya Singhal Vs. Union of Uttarakhand Rivers Rejuvenation Project: The Executive Committee (EC) of the India had declared it National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) unconstitutional. recently approved new projects for the  This made Section 66A of the rejuvenation of six polluted river stretches in Uttarakhand. Information Technology Act, 2000 null and void with effect  This project was approved at the 36th from the date of the order, Executive Committee meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga therefore 24.03.2015 and (NMCG), chaired by Rajiv Ranjan hence no action could be Mishra, Director General, NMCG. taken under this section. Key Points:

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 The project shall cover the 6 polluted Richard Branson wrote a new chapter in the river stretches in the Kumaon region. space age by becoming the first billionaire to  These 6 Rivers are Bhela, Dhela, fly into space after Historic Space Flight on board a Virgin Galactic spacecraft called ‘VSS Kichha, Kosi, Nandhore, Pilakhar and Unity’ from New Mexico in the US. Kashipur. Highlights: About the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): . The space baron made the flight aboard his rocket venture, Virgin Galactic, nine days  NMCG is the implementation wing of before Amazon founder Jeff Bezos makes his National Council for Rejuvenation, own trip to the fringes of outer space. . The Business Tycoon was accompanied in Protection and Management of River space by the vehicle’s two pilots, Dave Ganga (referred as National Ganga Mackay and Michael Masucci, and three Council). Galactic employees – Beth Moses, Colin  It was registered as a society on 12th Bennett, and Sirisha Bandla. August 2011 under the Societies . Along with Branson, Aeronautical engineer Registration Act 1860. Sirisha Bandla also created history on Sunday.  It acted as the implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority Note: Bandla became the third Indianorigin (NGRBA) which was constituted woman to fly into space on Sunday Virgin under the provisions of the Galactic’s first fully crewed suborbital test Environment (Protection) Act flight from New Mexico. She currently (EPA),1986. holds the position of Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Note: On 7th October 2016, National Ganga Operations at Virgin Galatic. Council has replaced National Ganga River About the space flight: Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was . VSS Unity space plane was hauled aloft by a constituted under the provisions of the carrier aircraft up to a height of 45000 feet Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986. or 13,700 meters where it detached from it. Thereafter, the space plane’s rocket engine came to life helping the team ascend to about 290,000 feet or a peak altitude of around 53 Science and Technology miles (85 kilometers), beyond the boundary of space. . The 1.5hour flight allowed the passengers to experience a few minutes of weightlessness while admiring the curvature of Earth from the ship’s 17 windows. . The 6member crew aboard the VSS unity spent around an hour in space before returning back to earth.

About Virgin Galactic: Virgin Galactic is a BritishAmerican spaceflight company that operates in the United States. It was founded by Richard Branson and his Virgin Group retains a 24% Virgin Galactic: On 11th July 2021, British stake. Billionaire, Philanthropist, Business Tycoon

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It is developing commercial spacecraft and  World Council of Leaders is a meeting aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to of the Presidents of Plastic Surgery space tourists. Associations of various countries, The race towards Space Tourism: organized by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. . Billionaires of the 21st Century are in a race  Appreciating the concept, all to gain an advantage in the niche Space presidents agreed to celebrate July 15 Tourism market. . Both companies i.e. Branson’s Virgin as World Plastic Surgery Day. Galactic and Bezos’s Blue One, visualize Background: businesses catering to wealthy tourists who are willing to pay for a short period of  In 2011, the concept of National weightlessness and an unforgettable view of the Earth and heavens. Plastic Surgery Day was first . As per media reports, Tesla Founder Elon introduced by Dr S Raja Sabapathy, Musk, the owner of SpaceX also plans to the President of the APSI. launch commercial operations as part of his  He conceptualized the idea of space venture soon. celebrating the day and chose July 15 as the appropriate date. On the day of the inauguration in 2011, all the plastic surgeons in the country did one free surgery to help countless people.  The first National Plastic Surgery Day was observed on 15 July 2011.  Since then, every year on this day, plastic surgeons across the country commemorate the day by doing free operations, conducting camps and awareness meetings, writing their National Plastic Surgery Day: National experiences or starting new services. Plastic Surgery Day celebrated on 15 July  Every Plastic Surgeon on that day every year will now be celebrated as World does something to increase awareness Plastic Surgery Day. about the speciality.

