Important Current Affairs 13th July 2017

Current Affairs 13th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

DIPP to set up India’s first TISC in Punjab

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, signed an Institutional agreement with the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology in New Delhi today to establish India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Patent Information Centre, Punjab, under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program.
●    The objective of the TISC is to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) system in India to foster creativity and innovation, thereby promoting entrepreneurship and enhancing social, economic and cultural development by establishing a network of TISCs in India.
●    WIPO’s Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) program provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

Medical officers in paramilitary forces to retire at 65 instead of 60 years

The retirement age of medical officers working in central armed police forces like the CRPF and BSF has been enhanced from 60 to 65 years, an official statement said on Wednesday.
●    The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.
●    The cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for enhancement of the age of superannuation in respect of general duty medical officers of central armed police forces and Assam Rifles from 60 to 65 years, an official statement said.
●    The retirement age of specialist medical officers of central armed police forces and Assam Rifles has also been enhanced from 60 to 65 years.
●    The move will help in retention of officers in specialist and general duty medical cadre and thereby help in better patient care, proper academic activities in medical colleges as also in effective implementation of national health programmes for delivery of health care services, the statement said.
The central police forces are: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF-India), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu Inaugurates Indian Railways Round Table Conference on New Alternatives in Wagon Design: Reaching out to Customers

Minister of State for Railways & Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge) Shri Manoj Sinha and Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain were specially present to grace the occasion. 
●    Member Rolling Stock Railway Board Shri Ravindra Gupta, other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also be present on the occasion.
●    Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said Indian Railways is trying to get back its modal share in freight segment.  
●    Indian Railways new Freight policy has rationalised tariffs. Indian Railways is trying to work on partnership with its freight customers. 
●    The new alternative wagon design is another step towards it. New Wagon Design as per the need of customers is a win win situation for both, customers & railways. 
●    Customers can modify / alter the wagons as per the need & railways freight share can increase substantially. 
●    Commodity basket of Indian Railways has also been diversified. It is our effort to capture the unexplored segment of agriculture & fisheries to increase freight traffic.

NGT declares 100m area from edge of Ganga as No-development Zone

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 13 July 2017 passed a few directions to rejuvenate the Ganga river and declared 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga river between Haridwar and Unnao as “No-Development Zone”.
●    The directions were passed by a NGT bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar.
●    It declared ‘No-Development Zone’ along an area of 100 metres from the edge of the river and directed that this zone must be turned into green belts.
●    The environment compensation of Rs 50000 will be imposed on anyone who dumps waste in the Ganga river.

Current Affairs 13th July 2017: SPACE SCIENCE

ISRO develops ship borne transportable antenna terminal

Space agency ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network ‘ISTRAC’ has designed and developed a Ship Borne Transportable (SBT) Antenna Terminal to meet the launch vehicle telemetry tracking and command requirements. 
●    The 4.6 meter Ship Borne Antenna System has been built indigenously, fulfilling all specifications and has established in-house capability for meeting future requirements, the space agency said. 
●    It has also improved the operational reliability due to in-house know-how of the system engineering, besides reducing the cost considerably, it added.
●    The city-based ISTRAC provides tracking support for all satellite and launch vehicle missions of ISRO and also provides space operations support for Deep Space Missions.
 

Current Affairs 13th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India grants Rupees 3.2 crore aid to Philippines to fight ISIS

India in July 2017 granted USD 500000 to the Philippines for the rehabilitation and relief efforts in war-torn Marawi City.
●    India announced the “immediate assistance” on 11 July 2017 on the Facebook account of its embassy in Manila.
●    It is the first time that India is sending financial aid to another country affected by terrorism.
●    As per the embassy, Sushma Swaraj offered the assistance to the Philippines during her conversation with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on 6 July 2017.
●    India’s assistance is a part of the Union Government’s Act East policy and comes at a time when the Philippines is getting ready to host India-Asean foreign ministers meeting in Manila in August 2017.
●    The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian nation where ISIS has established its presence.

Current Affairs 13th July 2017: SPORTS

Mithali Raj becomes first player to score 6000 runs in women’s ODI cricket

India captain Mithali Raj scripted history on 12 July 2017 as she became the only female cricketer to surpass the 6000 run mark in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
●    Mithali overtook Charlotte Edwards (5992) after scoring her 34th run against Australia in Bristol. The 34-year-old reached the landmark in her 183rd ODI, taking 164 innings - 16 less than Edwards.
●    Born on 3 December 1982, Mithali Raj is the captain of the Indian Women's cricket team in Test's and ODI.
●    She is the first player to score 7 consecutive 50s in ODIs.
●    She has played both Test and ODI cricket for India's women's cricket team.
●    She made her ODI debut in 1999 against Ireland at Milton Keynes and scored unbeaten 114 runs.
●    She made her Test debut in the 2001-02 season against South Africa at Lucknow

Current Affairs 13th July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Former Brazil president Lula da Silva gets nearly 10 years in jail for graft

Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for graft in a stark fall from grace for the iconic leftist leader.
●    Lula, who ruled Brazil from 2003-2010, was convicted and handed a 9.5-year prison term on Wednesday for accepting a luxury seaside apartment and $1.1 million, the latest twist in a giant corruption probe engulfing Latin America’s largest economy.
●    But anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro said the 71-year-old Lula would remain free pending an appeal -- something his lawyers immediately said they would lodge.
●    The conviction nevertheless landed a heavy blow on the prospect of Lula making a political comeback in presidential elections due in October next year.
●    The verdict also sent a dramatic message to much of Brazil’s political class that they, too, risked falling afoul of the anti-graft drive.
●    Even the current president, Michel Temer, has been charged with taking bribes and several of his ministers have resigned after corruption claims were made.

