DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : August 2, 3, 4 & 5, 2019

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NATIONAL NEWS

One Nation-one Ration Card scheme implemented on pilot basis in four States

 

  • In a major boost to national food security government, today launched the One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on a pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat from today.
  • Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states. Their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.
  • The white Ration Card holders in Telangana have been getting the portability facility, enabling them to buy their subsidized rice and other food grains from any Fair Price Shop in the state.
  • The same facility can be utilized anywhere in Andhra Pradesh now through PoS machines under the One Nation One Ration Card scheme which has come into force in the two states.
  • The Centre is intended to extend the programme to all states by August next year so that the portability of the food security card implemented.

MIB launches a competition for designing Postage Stamp

  • Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched a competition for designing a Postage Stamp along with the First Day Cover to commemorate Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
  • The winner will receive a Certificate of appreciation and travel and hospitality for 2 nights and 3 days to become a part of 50th IFFI which is organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), Government of Goa.
  • Interested person may login to www.mygov.in to participate in the competition. Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India which will be organised from 20th-28th November, 2019 at Goa.
  • International Film Festival of India (IFFI) started way back in 1952, is an ‘A’ grade film festival accredited to the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) and is one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in Asia. 
  • IFFI showcases a collage of the best of contemporary and classical films from around the globe. The contest is open on MyGov platform from 1st August, 2019 to 15th August, 2019.

UGC recommends 20 educational centres for status of Institutions of Eminence

  • The University Gants Commission (UGC) hasreleased a list of 20 institutes – 10 public and 10 private for the grant of the Status of Institutions of Eminence (IoE).
  • The institutions which are given IoE status from public category include, Delhi University, BHU, Hyderabad University and IIT Madras and Kharagpur.
  • The UGC made the recommendations on the report of the Empowered Expert Committee set up by the government under the chairmanship of N Gopalaswami.
  • Jadavpur University and Anna University can be considered for issue of the IoE status only after the respective State Governments have issued an official communication allocating their share of the funds (upto 50%).

NIA (Amendment) Act comes into force with issuance of notification today

  • National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act ,2019 has come into force today after the notification issued by the Union Home Ministry in this regard. Parliament had approved the bill giving more powers
    to NIA on 17th of July.
  • The act aims at enhancing the jurisdiction ofNational Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate scheduled offences committed outside India targeting Indians as well as Indian assets abroad.
  • The latest amendment will enable the NIA to additionally investigate offences related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism and offences
    under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
  • It also provdes for constituting special courts for the trial of scheduled offences such as human trafficking and cyber terrorism.
  • The NIA was set up in 2009, a year after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Nation remembers Pingali Venkaiah who designed national flag

  • Pingali Venkaiah, a freedom fighter and the designer of the flag on which the Indian national flag was based was born on Aug 02nd in 1876, near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
  • It is his 143rd birth anniversary.
  • Venkaiah’s design for the National Flag was finally approved by Mahatama Gandhi in a Congress meeting in Vijayawada in 1921.

Over 3.5 lakh water conservation measures taken up under Jal Shakti Abhiyan

  • In a countrywide effort to enhance water security, especially in water-stressed districts, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, JSA delivered over 3.5 lakh water conservation measures in 256 districts during the
    last month.
  • Out of these, 1.54 lakh were of water conservation and rain water harvesting measures, 20 thousand related to the ejuvenation of traditional water bodies, over 65 thousand were reuse andrecharge structures and 1.23 lakh were watershed development projects.
  • An estimated 2.64 crore people participated in the Abhiyan making it a people’s movement. Around 4.25 crore saplings were also planted as a part of the efforts.
  • Union Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha appreciated the efforts and commitment shown by the nodal officers and encouraged them to closely work with districts for bringing significant changes
    through key interventions and initiatives.

“Aadi Perukku” festival being celebrated in Tamil Nadu

  • In Tamil Nadu, the “Aadi Perukku” festival is being celebrated today. People performed puja’s on the banks of larger water bodies including sea coasts, lakes and rivers.
  • In view of the festival, water has been released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, especially for the celebration along the River Cauvery in the Delta districts.
  • As per the tradition, married women performed rituals for the good health of their spouses, while unmarried girls held prayers for their marriage.
  •  However, in many places, the festival lost its sheen due to the drought-like situation that is prevailing for two consecutive years.
  • Aadi is the name of the current Tamil month, and Perukku is the term for the flooding of waters.

NFDC announces Second window of Funding for Film Production in various Indian languages

  • National Film Development Corporation Limited – NFDC has announced that it will start accepting applications for funding of feature films under the Central Government scheme, ‘Production of films in
    various Indian languages’.
  • In a statement, NDFC has informed that interested applicants can apply by visiting official website https://nfdcindia.com/apply-now/and refer the Production Guidelines.
  • It adds that applicants will have to compulsorily send the complete application in hard copy to the Mumbai office of National Film Development Corporation.
  • The applications can be submitted till the 8th of next month. For further queries, one can write to filmproduction@nfdcindia.comor call on 022 66288 288.

