Important Current Affairs 19th July 2017

Important Current Affairs 19th July 2017

Download Daily Gk and Current Affairs PDF (English)

Download Daily Gk and Current Affairs PDF (HINDI)

Current Affairs 19th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Environment Ministry Approves Projects for Climate Change Adaptation in Three States 

The Environment Ministry today approved three projects for climate change adaptation in three states. 
●    The National Steering Committee on Climate Change (NSCCC), under the Chairmanship of Secretary MoEF&CC, Shri Ajay Narayan Jha, approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) submitted by Governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim for funding under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
●    Current projects address a range of climate change vulnerabilities in the States which are not addressed under the ongoing schemes of the Central and State Governments. 
●    In Rajasthan, the project builds on work carried out under Phase I of the Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan to enhance the adaptive capacity of villages by making them self-reliant in terms of water requirement. 
●    The project in Gujarat seeks to enhance the adaptive capacity of natural resource dependent communities to climate change in targeted villages of Kachchh district. 
●    In Sikkim, the project aims to address the issue of water security which are directly identified as climate resilience building interventions under the SAPCC.

Allotment of temporary COCO Outlets to SC, ST & Women Beneficiaries 

The allotment letters of temporary COCO outlets to SC, ST & Women beneficiaries was presented by Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri. Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri. Jual Oram & Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan at a ceremony held at Constitution Club of India, New Delhi today.
●    This initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is part of a slew of initiatives to take forward the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi of creating an inclusive India of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream. 
●    This initiative aims at making a positive difference in the lives of the poor, marginalized and lesser privileged sections of the society as envisioned by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
●    The amendment to the scheme of divestment approved by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, last year, envisages allotment of temporary COCOs to pending SC, ST Letters of Intent Holders (LoI) and Widows and unmarried women, who are above 40 years of age without earning parents

 Haryana to launch Saksham Haryana Campaign

The Haryana government has decided to launch an intensive campaign to increase the quality of education and employability of youth in the state. 
●    The campaign will run as a mass movement called ‘Saksham Haryana’ and to support and facilitate this, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has set up a 'Pratibha Vikas Prakosht' in his office. 
●    This decision was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister with the Departments of Education and Skill Development and Industrial Training here today. 
●    The Prakosht will work in close coordination with Department of Higher Education, School Education, Technical Education and Skills and Industrial Training. 
●    The objective is to achieve 80 per cent grade level competencies in schools and provide two lakh jobs to the youth of the state over the next two years. 
●    The chief minister said the Prakosth would work in mission mode taking end-to-end view on students’ learning during all three stages of a student right from primary or school education to skill development and higher education. 
●    It will be executed at mass level involving political leadership and state machinery. 

Current Affairs 19th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India did agreement with Russia for 200 Kamov helicopters

India has made a billion dollar deal for Kamov helicopters. Under this deal, India will get 200 Kamov helicopters, most of which will be built in India. 
●    Viktor Nikolayevich Kladov, a senior official of Russian Defense Products Company Group Rostake Corp. and its International Cooperation and Regional Policy Department, said that the joint venture was registered in India in May.
●    The price of Kamov light-utility choppers to be built in India is coming out to be almost 2.5 times the cost of the 60 such helicopters that would be built in Russia and supplied to the Indian Army and Air Force, for operations in high altitude areas such as Siachen and Ladakh.
●    The issue over price and transfer of technology are slowing the deal which the armed forces require urgently to be completed to replace their vintage fleet of Cheetah and Chetak choppers for critical operations.
●    Under a Indo-Russian governmental agreement, India is buying 200 Kamov 226 T helicopters of which 60 would be built in Russia and supplied directly to the forces while the remaining 140 would be manufactured in a joint venture between Kamov and HAL along with a private sector partner.

Pakistan court lifts ban on airing of Indian teleplays

A Pakistani court today lifted a ban imposed by the country's media watchdog on airing of Indian teleplays calling it "unreasonable" restrictions. 
●    The Lahore High Court declared the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority's (Pemra) ban on airing Indian teleplays null and void after the federal government told the court that it has no objections on Pakistani private TV channels telecasting Indian TV shows.
●    Although Pemra's ban on the airing of Indian films on television channels was lifted in February, permission to air teleplays or television dramas was not granted. 
●    The petitioner's counsel Asma Jehangir argued in court today that a ban on Indian teleplays appeared strange while Indian films were being openly aired.
●    LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said the Indian content with objectionable or anti-Pakistan content could be censored but there was no need for a complete ban. 

Current Affairs 19th July 2017: AWARDS 

President of India Presents ‘Pranab Mukherjee Award for Academic Excellence’ 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the ‘Pranab Mukherjee Award for Academic Excellence’ to Shri Aman Aggarwal for scoring the highest aggregate in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 among the students of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya located in the President’s Estate today (July 19, 2017) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.  
●    On the occasion, Both the ‘Omita Paul Award for Academic Excellence’ for scoring highest aggregate marks amongst girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 as well as the ‘Kunjannamma Mathew Award’ for Academic Excellence’ for scoring highest marks in Mathematics amongst the girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 were presented to Kumari Muskan Sharma by Smt. Omita Paul, Secretary to the President and Dr. Thomas Mathew, Additional Secretary to the President respectively. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated the award winners and urged them to strive for excellence in every walk of life.  Referring to a poem by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the President said that students must always remember that service is joy.  
●    The President stated that he cherished the occasions when he had taken a class of young students of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya on Teachers’ Day during the last two years.  
●    Children are the future of the nation and when he looked at their bright faces and gleaming eyes he felt confident that they will take the country in the right direction in future.  
●    He said that they would get a chance to serve this great country in various walks of life.   
●    Though a vast and diverse country, India has an underlying unity.  He said that he was sure that the children would meet the expectations of their parents, friends and neighbours.

Current Affairs 19th July 2017: WORLD NEWS 

US Navy tests world’s first Laser Weapons System

The United States Navy has successfully tested the world’s first-ever active Laser Weapons System (LaWS), which is now deployed, all ready for any sort of attack on the Persian Gulf.
●    The LaWS has been deployed aboard the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship. 
●    In the test, the system was able to destroy a drone in flight and moving targets in the Persian Gulf. 
●    With its addition, USS Ponce becomes the first ship in the world to be deployed with such an advanced weapons system.
●    The weapon is capable of moving at the speed of light, around 50,000 times faster than an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
●    It operates in an invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum so the beam is not visible.
●    The weapon is also completely silent and remarkably precise, which could help limit collateral damage during wartime.