Important Current Affairs 12th July 2017

Current Affairs 12th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves establishment of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), South Asia Regional Center (ISARC) at campus of National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the establishment of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), South Asia Regional Center (ISARC) at campus of National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi. 
●    Under the proposal, a Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) will be set up in Varanasi. 
●    This will include a modern and sophisticated laboratory with capacity to determine quality and status of heavy metals in grain and straw. 
●    The Centre will also undertake capacity building exercises for stakeholders across the rice value chain. 
●    This Center will be the first international Center in the eastern India and it will play a major role in harnessing and sustaining rice production in the region. 
●    It is expected to be a boon for food production and skill development in the eastern India and similar ecologies in other South Asian and African countries. 

Cabinet approves Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany on cooperation in the field of Health

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany on cooperation in the field of Health. 
●    The JDI was signed on 1st June, 2017.
●    The JDI covers the following areas of cooperation.
●    postgraduate education;
●    training of medical personnel;
●    pharmaceuticals & pharmacoeconomics; and
●    health economics.
●    A Working Group will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this JDI.

Cabinet approves Development of Four Laning of Solapur-Bijapur Section of New NH-52 in Maharashtra and Karnataka 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for 4 Laning of Solapur-Bijapur Section of New NH-52 (formerly NH-13) in Maharashtra and Karnataka. 
●    The development of 4 Laning of about 110 km. is estimated to cost approximately Rs.1889 crore including the cost of land acquisition and pre-construction activity.
●    At present, the existing road is two- lane and passes through congested towns of Solapur, Takli and Nandani in Maharashtra and Zalki, Horti and Bijapur in Karnataka. 
●    It connects Southern India with Northern India and its development will serve as an alternative route to North South Corridor of the National Highways Development Programme. 
●    The development to four- lane of this road with bypasses at Solapur, Bijapur and construction of six flyovers would greatly reduce travel time and Vehicle Operating Costs as well as help in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Maharashtra and Karnataka states. 
●    This road is part of the high-density traffic corridor Banglore-Chitradurga-Bijapur-Solapur-Aurangabad-Dhule-indore-Gwalior.

Cabinet approves SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program - Tranche 2

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for upgradation and widening of 65 kms of Imphal-Moreh Section of NH-39 in Manipur at a cost of Rs. 1630.29 crores.
●    Manipur being a landlocked state with almost 90% of the area under difficult terrain presently has only road transport as a means of mass transport system within the state. 
●    Hence development of the road infrastructure is of paramount importance to improve connectivity and progress of the State and to ensure that the administrative set up reaches the isolated and remote habitats. 
●    The project will improve connectivity between Imphal with the eastern part of the state. 
●    Based on the existing and projected traffic requirements the NH-39 will be widened to 4 lane between Lilong village and Wanging village, while the stretch between Wanting village to Khang Khang will be upgraded to 2 lane with paved shoulder.

MOU signed between Department of Defence Production and MIDHANI 

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), a miniratna, Schedule ‘B’ Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the financial year 2017-18 with the Ministry. 
●    The annual MoU was signed by Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta on behalf of the Ministry and Chairman and Managing Director, MIDHANI Dr. D K Likhi.
●    The MoU outlines targets and various performance parameters for the company. 
●    The revenue from operations as per the MoU has been targeted at ₹ 780 crore which is significant improvement over the previous years.
India to host Theatre Olympics ‘The Biggest Theatre Celebration of the World

Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism has announced here today that 8th edition of the greatest carnival of Theatre in the World will take place in India for the first time ever from February 17 – April 08, 2018 simultaneously in various cities across the country. 
●    Addressing a Press Conference here today in the presence of Shri Ratan Thiyam, Chairperson, NSD Society & Prof. Waman Kendre, Director, National School of Drama, the Minister said that there will be 500 plays & 700 ambience performances from across the world and Allied activities like exhibitions, seminars, symposia, interactive discussions and workshops with well-known academicians, authors, actors, designers and directors will be held. 
●    He said that the Leading luminaries of world theatre will take part.
●    In a development that puts India firmly among the top nations in the world theatre map, the country is all set to host the next edition of the prestigious Theatre Olympics. 
●    Established in 1993, the Theatre Olympics is the foremost international theatre festival, presenting the finest productions of well-known theatre practitioners from around the world.
●    The Theatre Olympics, being held in India for the first time, is being organised by National School of Drama, under the aegis of Ministry of Culture. 
●    The country’s tryst with the biggest celebration of theatre in the world will take place from February 17 till April 08, 2018 and will be held in 15 cities across India.

Railway initiated Rail cloud project

Indian Railway has started a strategic IT initiative, christened IR-OneICT, for enterprise wide digital single platform with an aim to improve customer satisfaction, improve revenue and effective, efficient and safe operations. 
●    To achieve the goal of single digital platform for IR a few foundational projects need to be implemented first, establishment of RainCloud is one such project.  
●    Cloud Computing is the emerging technology for faster and on demand commensurate deployment of Server resources which result in reduced cost. Accordingly, RailCloud Phase-I has been sanctioned at the cost of Rs. 53.55 Cr under PH-17, DF(3) in FY 17-18. Potential benefits to Railways after implementation of RailCloud are:
●     Faster and on-demand deployment of application- RailCloud will pave the way for swifter deployment of application (within 24 hrs as compared to conventional time running into weeks and months). At the same time the cloud hardware and environment will be available for rigorous testing of the new applications.
●    Optimum use of Servers and storage- The technology enables maximising the usage of the available server and storage resulting in accommodation of bigger data and more applications within same server space.
●    Utilization of existing infrastructure as part of Cloud- The existing resources available with railway will be subsumed in RailCloud thereby ensuring that expenditure is minimized in acquiring new resources.
 