Elephant population in country estimated at 29,964 as per 2017 census

  • Elephant population in the country is estimated at 29,964 as per the census conducted in 2017.
  • The South Region accounted for 14,612 followed by North East with 10,139 elephants. The tiger population across the country is estimated at 2,967 as per the 2018 census.
  • The census of tigers is undertaken at the national level once every four years and that of elephants at every five years.
  • As per the India State of Forest Report 2017, there has been an increase of 6,778 kilometers of forest cover at the national level as compared to the assessment of 2015.
  • The increase in forest cover is attributed to plantation and conservation activities both within and outside Recorded forest areas.

About 35 lakh people so far benefited from Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Chhattisgarh

  • Chhattisgarh is one of the best performing state under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. About 35 lakh people have so far benefited from the scheme in the country of which five lakh are from Chhattisgarh.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched country’s first health and wellness centre under Ayushman Bharat Yojana on April 14 last year, at the remote Jangla village in Maoist affected Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
  • More than Five lakh people have so far been benefitted from the Ayusman Bharat scheme. State has utilized more than three hundred crore during the last eight months under this scheme.
  • About one lakh persons in Chhattisgarh have availed treatment for cardiac ailments under this scheme.
  • Ayushman Bharat Scheme was launched with a vision to provide the poorest of the poor, and the underprivileged sections of society, with better healthcare and treatment.
  • This scheme, which envisions health assurance of 5 lakh rupees per family per year, is targeted to benefit over 50 crore people, and is the world’s biggest health assurance scheme.

HRD Minister inaugurates Technology Expo at IIT Delhi

  • Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank asked students and researchers to bring back India’s glory in the field of science and education.
  • He was inaugurating Technology Expo at IIT Delhi to showcase latest innovation in field of science and technology.
  • Over 80 latest innovations and 90 research posters by institutions from across the country are showcasing the prototypes developed by the investigators in the day long exhibition.
  • The Minister expressed research should be in accordance with the need of common people and industry. Later talking to media, Mr Nishank assured all kinds of support to the research community.

Lalit Kala Akademi celebrates 65th Foundation Day

  • National Academy of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, celebrated its 65th Foundation Day in New Delhi today.
  • The event was inaugurated by Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel. This Ministry is starting cultural mapping of the country which will be completed in a speedy manner.
  • Sanskar Bharti founder Padmshri Baba Yogendra, Lalit Kala Akademi Chairman, Uttam Pacharne and eminent artist Vasudeo Kamath also graced the occasion.
  • The Minister also inaugurated art camp and artwork and painting exhibition and released a book – Mithila Ki Lok Chitrakala.
  • Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art was established in New Delhi in 1954 by the government to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, in and outside the country.
  • The Academy provides scholarships, fellowship programmes and organizes art-related exhibitions in India and overseas. The artwork and painting exhibitions will be open for public till 12th of this month.

PARLIAMENT NEWS

Lok Sabha passes Dam Safety Bill-2019

  • Lok Sabha has passed the Dam Safety Bill-2019. The bill aims to address all issues concerning safety of dams, including regular inspection, emergency action plan and comprehensive safety review.
  • It also lays onus of dam safety on the dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain acts.
  • According to the Bill, a national committee on dam safety will be set up to evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations.
  • It also provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country.
  • There will be a common protocol for safety of all the dams in the country. As many as 293 big dams in the country are over 100 years old and protection of dams is the government’s objective.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Netherlands bans face-covering clothing

  • The Netherlands banned face-covering clothing, such as a burqa or niqab, in public buildings and on transport as a contentious law on the garment came into force.
  • Between 100 and 400 women are estimated to wear a burqa or niqab in the European country of 17 million people.
  • The legislation – which was passed in June last year after more than a decade of political debate on the subject – also applies to other face coverings such as full-face helmets, balaclavas or ski mask.

President Kovind inaugurates exhibitions on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi in Gambia

  • President Ram Nath Kovind today inaugurated exhibitions on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi at the Ebunjan Theatre in The Gambia to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.
  • Vice President of Gambia, Isatou Touray received the President at exhibitions. These exhibitions starting today will be held till 2nd October.
  • Khadi samples for the exhibitions have been provided by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), while that for the Gandhi exhibitions have been sent by the Gandhi Smriti.
  • President has left for Republic of the Guinea, the last leg of his three nations visit.

US announces fresh 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports

  •  President Donald Trump has announced that the US will impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on 300 billion US Dollars in Chinese imports.
  • The US President accused China of not being serious in arriving at the trade deal and failing to keep its promise to buy more American agricultural products.
  • The new tariff, in addition to the 25 per cent on goods worth 250 billion US dollars that was previously in place, would come into effect from 1st of next month.
  • The announcement came a day after US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned from Shanghai after two days of the latest round of trade negotiations with China.
  •  Since the commencement of trade war last year China and US have so far hit each other with punitive tariffs covering more than USD 360 billion in two-way trade.
  • The US President’s new tariffs on China sent a shock wave through global markets yesterday, pushing Wall Street stocks into the red, sharpening an oil-price rout and pressuring US Treasury yields.