Highlights: History:

 The announcement was made in a Origin of Plastic Surgery: statement released on July 13, 2021 by  Plastic surgery originated in India. the Association of Plastic Surgeons in  India (APSI). Sushruta or Susruta (c. 7th or 6th century BCE), an ancient Indian  Starting from 2021, 15 July every year Physician and Surgeon is known as the will be observed as World Plastic Father of Indian surgery and Father of Surgery Day. Plastic Surgery.  The decision comes after the current  He is known for his pioneering President of the APSI, Dr Rakesh operations and techniques and for his Khazanchi, spoke about the National influential treatise Sushrutasamhita Plastic Surgery Day’s success in India (Sushruta's Compendium), the main at the World Council of Leaders.

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source of knowledge about surgery in to manufacture and produce vaccine ancient India. against Covid19.  Sushruta Samhita is considered the  Soberana 2 is one of the three vaccines oldest text in the world on plastic in Soberana series. surgery and is highly regarded as one  It was developed by Finlay Institute in of the Great Trilogy of Ayurvedic collaboration with Centre for Medicine; the other two being the Molecular Immunology and National Charaka Samhita, which preceded it, Biopreparations Centre. and the Astanga Hridaya, which  Four other vaccines are also being followed it. developed in Cuba.

About ASPI: How is Soberana 2 administered?

 Association of Plastic Surgeons in  Soberana 2 vaccine is administered in India (APSI) is a section of the three dose regimens. Association of Surgeons of India  It comprises of two shots of Soberana (ASI). 2 and one shot of Soberana Plus.  The ASPI was inaugurated by Sir  It is administered in 02856day Harold Gillies at Nagpur, in December regimen. 1957.  The current President of ASPI is Dr. About the Vaccines: Rakesh k. Khanzanchi.  All the five vaccines in Cuba, are protein vaccines.  These vaccines were developed using the protein derived from SARSCoV2 virus.  This virus binds to human cells and trigger an immune response.  Soberana 2 is unique among Cuban vaccines as it only kind of “conjugate vaccine” combining receptorbinding domain of virus with deactivated form of tetanus.

Soberana 2: Cuba recently announced that it Vaccine Production in Cuba: has developed world’s first conjugate Covid19 vaccine Soberana 2 (Sovereign 2).  Cuba produces 6070 percent of medicines which are consumed Key Points: domestically and vaccinates against 13 diseases with 11 vaccines.  When the Soberana 2 vaccine is  8 of the vaccines are produced in Cuba delivered with booster shot of itself. Soberana Plus, it is 91 percent effective against symptomatic What is a conjugate vaccine? Covid19 cases.  If this vaccine is approved, Cuba will  The type of vaccine combining weak become first Latin American country antigen with strong antigen as a carrier

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so that an immune system strongly  This will be the first science data response to a weak antigen, is called collected since the payload computer as conjugate vaccine. experienced a problem on June 13,  Such vaccines are used to prevent which placed the instruments in a safe diseases by building an immune configuration and suspended science response to antigen (foreign part of operations. virus or bacteria) recognized by  The Hubble team has been immune system. investigating the cause of the payload computer problem since it first About Cuba: occurred. 1. Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba,  On July 15, 2021, the team switched is a country comprising the island of the spacecraft to backup hardware. Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud Background: and several minor archipelagos. 2. Cuba is located in the northern On June 13, Hubble shut down after a payload Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, computer from the 1980s that handles the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean telescope’s science instruments suffered a meet. glitch. 3. Havana is the largest city and capital. 4. The currencies used here are Cuban About the Hubble Space Telescope: peso, Cuban convertible peso.  The Hubble Space Telescope is a large 5. The current President of Cuba is telescope in space. Miguel DíazCanel.  NASA launched Hubble in 1990.  It was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency.  Hubble is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts.  Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope looks deep into space with cameras that can see across the entire optical spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.  The Hubble Space Telescope makes Hubble telescope: NASA was able to one orbit around Earth every 95 successfully switch to a backup computer on minutes. the Hubble observatory following weeks of Achievements: computer problems.  Hubble has been observing the Key Points: universe for over 31 years.  NASA has returned the science  It has taken over 1.5 million instruments on the Hubble Space observations of the universe, and over Telescope to operational status, and 18,000 scientific papers have been the collection of science data will now published with its data. resume.