Current Affairs 12th July 2017: APPOINTMENT

Subhash Chandra Garg, IAS (RJ:83) assumes office as the New Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. 

Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, IAS (RJ:1983) today assumed office as the new Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. Shri Garg was Executive Director, World Bank, Washington D.C. in his immediate preceding posting. 
●    Shri Garg has widespread administrative experience in more than 30 years of service during which he held various important assignments including the Administrative postings in his home State of Rajasthan. 
●    Shri Garg has also worked in the Central Government in various capacities. He was posted as Director, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance from May, 2000 to September, 2003. 
●    Later he took over as Joint Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and continued to hold that position till May, 2005.
●    He has also worked in the Cabinet Secretariat where he held the position of Joint Secretary/Additional Secretary from February, 2012 to December, 2013.
 

Important Current Affairs 11th July 2017

Current Affairs 11th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

2-day Conference on Crowd Management begins in Kerala 

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) jointly with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) is organising a two-day national-level conference on ‘Crowd Management’ at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, starting today. 
●    The conference aims to strengthen the capacity of all the stakeholders to organise safe mass gathering events. 
●    Shri E. Chandrasekharan, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Kerala, inaugurated the conference and stressed upon the need to understand risks related to crowded assemblies and to develop specific guidelines for planning and inter-agency coordination. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, Shri R. K. Jain, Member, NDMA, said that crowd disasters are essentially man-made and can be prevented with holistic planning and efficient execution. 
●    He further underlined the need to improve preparedness and capacity of all stakeholders.

Minister of Railways Inaugurates Madgaon leg of the Science Express today 

The IX Phase of the prestigious Science Express exhibition train  which is on a Nationwide tour since 17 February 2017 reached Madgaon in Goa today i.e. 11 July 2017. 
●    This phase of train is being referred as ‘Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS)’ highlighting  the global challenge of climate change.  Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu Inaugurated this Madgaon leg of Science Express today through Video Conferencing from Delhi. 
●    SECAS is focusing on Climate Change and Science & Technology. The exhibition conveys message about Climate Change and is also a good opportunity to generate dialogue and discussion. 
●    This exhibition train will be available for public viewing at Madgaon from 11 to 13 July 2017, then the train will move forward to next destinations as per its itinerary.
●    Science Express is a flagship programme of the Dept. of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India. It is an innovative mobile science exhibition mounted on a 16 coach AC train, traveling across India since October 2007. 
●    Since then, it has made eight tours of the country, traveling about 1,53,000 km and exhibiting at 495 locations. Over its 1712 exhibition days, Science Express received an overwhelming response and 1.64 crore visitors. 
●    Science Express has become the largest, the longest running and the most visited mobile science exhibition and has twelve entries in the Limca Book of Records.

J P Nadda launches new family planning initiatives on World Population Day 

“Mission Parivar Vikas will focus on 146 high fertility districts in 7 states with high TFR. Under this, specific targeted initiatives shall be taken for population stabilisation through better services delivery”. 
●    This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at a function organised by Jansankhya Sthirita Kosh (JSK) to mark the World Population Day, here today. 
●    Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State (HFW) also graced the occasion. 
●    Shri Nadda stated that Mission Parivar Vikas is a new initiative conceived by the Ministry with a strategic focus on improving access through provision of services, promotional schemes, commodity security, capacity building, enabling environment and intensive monitoring. 
●    Shri Nadda congratulated the team for undertaking micro-planning for these districts and developing need-based programmes to address TFR. 
●    The Health Minister also advised the officials to undertake half yearly review of the programme and correlate the achievements with time to gauge whether the programme is moving in the right direction or not. 
●    He stated that “We have enhanced the basket of contraceptive choices to meet the changing needs of people and have taken steps to ensure quality assured services and commodities are delivered to the last-mile consumers in both rural and urban areas.” 

MRP, other details must for items sold online from 2018

To protect online consumers, the government has made it mandatory for e-commerce companies from January 2018 to print not only the maximum retail price (MRP) on goods but also information like expiry date and customer care details.
●    An amendment in this regard has been made to the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules, 2011 by the consumer affairs ministry in June. 
●    A six-month deadline has been given to the companies to comply with the new rule.
●    “Consumers deserve the same protection online as offline. At present, only MRP is printed on the goods sold online. We have asked the companies to declare additional details on the label,” a senior official in the consumer affairs ministry said.
●    Along with MRP, the companies have to declare manufacturing date, expiry date, net quantity, country of origin and consumer care details on the label, he said.
●    Enough time has been given to the companies for complying with the new norms. 
●    From January 2018, it is must that goods sold via e-commerce platform should have all these declarations else the companies will face stringent action, the official said.

India to become largest milk producer in 2026: Report

India, projected to be the most populous country over the next decade, will be the world's largest milk producer by 2026 and will account for the biggest increase in wheat production globally, according to a report by the UN and OECD.
●    The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 said the world's population will increase from 7.3 to 8.2 billion over the course of the next decade with India and Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 56 per cent of total population growth.
●    India's population will grow from 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion, an increase of almost 150 million. 
●    India will overtake China and is projected to be the most populous country in the world by 2026.