President Kovind honoured with National order of Merit, highest award of Republic of Guinea

  • President Ram Nath Kovind has been awarded the National order of Merit by the President of Guinea.
  • For his exceptional contribution to the advancement of overall relations and development of mutual cooperation between India and Guinea and for promoting friendship and partnership between the
    people of both the countries.
  •  This is the highest award of Republic of Guinea. The President had extensive talks with his counterpart.
  • During the delegation level talks, a range of areas of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and multilateral fields have been discussed.
  • President also announced a new Line of Credit of US$ 170 million for Water Supply Project of Conakry city.

Jaishankar emphasises on better connectivity between India, other MGC nations

  •  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has emphasised on better connectivity between India and other member countries of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) bloc for developing a vibrant economic growth corridor.
  • The MGC is a sub-regional cooperation organization comprising India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
  • During the meeting, the new MGC Plan of Action 2019-2022 was adopted that envisages project-based cooperation in various areas including tourism and culture, education, public health and traditional medicine
  • And also the agriculture and allied sectors, transport and communication, MSMEs and water resources management.
  • MGC which takes its name from the Ganga and the Mekong, the two civilisational rivers in Southeast Asia, was launched in 2000 at Laos capital Vientiane.
  • The MGC aims at facilitating closer contacts among the people inhabiting these two major river basins and enhancing cooperation in tourism, culture, education, transport and communications.

11th Annual General Meeting of Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry held in Colombo

  • The 11th Annual General Meeting of the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry was held in Colombo.
  • Chief guest High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Mr Taranjit Singh Sandhu appreciated the contribution of Indo-Lanka Chamber towards strengthening of India- Sri Lanka bilateral relations.
  • President of the Indo- Lanka chamber Romesh David in his speech spoke about active engagement between the industries of the two countries.
  • He also enumerated the efforts made by the Indo-Lanka Chamber in further strengthening bilateral economic relations, recalling the visit led by the chamber to CII partnership summit in Mumbai in
    January this year.

Canada to create protected marine zone in Arctic

· Canada will create a protected marine area in the country’s Arctic region, where
climate change is taking effect three times faster than global average, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced.

·  The protected region would help the Canadian government surpass its goal to protect 10 per cent of marine and coastal regions by 2020.

· The government had recently invested in modernizing the Coast Guard, launching two Arctic patrol vessels to increase protection for national interests in the region.

·  The Arctic region is highly coveted by multiple global powers for its resources and access to navigation in the far north, made easier by melting glaciers.

Model village built with Indian assistance inaugurated in Sri Lanka

  • In Sri Lanka, the Gandhi Nagar model village built with Indian assistance was inaugurated and the completed houses handed over to the beneficiaries.
  • It is the second of the 100 model villages being built with Indian assistance and is named after Mahatma Gandhi, in his 150th birth anniversary.
  • High Commissioner of India, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Sri Lanka Minister of Housing Sajith Premadasa jointly inaugurated the village and handed over the houses.
  • Government of India has partnered with the Sri Lankan government to build 100 model villages with a total of 2,400 houses all across Sri Lanka under Indian grant assistance of 120 crore rupees.
  • These houses are in addition to the 60,000 houses built under the Indian Housing Project meant for war-affected people in the North and East and the estate workers in the plantation areas.
  • The overall development portfolio of Government of India in Sri Lanka is close to 3 billion US Dollars, out of which 560 million US Dollars are in grants.

Turkish President Erdogan lays stone for modern Turkey’s first new church

  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid the foundation stone for the first new church of the country since it became a modern republic in 1923.
  • The Orthodox Mor Ephrem Church in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy will serve the 17,000-strong Syriac Christian community.
  • It is the Turkish republic’s duty to meet the need for space to worship for the Syriac community. He hoped the Church would be completed within two years.
  • Syriac Christians are part of the eastern Christian tradition and pray in Aramaic, which Jesus is believed to have spoken.
  •  In recent years, Turkey has restored and reopened churches but the Islamic-rooted government has been criticised for trying to Islamises the officially secular country.

DEFENCE NEWS

India test-fires Surface to Air-Missile from Chandipur in Odisha

  • India today successfully test-fired its All-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) from a mobile launcher at launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range at
    Chandipur in Odisha.
  • It was the second developmental trial of the missile in this year from the same test range.
  • Earlier, the surface-to-air missile was tested successfully on Feb 26, 2019. It was test fired from a rotatable truck-based launch unit at Chandipur.
  • Jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Ltd, the QR-SAM weapon system is a quick reaction, network-centric missile system capable of search-on-the-move.
  • QR-SAM system can also engage multiple targets within a range of around 25 to 30 km with two vehicle configuration for area air defence.
  • It is a truck-mounted missile with a 360 degree rotatable, electro-mechanically operated, turret-based launch unit.
  • The first test launch of the missile was conducted on June 4, 2017, from the same base.

Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister flags off riot control vehicle ‘Vajra’

  • Arunachal Pradesh State Home Minister Bamang Felix flagged of Five Anti-Riot police vehicle, also known as Vajra, from Police Headquarter in Itanagar. This is the first set of anti-riot vehicles introduced in the state police department.
  • These vehicles come with special features for quick response, automatic multi-barrel launchers for tear gas, with a capacity of 12 persons and a battery backup for long hours stuck in the rioting crowd.
  • The initiative is a step towards the total modernization of the state Police department. Two will be deployed in the Capitol Complex and one each will be routed towards Yupia, Pasighat and Bomdila.
  • State’s Director-General of Police RP Upadhyaya informed that Vajra is a protected vehicle used by the police forces during riots and civil unrest.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI relaxes External Commercial Borrowing norms for corporates, non-banking lenders

  • In more liquidity easing measures, the Reserve Bank has liberalised the end-use stipulations for the External Commercial Borrowings both for corporates as well as liquidity starved non-banking lenders.
  • The central bank in a statement released that liberalisation will be applicable to ECBs taken for working capital, general corporate purpose loans or repayment of rupee loans.
  • Corporate borrowers will be able to avail of ECBs to repay rupee loans taken for Capital expenditures if they are into manufacturing or infrastructure building and classified as Special Mention Account, SMA-2 or
    Non-Performing Asset, under any one-time settlement arrangement with lenders.
  • The RBI also issued a revised circular for bankers capturing the changes.

KABIL set up to ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian domestic market

  • A joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India limited, KABIL has been set up with the participation of three Central Public Sector Enterprises, CPSEs to ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian
    domestic market.
  • These CPSEs are National Aluminium Company Limited, Hindustan Copper Limited and Mineral Exploration Company limited.
  • The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Coal and Mines Prahalad Joshi in New Delhi.
  • The newly setup company will ensure mineral security of the nation. The company will ensure supply of Lithium and Cobalt which is available in less quantity in the country.

Govt approves proposal given by RBI on draft modalities of guarantee to operationalize Budget announcement

  • The government has approved a proposal given by the Reserve Bank of India on draft modalities of the guarantee to operationalize the Budget announcement.
  • This is in regard to one-time partial credit to the Public Sector Banks for purchase of high-rated assets of financially sound Non-banking financial companies.
  •  Disclosing this Finance Ministry official announced in New Delhi today, after the approval from the Government, the modalities would be set in motion by RBI.
  • The Department of Financial Services would put in place an oversight mechanism for this scheme.

German bank KfW explores funding for MMRDA infra projects

  • A delegation from Germany’s state-owned development bank KFW met the Mumbai Metropolitan Commissioner to discuss about the various infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Authority.
  • Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority – MMRDA informed that the delegation was briefed about the various Metro and the multi-modal integration projects.
  • The delegation also visited the sites that are presently under development and reacted positively to the development plans as proposed by MMRDA.
  • Metropolitan Commissioner, RA Rajeev has announced association with Germany’s third largest bank will be a big boon to MMRDA’s flagship project, the Mumbai Metro.
  • MMRDA has emphasized on its need to protect the environment while creating infrastructure. MMRDA has planned 12 metro lines for Mumbai and its suburbs with a total length of 276 kilometres.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Eight core sectors growth drops to 0.2% in June

  • Growth of eight core industries dropped to 0.2 per cent in June mainly due to a contraction in oil-related sectors as well as in cement production.
  •  According to official data released today, the eight-core sector industries – coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity – had expanded by 7.8 per cent in June last year.
  • According to the data, crude oil output contracted by 6.8 per cent while the refinery segment de-grew by 9.3 per cent.
  • The cement output declined by 1.5 per cent. Snapping its two-month declining trend, the production of fertilisers grew by 1.5 per cent.
  • However, steel production increased by 6.9 per cent and electricity production increased by 7.3 per cent during the month under review.
  • During April-June, the eight sectors grew by 3.5 per cent compared to 5.5 per cent in the same period last year.

GST revenue collection stands at Rs 1,02,083 crore in July

  • The total gross revenue collected under Goods and Services Tax, GST in the month of July, 2019 was 1,02,083 crore rupees.
  • It consisted of Central GST component of 17,912 crore rupees and State GST 25,008 crore rupees along with the Integrated GST revenue which was 50,612 crore rupees and Cess collection was 8,551 crore
    rupees.
  • The revenue collection in July 2018 was 96,483 crore rupees and the revenue during the month of review registered a growth of 5.8 per cent over the revenue in the same month last year.
  • During the period from April to July 2019, the domestic component has grown by 9.2 per cent while the GST on imports has come down by 0.2 per cent and the total collection has grown by 6.83 per cent.
  • An amount of 17,789 crore rupees has been released to the states as GST compensation for the months of April and May last.

