Current Affairs 19, July, 2017 – Bill to amend law on govt buying immovable property introduced:                   

NATIONAL

Bill to amend law on govt buying immovable property introduced:

    A bill providing for amendment to the regulations governing compensation amount payable at the time of acquisition of immovable property by the central government was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The ‘Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017’ was introduced by Minister of State for Planning, Programme Implementation and Statistics Rao Inderjit Singh.

    The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act empowers the central government to requisition any immovable property and also to acquire them under certain specified conditions. The Act came into force in March 1952. 

Karnataka wants to have its own ‘state flag’, appoints panel to look into legal sanctity:

    Karnataka has constituted a nine member committee to design a ‘state’ flag — an identity symbol unique to the state — and submit a report on giving it legal sanctity. If such a flag does come into being, Karnataka will only be the second state in the country to officially have a flag of its own after Jammu & Kashmir, which enjoys special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Karnataka

• • Capital: Bengaluru
  • Chief Minister: Siddaramaiah
  • Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Govt Launches ‘Sohum’, A Low-Cost Device To Test Hearing of NewBorns:

    Sohum, a new hearing screening device developed by School of International Biodesign (SIB) startup M/s Sohum Innovation Labs India Pvt Ltd meant especially for newborns.

Haryana: First newly developed Apple Market at Panchkula becomes functional

    In Haryana, the first newly developed Apple Market at Panchkula has become functional. Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Mr Om Prakash Dhankar launched the apple market.

    Mr Dhankar said the apple market, aiming at a turn-over of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 crore, would have the potential to generate indirect job opportunities for 10 to 20 thousand persons.

Haryana

• • Capital: Chandigarh
  • Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
  • Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki

Maha govt approves revised policy of ‘Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree’ scheme:

    The Maharashtra government approved a revised policy of the ‘Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree’ scheme, according to which families who have a yearly income of up to 7.5 lakh rupees will be benefited. A decision to this effect was taken during the cabinet meeting held in Mumbai.

Maharashtra

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
• Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao

INTERNATIONAL

US and Australia launch HIFiRE ‘hypersonic’ missile in new arms race:

    The hypersonic glider is capable of travelling at Mach8 – eight times faster than the speed of sound, from between 3,836mph (6,200kmh) to almost 8,000mph (13,000kmh).

    The test was part of a project called the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation Program (HIFiRE) involving the US and Australian militaries, Queensland University, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and private companies, including Boeing and BAE Systems.

BANKING & BUSINESS

Indians among top asylum-seekers, according to the International Migration Outlook 2017:

    Indian diaspora grows steady and strong with India topping the list among countries whose citizens acquire foreign nationality, said a recent global study on migration. Unknown to many, a tiny bit of this migration is driven by asylum-seekers from home who count among the biggest groups seeking refuge from “persecution” in countries as far-flung as New Zealand (NZ) and Latvia.

    According to the International Migration Outlook 2017 report on OECD member-nations, top asylum-seekers to NZ between 2012 and 2016 were from China, India, Fiji and Iraq.

RIL crosses Rs 5 lakh cr market-cap for first time in its trading history:

    Reliance Industries, the most valuable firm on the bourses, added another feather in its cap by crossing the Rs 5 lakh crore market-capitalisation for the first time in its trading history.

    It has become the second only firm to do so after Tata Consultancy Service (TCS), which is now the second most valuable company in terms of market-capitalisation.  

SBI launches ‘SBI Realty’ portal for home buyers:

    India’s largest commercial bank SBI said it has launched a dedicated portal ‘SBI Realty’ that will help home buyers to choose flats from its 3,000 approved projects across the country.

    “State Bank of India has taken another step towards customers’ convenience by launching ‘SBI Realty’ – a one stop integrated website www.sbirealty.in for home buyers,” the bank said in a statement.

India’s GDP could rise to $8 trillion in 15 yrs: NITI Aayog vice-chairman

    NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya has said, India’s GDP could rise to about 8 trillion dollars over the next 15 years if the country registers an economic growth of 8 per cent annually.

NITI Aayog

• Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman: Arvind Panagariya

• Niti Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant

• Head Quarters: New Delhi

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

UK’s first woman Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill elected to key Parliament panel:

    Britain’s first woman Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill has been elected to an influential cross-party panel in the UK Parliament that examines the workings of the Home Office.

    Gill, who won the Edgbaston seat for the Labour party in the June 8 snap general election, was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the UK Parliament.

Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj new president of Ramakrishna Math:

    Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj (87) was unanimously elected as the 16th president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The office of the president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission was vacant following the death of Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj on June 18.

Executive Vice President Ritika Suri resigns from Infosys:

    Infosys executive vice president Ritika Suri, one of the people CEO Vishal Sikka brought with him from SAP, has resigned the company.    

Zeliang appointed as Nagaland Chief Minister:

    Dismissing the five-month-old government of Shurhozelie Liezietsu, Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya on appointed T.R. Zeliang as the Chief Minister. Mr. Zeliang has been asked to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Nagaland

• Capital: Kohima
• Chief Minister: T R Zeliang   
• Governor: Padmanabha Acharya

Bharat Arun appointed Team India bowling coach:

    Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI has appointed Bharat Arun as the Indian Cricket team’s bowling coach. He will join the Indian team on a two-year period until the end of the 2019 ICC World Cup.

AWARDS

Honoured to be a new Academy member: Deepika Padukone

    Actor Deepika Padukone, who has been inducted as one of the newest members of the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), said that she felt honoured to be included in the Class of 2017.

The 31-year-old, who made her Hollywood debut with Vin Diesel’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage, took to Twitter to share her excitement.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

New bird-like species of dinosaur identified:

    Canadian scientists have identified a new bird-like species of dinosaur that lived nearly 71 million years ago and was about the size of a person.               

SPORTS

FIFA have lifted their ban on the Sudan Football Association:

    FIFA have lifted their suspension of the Sudanese Football Association, but the move comes too late to save the season of the country’s clubs competing in African club competition.

Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur fails dope test:

    Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur, who has been caught in the dope net after testing positive for a banned stimulant, lose the gold medal clinched by her.

    Ms. Kaur, who won a gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, tested positive for stimulant dimethylbutylamine. The test was conducted by National Anti-Doping Officials during the Federation Cup National Championships held in Patiala from June 1-4.

HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE DAY

Nelson Mandela Day: 18 July

    Every year on 18 July, the day Nelson Mandela was born – the UN asks individuals around the world to mark Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July) by making a difference in their communities.