Union Government launches new tax payer service module Aaykar Setu

Arun Jaitley, the Union Finance Minister, on 10 July 2017 launched Aaykar Setu, a new tax payer service module.
●    The module was launched in a mobile responsive android version along with the desktop version to enhance mobile access experience.
●    Union Government launches new tax payer service module Aaykar Setu
●    While launching the Aaykar Setu, Arun Jaitley stated that this e-initiative would help in reducing physical interface between assesses and tax assessing authorities and thereby minimizing the chances of any tax harassment.   
●    The new step is an effort by the Income Tax Department (ITD) to directly communicate with the taxpayers, on a range of multiple informative and useful tax services aimed at providing tax information at their fingertips.
●    The new tax payer service module compiles various tax tools, live chat facility, dynamic updates and important links to various processes within the Income Tax Department in a single module.
 

Current Affairs 11th July 2017: OBITUARY

 
Veteran Actress Sumita Sanyal Dies At 71

Veteran actress Sumita Sanyal died on Sunday, June 9, 
. She was 71. 
●    The actress died of heart failure in her south Kolkata residence at around 10:30 on Sunday morning.
●    The actress' family revealed that she was suffering from old-age related medical issues. 
●    Apart from her brilliant contribution to Bengali cinema, she is best known for co-starring with with Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna in 1970 movie Anand. 
●     Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mourning her death on Twitter, saying: "Saddened at the passing of veteran actress Sumita Sanyal. My condolences to her family, friends and fans." 
●    Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee also condoled Ms Sanyal's death, writing: "Saddened to hear about the demise of the veteran actress Sumita Sanyal. May her soul rest in peace." Sunita Sanyal was born on October 9, 1945.
 

Current Affairs 11th July 2017: DAYS AND DATES

World Population Day 2017 observed

The World Population Day was observed on 11 July 2017 with the theme Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations.
●    Around the world, some 225 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and effective family planning methods, for reasons ranging from lack of access to information or services to lack of support from their partners or communities. 
●    Most of these women with an unmet demand for contraceptives live in 69 of the poorest countries on earth.
●    World Population Day is an annual event observed on 11 July every year.
●    The day seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.
●    The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.
●    The day aims at increasing people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.

Important Current Affairs 10th July 2017

Current Affairs 10th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India inaugurates ‘Ashiana Annexe’ in Dehradun 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the ‘Ashiana Annexe’ in Dehradun, Uttarakhand today (July 10, 2017) which comprises of twelve low cost dwelling units constructed to accommodate officers and staff of Rashtrapati Bhavan during Presidential visits to the Retreat at ‘Ashiana’. 
●    These dwelling units have been constructed using the Habitech-NivaraTantra - Onsite Sanitation Integrated Community Housing Technology Innovations developed at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). 
●    The Technology innovations comprise unique blocks known as "compacted intermeshing" blocks which are made from local soil. The production of these blocks is on site and is an entirely green process. 
●    These blocks have novel cavities for horizontal and vertical reinforcement using steel bars which results in eliminating use of the conventional beams, columns and concrete lintel. 
●    The cavities also enable natural air curtain against temperature, noise pollution and water penetration.
●    Other salient features of these dwelling units are that they are disaster resilient, sustainable and cost effective. 
●    Scientific treatment of sanitation waste enables mitigation of disease risk and ensures health and wellbeing of residents and the community. 

India now has overall 36 World Heritage Inscriptions

It is under the dynamic and visionary leadership of the Prime Minister of India that India has been successful in securing the nomination of the “Historic City of Ahmadabad” on UNESCO’s World Heritage list on 8th July, 2017 during the 41st Session of World Heritage Committee. 
●    This makes the walled city of Ahmedabad the first city in India and the third in Asia to be inscribed to the World Heritage List. 
●    In the past 3 years alone, India has managed to put five built heritage sites on the world heritage list of UNESCO. 
●    India now has overall 36 World Heritage Inscriptions with 28 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed site. 
●    While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of world heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall seventh in the world. 
●    Founded in 15th century, the walled city of Ahmadabad, on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, presents a rich architectural heritage. Within this complex are 28 ASI Centrally Protected Monuments. 
●    The urban structures of the historic city of Ahmedabad are distinctive due to their puras (neighbourhoods), pols (residential streets), and khadki (inner entrances to pols) largely made of timber.
National 

Ministry of Health signs MoU with Government of West Bengal to set up Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Government of West Bengal to formalize its support to set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine at Kolkata, here today. 
●    Government of India has approved this important initiative with an outlay of approximately Rs.200 Crores towards equipment, manpower and running costs. 
●    The land for this initiative will be provided free of cost by the State government. 
●    The move intends to strengthen the blood transfusion services in the State and the surrounding region. 
●    Shri R K Vats, Additional Secretary (Health) and Shri Anil Verma, Principal Secretary Health, Government of West Bengal signed the MoU on behalf of their respective Ministries. 
●    Metro Blood Bank Project is conceived to be a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to set up state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence in transfusion medicine in the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. 
●    These centres are high volume blood collection centres where there is state-of-the-art technology in transfusion medicine for component separation, processing of blood and quality systems. 

Ministry of Minority Affairs completely gone online/digital

The Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that the Central Government is moving ahead for “transformation through transparency and efficiency”.
●    While inaugurating a workshop of Inspecting Authorities of Maulana Azad Education Foundation, Shri Naqvi said that under the NDA Government, transparency is the parameter of progress of poor and needy.
●    Shri Naqvi said that he himself is monitoring all the schemes of Ministry of Minority Affairs so that benefits of these schemes reach to the needy with complete transparency.
●    Shri Naqvi said that Ministry of Minority Affairs has completely gone online/digital. This digital system has not left any space for middlemen. 
●    It has ensured that fruits of development are reaching directly to every needy of the society. 
●    Various scholarships are being given directly into banks accounts of students. Be it welfare and developmental schemes or Haj affairs, our Ministry has ensured complete transparency.