RBI imposes penalty on seven public sector banks for violating norms

  • Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty ranging between one to two crore rupees on seven public sector banks for violating norms on fraud classification, bill discounting and monitoring of end
    use of funds.
  • Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank and Union Bank of India were fined 1.5 crore rupees each.
  • Allahabad Bank and Bank of Maharashtra were penalised 2 crore rupees each.
  • Oriental Bank of Commerce was penalised with 1 crore rupees.
  • A scrutiny was carried out in the accounts of the companies of a group and it was observed that the banks had failed to comply with provisions of one or more of the directions issued by RBI.
  • A fine of 1 crore rupees was levied on Corporation Bank for non-compliance of norms on cyber security framework as well as fraud classification and reporting.

CRISIL cuts FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.9% from 7.1%

  • Ratings agency CRISIL has cut its forecast for GDP growth in 2019-20 to 6.9% from its earlier forecast of 7.1%, citing weak monsoon, slow global growth and poor high-frequency data for the first quarter of the
    financial year.
  • CRISIL has sliced its estimate of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 20 basis points to 6.9% for this fiscal.
  • Because of following a triangulation of downside risks: weak monsoon, slowing global growth, and sluggish high-frequency data for the first quarter.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO to get Space Situational Awareness Control Centre in
Bengaluru

  • Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM) has become an internationally significant area due to the ever growing manmade space debris population and the increased collision threat with operational spacecraft.
  • Chairman, ISRO laid foundation stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya, Bengaluru on 2nd August, which is an important milestone in the progress of ISRO.
  • ISRO has taken special attention to this aspect. ISRO has set up a Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management aiming at protecting high valued space assets from space debris close approaches and collisions.
  • To carryout systematically all activities related to SSAM, a control centre is being established at Bengaluru.

ISRO releases first set of earth pictures captured by Chandrayaan-2 

  • Space agency ISRO today released the first set of pictures of the earth, captured by Chandrayaan 2, the country’s second Moon mission launched a fortnight ago.
  • The pictures were captured by L 14 camera on board Chandrayaan II. The pictures show the earth in different hues.
  • ISRO tweeted along with the pictures the earth as viewed by #Chandrayaan2 L I4 Camera yesterday.
  • The first set of pictures by the lander of the Chandrayaan-2 is only indicative of the high resolution camera it has. The LI-4 camera onboard the lander Vikram of the spacecraft show the crystal clear and
    panoramic view of the earth, around which it is still revolving.
  • It will move away from the earth’s sphere of influence on the 14th of this month and reach the moon’s orbit on the 20th.
  • Its pictures of the moon from then on would be still more fascinating, given its proximity to the earth’s only natural satellite.
  • After its soft landing on the south pole of the moon, its pictures would arouse the curiosity of the global scientific community, as the region is yet unexplored.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Arvind Kejriwal informs Delhiites to get free electricity up to
200 units

  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced that Delhiites will get cheapest electricity in the country.
  • The consumers consuming up to 200 units of electricity will not need to pay their power bills. Delhi government will give full subsidy to those consuming up to 200 units of electricity.
  • Delhi government will continue to give 50 percent power subsidy to those consuming 201 to 401 units of electricity.
  • For 250 units people in the Delhi used to pay 800 rupees but now they will pay 252 rupees.
  • For 300 units, they used to pay 971 rupees but now it will be 526 rupees. For 400 units, it will be 1075 rupees instead of 1320 rupees.

Maharashtra govt decides to waive off exam fees

  • Maharashtra Government has decided to waive off the entire exam fees, including practical exam for class ten and twelve students hailing from drought-affected districts of the state.
  • Maharashtra’s education minister Mr. Ashish Shelar informed that the amount of the entire fee will be credited back into the bank accounts of students or their guardians.
  • A government resolution issued in this regard said, students, staying in districts which have already been declared drought-hit will not have to pay any fees while students whose districts are declared drought-affected later in the year will be reimbursed.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Gujarat CM launches ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’

  • Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has launched the ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’ from his home town
    Rajkot. The scheme for the welfare of girl child has been launched to mark the 63th birth day of Chief Minister.
  • It is a state wide cash incentive scheme for every girl child born in Gujarat, with a view to raising the female birth rate at par with male to achieve gender equality.
  • According to scheme, the State Government will pay Rs. 4,000 to every girl child at the time of admission to Standard 4th, Rs. 6,000 at the time of taking admission to Standard IX.
  • Rs. 1-lakh at the time of taking admission for higher education at the age of 18 and another Rs. 1-lakh at the time of marriage.
  • The Scheme was launched at a function in Rajkot as a part of ‘Seva Setu’ Mega Camp jointly organized by the district administration and Municipal Corporation. And Rs.133-crore has been allocated
    for this scheme.