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 It has contributed to some of the most  Italy beat England 32 on penalties significant discoveries of our cosmos, after the Euro 2020 final ended 11 including the accelerating expansion following extra time at Italy beat of the universe, the evolution of England 32 on penalties after the galaxies over time, and the first Euro 2020 final ended 11 following atmospheric studies of planets beyond extra time at Wembley to secure our solar system. their second European  It has helped in discovering the moons around Pluto. Championship title.  Evidence regarding the existence of  Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi black holes has emerged based on the Donnarumma was the hero for the observations through Hubble. Azzurri in the shootout, while  The birth of stars through turbulent substitutes Marcus Rashford, Jadon clouds of gas and dust has also been Sancho and Bukayo Saka failed to observed. convert from the spot for England.  The hubble telescope made  Azzurri had last won continental observations of six galaxies merging title back in 1968. together.  It was the first final to be decided  On Februry 11, 2021, the Hubble on penalties since Czechoslovakia made observations of small concentrations of black holes. beat West Germany in 1976.  Italy had lost in the final in 2000 and 2012.  This is the first major international trophy won by Italy since their 2006 FIFA World Cup win. Sports About UEFA European Football Championship: SPORTS:  European Championship, formally UEFA European Championship, also called Euro, in football (soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).  The European Championship is second in prestige to the World Euro Cup 2020: Italy has won the Euro Cup among international football Cup 2020 champions after shootout win tournaments. over England last night.  The first final of the European Championship (then known as the Highlights: European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of

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preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs.  In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996.

Background:

 The idea for a panEuropean football tournament was first proposed by the French Football Wimbledon Women’s Single 2021: World no. Federation's secretarygeneral Henri 1 Ashleigh Barty clinched her maiden Delaunay in 1927, but it was not Wimbledon title after beating Karolina until 1958 that the tournament was Pliskova in three sets (63 67(4) 63) on July 10, started, three years after Delaunay's 2021. death. Highlights:  In honour of Delaunay, the trophy awarded to the champions is named  Barty has become the first Australian after him. woman to win Wimbledon women’s singles title since 1980. About UEFA:  Ashleigh Barty's victory comes 50 years after her idol, Australian Evonne  Union of European Football Goolagong Cawley, won her first Associations (UEFA) is the Wimbledon title. administrative body for football,  The Wimbledon Champion Ashleigh beach soccer and futsal in Europe. Barty received her Wimbledon  It is among 6 continental women’s singles trophy from the confederations of world football’s Duchess of Cambridge, who is the Royal Patron of the All England Lawn governing body FIFA. Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).  It comprises of 55 national association members. Apart from Key Facts about Ashley Barty: representing national football Ashleigh Barty (born 24 April 1996) is associations of Europe. o an Australian professional tennis  It runs nation & club competitions player and former cricketer. such as UEFA European o She has become the 3rd Australian Championship, UEFA Nations woman in the Open Era to win the League, UEFA Europa League, Wimbledon singles title, after UEFA Europa Conference League, Margaret Court and Evonne UEFA Champions League, and Goolagong. UEFA Super Cup. o Overall, this is her 2nd major title and  It also controls the prize money, 4th title of the season. She is currently ranked no. 1 in the regulations and media rights for o world in women’s singles by the these competitions.