The Ministry Of Shipping Draws Up Cruise Tourism Reforms 

The Ministry of Shipping, in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, has announced reforms to the regulatory processes governing the cruise tourism industry in the country. 
●    The objective is to revolutionize this industry which has a high employment generation potential, by simplifying the rules and procedures pertaining to various aspects of cruise port operations like security, immigration, and customs. 
●    According to Special Secretary, Shipping, Shri  Alok Srivastava, the promotion of cruise tourism requires not just improvement in infrastructure but also uniformity, transparency and predictability in the procedures followed by multiple government  organizations . 
●    In other words, Ease of Doing Business is critical for the success of cruise tourism.”

Union Government proposes scheme to open residential schools for SC girls

Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on 7 July 2017 said that the Union Government has proposed to introduce a scheme to open residential schools for scheduled caste girls in educationally backward districts.
●    The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot informed about the proposed school while speaking at a regional conference of social welfare ministers from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and officials from Chandigarh.
●    He said the schools will have classes from VI to XII and 70 per cent of the seats will be reserved for SC girls and the remaining for those from BPL families in other categories.
●    The Minister said the Union Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of scheduled caste and tribes, OBCs and BPL families through the proper implementation of all centrally-sponsored social security and welfare schemes.
●    He urged the ministers and officials to prepare a report on the financial assistance being given under different schemes and by the national financial corporations within a month.
●    Besides, he also informed that the Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojana for senior citizens is also being implemented. Benefits of these schemes would be given on the first-come-first-serve basis, a Haryana government release said quoting him. The minister urged officers to send their suggestions and plans on these schemes at the earliest.

Current Affairs 10th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Exercise Malabar Commences in Bay of Bengal/ North Indian Ocean 

Naval co-operation between India, US and Japan epitomises the strong and resilient relationship between the three democracies. 
●    The MALABAR series of exercises, initiated in 1992 between the Indian and US Navies, have steadily grown in scope, complexity and participation into a multifaceted exercise with the participation of Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF). 
●    The 21st edition of the exercise, MALABAR-17 will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 10 to 17 July 2017. The primary aim of this exercise is to increase interoperability amongst the three navies as well as develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. 
●    The scope of MALABAR-17 includes wide-ranging professional interactions during the Harbour Phase at Chennai from 10 to 13 July 2017 and a diverse range of operational activities at sea during the Sea Phase from 14 to 17 July 17. 
●    The thrust of exercises at sea this year would be on Aircraft Carrier operations, Air Defence, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Warfare, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), Search and Rescue, Joint Manoeuvres and Tactical procedures. 
●    In addition, officials from the three countries will be flown onboard the ships at sea on 15 July 2017.

Current Affairs 10th July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Iraq announces victory over Islamic State in Mosul

Haider al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq, on 8 July 2017 declared the full liberation of Mosul and reclaim the city after three years of ISIL control.

●    The success was achieved after nine months of bitter fighting to displace the extremist group from the city where it proclaimed its caliphate.
●    Abadi travelled to Mosul to formally reclaim the devastated city.
●    Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq.
●    The city stands on the west bank of the Tigris, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank.
●    It had been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant since June 2014.
●    Since October 2016, the city has been a site of a military operation to dislodge and defeat militant forces.
●    The Battle of Mosul, a military offensive to retake the city begun in October 2016, is the largest deployment of Iraqi forces since the 2003 invasion by U.S. and coalition forces.
 

Important Current Affairs 9th July 2017

Current Affairs 9th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Foundation stone of country's largest Global Skill Park laid in Bhopal

In continuation of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Skill India programme, foundation stone of Global Skill Park was laid in Bhopal, on Monday, July 3.
●    Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Pratap Rudi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid the foundation stone of India's biggest Global Skill Park in Bhopal, at the Academy of Administration.
●    Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country which has undertaken all programmes and schemes of centre's skill enhancement simultaneously.
●    The park will be spread in 37 acre land, which has been allotted in Narela Shankari area of Bhopal.
●    The construction of the Global Skill Park is estimated to cost around 645 crore rupees
Training will be imparted to 1000 students every year by trainers of international standard.
●    The park will function on the spirit of 'With Industry-For Industry.
●    Trained students will be given placement in India and outside India at international level Provision of international joint certification will also be there.

India ranks 23rd among 165 nations in cybersecurity index

India is ranked a high 23rd out of 165 nations in a global index that measures the commitment of nations across the world to cybersecurity. 
●    The second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said only about half of all countries have a cybersecurity strategy or are in the process of developing one and urged more countries to consider national policies to protect against cybercrime. 
●    India is ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the "maturing" category, which refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cybersecurity and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives
●    The index has been topped by Singapore with a 0.925 score. 
●    The report said about 38 per cent of countries have a published cybersecurity strategy and an additional 12 per cent of governments are in the process of developing one. 

Snapdeal joins hand with the NBT for online books donation drive

In a bid to inculcating reading habit among underprivileged children, e-commerce major, Snapdeal,  announced the launch of ‘HarHaathEkKitaab’ campaign, in partnership with The National Book Trust (NBT).
●    The campaign aims at nationwide online books donation drive especially targeting underprivileged children, and aims at inculcating a reading habit among them. 
●    Snapdeal’s partnership with the NBT is the first time the latter has come on-board an e-commerce platform.
●    As a part of the campaign, Snapdeal will encourage its customers to buy and donate books published by the National Book Trust India. 
●    People can choose to donate anywhere between 10 to 2000 books by simply visiting https://www.snapdeal.com/offers/har-haath-ek-kitaab and clicking on the donation plan one prefers. 
●    The average price of the books available is approximately Rs. 25. Books in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English are available for the first phase of the campaign. 
●    NBT will dispatch books to NGOs across India working towards educating India’s underprivileged children including Teach for India, Goonj, Bhumi, Aarti, Idea, Impact, 17000 ft, Books For All, Turnstone Global, Guzarish, Educate Girls, PYDS, Pratham, Vimukti Sansthan, Deepalaya, Shikshanandan and the Indian Dreams Foundation.