AGREEMENTS & MOU

India, Guinea sign three MoUs on 2nd day of President Kovind’s
visit

  • India and Guinea have signed three MoUs on the second day of President Ram Nath Kovind’s three-day visit to that country.
  • These MoUs were signed between the two countries Cooperation in the Field of Traditional System of Medicine, e- Vidhyabharati – e-Aarogya Bharati e-VBAB Network Project and Renewal Energy.
  • The two Heads of State held an in-depth exchange of views in a warm and friendly atmosphere on bilateral relations, international and regional issues of mutual interest.
  • Both the leaders expressed the hope that opening of India’s diplomatic mission in Conakry will further enhance and strengthen the bilateral cooperation.
  • They also agreed to the holding of the first session of the India-Guinea Joint Commission, at Ministerial level, at an early date.
  • During the visit, Mr Kovind will be conferred with the highest State honour of National Order of Merit, President of Guinea Alpha Conde will give award him to at a function held in Conakry.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Journalist Ravish Kumar wins 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award

  • Senior Indian television journalist Ravish Kumar has been awarded the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award.
  • Kumar is among five individuals who were declared winners of the award, which is Asia’s premier prize and often referred to as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
  • Besides Ravish Kumar, Myanmar-based journalist Ko Swe Win, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from Philippines and Kim Jong Ki from South Korea were also honoured with the prestigious prize.
  • The award will be presented at a ceremony in Manila on September 9, 2019.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft undergoes 4th earth-bound manoeuvring successfully

  • In yet another step closer to the moon, India’s Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has undergone the fourth earth-bound manoeuvring successfully.
  • The national space agency ISRO has said in a tweet, the operation began at 3.27 pm by firing the engine on-board the spacecraft, which lasted for ten minutes and 46 seconds.
  • The operation helped to raise its orbit to 277 km at the near end to the earth and nearly ninety thousand kilometres at the farthest end.
  • The ISRO has observed that all the parameters of Chandrayaan-2 are normal. The next and final earth-bound orbit-raising manoeuvre is scheduled to be on Tuesday afternoon.
  • Chandrayaan-2 is set to be pushed away from the earth’s sphere of influence and end into a flight path towards the moon on the 14th of this month.
  • After less than seven days journey, it will be captured in an orbit around the moon on the 20th.
  • Its lander along with the rover is scheduled to have a touch down near the South Pole of the moon on the 7th of September.

RANKING & INDEX

MacKenzie Bezos is officially world’s third richest woman now

  • MacKenzie Bezos is officially world’s third richest woman now. She s also Amazon’s second largest shareholder after her ex-husband Jeff Bezos.
  • Amazon founder Jeff Bezos earlier this week filed the paperwork ith the Securities and Exchange Commission revealing that he had transferred 68,148 Amazon shares worth $1.8 billion between July 29 and July 31 as a part f his stock-sale plan.
  • The regulatory filings also revealed that the Amazon founder had transferred a quarter of his shares in the e-retail giant to his ex-wife as a part of their divorce settlement.
  • MacKenzie’s 19.7 million shares in Amazon are worth $36.8 billion, which according to Forbes makes her the third richest woman in the world.
  • Ahead of MacKenzie Bezos are two women – Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who is the heiress to the brand L’Oréal and is worth $53.7 billion, and Alice Walton, who is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, who is worth $50.4 billion.

Giriraj Prasad Gupta takes over as new CGA

  • Giriraj Prasad Gupta, a 1983-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, took over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) with effect from August 1, 2019.
  • Gupta succeeds Anthony Lianzuala as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the Finance Ministry.
  • Gupta has a vast and rich experience in the government at the Centre. He worked at higher positions in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Finance.
  • The CGA is the apex accounting authority under the Central Government and exercises the power of the President under Article 150 of the Constitution, which prescribes the form of accounts of the Union and
    State Governments on the advice of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Indian-origin doctor Bhasha Mukerjee wins Miss England 2019 crown

  • 23-year-old Indian-origin doctor has been crowned Miss England after fending off competition from dozens of other models.
  • Bhasha Mukherjee, 23, from Derby, holds two different medical degrees, has an IQ of 146, making her officially a ‘genius’ and is fluent in five languages.
  • She was due to start her new job as a junior doctor in a hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, just hours after the Miss England final ended on Thursday evening.
  • Mukherjee, who was born in India is fluent in Hindi.  She is multilingual and knows 5 different languages including French and German.
  • Her family shifted base to the UK when she was 9 years old. She now stays in Derby.

Lewis Hamilton wins Hungarian Grand Prix

  • Lewis Hamilton regained the momentum in the world championship with a memorable strategic victory on Sunday when he overcame young rival Max Verstappen with three laps to go in a tense Hungarian Grand Prix.
  • The 34-year-old defending five-time world champion started third on the grid in his Mercedes and, after stalking the 21-year-old Dutch tyro for most of a fascinating tactical contest swept into the lead on lap 67 of a
    stirring 70-lap contest.
  •  It was Hamilton’s record seventh win in Hungary, his eighth this year and the 81st of his career, wrecking Red Bull’s hopes of turning Verstappen’s first pole position into victory and increased his
    lead in the title race to 62 points before the sport’s European summer break.

