WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (10-16 JULY 2018) 10 July 2018
51 lakh houses approved under PMAY (Urban) in 3 years Over 51 lakh houses have been approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the three years of its implementation. Out of 51 lakh sanctioned houses, over 28 lakhs houses are already in various stages of construction. Over 8 lakh houses have already been completed. This is a huge jump in comparison to the erstwhile housing scheme wherein only 12.4 lakh houses were approved in around 9 years of its implementation. Use of Global Housing construction technology-The Global Housing construction technology has been proposed to use the opportunity of large scale construction under PMAY-U. The best available global construction technologies which could ensure delivery of houses at a minimum cost, in minimum time while ensuring maximum number of houses in a given area.
PM lays foundation stone for urban infrastructure projects in Jaipur Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his people's outreach to Jaipur. In a unique session at Amroodon ka Bagh, he not only shared the achievements of his government but also inaugurated projects worth Rs 2100 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for thirteen urban infrastructure projects, with a total outlay of over Rs. 2100 crore This includes a 2.7 km long Elevated Road Project for Ajmer under the Smart City Mission which will be completed within 2 years. He also inaugurated a water Supply project for Ajmer under the Amrut Mission. Another project is the Integrated Infrastructure package for walled city of Udaipur. This includes drinking water supply, sewerage and road network and underground electrification of Udaipur. It will cost Rs 537 crore. Construction of phase 2 of the Dussehra Maidan in Kota will cost Rs 33 crore and will be completed within a year. A Project for expansion of green cover under Amrut Mission in Nagaur, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh, Kishangarh and Sajangarh was also inaugurated. Next year Rajasthan completes 70 years. Prime Minister Modi called on the people of the state and the government to reaffirm their commitment to create a developed Rajasthan, one which will play a pivotal role in the building of a New India.
International Round Table Conference on “Data for New India’’
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (10-16 JULY 2018)
The Ministry of Statistics &Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is organising a two-day International Round Table Conference at New Delhi during 9-10th July, 2018. The objective of the Round Table Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia. Such a Conference is being organized in India for the first time. In the Conference, the experts from National and International agencies would deliberate on key statistical issues, such as data governance structure and capabilities, organizational issues, managing data systems in a federal structure and resource mobilization for ensuring quality statistical products to be produced. The conference is expected to suggest measures paving way for initiating the reform process in the Indian Statistical System.
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel takes over as NGT chairperson Supreme Court judge Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired, was appointed as the chairperson of National Green Tribunal. He is best remembered for passing the controversial judgment on diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act. The post of the chairperson of the green tribunal, which disposes cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, had been vacant for the past eight months after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired on December 19 after completing his five-year tenure. Goel, who was elevated to Supreme Court on July 7, 2014, had previously served as Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and prior to that, he was the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. Justice Goel had also held the position of executive chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority. With the retirement of Goel, the strength of the Supreme Court goes down to 22 against a maximum of 31 judges. During his tenure as NGT chief, Justice Swatanter Kumar passed several landmark orders and judgments. These include the ban on 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles, the slew of directions for rejuvenation of the Ganga and Yamuna, the demolition of illegal hotels in Himachal Pradesh and the ban on plastic items in Delhi, Haridwar and Punjab. The first chairperson of the tribunal was Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, who was appointed on October 18, 2010, and relinquished the post in 2011 when he was made ‘lokayukta’ of Himachal Pradesh.
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (10-16 JULY 2018)
17th World Sanskrit Conference to kickoff at Vancouver Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17th World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver, Canada. More than 500 scholars and delegates from over 40 countries are participating in the five-day event. They will present papers on various subjects. There will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like - History and Education of Women in Vedic Literature, Sanskrit Buddhist Manus, introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries and research on the Gargiyajyotisa. The purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people. The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.
Law Commission's consultations on simultaneous elections concludes Law Commission's consultations with political parties on simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies concluded without reaching a consensus. Shiromani Akali Dal, Samajwadi Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and AIADMK have supported the idea of one nation one election, although they have said that certain practical and serious issues need to be settled first. On the other hand DMK, Trinamool Congress, CPI, AIUDF and Goa Forward Party have opposed the concept. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on several occasions stressed the need to hold simultaneous polls to help save time and money and allow political parties to pay more attention to governance.
India clinches T20 series against England
Rohit Sharma's elegant unbeaten century made it a walk in the park for India as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory against England to clinch the three-match T20 International series 2-1. The Indian vice-captain made a target of 199 look ridiculously easy on a small Bristol ground after the visiting bowlers did a commendable job at the back end to restrict the hosts to a sub-par score.
Kasturirangan Panel on New Education Policy gets extension
Union Human Resource Development Ministry has extended till 31st August the term of K Kasturirangan Committee drafting a new education policy.
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The panel headed by the former ISRO chief was supposed to submit the report by June 30. The existing National Education Policy was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992. A new National Education Policy was part of the BJP manifesto. Apart from Kasturirangan, the committee has eight members, including mathematician Manjul Bhargava. The panel will also take into account the report of a panel headed by former cabinet secretary Late TSR Subramanian, formed by the HRD ministry. 11 July 2018
PM, Korean President inaugurate Samsung Mobile Manufacturing Facility in Noida
Samsung India aims to double annual mobile production capacity by 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in on inaugurated Samsung’s mobile manufacturing plant, touted as the biggest in the world, in Noida. With this plant, set up on an investment of ₹4,915 crore, the South Korean electronics major plans to make India an export hub, with 50% of its overall production coming from here in the next three years from the present 10%. The government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative was not just an economic policy measure. India now ranks second, globally, in the manufacture of mobile phones, with the number of mobile phone manufacturing factories rising from just 2 to 120, in about four years’ time, creating 4 lakh direct employment opportunities.