Union Minister Shri Vijay Goel and Wrestler Shakshi Malik Flag off 7th Slum Yuva Daud 

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports shri Vijay Goel today flagged off the 7th Slum Yuva Daud with Ramesh Bidhuri, MP and Olympic medalist ace wrestler Sakshi Malik. 
●    Today’s Daud started from Tughlakabad Fort village and ended at Karni Singh Shooting Range. More than 3000 youth from Delhi slums participated in it. 
●    Addressing the participants shri Goel said, that This is not just any other run but we are running for a better tomorrow, a ‘New India’ where each youngster is a capable being and sports being one field in which we must grow big and powerful. 
●    The Minister also interacted with the participants via quiz contest and songs etc. He asked them to retain their shirts, medals and certificates as these would help them gain access to a mega Programme being planned with all the participants of 11Slum Runs. 
●    Olympic medal winner wrestler Sakshi Malik urged the youth to participate in sporting activities and promote healthy living and cited sports and youth as two pillars of India’s greatness. Sakshi Malik gave a thumbs up to the Sports Ministry’s initiative of Slum Yuva Daud and called it a ‘great way” to tap young talent.

Current Affairs 9th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Israel sign 7 Agreements

India and Israel have signed 7 agreements on areas including space, tech and agriculture during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. 
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. 
●    Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit marks the 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel.
●    In the joint statement released after talks between India and Israel, both the countries have called for taking strong measures against terror organisations and also against those who encouraged, supported and financed terrorism.
●    MoU for setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D & Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)
●    MoU for conservation of water in India
●    MoU on State Water Utility Reform in India
India-Israel Development Cooperation- 3-year work program in Agriculture (2018-2020)
●    Plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in atomic clocks
●    MoU regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link.
●    MoU regarding cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites.

Giant crocodile teeth found In Madagascar

Paleontologists found on the island of Madagascar the remains of a potentially ancient giant crocodile seven to ten meters in length and weighing a tonne that lived on land and could compete with the size of teeth and the power of a bite with tyrannosaurs, according to an article published in the PeerJ magazine.
●    “Like many other giant crocodiles of the Jurassic period, Razana could battle and defeat many carnivorous dinosaurs, including those that were on the top of the food pyramid,” says Cristiano dal Sasso of the Natural History Museum History in Milan (Italy).
●    The first dinosaurs, as paleontologists think today, appeared at the end of the Triassic period, about 240 million years ago, after the disappearance of all the large animal monsters that dominated the Earth in the Permian period. 
●    The main competitors of the dinosaurs for the crown of the most successful animals on earth were crocodiles, which at that time were huge in size and inhabited not only in water bodies, but also on land.
 

Current Affairs 9th July 2017: PERSONS

Indian-American student wins top original oratory contest in US

An Indian-American student in the US has won this year's National Speech and Debate Tournament, considered to be the most prestigious high school competition in the country.
●    J J Kapur, a Sikh, composed his own persuasive speech titled 'Let's Dance' addressing a social issue.
●    His speech, which won the competition in the category of original oratory, started out with a lively Bollywood dance and focused on his experiences as a Sikh-American youth. 
●    He earned top rankings in the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament of champions before earning the championship trophy, the West Des Moines community schools reported.
●    Kapur, who is a Valley High School junior in West Des Moines, Iowa, shared his experience to highlight the stereotyping of Sikh and Muslim identities post-9/11 attacks
●    He said he was two years old when the September 11, 2001, attacks happened. His family was watching the news when he thought he saw a picture of his father on the screen and pointed it out to his family. 

Important Current Affairs 8th July 2017

Current Affairs 8th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi held Informal Meeting in Hamburg to discuss terrorism

The leaders of the 5 BRICS nations had an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July 2017. 
●    This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in September 2017 in Xiamen, China.
●    During the meet, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit. 
●    In addition, President Xi, the leader of the host country for the September Xiamen BRICS Summit said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was a participant of the meet mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy.
●    He stressed that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

EPFO inks agreement with 4 private banks to collect PF dues

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 5 July 2017 inked an agreement with four private banks and Bank of Baroda for collection of provident fund dues from employers and payments to its subscribers.
●    It is the first time that the EPFO has tied up with private banks. These four banks are ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
●    Before, only State Bank of India was authorised to collect contributions from employers and make payment to employees.
●    The agreement will help the EPFO save about Rs 300 crore annually as the five banks have agreed to zero transaction charges.
●    Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Labour and Employment Minister, stated that “With today’s agreement, we have tied up with 10 banks now to collect provident fund contribution and pay dues to the workers. 
●    EPFO settles around 1.16 crore claims every year and collects Rs 75000 crore annually from establishments under the EPF Act.”