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Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) o Wimbledon is the oldest and the most and the second Australian singles No. prestigious tennis tournament in the 1 after Evonne Goolagong. world. o She has also featured among the top o It has been held at the All England 10 players in doubles with her Club in Wimbledon, London, since careerhigh ranking being world no.5. 1877. o She has won 12 singles titles and 11 o The game is played outdoors on grass doubles titles on the WTA Tour, courts. including two Grand Slam singles o Wimbledon is one of the four Grand titles 2019 French Open and 2021 Slam tennis tournaments. Wimbledon Championships and one o The others are Australian Open, the Grand Slam doubles title at the 2018 French Open and the US Open. US Open with CoCo Vandeweghe. o Barty began playing tennis at the age of four and had a promising junior career, reaching a careerhigh ranking of world No. 2 after winning the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon in 2011. o She also finished as the runnerup in three Grand Slam doubles events with veteran Casey Dellacqua, including at the Australian Open when she was Wimbledon 2021: World No 1 Novak only 16 years old. Djokovic has won his 20th Grand Slam by o In 2014, Barty decided to take an defeating Matteo Berrettini to win Men’s Final. indefinite break from her tennis career. o She ended up playing cricket during Highlights: this time, joining the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural Women’s Big Bash  After going down in the first set 67, League (WBBL) in 2015 despite Djokovic came back strongly to win having no formal training in the sport. the last three sets with 64, 64, 63 against firsttime finalist Matteo o However, she returned to tennis in 2016 and had a breakout year in Berrettini to secure his 6th Wimbledon singles in 2017, as she won her first Title. WTA title at the Malaysian Open and  By winning this title he has equaled rose to world no. 17 rank despite the record of the most Men’s Grand having never been ranked inside the Slams Singles Titles. top 100 before her time off.  The Serb Tennis Legend now joins o Barty then won her first Premier Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as Mandatory and Grand Slam players to have won most singles titles tournament titles in doubles in 2018 in men's tennis (20 each). along with Casey Dellacqua before About Golden Slam on the Radar: accomplishing the same feat in singles in 2019.  In the tennis world, Golden Slam is a About Wimbledon: rare achievement that not many can dream of achieving.

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 When a player wins all the four  He smashed 67 runs off 38 balls tournaments which are part of the while chasing the target of 142 set Gland Slams, s/he has to also win an by the Australian team. Olympic Gold in the same calendar  The West Indies player had not year. done well for the team in the first  Given that Olympics are held only two games of the West Indies vs every 4 years, there are not many players who get a chance to win a Australia series, as he scored 4 and Golden Slam. 13 runs respectively.  Chris Gayle also went on to Golden Slam hope for Djokovic: register a halfcentury on the  With the 3 Grand Slams for the year occasion and celebrated another i.e. Australian Open, French Open and huge landmark of his cricketing now Wimbledon, already in the bag, career in style. Djokovic who is also on the Olympics Chris Gayle Records: team will give him an opportunity to win a Golden Slam.  Chris Gayle, while heading into the  However, to do so, he will have to win match had scored 13,971 runs in a Gold Medal in Tokyo Olympics 430 matches of T20I format at an 2020 and thereafter also win US Open. average of 37.55 runs.  The player has now scored a total of 22 hundreds and 86 halfcenturies.  In T20 format, Gayle has over 1,000 fours to his name as well as over a thousand sixes.  His highest score in the format is an unbeaten 175 against the Chris Gayle: Chris Gayle on July 13, nowdefunct franchise of Indian 2021, became the first batsman in history Premier League, Pune Warriors to score 14,000 runs in T20. India, in the 2013 season when he Highlights: was playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.  The landmark achievement came  Chris Gayle is also the topscoring during the third T20I of West batsman for West Indies in T20 Indies vs Australia when the International (T20I). ‘Universe Boss’ took the Caribbean side to a comfortable 6 Top 5 players to score in T20Is: wicket victory. 1. Chris Gayle (West Indies) 14,000  The 41yearold player reached the runs milestone of 14,000 runs in the 20 2. Kieron Pollard (West Indies) over game with a sixoff Adam 10,836 runs Zampa.

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3. Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) 10,741 . Banerjee is from New Jersey and runs Lilov comes from North Carolina. 4. DA Warner (Australia) 10,017 runs Notably, both 17yearolds were unseeded 5. Virat Kohli (India) 9992 runs for The Championships.

Background: Note: . The Australian Cricket Team has been The American teenager has had a touring the West Indies in June and July stunning start to his journey on the 2021 to play three One Day International ITF tour as he has won 5 titles, all (ODI) and five T20 International (T20I) of them on clay, so far. He has matches. reached the final of 10 of the 17 tournaments he has featured in so far.

Wimbledon Junior Men’s Title: IndianAmerican Samir Banerjee has won the Wimbledon Junior Men`s title at Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal captain and Number 1 Court. modernday great Cristiano Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot after finishing Highlights: as the topscorer in the tournament.