CIPET: Centre for Skilling & Technical Support (CSTS) inaugurated
Centre for Skilling & Technical Support (CSTS) and lay Foundation Stone of new CIPET Building at Doiwala, Dehradun CIPET trained around 2.42 lakh manpower across India in 2014 -18; CIPET Centre at Doiwala to train around 1000 students in the first year of its operation Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar will be inaugurating the CIPET: Centre for Skilling & Technical Support (CSTS) at ITI Building and laying the foundation stone of new Central Institute of Plastics Engineering &Technology (CIPET) Building at Doiwala, Dehradun. CIPET operates from 31 locations spread across the country and CIPET: CSTS, Dehradun will be the 32nd centre.
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The CIPET Centre at Doiwala will train and develop around 1000 students in the first year of its operation through various skill development training programmes and subsequently Diploma level programmes.
Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 Launched
India Smart Cities Fellowship (ISCF) and Internship (ISCI) Program Launched To Provide Opportunity to Youth to Work in the Domain of Urban Planning and Governance.Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 Launched to Reward Cities at the Forefront of Digital Payments . ‘Citiis’ Challenge Announced to Select Innovative Smart City Projects for Financial Support and Foreign Technical Assistance Smart cities fellowship and internship program will provide the youth an opportunity to experience the aspects of Urban planning and governance. It is intended to promote ‘Digital India’ and ease of living for India’s urban residents by promoting digital payments and encouraging Smart Cities to adopt innovative digital payments initiatives. India Smart Cities Internship (ISCI) Program and The Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 and the ‘CITIIS’ challenge under the Smart Cities Mission and the Local Area Plan (LAP)/Town Planning Scheme (TPS) to be implemented in 25 cities on pilot basis under AMRUT. The period of engagement is 1-year extendable upto 3 years. India Smart Cities Internship (ISCI) Program - MoHUA will engage students pursuing Under Graduate/Graduate/Post Graduate degree as Interns to help implementation of Smart City Projects in various States/Cities. The internship will be on unpaid basis for a period of 6 to 12 weeks. They will be given an Experience Certificate at the end successful completion of the program. The Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 - The Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards (SCDPA) 2018 ‘100 days Challenge in 100 Smart Cities’ is part of the initiatives of MoHUA to promote ease of living for India’s urban residents. The challenge period would be 100 days starting from the launch of the awards. This would galvanize the digital payments landscape in the Smart Cities. The awards will be conferred based on a 2-stage process.
Government declares 6 educational ‘Institutions of Eminence
Government declares 6 educational ‘Institutions of Eminence’ ; 3 Institutions from Public Sector and 3 from Private Sector shortlisted.
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Each ‘Public Institution’ selected as ‘Institution of Eminence’ will get financial assistance up to Rs. 1000 Crore over a period of five years. The landmark decision will help the selected Institutions to become World Class Educational Institutions. An Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) in its report recommended selection of 6 institutions (3 from public sector and 3 from private sector) as Institutions of Eminence. The details of these Institutions are as under: Public Sector: (i) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka; (ii) Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra; and (iii) Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Private Sector: (i) Jio Institute (Reliance Foundation), Pune under Green Field Category; (ii) Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani, Rajasthan; and (iii) Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka. Uses : It will ensure complete autonomy to the selected institutions and facilitate them to grow more rapidly. At the same time, they will get more opportunity to scale up their operations with more skills and quality improvement. It is expected that the above selected Institutions will come up in top 500 of the world ranking in 10 years and in top 100 of the world ranking eventually overtime. To achieve the top world ranking, these Institutions shall be provided with greater autonomy to admit foreign students up to 30% of admitted students; to recruit foreign faculty upto 25% of faculty strength; to offer online courses upto 20% of its programmes; to enter into academic collaboration with top 500 in the world ranking Institutions without permission of UGC. Accordingly, the Government / UGC approved the scheme of providing Regulatory Architecture for setting up / upgrading of 20 Institutions (10 from public sector & 10 from private sector) as world class teaching and research institutions called as ‘Institutions of Eminence’. The Regulatory Architecture has been provided in the form of UGC (Declaration of Government Institutions as Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017 for public Institutions and UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2017 for private Institutions. Under this scheme, 114 applications (74 from public sector & 40 from private sector) were received in the Ministry for selection of IoEs. In order to select the Institutions as IoEs, an Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) comprising of Shri N. Gopalaswami (Chairman), Prof. Tarun Khanna, Prof. Pritam Singh & Smt. Renu Khatore was formed.
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Asian Development Bank(ADB) accords approval for lining project of Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region
ADB accords approval for lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar; it will bring help agri-sector immensely in the region. Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy took a meeting with the officials from ADB and Finance Ministry to review the progress of lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar. During the meeting ADB representatives informed that ADB had accorded approval for this project. It may be noted that the estimated cost of this project is USD 503 million (Rs 3272.49 crore) out of which USD 352 million is being provided by ADB. This project will bring immense benefits to the agriculture sector of Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar. Asian Development Bank- The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
India, South Korea Sign Five MoUs in Science & Technology
India and South Korea signed five MoUs in the field of Science & Technology. Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan and his South Korean counterpart,Mr. You Young Min signed three MoUs for Programme of Cooperation 2018-21; Establishment of Future Strategy Group; Cooperation in Biotechnology & Bioeconomy. The two Ministers reviewed bilateral S&T cooperation between the two countries since the last meeting of the Steering Committee at Seoul in November 2015. It was also agreed to jointly establish two additional India-Korea Joint Network Centres in areas among ‘Cyber Physical System- Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things focused on agriculture, energy, water and transportation and ‘Semiconductor Electronics’. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a nonbinding agreement between two or more parties outlining the terms and details of an understanding, including each parties' requirements and responsibilities. An MOU is often the first stage in the formation of a formal contract.
