DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : July 31, 2019

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NATIONAL NEWS

Central government aims to achieve 100% digitization of waqf properties in 100 days

Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi examined central government set a target to achieve “100% Digitization of Waqf properties across the country in its 1st 100 days.
The conference is held at the National Conference of State and Union Territories Waqf Boards organized by the Central Wakf Council, held in New Delhi.
The award was around 8 ”mutawalli” under the “Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqiati Scheme” for better management of waqf properties.
Geographic Information System (GIS)/ Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping is being used on a war footing with the help of IIT Roorkee and the Aligarh Muslim University to achieve the target.
To improve the infrastructural and financial conditions of waqf boards can be used for the welfare of the Muslim community, and encroachment of such properties be prevented.
There are over 6 lakh registered waqf properties across the country. The government is providing 100 % funding to develop various educational and developmental programs on waqf land under Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK).

K’taka govt cancels Tipu Jayanti celebrations

The Karnataka State Government has cancelled the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, who ruled Mysore in the 18th century.
In an order, Kannada and Culture department has stated that Hazrat Tipu Sultan Jayanti being celebrated since 2016 in the state is cancelled with immediate effect.
Kodagu BJP MLA K G Boppaiah had requested the Chief Minister to cancel the celebration saying that people of Kodagu have been protesting against it since long.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to be customised for extreme heat, dust

India is working with Japan to make key technical changes in the bullet trains that are expected to run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad from 2023
So that they can handle extreme heat and high levels of pollution, according to officials familiar with the matter.
National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) is executing the project linking the capitals of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
They believe the trains will have to be customized for Indian conditions so that they don’t break down due to heat and dust.
The trains that run in Japan are built to handle outside temperature of up to 35 degrees Celsius. India and Maharashtra can cross even 50 degrees.
These filters will be like a fine mesh as commonly used in air-conditioning units.
The dust filters installed will work like a barrier and stop the dust entering inside the trains; this will be helpful in maintaining ambient air quality inside the trains.
They will also safeguard the equipment from harmful dust mites and other pollutants.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Pakistan opens 1000-year-old Shawala Teja Singh temple in Punjab for worship after 72 years

Pakistan opened a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in eastern city Sialkot for “worship” for the first time since partition on the demand of the local Hindu community.
The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in the city’s congested Dharowal locality, some 100-km from Lahore, is more than 1,000 years old.
The evacuees Trust Property Board looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan has opened Shawala Teja Singh temple after the partition on the demand of the local Hindu community.
There was no Hindu population earlier residing in the city, the temple was closed for worship. The temple was partially damaged during attacks on temples here in reaction to Babri Mosque in 1992.
The temple has been opened for worship for the first time since partition. Some 2,000 Hindus are residing in this locality and they are so happy to visit their centuries-old worship place.
Local Hindu leaders Rattan Lal and Rumaish Kumar have welcomed the government’s step to restore the temple and open it for the minority community.

President Kovind reaches Gambia on second leg of three-nation visit

President Ramnath Kovind has reached Gambia yesterday on his second leg of his three Nations visit.
He was warmly welcomed by the Gambian President Adama Barrow with military honour at the Banjul Airport.
This is the first-ever state visit to the Gambia by an Indian President.
He will be addressing a special session of the National Assembly of Gambia. The National Assembly building complex in Banjul is one of the prominent projects in West Africa built under the line of credit extended by India.
Tomorrow He will attend an event by the Indian community and inaugurate an exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi.

India and China review progress made in effective implementation of various CBMs

India and China reviewed progress made in the implementation of various confidences building to maintain peace and tranquillity along their common borders in the run-up to a summit of the leaders of the two countries.
The review was done at the 14th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs in Beijing.
The Indian delegation was led by Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, and the Chinese side was led by Hong Liang, Director General, Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement issued by the Indian embassy in Beijing.
The two sides also reviewed the progress made ineffective implementation of various confidence-building measures (CBMs) to further enhance mutual trust and understanding.

RANKING & INDEX

Singapore Tops Asia in Dell Global Women Entrepreneur Cities Index 2019, Bengaluru Top Indian City

According to the latest “Women Entrepreneur Cities Index 2019”, sponsored by Dell and conducted by London-based global information provider, IHS Markit, The Singapore tops in Asian city ranked at 21st position.
Indian cities Bangalore (Karnataka) and Delhi ranked 43rd (7th in Asia) and 50th (10th in Asia) respectively.
The ranking measures a city’s ability to attract and support high potential women entrepreneurs. And it is constructed using five “pillars” They include market, talent, capital (all 3 under operating Environment), culture and technology (under Enabling Environment).
San Francisco Bay Area topped the list. They secured 63.7 points It is followed by New York (62.9 points) and London (3rd).