Vinesh Phogat wins third successive gold in 53kg

  • Star India grappler Vinesh Phogat has bagged gold in women’s 53kg category of the Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw.
  •  The 24-year-old prevailed 3-2 over local wrestler Roksana in the final of the competition.
  • This was her third consecutive gold in the 53 kg category after winning Gold at Grand Prix of Spain and at the Yasar Dogu International at Istanbul, Turkey last month.

Thailand Open: Satwiksairaj, Chirag 1st Indian doubles pair to win Super 500 title

  • Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty today became the first Indian pair to win a BWF Super 500 badminton tournament. 
  • They beat World champions Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China in the summit clash of Thailand Open 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 in Bangkok to win the men’s doubles category.
  • The third-seeded Chinese pair settled for the second position after battling hard for an hour and two minutes as the Commonwealth Games silver medallists Rankireddy-Shetty claimed their maiden
    title.

Indian boxers end their campaign with six medals in Boxing

  • Indian boxers have ended their campaign at the Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia with a rich haul of six medals.
  • These comprised two gold, one silver and three bronze. Gaurav Solanki ( 56 kg) had to settle for a silver.
  • World Championships bronze-medallist, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and India Open gold-medallist champion Neeraj (57kg), clinched gold medals.
  • Reigning Asian Championships gold medallist Pooja Rani had to be content with a bronze in the middleweight (75 kg) category.
  • Govind Sahani (49Kg) and Jony (60Kg) also grabbed bronze medals after their semi-final losses.

India beat West Indies by four wickets in first T20

  • In Cricket, India beat the West Indies by four wickets in the first Twenty20 of the three-match international series at Lauderhill in the US last night.
  • Chasing the target of 96 runs, India made 98 losing six wickets with 16 balls to spare. Rohit Sharma top scored 24. Captain Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey made 19 each.
  • Earlier, put into bat, Caribbeans made 95 for the loss of nine wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.
  • Kieron Pollard top scored 49. For India, Navdeep Saini claimed three wickets giving 17 runs. The 2nd T20 will be played today at the same venue.

Lionel Messi Suspended 3 Months and Fined $50,000 for CONMEBOL Criticism

  • The Argentine star Lionel Messi was barred on Friday from playing for his national team for three months and was fined $50,000 by CONMEBOL, the South American soccer governing body, after he heavily criticized the organization during the Copa America.
  • Messi, 32, accused CONMEBOL of corruption after he was sent off against Chile in the third-place playoff match during the tournament in Brazil, which ended last month.
  • Messi was angered by two incidents during the Copa.
  • Argentina was denied two penalty claims in its 2-0 semi-final loss to the hosts, after which Messi claimed Brazil was managing a lot in CONMEBOL these days.
  • And when he was harshly dismissed in the next game, which Argentina won, 2-1, he could not contain his anger.

Adarsh Singh wins double gold in shooting meet

  • In Shooting, young Adarsh Singh outclassed his rivals in the Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters competition, winning the gold medal in both the men and junior 25 metres rapid fire pistol event in New Delhi. 
  • The 17-year-old Adarsh shot 584 to top the qualification rounds, his score way above the second-ranked shooter in both the competitions.
  • The Haryana boy then won the men’s final 27-26 to edge out Army marksman Gurmeet in a tense finish as both shot identical 3s to end the duel.
  • Punjab’s Anhad Jawanda bagged the bronze with a score of 22 in the six-man final. Haryana’s Ayush Sangwan won bronze with a score of 21.
  • In the junior event, Adarsh found it comparatively easier, overcoming Vijayveer Sidhu of Chandigarh 30-27 to claim a double on the concluding day of the tournament.

Indian men’s 20km race walk team wins bronze after seven years
through upgrade

  • Seven years after India missed a podium place at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Russia, the Country was today handed a bronze medal upgrade following disqualification of a member of the second-placed Ukrainian team for dope violation.
  • The Indian team of KT Infra, Babubhai Panucha and Surinder Singh had finished fourth in the men’s 20 kms team event behind China, Ukraine and Australia in May 2012 at Saransk.
  • But Ukrainian race walker Ruslan Dmytrenko was disqualified after seven years on the basis of his biological passport analysis, and that led to the Indian team’s result being upgraded to bronze.
  • The performance of three best finishers in the 20km individual event was counted to decide the team rankings and India collected 68 points to finish fourth originally.
  • After the annulment of Dmytrenko’s result, India and Ukraine were tied on points. But India has a higher position finish of the last (third) walker (29th as against 51st of Ukraine) to break the tie and got
    the bronze.
  • Dmytrenko had won a bronze in the individual event and he will be stripped off that medal as well.

Football Giant East Bengal Club turns 100 years

  • Football Giant East Bengal Club turns 100 years on Aug 01st. On this day in 1920 East Bengal Club was established at Kumartuli Park in North Kolkata.
  •  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the centenary year celebrations at a glittering function in Kolkata this evening. Speaking on the occasion Ms Banerjee recalled glorious
    contribution of the East Bengal Club for popularizing football game in the country.
  • The State Sports Department will also organize special programmes to mark the Centenary of East Bengal Club. Former Indian Cricket Captain Kapil Dev was given ‘Bharat Gourav’ Award at the function.
  • Former footballer Manaranjan Bhattacherjee and Bhaskar Ganguli were presented Life Time Achievement Awards and P. K. Banerjee was given best football coach of the Century award.
  • The State Sports Minister Mr. Arup Biswas, Former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly, present and past players were present at the function.

