Today's Current Affairs 25th July 2023

NATIONAL

Rajasthan introduces India’s first GIG workers bill 2023

• The Rajasthan assembly passed a bill extending social security to gig workers in the state, a first of its kind in the country, without any debate as the House witnessed unruly scenes leading to expulsion of sacked minister Rajendra Gudha and BJP legislator Madan Dilawar for the remainder of the ongoing session.
• The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023 seeks to register all gig workers and aggregators in the state, facilitate guarantee of social security to gig workers, and give them an opportunity to air any grievances.
• A vital component of the bill is setting up a welfare board, titled The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board, which will have two members each from gig workers and aggregators to be nominated by the state government besides two civil servants. The board will ensure registration of gig workers and aggregators operating in the state and establish a social security and welfare fund for gig workers. The bill states that the state government will maintain a database of the gig workers and generate a unique ID for every one of them.

Bombay HC directs Goa govt to notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as tiger reserve

• The Bombay high court at Goa on Monday directed the state government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and other areas as a tiger reserve under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 within three months and pulled up the government for continuing “to steadfastly avoid notifying the tiger reserve”.
• In its ruling on a petition seeking directions to the state government to notify the sanctuary as a tiger reserve, the high court said that “we cannot allow the tiger, which is a national animal, to fall into a death trap” and ruled that the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s repeated recommendations to set up a tiger reserve were not merely recommendations but also directives that would need to be mandatorily complied with.

Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates Delhi’s first RO water ATM

• Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal unveiled Delhi’s first ‘water ATM’ aiming to offer water access in regions without piped supply and reducing reliance on water tankers. These water ATM machines will grant underprivileged sections of the city the same quality of RO(Reverse Osmosis) water that has traditionally been available to more affluent segments of society.
• The Delhi government aims to address the issue of inadequate piped water supply by installing 500 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants with integrated “water ATM machines” in affected areas. This initiative, led by the Delhi Jal Board, seeks to provide free and safe access to clean drinking water for residents in such regions.
• The placement of these 500 RO plants, each with a capacity of 30,000 liters, will be determined based on the availability of tubewells. The plants will be operated by appointed personnel on government-provided land, while the cost of ₹10 lakh per plant will be covered by the Delhi Jal Board.

 SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

India to launch 7 Singapore satellites from ISRO's spaceport on July 30

• India would launch PSLV-C56 carrying DS-SAR satellite from Singapore, along with six co-passengers, from the first launchpad of the ISRO's Sriharikota spaceport at 6.30 am on July 30.
• The DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership between Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering.
• Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. ST Engineering will use it for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services for their commercial customers.
• DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all-weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at one metre resolution at full polarimetry.

SPORTS

Sumit Nagal Wins Tampere Open 2023, His Fourth ATP Challenger Title

• Sumit Nagal clinched ATP Challenger men's singles title after winning the final of Tampere Open 2023 in Finland,. It was the Indian tennis player's fourth ATP Challenger Tour title. Sumit Nagal, 25, won his second ATP Challenger event of the year, defeating Czech Republic's Dalibor Svrcina 6-4, 7-5 in the final.
• Sumit Nagal won the Garden Open in Rome in April, ending a four-year title drought. The Indian tennis player's other two ATP Challenger wins include the Buenos Aires and Bengaluru Challengers in 2019 and 2017, respectively.
• Following April's win at Rome and Sunday's triumph in Tampere, Sumit Nagal also became the first Indian tennis player to win two ATP Challenger titles on European soil.
• Sumit Nagal, who is India's top-ranked men's singles player at world No. 231, made a slow start to the match and was trailing world No. 193 Svrcina 4-1 in the first game. The Indian, however, rallied to turn things around to take the first set.

Shubhankar Sharma records best finish by an Indian in The 2023 Open golf Championship

• Shubhankar Sharma achieved a remarkable feat, securing the best result ever by an Indian golfer at the Open At the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England. He finished in a tied-eighth position alongside Cameron Young from USA. Sharma displayed his skill and determination, carding an impressive 68-71-70-70 to finish just five strokes behind the leaders.
• Shubhankar Sharma’s impressive Top-8 performance at the 151st Open marked just the third instance of an Indian golfer securing a top-10 finish in a major tournament. Prior to this, Anirban Lahiri achieved a Top-5 result in 2015, and Jeev Milkha Singh attained a T-9 position at the 2008 PGA Championship in Michigan, USA.
• Jyoti Randhawa previously held the record for the best finish by an Indian golfer at the Open, securing a tied-27th position at Royal Troon in 2004. Anirban Lahiri’s tied fifth-place finish at the PGA Championship in Wisconsin, USA in 2015 stands as the finest performance by an Indian in a men’s major tournament.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Shah Rukh Khan appointed as the brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2023

• The Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2023. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan launched the World Cup 2023 campaign ‘It takes one day’ in his iconic voiceover.
• The World Cup 2023 will be held in India from October 5 to November 19, 2023. India will start their world cup campaign against Australia on October 8 and the Rohit Sharma led side will take on Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.
• The schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule has been released by ICC. The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be held in India from October 5 to November 19, 2023. The upcoming World Cup will feature a total of 10 teams.
• India, as the host nation, has secured direct qualification, along with Afghanistan, Australia, England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa. These teams earned their spots through their performance in the 2020-2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. The remaining two teams will be determined through the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers taking place in Zimbabwe.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Drowning Prevention Day

• Swimming is a great low-impact exercise that builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. But it's more than just a sport—it is a vital life saving skill,
• World Drowning Prevention Day is marked each year on July 25 with the objective of increasing awareness about the devastating and enduring consequences of drowning on families and communities, as well as educating people about crucial methods to prevent such incidents.
• Approximately 236,000 individuals lose their lives to drowning annually, with children between the ages of five and 14 being more susceptible to this tragedy. Research indicates that youngsters and teenagers living in rural areas are at a higher risk of drowning compared to their urban counterparts.
• History - World Drowning Prevention Day was established through the U.N. General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/273 in April 2021, aiming to address global drowning prevention. Drowning, a form of suffocation resulting from the mouth and nose being submerged in water, often occurs in isolation or situations where others are unaware or unable to assist the victim.