Singapore:

Currency: Singapore dollar
President: Halimah Yacob
Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong

IHS Markit:

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
CEO: Lance Uggla

BANKING & FINANCE

PNB Housing Finance raises $100 mn from World Bank’s IFC

PNB Housing Finance Ltd has raised $100 million (around Rs 690 crore) from International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to finance the purchase of affordable housing projects.
This is the first ECB disbursement during the current financial year under the RBI automatic route. Several other ECB proposals are in the pipeline.
The RBI has allowed us to borrow ECB up to USD 750 million annually under the automatic route and considering the strong fundamentals and inherent growth of the company.
PNB Housing Finance will help them further expand to smaller towns and cities and reach low-income customers with loans to buy homes and help raise their living standards.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Reliance Jio overtakes Vodafone-Idea network and became India’s Largest Telecom Operator

Reliance Jio overtook Vodafone-Idea to become India’s leading telecom operator. While the monthly subscriber report from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The news comes from data collated off the quarterly financial reports furnished by Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea, India’s three leading telecom operators.
Bharti Airtel disclosed through TRAI its user base of 320.4 million users while enduring a rough quarter of high subscriber churn rate (subscribers unsubscribing from the network against new subscriptions).
Jio’s recently disclosed Q1 FY20 financial report showed 331.3 million subscribers in its network.
Vodafone-Idea’s financial report for the same quarter, it has come to light that the operator group lost 14.1 million in Q1 FY20, declining from the industry-topping 334.1 million subscribers as of March 2019, to stand at 320 million subscribers.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Atal Innovation Mission to launch new programme for Community Innovation

NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will launch a new programme for Community Innovation in New Delhi.
The new initiative aims to encourage the spirit of innovation in the country.
It will be jointly inaugurated by Union Ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Dharmendra Pradhan.
The purpose of the programme is to make innovation eco-system socially inclusive as well as to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure for innovation across the country.
The new programme has been specifically designed for underserved, unserved regions of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, Smart Cities, Aspirational districts, North-East, Jammu and Kashmir as well as rural and tribal regions of the country.
The Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country.
It has been created as an umbrella innovation organization to play an instrumental role in the alignment of innovation policies between central, state and sectoral innovation schemes incentivizing the establishment.

AGREEMENTS & MOU

India and Mozambique signed two MoU to strengthen the Defence co operation

India and Mozambique signed the two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Maputo, Mozambique during the visit by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from 28 July to 30 July 2019.
This is the first time that an Indian Defence Minister has visited Mozambique.
It agreement aims to strengthen the defence cooperation on 29 July.
The MoUs included are an agreement on sharing white shipping information, another on cooperation in the field of Hydrography.
The MoUs were signed by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Mozambican counterpart Atanasio Salvador M’tumuke.

India, Myanmar sign MoU on defence co-operation

India and Myanmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence co-operation.
The MoU was signed after talks between the Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Naik and Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services (CDS), Senior General Min Aung Hlaing here.
Senior General from Myanmar Army the neighbouring country took strong action against Indian insurgent groups operating on their soil under Operation Sunrise 2.
The main aim is to enhance defence co-operation, review joint exercises and training provided to Myanmar Defence Services, and strengthen maritime security by joint surveillance and capacity building, medical co-operation, pollution response and for developing new infrastructure.
It is accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Myanmar Defence Services, the Senior General met the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar to be new Finance Secretary

Senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar will be the new Finance Secretary.
An official order announced, the approval was given by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Mr Kumar, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Jharkhand cadre, is presently serving as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.
Mr Kumar is the most senior official among the five Secretaries in the Ministry. As per norm, the most senior IAS officer in the Ministry is designated as the Finance Secretary.

SPORTS NEWS

BCCI suspends Prithvi Shaw for doping violation

Indian Test opener Prithvi Shaw has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) till November 15, 2019, for a doping violation.
According to a BCCI release, Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.
Mr Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on 22nd February 2019 in Indore.
On 16th July 2019, Mr Shaw was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge.
The BCCI was satisfied with Mr Shaw’s explanation. However, according to rules, he was suspended for an eight-month period of Ineligibility started to run from 16th March 2019, so that it will end at midnight on 15th November 2019.

Dalilah Muhammad set new world record in the 400m hurdles women’s athletics at the U.S. Championships athletics

American Athlete Dalilah Muhammad set new world record in the 400m hurdles women’s athletics at the U.S. Championships athletics on 28 July.
She clocked 52.20sec. The previous world record was set at 52.34 sec by Russia’s Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003.

Other Winners:

Women’s 3,000m steeplechase: Emma Coburn won first and clocked 9min 25.63 seconds.
Women’s 200m: Noah Lyles came first in the 200m and clocked 19.78sec.
Men’s 110m hurdles: Daniel Roberts finished first with a time of 13.23 seconds.
Men’s 1,500m hurdles: Craig Engels finished first with a time of 3min 44.93 seconds.

OBITUARIES

CCD owner V G Siddhartha found dead

Founder of the Café Coffee Day chairman V G Siddhartha who went missing over the Netravati river bridge yesterday has been found dead.
A massive search and rescue operation had started yesterday to look for Siddhartha who was instrumental in popularizing Indian coffee worldwide.
Siddhartha was son in law of senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka S M Krishna.
The investigation on Café Coffee Chain resulting in attachment of shares was made to protect the interest of revenue from the income admitted by the assesse.