Indian Railways Introduces First Double Stack Dwarf Container Service
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Indian Railways Introduces First Double Stack Dwarf Container Service from Rajkot Division, Western Railway. Indian Railways has received increased revenue of Rs. 18.50 lakhs by operation of Double Stack Dwarf Container Service. These short-heighted Double Containers can run on most tracks over Indian Railways Uses:- With the use of these double-stack dwarf containers, the cost of the unit will be significantly reduced due to the rail transport being cheaper than the road. Due to this Double Stacked Dwarf Container service, Indian Railways has received increased revenue of Rs. 18.50 lakhs. The Double Stacked Container is 6 ft 4 inches in height and can run on electrified tracks. Despite being smaller in size, the dwarf containers can hold a capacity of 30,500 kgs. In comparison with regular containers, these containers are 662 mm short but 162 mm wider. The dwarf containers can hold a volume of approximately 67% more when compared to traditional containers. Presently, due to its height, the regular double stack ISO containers can run only on few chosen routes on Indian Railways but these short- heighted Double Containers can run on most tracks very easily. This train was booked from the Reliance Rail Siding at Kanalus to Rewari in the state of Haryana; it was loaded with 82 containers Polypropylene Granules
First ever ‘India Tourism Mart’ to be hosted in New Delhi
‘India Tourism Mart’ will help increase tourist footfalls into the country. The Tourism Ministry in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) and with the support of State /UT Governments will organize the ‘first ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM) from 16th to 18thSeptember, 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Minister added that the Tourism Ministry has been conducting foreign road shows, releasing theme based promotional videos and thus, the ITM 2018 will be a big step which will get buyers from all over the world. Shri Alphons,Minister of Tourism also hoped that through ITM 2018, India can showcase its hidden destinations to the world, especially to emerging tourism markets like China, Latin America, and Japan etc.
US Prez Donald Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court Judge
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (10-16 JULY 2018)
Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, 53, to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
The nomination will set in motion an acrimonious and expensive confirmation process.
Conservative groups have already launched what will collectively be a multi-million dollar campaign in support of Trump’s nominee.
Tamil Nadu Assembly passes Lok Ayuktha Bill
The Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Bill 2018 was passed in the Assembly, amid protests by opposition parties, with the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its ally Congress walking out of the House alleging that it would be a “powerless” and “toothless” anti-corruption body. The Lokayukta will consist of a chairman and four members. While the chairman should be current or former judge of the high court or should have served a minimum of 25 years in the field of anti-corruption, public administration, awareness, finance or law, two of the four members should have experience in the legal system.. The Supreme Court had asked 12 states, including Tamil Nadu, to explain why the government had not appointed Lokayuktas. The Lokayukta Act was passed by the central government in 2013 and was notified by the Centre in 2014. Section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, states that every state shall establish a body to be known as the Lokayukta.
Dipa Karmakar clinches gold medal at Gymnastics World Cup
India's premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched a gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin in Turkey. The 24-year-old from Tripura, Dipa Karmakar scored 14.150 to win gold.This is Dipa's first medal in a World Challenge Cup. She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400. Dipa has also qualified in balance beam finals by finishing third in the qualification with a score of 11.850. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Dipa Karmakar on winning a well- deserved Gold in the vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey. What is vault? The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus on which gymnasts perform, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault.
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12 July 2018
Andhra Pradesh tops government's ease of doing business
Andhra Pradesh has topped the third edition of the government’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index for States with a final score of 98.42%. This is the second time in a row that A.P. achieved the first rank. A.P., which was given second rank in 2015, outperformed other States and Union territories by maintaining its leadership position through implementation of 99.73% reforms. Telangana and Jharkhand trailed behind A.P. though they scored 100% in reform evidence score. A.P. got 99.73% score in reform evidence and 86.50% in feedback score. While Telangana stood second in the final score, Haryana bagged the third position. A.P. and Telangana jointly occupied the top slot in fiscal 2015-16 Background : - Ease of doing business ranking of states of India is the annual ease of doing business index of states and union territories of India based on the completion percentage scores of action items points of annual Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) under the make in India initiative. - This ranking of states is done by World Bank since 2015 and facilitated by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of Government of India based on the progress of states.
Rajya Sabha adds simultaneous interpretation facility in five more languages Rajya Sabha members can speak in any of the 22 scheduled languages from the monsoon session of Parliament beginning on July 18, with the Secretariat arranging simultaneous interpretation for five more languages: Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Santhali and Sindhi. The Secretariat inducted a panel of interpreters. Background: The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the official languages of the Republic of India.Articles. Article 344(1) and 351 of the Indian Constitution list these languages as official languages : Assamese,Bengali,Bodo,Dogri,Gujarati,Hindi,Kannada,Kashmiri,Konkani,Maithili,Malayal am,Manipuri,Marathi,Nepali,Odia,Punjabi,Sanskrit,Santali,Sindhi,Tamil,Telugu,Urdu.
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Sushma Swaraj most followed female leader in world India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is not only the most followed female world leader but also the most followed foreign minister in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the third most followed leader on Twitter after US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis. With over 42 million followers on his personal Twitter account, Prime Minister Modi is behind US President Donald Trump (52 million) and Pope Francis (47 million) but in terms of influence on the microblogging site, Mr.Modi is the second most important world leader, according to the 2018 “Twiplomacy” study by Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW)-- a global communications agency. Background : Forbes list of most powerful : Since 2009, Forbes business magazine had compiled an annual list of the world's most powerful people. The list has one slot for every 100 million people, meaning in 2009 there were 67 people on the list and by 2018 there were 75. In 2018, Xi JinPing is the most powerful leader of the world according to the Forbes list.
INS Sumitra First-ever warship to enter Sabang port in Indonesia
Indian naval ship INS Sumitra became the first-ever warship to enter port of Sabang in Indonesia. The ship was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to Indonesia PK Rawat, Indonesian foreign affairs officials, members from Indian embassy, Indian businessmen and Indonesian naval and air force officers onboard. The warship was deployed in Malacca Straits. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jakarta in May 2018, in a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, it was decided that New Delhi will develop the strategically important Indonesian port Sabang in the Indian Ocean, close to the Andamans. Background: The Strait of Malacca or Straits of Malacca is a narrow, 550 mi (890 km) stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Strait of Malacca became the important maritime trade route between India and China.The strait was already established as one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with Indonesia controlling the majority of the sea lane.