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passes GST Bill

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the state GST Bill 2017 amidst opposition boycott, making it the last state of the country to join the new tax regime.
●    The bill entitled the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 moved by finance minister Haseeb Drabu was adopted by a voice vote as all opposition members decided to boycott the proceedings, accusing the government of undermining the special status of the state by seeking a presidential order for extending the GST regime.
●    Drabu said the GST regime will roll out in the state at midnight tonight, making Jammu and Kashmir the last state to join the new tax regime.
●    Before moving the bill for consideration and passing by the state assembly, Drabu read out the contents of the presidential order pertaining to the special status of the state and its exclusive taxation powers.
●    “Although there is no tradition of tabling a presidential order in the assembly, we are starting a new tradition in the democracy of the state by tabling this presidential order in the House.

Uttarakhand to have its own ‘Super-30’

Taking cue from the famous ‘Super 30’, run by Anand Kumar in Bihar, the Uttarakhand government has launched its own version of ‘Super-30’ to improve higher education. 
●    Super 30 coaches meritorious students for Joint Entrance Exam (JEE). 
●    These students are taken from underprivileged families who can’t afford expensive coaching.
●    Moreover, the Uttarakhand government has also introduced similar facility for civil services aspirants, Higher Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat said at a function held at the Himalayan University Jolly Grant to award meritorious students.
●    Announcing a third scheme for postgraduates, Rawat said 100 such meritorious students will also be selected every year for doing PHD and will be provided with financial assistance by the government.

India likely to clock GDP growth of 6.9 per cent this fiscal: BMI Research

●    Indian economy is expected to recover in the coming quarters and the country is expected to clock a real GDP growth of 6.9 per cent in this financial year, says a report. 
●    According to a report by BMI Research, India's growth is expected to pick up following the negative ramifications from the demonetisation drive in November 2016, but weak public banks will likely cap the recovery. 
●    Real GDP growth slowed substantially to 6.1 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2016-17. 
●    The Fitch Group company, noted that the negative effects from the demonetisation measure is already wearing off, and the Indian economy will likely benefit from positive demographic trends, greater external stability (due to improved terms of trade from low oil prices), and continued reforms that should help to improve the country's admittedly poor business environment. 
●    The report, however, noted that the public banking sector is still weak and plagued with mounting non-performing assets, and it is likely to weigh on India's growth potential.
 

Current Affairs 8th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

PM Modi visits Haifa, pays homage to Indian World War I heroes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the Indian cemetery in Haifa, Israel, and paid homage to Indian soldiers whose bravery in 1918's Battle of Haifa is the stuff of legend.
●    The Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the two Indian Cavalry Regiments that helped liberate the city. 
●    In the autumn of 1918, the Indian Brigade was a part of the Allied Forces sweeping northwards through Palestine in what is seen as the last great cavalry campaign in history.
●    Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh were awarded the Military Cross (MC) as recognition for their bravery in this battle.
●    In 2012, the municipality of Haifa decided to immortalise the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers, many of whom are buried in the cemetery, by including their stories in school curricula.
●    The municipality also decided to organise a ceremony every year to commemorate the role of the Indian Army in liberating the city from Turks after almost 402 years.
 

Current Affairs 8th July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Italy passes bill making ‘Torture’ crime under national law

Italy has finally passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, after years of parliamentary back-and-forth.
●    The bill was passed on 5 July 2017 with 198 lawmakers backing the legislation, 35 opposing it and 104 abstaining. 
●    It aims to make torture punishable by four to 10 years in prison and 12 years for members of the security forces.
●    Rome signed the UN Convention against Torture in 1984 but had never transferred it into national legislation. 
●    Torture is defined under the law as intense physical suffering or psychological trauma verifiably caused by violence, grave threats or cruel actions.
●    In 2015 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had blasted Italy for police violence against anti-globalisation activists on the sidelines of the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, ruling that officers' actions against protesters sheltering in a school were similar to torture.
●    Several members of the Italian security forces were convicted after the violence but this did not include any officers who had been at the scene. 
 

Current Affairs 8th July 2017: SPORTS

Indian men's wrestling team for World Championships selected

Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt and reigning Commonwealth Games champion Amit Kumar were among the 16 male wrestlers selected on Tuesday to represent India in the World Championships to be held in Las Vegas between September 7 and 12.
●    The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) selection committee picked the grapplers of both the Greco-Roman and Free Style categories during the selection trials conducted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here.
●    In the hard fought bout of Free Style 65 kg category, Yogeshwar beat Asian Championships gold medallist Amit Dhankhar 6-3, while in the 74 kg category, Olympian Narsingh Yadav beat Parveen Rana from Railway Sports Promotion Board 6-5 in a very close clash.
●    In the 57 kg category, 2013 World Championships silver medallist Amit Kumar overcame Sandeep Tomar of Services Sports Control Board 3-2.
●    Asian Games 2014 medallist Mausam Khatri (97 kg) also booked his berth for the World Championships as he ousted Satywart Kadian 6-0.
●    In the 61 kg category, Sonu from Haryana has only been selected for the Kazakhstan Tournament and will have to give final trial against Bajrang before the World Championships. 
●    The 2013 World Championships bronze medallist Bajrang couldn't participate in the trials due to injury.
 

Important Current Affairs 7th July 2017

Current Affairs 7th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Minister of Food Processing Industry laid foundation stone for First Maize Based Mega Food Park in Kapurthala, Punjab

Shri Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of Food Processing Industry laid the foundation stone for First Maize based Mega Food Park in Kapurthala, Punjab today. 
●    Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State for Food Processing was also present on the occasion.
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that Maize is an amazing cereal and is an alternate to Jhona (paddy) and Kanak (wheat). 
●    Maize is rich in protein, provides nutritional requirements that India needs and Maize consumes much lesser water and could contain the problem of further water depletion. 
●    The Mega Food Park is being developed by Sukhjit Mega Food park & Infra Limited at village Rehana Jattan, Phagwara, District Kapurthala, Punjab.  
●    She also said that Kapurthala has been declared as a Dark Zone district where slow desertification is happening because of overexploitation of water due to cash crops. So establishment of this Mega Food Park was not allowed. 
●    Since this would be a maize based Mega Food Park which will promote crop diversification and water conservation, Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal informed that her ministry made special efforts to get this Mega Food Park approved from Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. 
●    Establishment of this Mega Food Park will result in the development of this Dark Zone which includes Job opportunities, Environmental Conservation, she added.