Aishwary wins gold at Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi memorial shooting

  • In Shooting, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar clinched a yellow metal in Men’s Rifle 3 Positions (3P) at 12th Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters competition in New Delhi today.
  • Having qualified at third position for the eight-man final with a modest qualifying score 1166, 18-year-old Aishwary from Madhya Pradesh was back in his elements in the finals as he posted a comfortable victory with a score of 459.9 and a classy 10.7 in the end.
  • Meanwhile, multiple International Shooting Sport Federation medalist and the country’s most accomplished 3P shooter SanjeevRajput, had to be satisfied with silver, finishing with a score of 455.5, a clear 4.4 behind Aishwary. India international Parul Kumar settled for the bronze.
  • Tinjit Dhanota of Punjab and Esha Singh of Telengana won the Men’s and Women’s 10 metres Air Pistol gold medals.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Beer Day: 2nd August 2019 (First Friday of August)

  • International Beer Day is a global celebration of beer, taking place in pubs, breweries, and backyards
    all over the world.
  • It’s a day for beer lovers everywhere to raise a toast to our brewers and bartenders and rejoice in the greatness of beer!
  • International Beer Day was created in 2007 by Jesse Avshalomov, Evan Hamilton, Aaron Araki, and Richard Hernandez, in San Francisco, United States as  a way to bring friends and strangers together over pints of beer.
  • Between 2007 and 2012, the holiday was celebrated on August 5, but due to popular demand that the day be held on a Friday, the organizers changed the date to the first Friday of August.

International Friendship day: Aug 04th 2019 (First Sunday of August)

  • ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’; we have often heard this phrase which describes friendship, considered as a priceless bond between two people.
  • Every year, the first Sunday in the month of August is observed as Friendship Day to celebrate this bond. This year, it falls on August 4.
  • While the idea of Friendship Day was first proposed in 1958, it was initially only celebrated in the USA. But soon, many countries started celebrating it after it became a huge success there.
  • In 1998, The United Nations, in an adorable gesture, named Winnie the Pooh as World’s Ambassador of Friendship.

OBITUARIES

Veteran Gujarati journalist Kanti Bhatt passes away

  • Veteran Gujarati journalist, author and columnist kanti Bhatt passed away today in Mumbai. He was 88.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep griefover the sad demise of the writer journalist.
  •  Mr. Modi expressed that readers have lost a good columnist and journalist, whose informative writings made the Gujarati readers very rich.
  • Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also expressed grief and sorrow over the death of late scribe.
  • Kanti Bhatt was born on 15th July 1931 in Sachra village in erstwhile Bhavnagar state of Gujarat. Kanti Bhatt joined journalism in 1966 in Mumbai.
  • He also worked as journalist, writer, columnist and editor in various Gujarati publications like Chitralekha, Mumbai Samachar, Janshakti, Sandesh, Yuva Darshan, Jansatta, Vyapar and Abhiyan.

Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse, dies at 75

  • Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse since the mid-1980s, has died, at Walt Disney Company. She was 75.
  • Taylor lent the iconic character her voice for more than three decades, taking part in hundreds of projects that included television, film and theme parks.
  • Taylor was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1944, and had wanted to work for Disney ever since she met its founder and namesake during a childhood trip to Disneyland.
  • Taylor was married to Wayne Allwine, who was the voice of Mickey Mousefrom 1977 until his death in 2009.
  • She also voiced the characters of Martin Prince and the twins Sherri and Terri on “The Simpsons”.

Param Vir Chakra awardee Veer Abdul Hamid’s widow passes away

  • Param Vir Chakra awardee Veer Abdul Hamid’s widow, Rasoolan Bibi passed away in Dhamupur village of Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh today. She was around 95.
  • Her husband Veer Abdul Hammed was awarded Param Veer Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal for his courage and Vellore showcased in 1965 war.
  • She had been ill for the past few days. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over her death.
  • She had actively participated actively in the function of 52nd anniversary of Vir Abdul Hamid’s martyrdom in Dhamupur in September 2017.

Malcolm Nash: Former Glamorgan all-rounder dies aged 74

  • Malcolm Nash, the Glamorgan bowler who entered cricket folklore when Garfield Sobers struck him
    for six sixes in an over, has died at the age of 74.
  • Nash took 993 first-class wickets between 1966 and 1983 and was Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker when they won the County Championship in 1969.
  • Nash was also the bowler who was struck for six sixes in an over by Sir Garfield Sobers in Swansea in 1968.
  • The left-arm bowler helped Glamorgan defeat Australia in 1968 and reach a first one-day final in Lord’s in 1977.
  • Nash captained the county before playing his final one-day match for Shropshire in 1985.
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