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India-South Korea sign 11 agreements in various fields India and South Korea 11 agreements in various areas including trade and cultural exchange. These agreements were exchanged after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. In a joint press statement with the South Korean President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness that New Delhi and Seoul have taken a strong step towards upgrading Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in form of Early Harvest Package. Mr Moon agreed to promote cooperation for people prosperity and peace and respond to the fourth industrial revolution. Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the fourth major industrial era since the initial Industrial Revolution of the 18th century.It includes robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, The Internet of Things, 3D printing and autonomous vehicles. The First Industrial Revolution took place from the 18th to 19th centuries in Europe and America. It was a period when mostly agrarian, rural societies became industrial and urban. The Second Industrial Revolution took place between 1870 and 1914, just before World War I. It was a period of growth for pre-existing industries and expansion of new ones, such as steel, oil and electricity, and used electric power to create mass production. The Third Industrial Revolution, or the Digital Revolution, refers to the advancement of technology from analog electronic and mechanical devices to the digital technology available today. The era started during the 1980s and is ongoing
India bags four medals at Asia Cup Archery India have bagged four medals in the Asia Cup World Archery Ranking Tournament Stage 3 in Taipei. The feat comprised 3 silver medals and a bronze. India also finished joint third with Iran in the championship. The event concluded in two days to avoid the incoming super typhoon Maria. India ended their campaign behind toppers Korea and hosts Chinese Taipei. Korea topped the tally with 14 medals, 8 of them being gold. Taipei bagged 5 medals, two of them being gold. Background: Asian Archery Championships is the archery championship organized by the World Archery Asia.
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It has been held biannually, and since 2001 has included both the recurve and compound disciplines. The tournament began in 1980 and it was first hosted in India.
Ondaatje’s 'The English Patient' Wins Golden Man Booker Prize Sri Lanka-born Canadian literary icon Michael Ondaatje's 'The English Patient' has won the special one-off Golden Man Booker Prize to mark the 50th anniversary of the prestigious literary award. 'The English Patient' is a tale of love and conflict during World War II. The 74-year-old author beat the Man Booker Prize's previous 51 winners including Indian-origin VS Naipaul for his 1971 winner 'In a Free State'; Salman Rushdie for 'Midnight's Children' (1981), Arundhati Roy for 'The God of Small Things' (1997); Kiran Desai for 'The Inheritance of Loss' (2006); and Aravind Adiga for 'The White Tiger' (2008). Previously, 'The English Patient' had shared the 1992 Booker Prize with Barry Unsworth's 18th century slave tale 'Sacred Hunger'. All 51 previous Booker winners were considered by a panel of judges, who whittled them down to one from each decade. The public then voted on their ultimate favourite and settled on Ondaatje's war-time romance. Background: One-off Golden Man Booker Prize: This special one-off award to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2018 crowns the best work of fiction from the last five decades of the prize, as chosen by five judges and then voted for by the public.
M. Venkaiah Naidu becomes first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign an MOU Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter- parliamentary dialogue. Shri Venkaiah Naidu, has, in the process, become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Bernard Makuza. The MOU with 6 articles of cooperation seeks to promote Inter-Parliamentary dialogue, Capacity building of parliamentary staff, Organisation of conferences, forums, seminars, staff attachment programmes, workshops and exchanges, Collaboration in mutual interest in regional and international multilateral parliamentary bodies in furtherance of bilateral relations and friendship between the two countries. Background: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is a type of agreement between two (bilateral) or more (multilateral) parties.It is often used in cases where parties
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either do not imply a legal commitment or in situations where the parties cannot create a legally enforceable agreement.
All 12 boys and coach rescued from Thai cave All 12 members of a Thai youth football team and their coach have been brought safely out of the cave in northern Thailand. This has been stated by the Navy Seal team in charge of the rescue. This completed an extraordinary and arduous rescue operation that captivated the world. The 12 boys and their coach were trapped by floods more than two weeks ago. The Thai Navy Seals, who are leading the rescue operation, posted to Facebook that 12 wild boars- the nickname of the boys' football team- and coach out of the cave. A rescue doctor and three Navy Seals who stayed with the group are still to emerge. Background: Thailand occupies the western half of the Indochinese peninsula and the northern two-thirds of the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia. Its neighbors are Burma (Myanmar) on the north and west, Laos on the north and northeast, Cambodia on the east, and Malaysia on the south.
China pledges 20 bn US dollar for Arab States
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged a package of $20 billion in loans, and about $106 million in financial aid, to Middle East nations, as part of what he called an "oil and gas plus" model to spur economic growth in the region. Beijing has ramped up engagement in the Middle East in recent years, as Arab nations play an important role in Mr Xi's signature Belt and Road foreign policy plan for strong trade routes linking China with central and southeast Asia. Background: Belt and Road Initiative :The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road is a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government which focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People's Republic of China (PRC), the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the ocean-going Maritime Silk Road (MSR).
