Important Current Affairs 24th July 2021

INTERNATIONAL

World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opened in Netherlands

•The world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge was opened to the public in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was developed by MX3D, a Dutch robotics company, in collaboration with a consortium of experts, and represents a major milestone for 3D-printing technology. After four years of development, the bridge was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. It was installed over one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam’s city centre – the Oudezijds Achterburgwal.

•The 12-metre-long steel structure will be a ‘living laboratory’ that will capture and transmit data on its health in real-time to show how it changes over its lifespan.

•The length of the bridge is nearly 40 feet. It is a 6-ton stainless steel structure.

•The smart sensor network was designed and installed by a team from The Alan Turing Institute.

•The sensors attached to the structure will gather data on air quality, temperature, strain, displacement and vibration.

NATIONAL

Delhi Cabinet Nod For Ex Gratia Of Rs 1 Cr

•The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to pay Rs 1 crore compensation each to the families of six IAF, Delhi Police and civil defence personnel who died in the line of duty.

•The Delhi government said it stands with the families of all paramilitary, army, police and civil defence personnel residing in the city.

•"The Kejriwal government will give a 'Samman Rashi' of Rs 1 crore each to the families of six bravehearts of Delhi who lost their lives in the line of duty. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Delhi Cabinet regarding the grant of the ex gratia to the families.

India has scored 90.32 per cent in the 2021 UN Global Survey

•India has scored 90.32 per cent in the 2021 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. India’s score was 78.49 per cent in 2019. The overall score of India is found to be greater than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland. India is the best-performing country when compared to the South and South-West Asia region (63.12%) and the Asia Pacific region (65.85%). The overall score of India is even greater than the average score of the EU.

•Transparency: 100% in 2021 (93.33% in 2019),

•Formalities: 95.83% in 2021 (87.5% in 2019),

•The survey is conducted by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) every two years since 2015 to help countries benchmark and reduce the time and cost of trading across borders, as well as helps businesses in their investment decisions.

SPORTS

Olympics-Weightlifting-Papua New Guinea's Toua becomes first 5-time woman Olympian lifter

•When women’s weightlifting was introduced as an Olympic sport in 2000, Papua New Guinea’s then 16-year-old Loa Dika Toua became the first-ever female Olympian lifter. On Saturday in Tokyo, the now 37-year-old athlete did it for the fifth time.

•“This would have been my sixth, but in 2016 Rio Olympics I pulled out from the team to give my spot to my sister. Unfortunately due to financial constraints of the country, we couldn’t send our team there.”

OBITUARY

Renown Carnatic Classical Violinist S. R. Bhaskaran passed away

•Noted Carnatic Classical Violinist ‘Kalaimaamani’ Sikkil Shri R Bhaskaran passed away. He started learning the Violin at the age of 11 from Thiruvarur Shri Subba Iyer and later trained under Mayuram Shri Govindarajan Pillai. He was an ‘A” Grade Artist of AIR and has served for nearly 2 decades in Chennai radio Station from 1976 to 1994.

•Bhaskaran has served as an Executive Committee member of the Thiruvaiyaru Thyaga Brahma Festival for more than 2 decades. During his close to 5 decades of Musical Career, Bhaskaran has been bestowed with many laurels, Awards & Honours.

India’s oldest student Bhageerathi Amma passed away

•Bhageerathi Amma, the oldest woman in India to take the equivalency exams, has passed away due to age-related ailments. She was 107-years-old. Amma, who hailed from the Kollam district of Kerala, decided to continue her education at the age of 105.

•Amma had quit formal education in class three, when she was 9 years old. The centenarian was felicitated with the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar by the central government for her exceptional contribution towards women’s empowerment.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Aaykar Diwas (Income Tax Day) 2021: 24th July 

•The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) observed the 161st Income Tax Day (also known as Aaykar Diwas) on 24 July 2021. In India, the Income Tax Day is celebrated every year on July 24, as it was on 24 July 1980 that Income Tax was introduced for the first time in India by Sir James Wilson.

•The purpose of this tax was to compensate for the losses incurred by the British regime during the first war of independence against British Rule in 1857. July 24 was first celebrated as Income Tax day in 2010.

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation meeting held

•While addressing the 11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting, S Jaishankar India’s External Affairs Minister has called for a “collective and collaborative” response to effectively deal with the ongoing C-19 pandemic, saying that national boundaries are not respected by this virus.

•India considers the Mekong region of great importance and hence seeks a multi-dimensional engagement with Mekong countries.

•India wants to identify newer areas of cooperation and doing so will broaden the partnership of the countries.

•Addressing the meeting, S Jaishankar has said that India wants to promote better connectivity in this region through economic, digital and people-to-people connectivity.

IPC and WHO sign an MoU

•The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Thursday signed an agreement to work together to foster diversity and equity through global initiatives promoting health and sport for everybody, everywhere.

•The two partners will collaborate to improve global access to quality rehabilitation and assistive technology as part of universal health coverage; and mitigate existing inequalities in relation to access to these life-changing services - a prerequisite for equal opportunities and participation in sports for persons with disabilities, including for Paralympians and Para athletes.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Max Bupa Health Insurance rebrands itself as Niva Bupa Health Insurance

•The standalone health insurer Max Bupa Health Insurance has rebranded itself as ‘Niva Bupa Health Insurance. This development comes after the company’s promoter, Max India, which owned 51 per cent of the insurer sold its stake to True North in February 2019 for Rs 510 crore.

•With the entry of private equity firm True North, it was decided that the use of the “Max” brand will be phased out over a period of two years and replaced with a suitable name, to create a new brand identity. Niva Bupa targets to become a Rs 2,500 crore company by FY 2021-22.