. He defeated Victor Lilov of Highlights: America by 75, 63 in the Junior . Men`s finals to lift the trophy at All Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, won the England Club. Euro 2020, Golden Boot, as no one . For the first time since 2014, and from England or Italy managed to only the second time since 1977, surpass his tally in the tournament there was an allAmerican final at Wembley on 11th July conclusion to the boys` singles 2021. . event. He scored five goals for Portugal. . . Banerjee is the first American Ronaldo also featured in a record junior champion at Wimbledon fifth European Championship. . since Reilly Opelka in 2015, and Ronaldo also became the leading 12th overall. goalscorer in the history of Euros

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during the tournament, with his It is a life goal achieved for the man who 14th strike. knew he wouldn't have made it there as an . Meanwhile, with 109 goals, he had active gymnast because of his notsostrong equalled Iran striker Ali Daei as the fundamentals. top scorer in international football as well. Kabra will be seen officiating the men's . Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick artistic gymnasts at the Tokyo Games, also ended the tournament with which gets underway on July 23. five goals but the award went to About Deepak Kabra: Ronaldo via the tiebreaker of assists. . The 33yearold from Maharastra took to the sport quite late and soon Euro 2020: realised his fundamentals were not . Italy beat England in the final to strong enough to make it big as an lift their second European athlete. . Championship title. The 2010 Commonwealth Games . Italy ended hosts England's dream in India was his first international to win the Euro 2020 at the assignment. . Wembley Stadium on 11th July Kabra went on to become the first 2021. Indian judge to officiate in the . Azzurri defeated England 32 on 2014 Asian Games and Youth penalties after the normal Olympics. . 90minute action had finished at 11 He also officiated as a judge in the and even extra time was not able to Asian Games and Commonwealth break the deadlock. Games in 2018, Youth Olympics in Argentina, besides other international events such as World Cups. . He has already officiated in around 20 major events so far.

Indian Gymnasts in Tokyo Olympics 2020:

. Indian gymnastics will be represented in Tokyo by Pranati Nayak, who had claimed a bronze medal on vault at the 2019 Asian Deepak Kabra: Deepak Kabra has Artistic Gymnastic. . become the first Indian to be selected for Deepa Karmakar remains India's judging the gymnastics competition of the biggest name in gymnastics with Olympic Games. her fourthplace finish in women's vault finals in the Rio Games. Highlights:

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Mary Kom, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik, among others.

Tokyo Olympics 2020:

. The Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. . The event will finally kick off on July 23. Hindustani Way: Titled 'Hindustani Way' is a cheer song for the Indian contingent bound for Tokyo 2020.

Key Points:

. Indian Singer Ananya Birla collaborated with music maestro AR Rahman to launch a cheer song for Indian sports personalities as they gear up for Tokyo Olympics. . This song has been sung by Ananya and composed by Rahman. Babar Azam: Pakistan Captain Babar . Minister of Information and Azam has become the quickest to 14 ODI Broadcasting Anurag Thakur centuries reaching the milestone in 81 launched the song on 13th July innings at Edgbaston, Birmingham in the 2021. third ODI against England.

About the song: Highlights:

. The video of the song follows a . Azam also became the second family from 1996 to the present Pakistan captain to score an ODI day as they cheer for Indian sports century on English soil. personalities across different . Only Imran Khan had previously Olympic seasons. hit a century in England when he . The video features archival footage registered an unbeaten 102 against from Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Sri Lanka in World Cup 1983. Beijing (2008), London (2012), . This also makes the Pakistan Rio (2016) and some exclusive skipper the firstever Pakistan training footage of this year’s skipper to score an ODI century contingent. against England in England. . The archival footage features . On the list of quickest to 14 ODI winning moments of Leander Peas, centuries, the 26yearold is followed Vijender Singh, Abhinav Bindra,

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by Hashim Amla (84 innings),  Topseed and world champion David Warner (98 innings), Virat Magnus Carlsen got his campaign Kohli (103 innings) and Quinton de off to a smooth start with a win Kock (104 innings). against Sasa Martinovic.

FIDE Chess Cup 2021: Indian Grandmasters R Praggnanandhaa and Adhiban Baskaran have registered win in the first game of the twogame minimatch in the second round of the FIDE chess World Cup.

Among other Indians, P Harikrishna, Vidit Santosh Gujrati and Aravindh Chithambaram were held to draws in the first game of the second round.

FIDE Women’s World Cup 2021:

 In the women’s event, Padmini Rout and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh shared honours in the first game of the secondround match, while D Harika scored a win over Medina Warda Aulia of Indonesia in 48 moves.  India’s Bhakti Kulkarni and Natalija Pogonina were involved in a draw.

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