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (10-16 JULY 2018) 13 July 2018
Union Home Minister institutes five Police Medals The Union Home Minister has instituted five Police Medals to promote professionalism and excellence in service and give recognition to those security personnel doing good work in stressful environment and in difficult areas. Details of these five non-cash awards which will supplement and strengthen the existing award schemes in the State Police Forces and Central Police Organizations and Armed Forces, are as follows: Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal: A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister along with the medal to be awarded to police or security personnel of the Central/State forces for participation in the successful conduct of operations of a significant nature or scale, having direct bearing or impact on the security of the State/UT, region or country, or for participation in major rescue operations. Police Antarik Suraksha Seva Padak: A medal to be awarded to each police or security personnel of the Central or State forces for every two years of duty in Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Left-Wing Extremism affected districts of the country, to recognize the importance of Internal Security duties in such areas. Currently, the medal is awarded only once irrespective of the number of tenures served in these areas. Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalata Padak: A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister along with medal to be awarded to members of Central or State intelligence organizations, branches or units engaged in intelligence gathering for combating terrorism, militancy, insurgency and for acts of exceptional courage and skill in intelligence gathering. Utkrisht and Ati Utkrisht Seva Medals: The medal will be awarded to police, security personnel and support staff such as Home Guards working in State Police Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, Central Police Organisations, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, National Disaster Response Force, Home Guards and intelligence organizations. The awards will recognize the unblemished service, with professional excellence, in the past 15 years (Utkrisht Medal) and 25 years (Ati Utkrisht Medal). The number of Utkrisht and Ati Utkrisht Seva Medals in any year shall, in no case exceed 1% and 0.5% respectively of the sanctioned strength of the police force or security agency. Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation: This medal will be awarded to officers in Central investigation agencies, State/UT police force investigating agencies in recognition of their outstanding service in investigation. A scroll signed by the Union Home Minister will be awarded to each awardee along with the medal. About 30 lakh police and security personnel are deployed by the State Governments, UT Administrations and the Central Government throughout the country, in wide ranging
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duties, which include maintaining peace and public order, investigating crime, regulating traffic, securing vital installations and serving in disturbed areas and at remote locations at the border.
Madhya Pradesh Leg of Startup India Yatra begins on July 16
The Startup India Yatra van will travel to 10 cities of Madhya Pradesh, starting from the capital Bhopal, to spread awareness about Startup India and Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy. The vehicle, with experts on board, will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurial talents to pitch an idea and get incubated, scaling it from idea to enterprise. The van is expected to travel to nearly 25 colleges, and one-day boot camps will be conducted in all the destinations. The Yatra will begin on July 16th, 2018, covering 10 districts and 15 institutions over a span of 30 days. Startup India Yatraaims to scout grass root level entrepreneurs in the smaller towns of India, providing a platform for budding entrepreneurs to realize their Startup dream. Startup India Yatra’s technology partner, Shrofile, a video-based personality evaluation platform headquartered in Gurugram, will record ideas of entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh via the Startup India mobile van. Entrepreneurs will record their ideas on the Startup India App screens, which will be shared with the Startup India team for evaluation and selection.Prior to Madhya Pradesh, the Yatra had travelled to the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Uttarakhand. In Gujarat, the initiative covered the five cities of Anand, Vasad, Mehsana, Jetalpur, and Ahmedabad in the months of July and August 2017. Background : The States Startup Ranking Framework was launched by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in February 2018, with the aim to foster competitiveness and to propel the states and union territories to work proactively towards promotion of their startup eco-systems. This was also targeted at facilitating states and UTs to identify, learn and replicate good practices from each other and for bringing to the fore, their own progress.
India becomes sixth-biggest economy in World Bank Ranking India has become the world's sixth-biggest economy, pushing France into seventh place, according to updated World Bank figures for 2017. India's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of last year, against $2.582 trillion for France.
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India's economy rebounded strongly from July 2017, after several quarters of slowdown blamed on economic policies pursued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. India, with around 1.34 billion inhabitants, is poised to become the world's most populous nation, whereas the French population stands at 67 million. This means that India's per capita GDP continues to amount to just a fraction of that of France which is still roughly 20 times higher, according to World Bank figures. Manufacturing and consumer spending were the main drivers of the Indian economy last year. According to the International Monetary Fund, India is projected to generate growth of 7.4 percent this year and 7.8 percent in 2019, boosted by household spending and a tax reform. This compares to the world's expected average growth of 3.9 percent. The US is the world's top economy, followed by China, Japan, and Germany.
Sri Lankan govt approves capital punishment for drug offences Sri Lanka had stopped hangings since 1976 and death row prisoners spend life terms in jail The Sri Lankan Cabinet has unanimously approved a move to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes. President Maithripala Sirisena had recently stated that he was under pressure to re- introduce capital punishment as a deterrent to serious crimes. Although capital punishment is in the statute, Sri Lanka had stopped hangings since 1976. Death row prisoners spend life terms in jail. Executions have not been carried out as successive Presidents in office since 1978 have refused to issue death warrants.
Gujarat approves Rs 39-cr ‘Seema Darshan’ project Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has given in-principle approval for the 39-crore rupees ‘Seema Darshan’ project for developing more infrastructure facilities from T- Junction to Zero Point at Nadabet near Suigam in Banaskantha district to instil patriotism through a unique Gujarat initiative for border tourism. The project being developed on Wagah Border pattern, entails an exhibition hall, a parade ground with amphitheatre for 5,000 people. The viewers can watch the border where the Gujarat’s seacoast meets the landmass. The project demonstrates BSF jawans’ tryst with protecting the border as round-the- clock sentinels. The project will encourage local economic activity in the Rann region, alongside visit to adjoining flamingo and wild ass sanctuaries.
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Govt approves Idea Cellular and Vodafone India merger
The Idea Cellular and Vodafone India merger but the companies need to complete some formalities for the final closure of the deal. The combined operations of Idea and Vodafone will create the country's largest telecom operator worth over over 1.5 lakh crore rupees, with a 35 per cent market share and a subscriber base of around 430 million. Debt-ridden firms Idea and Vodafone India are in process of merging their businesses in India as it is expected to bring down cost of their operations and give them relief from cut-throat competition in the market where margins have hit rock bottom with free voice calls. With the new entity coming in force, Bharti Airtel will lose the tag of India's biggest telecom service provider to the new entity. The combined debt of both the companies is estimated to be around Rs 1.15 lakh crore. Background: Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
Men's hockey team to get monthly allowance under TOP Scheme The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of the Sports Ministry today approved a monthly allowance of 50 thousand rupees for each of the 18 members of the men's hockey team under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The monthly allowance under TOPS has been started by the ministry last year but the hockey team is getting the pocket allowance for the first time. The decision to include hockey was taken after India's performance improved under new coach Harendra Singh as they finished runners up in the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands. The women's team could be included in the TOPS after reviewing its performance in the upcoming World Cup and the following Asian Games. Among the other notable decisions taken, double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar has been sanctioned 6.62 lakh rupees for hiring two sparring partners and a physiotherapist during his ongoing training stint in Georgia. Another 3.22 lakh rupees has been sanctioned for Bajrang Punia and Sumit for the training and tournament participation in Turkey. Boxer Saraju bala Devi got an extension under TOPS scheme after qualifying for the Asian Games.
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Among other sports, MOC also sanctioned money for purchase of equipment and training for gymnasts, Tennis player Ram Kumar Ramanathan, Archery and Judo. Background: The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at these events. It also acts as the Indian Commonwealth Games Association, responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Commonwealth Games.
Maharashtra government frames policy for benefit of senior citizens Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has directed the State Government to activate the State Executive Council for Senior Citizens to effectively implement its policy towards elderly. The High Court asked the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to make attempts to finalize the National Policy for Senior Citizens within six months. The High Court observed while hoping that it will result in redress of certain extent of the problems faced by senior citizens in Maharashtra. Mere absence of national policy is no excuse to shirk the responsibility towards elderly, the High Court made it clear. The senior citizens of Sahkar Nagar wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Bombay High Court on May 13 highlighting total apathy of successive regimes towards plight of elderly and their long pending demands. Backgroud: The National Policy on older Persons was announced by the Central Government of India in the year, 1999 to reaffirm the commitment to ensure the well-being of the older persons. It was a step to promote the health, safety, social security and well-being of elderly in India.
Telecom Comm approves net neutrality, new telecom policy Some mission critical applications or services like remote surgery and autonomous cars will however be kept out of the purview of net neutrality framework. In a move that will ensure open and free Internet in India, the government has approved the principle of net neutrality. This means that telecom and Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet equally, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, site, platform, or application. They cannot engage in practices such as blocking, slowing down or granting preferential speeds to any content.
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The Telecom Commission (TC) — which is the highest decision-making body in the Department of Telecom, approved the recommendation made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the subject. This principle, it had added, will apply to any discriminatory treatment based on the sender or receiver, the network protocols, or the user equipment, but not to specialised services or other exclusions. Background: Net Neutrality is a principle affirming that all ISP (Internet Service Providers) must treat all data on the internet equally.Under Net Neutrality regulations ,an ISP is not allowed to intentionally block, nor slow down specific content or websites.
BSNL starts first internet telephony service in India
State-run telecom firm BSNL unveiled first internet telephony service in the country that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app. Now BSNL customers will be able to make calls using the company's mobile app "Wings" to any phone number in the country. Before this, phone calls on mobile apps was possible within users of a particular app and not on telephone numbers. Using this service, BSNL customers will be able to make calls on any network in the country even by using BSNL wi-fi or any other service provider. Telecom Commission, highest-decision making body of the Department of Telecom, had allowed companies who hold valid telecom licence, to provide app-based calling service even by using wi-fi connection. Background: Internet telephony is a type of communications technology that allows voice calls and other telephony services like fax, SMS and other voice-messaging applications to be transmitted using the Internet as a connection medium.
Jadhav case: Pak to file counter-memorial in ICJ on July 17
Pakistan Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk was briefed regarding the case. Pakistan will file its second counter-memorial on July 17 in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) conviction of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism. The ICJ on January 23 gave a timeline to both Pakistan and India for filing another round of memorials in the case.
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Pakistan’s memorial will be in response to pleadings filed by India in the Hague-based ICJ on April 17. Counter-Memorial an answer admitting, denying, or commenting on charges in a memorial in international law. 14 July 2018
Hima Das: First Indian to win 400-m gold in track event at U-20 Worlds Hima Das scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships as she clinched to top spot in the women's 400m final race in Tampere. Hima Das became first Indian woman to win gold medal at IAAF U-20 World Athletic Championships.The 18-year-old Das, a pre-tournament favourite, clocked 51.46s to win the gold. She now joins the illustrious company of star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won a gold in Poland in the last edition in 2016 in a world record effort. In fact, Das is the first Indian track athlete to have won a medal in the history of this competition. The previous medal winners at the World Junior Championships were Seema Punia (bronze in discus in 2002) and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (bronze in discus in 2014).
TCA Raghavan appointed Director General of ICWA The Vice President of India and the President of ICWA, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has appointed Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan (IFS: 1982) as the Director General, ex officio Member- Secretary of the Council, ICWA. The decision was taken in the meetings of the Governing Body and Governing Council of the Indian Council of World Affairs The post is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, with effect from 24th July, 2018. Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan has served as India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad and Singapore and has served in our missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait. Background: The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is a New Delhi based Indian think-tank. Established in 1943, it is devoted exclusively for the study of international relations and foreign affairs. By an Act of Parliament, it has been declared an institution of national importance in 2001. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA, while the Minister of External Affairs is its Vice-President.
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ASI allows photography within premises of centrally protected monuments The Archaeological Survey of India, an organisation under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in an order, decided to allow photography within the premises of all centrally protected monuments/sites (except 3). However, the 3 monuments/sites in which the photography would not be permitted are Ajanta Caves and Leh Palace having paintings, and Mausoleum of Taj Mahal, Agra. The above comes in the wake of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi observing in his Speech at the Inaugural Event of ‘Dharohar Bhawan’ in New Delhi that Space Technology in the modern era has developed to such an extent that one can photograph even minute objects from far off distances, and in this background , it is indeed ironical to restrict the tourists/visitors from taking photographs of their experiences at heritage monuments and sites.
Balharshah & Chandrapur most beautified railway station premises Maharashtra’s Ballarshah and Chandrapur railway stations have been adjudged joint winners in the Railways’ in-house station beautification contest, while Madhubani station in Bihar with its Mithila (Madhubani) art work done by local artists ranked second along with Madurai. Gandhidham railway station in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan and Secunderabad in Telangana were declared the third best in the ‘Beautification of Railway Stations with Local Artists’ competition. The first prize entails a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh, the second will get Rs 5 lakh while those of the third spot will receive Rs 3 lakh.
Aadhaar in Ayushman Bharat desirable but not mandatory: Govt The Government clarified that Aadhaar is desirable but not mandatory to avail benefits under the Ayushman Bharat scheme providing health insurance to poor families. Health Minister J P Nadda confirmed that the government will provide services to all eligible beneficiaries with or without Aadhaar card. The scheme is aimed at providing an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per year for hospitalisation to 10.74 crore poor families. The Ministry said, the notification of the Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission, being issued by it under the Aadhaar Act, merely enables the implementing agencies to ask beneficiaries for Aadhaar Card to authenticate their identity. In order to authenticate the identity of beneficiaries accurately, the use of Aadhaar card is preferable, but it is not a must. It said, there will be no denial of benefit for want of Aadhaar number.
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The Ministry said, the draft notification also provides for exception handling mechanism - production of alternative identification mechanisms such as ration card, voter ID card, MGNREGA card among others in case the beneficiary does not have Aadhaar number.
Government Releases Rs. 1,100 Crore To Develop Border Villages The Centre has released Rs. 1,100 crore in 2017-18 for the all-round development of villages located along the international border in 17 states. According to the home ministry, 61 model villages, with amenities like health centre, school, drinking water, will be developed along the border and Rs. 126 crore has been released for this purpose. The issues related to the implementation of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) were discussed at a high-level meeting held in the home ministry and attended by district magistrate of 25 districts of 17 states. The outlay under this BADP has been increased to Rs. 1,100 crore in 2017-18 from Rs. 990 crore in 2015-16. Background: India shares borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In general there are total 17 Indian States that are located on the international border. Sikkim(share border with China,Nepal,Bhutan). West Bengal(Bhutan,Nepal,Bangladesh). Arunachal Pradesh(China, Bhutan, Myanmar). Jammu & Kashmir(Pakistan, China, Afghanistan[POK]).
Spiritual leader Dada J.P. Vaswani passes away Regarded as a philosopher and a modern-day saint by the Sindhi diaspora, Dada Vaswani was a familiar face on a number of spiritual television channels. Noted spiritual leader and educationist Dada J.P. Vaswani — the moral force behind the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and a tireless promoter of vegetarianism and animal rights — passed away at the age of 99. Born Jashan Pahlajrai Vaswani on August 2, 1918 in the city of Hyderabad in Sindh province (present-day Pakistan), he was a brilliant student in his youth. His M.Sc. thesis examined by Nobel Laureate, Dr. C.V Raman. Acclaimed as a humanitarian and non-sectarian leader, he later gave up a promising academic career to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Sadhu T.L Vaswani — the legendary educationist who started the Mira Movement. In order to propagate Sadhu Vaswani’s ideas and vision, he edited three monthly journals – the Excelsior (which became a popular journal), the India Digest and the East and West series.
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A recipient of the U Thant Peace Award in April 1998, for his dedicated service to the cause of world peace, he spoke from a number of global podiums including the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders and Parliamentarians at Kyoto, the U.N. and the British House of Commons in London.
Bihar government approves amendments in Prohibition & Excise Act 2016 Bihar government has approved amendments in stringent provisions of the Prohibition and Excise Act 2016. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved scrapping of harsh provisions to confiscate property including house, land and vehicle in case of recovery of liquor. After the Cabinet nod, Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act (Amendment) bill will be tabled in upcoming session of the state legislature.
Discrimination against gays will go if criminality of section 377 is removed: SC The Supreme Court said the social stigma and discrimination attached to the LGBTQ community would go if criminality of consensual gay sex is done away with, even as it maintained that it would scrutinise the legal validity of section 377 of the IPC in all its aspects. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the 158-year-old penal law, also rejected a proposal of lawyers, seeking retention of section 377, that public opinion should be elicited on the matter, saying it did not want a referendum but would go by constitutional morality. The bench took note of the vehement opposition of these lawyers and their allegation that the Centre had taken a "U-turn" in the case.
Buddha of Swat restored after 11 years after Taliban dynamited it The Buddha seated in a meditative posture, considered one of the largest rock sculptures in South Asia, was attacked in September 2007 by the Taliban militants. The iconic Buddha of Swat, carved on a cliff in the 7th century, has been restored to its almost original form with Italian assistance in northwestern Pakistan, nearly 11 years after it was dynamited by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan during their control over the area. The Buddha seated in a meditative posture, considered one of the largest rock sculptures in South Asia, was attacked in September 2007 by the Taliban militants, who blew up half the statue’s face by drilling holes into the face and shoulders and inserting explosives, triggering a worldwide anger.
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The Italian government invested €2.5 million ($2.9 million) in five years to preserve the cultural heritage and restore the six-metre-tall Buddha of Swat, depicted in a lotus position at the base of a granite cliff. In 2009, the Pakistan Army launched an operation, Rah-e-Rast, to flush out militants from the tribal region.
Mexican scientists develop hybrid chayote fruit to battle cancer
Researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) developed a hybrid chayote fruit from two wild Mexican species, which could be used to battle cancer. The raw extract of this fruit is as effective as Cytarabine, a medication used to treat some types of cancer. This line of research, according to the statement, was conceived in 2005 as part of efforts by agronomists to discover the possible medicinal benefits of chayote fruits. According to figures from the World Health Organization, cancer is the second cause of death in the world, killing nearly 9 million people a year. 15 July 2018
Kaptan Singh Solanki appointed gets additional charge of Himachal Pradesh Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki was given the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh by President Ram Nath Kovind. It is decided in the absence of Himachal Governor Acharya Devvrat, who is on leave. Background: Article 153 it was inserted by 7th constitutional ammendment, 1956 according to which - ‘A person can be appointed as the governor of two or more states.’
Proposal for construction of break water harbour in Konkan The Nivati-Medha break water harbour in the Konkan region of Maharashtra is being considered under “12 Champion Sectors initiative” of the Ministry of Commerce. The was informed by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation. The Minister informed him that a proposal has already been submitted to the Maharashtra Maritime Board in this regard. Suresh Prabhu directed concerned officials to expedite the construction of the breakwater harbour once the Maharashtra Maritime Board approves the proposal. In the absence of such a harbour the financial condition of fishermen in the area is deteriorating as they are totally dependent on the vagaries of the sea.
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Building of the breakwater harbour will help the fishermen to haul a better catch even in adverse conditions and also give a boost to the tourism industry by allowing cruise ships to dock at the harbour. Other tourism activities will also get a fillip. This will raise the living standards of local people in the area. Background: Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal management or to protect an anchorage from the effects of both weather and long shore drift.
DGNCC Flags-in NCC Boys Expedition team to Mt Saifee Director General of National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Lt Gen PP Malhotra flagged-in the NCC Boys Expedition to Mt Saifee on 11 July 2018.He congratulated the boy cadets and the support staff for their splendid effort and demonstration of grit and courage to overcome the challenges of rugged terrain and hostile weather conditions in their bid to summit the peak. The expedition was launched on 01 June 2018. All the cadets were given mountaineering training in NIM, Uttarkashi for 10 days. The Expedition Leader Col Dhirendra Singh shared his experience and the challenges faced by the expedition team during their difficult attempt. Mt Saifee is situated in the beautiful Gangotri National Park and the Garhwal Himalayas.The peak is knows as Mountaineers Paradise.
INS Tarangini Visits Sunderland to Participate in Tall Ship Races – 2018
INS Tarangini arrived at her seventh port, Sunderland in the UK, during her #Lokayan-18 voyage and also to participate in the prestigious ‘tall ship races - 2018’. The ship is part of the first Training Squadron based at Kochi, under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. The name ‘Tarangini’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘Tarang’ meaning waves; thus, Tarangini means ‘the one that rides the waves’. INS Tarangini is the first ship of the #Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe in the year 2003-04 and has participated in tall ship races conducted around the world in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Lokayan is a combination of two Sanskrit words: ‘Lokya’ meaning worldwide and ‘Yana’ meaning travel, thus literally meaning, ‘travel around the world’.
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INS Tarangini commenced ‘Lokayan-18’ on 10 Apr 18 from Kochi, India and is set to cover a distance of over 20,000 nautical miles, with a crew of nine officers, 30 officer sea trainees and 43 sailors.
Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 launched The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launched a rural cleanliness programme, the 'Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018', to rank all states and districts on the basis of qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has commissioned the survey on rural cleanliness and this ranking will be based on district-level surveys of public places like schools, anganwadis, haat-bazaars, panchayats and citizen's perception of Swachhta. The programme plans to survey 6,800 villages in 680 districts across the country. It also plans to cover 34,000 public places in the villages. According to the ministry, to take feedback from citizens on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, around 55,000 citizens would be interviewed and their views on sanitation issues would be taken. According to ministry officials, the information would be obtained from its Integrated Management Information System (IMIS).
Century’s Longest Total Lunar Eclipse on July 27-28 A total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27-28 with a totality duration of 1 hour 43 minutes, the longest in this century. The total eclipse will last up to 2.43 hours. Then the Moon will start to gradually come out of Earth's shadow and partial eclipse will end at 3:49 am IST on July 28. In this particular eclipse, the Moon will pass through the central part of the Earth's umbral shadow. Furthermore, the Moon will be at apogee, the farthest from the Earth in its orbit, on July 27 and will be moving at a slower speed in its orbit. This slower moving full Moon will take longer time and greater distance of Earth's umbral shadow cone to travel. Such long duration of total lunar eclipses had earlier occurred on July 16, 2000 for totality duration of 1 hour 46 minutes and another one on June 15, 2011 for totality duration of 1 hour 40 minutes. On July 27, the red planet Mars, will also be at opposition, meaning that the Sun and Mars will lie opposite to each other, with the Earth in the middle. Mars opposition that had occurred in August 2003 brought the two planets at the closest distance in approximately 60,000 years. The approach of Mars on July 31 will bring the two planets closest and the planet Mars to be seen brightest since 2003.
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Background:- A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are aligned (in syzygy) exactly or very closely so, with the planet in between.
S-400 Triumf missile deal with Russia will go ahead despite US sanctions Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the S-400 Triumf air defence missile deal with Russia will go ahead despite the US sanctions on military transactions with Moscow. The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, under which the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on military deals with Russia. The US had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016. India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border. Background: The S-400 Triumf,previously known as the S-300PMU-3, is an anti-aircraft weapon system developed in the 1990s by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family.It is a Mobile surface-to-air missile system.
Railways launched its first consolidated Bridge Management System The Railways has launched its first consolidated Bridge Management System, a web- enabled IT application to store data on its one lakh 50 thousand bridges. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal launched the service in New Delhi for meaningful assimilation, analysis and dissemination of information related to various activities about its bridges. Mr Goyal also distributed awards to the Station Beautification competition. Balharshah and Chandrapur railway stations in Maharashtra from the Central Railway were awarded the first prize while Madhubani station of the East Central Railway and Madurai station of Southern Railway were the co-winners of the second prize.
BBBP: MP govt to appoint girls as district Brand Ambassador In Madhya Pradesh, in a first of its kind initiative, the state govt will appoint girls as a district Brand Ambassador who have recorded significant achievements in any field under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme.
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Mohammad Kaif announces retirement from all forms of cricket Mohammad Kaif, a cricketer who could earn a spot in the team on the strength of his fielding alone, chose a landmark day to announce his retirement from all forms of the game. Sixteen years after he played a crucial part in India’s successful chase of 326, recovering from a precarious 146 for five to win the NatWest Trophy final against England, Kaif opted to walk into history after figuring in 13 Tests and 125 ODIs — 10229 runs in 186 First Class matches.