Tree Plantation Drive by Railway Women’s Welfare Central Organisation (RWWCO)

In view of Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu’s continued efforts on Tree Plantation in railway areas, the Railway Women’s Welfare Central Organisation (RWWCO) has undertaken  Tree Plantation Drive  on 6th July, 2017 at railway premises in New Delhi.   
●    Smt. Rashmi Mital, President/RWWCO & Executive Members of  RWWCO planted various shady, flowering and fruit bearing trees in railway premises.
●    Railway Women’s Welfare Central Organisation  is the apex body of the chain of women’s welfare organisations spread over all Indian Railways engaged in the task of welfare of railwaymen and their families through various need-based socio/welfare activities.  
●    The organization started its activities in 1962 after Indo-China War, and while the primary concern of the Organisation is the welfare of Railway employees and their families, it has always risen to the call of the society and the nation- be it environmental awareness, family welfare drives, disturbances on the borders or the natural calamities.  
●    It is one of the fore-runner voluntary Organisations in the country today.

Online Translation-Training Platform by Official Language Department Home Ministry

Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Vardha Vice Chancellor Prof. Online translation-training platform developed by Girishwar Mishra, Central Translation Bureau, under the Official Language Department, Home Ministry, Government of India, was inaugurated here today. 
●    Officials of the Department of Official Language Mr. Prabhas Kumar Jha, Joint Secretary Dr. Bipin Bihari were present on the occasion along with the officials of various government departments / ministries / departments etc. were present.
●    The online translation-training platform was inaugurated in the first session of this program held in two sessions and detailed information about the benefits of this platform was given by Dr. S.N. Singh, Director of Central Translation Bureau. 
●    In the second session, the statement was given on important topics such as translation by famous litterateur Padmashree Dr. Narendra Kohli, language linguist and technical expert Dr. Om Vikal, Linguist and Hungarian and well-known translator of Hindi, Dr. Vimlesh Kanti Verma.
●    Addressing the inauguration of the online translation-training platform, Prof. Girishwar Mishra said that this is an important effort and a new initiative. 
●    He said that this platform will be available to all. He said that a country like India where such languages are spoken and many languages are available in the world, translation is the medium through which we can share ideas. 
●    Pro. Girishwar Mishra said that information about various schemes of the government should also be available in public language and in simple language. 
●    He said that knowledge of history and different cultures is possible through translation.

RBI issued revised guidelines to protect customers from net banking fraud

Customers will not suffer any loss if unauthorised online banking transactions are reported within three days and the amount involved will be credited in the accounts concerned within 10-days, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Thursday.
●    In case the third party fraud is reported with a delay of four to seven working days, a customer will face liability of up to Rs25,000. 
●    However, in cases where the loss is due to negligence by the account holder (such as sharing of payment credentials), the customer will bear the entire loss until the unauthorised transaction is reported to the bank.
●    Any loss occurring after reporting of the unauthorised transaction will be borne by the bank, RBI said while issuing revised directions on ‘Customer Protection – Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions’.
●    RBI said the revised directions are being issued amidst recent surge in customer grievances relating to unauthorised transactions resulting in debits to their accounts/cards.

Sanjiv Goenka renominated as the Chairman of IIT Kharagpur

Sanjiv Goenka was recently selected as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
●    Goenka will serve as the Chairman of the institute for three years.
●    Goenka was nominated by the President, Pranab Mukherjee, in his capacity as Visitor of the Institute.
●    This will be his second stint for Goenka as the Chairman of Board of Governors. He previously served as the Chairman of the premier institute between 2002 and 2007.
●    Sanjiv Goenka is the Chairman of RP Sanjiv Goenka Group.
●    He has also served as a former member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry.
●    At present, he is serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Woodlands Medical Centre Ltd., a premier hospital located in Kolkata.
●    In 2009-10, he became the President of the All India Management Association (AIMA).
 

Current Affairs 7th July 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India, US, Japan begin Malabar Exercise 2017

India, Japan and the United States on 7 July 2017 began the joint naval exercise Malabar 2017.
●    Warships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the US will be participating in the Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal from 7 July to 17. 
●    The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training.
●    The ashore training in Chennai will include professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol operations, surface warfare, medical operations, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), helicopter operations, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.
●    The at-sea training will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal and will be  ocused on advancing military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.
●    Events planned during the at-sea portions include liaison officer professional exchanges; a photo exercise; submarine familiarization; high-value unit defence and air defence exercises.
 

Current Affairs 7th July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

France will 'ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040'

France plans to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, the country's new environment minister has announced.
●    Nicolas Hulot made the announcement as he unveiled a series of measures as part of newly elected President Emmanuel Macron's plan to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.
●    Mr Hulot said he recognised the target would put pressure on France's car manufacturers, but he said they currently had projects which "can fulfil that promise".
●    As part of the plan, poorer households will receive a premium so they can swap their polluting vehicles for clean alternatives.
●    The announcement comes after Volvo said on Wednesday it planned to built only electric and hybrid vehicles from 2019.
 

Current Affairs 7th July 2017: SPORTS

Manpreet Kaur wins shot put gold at Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet

Indian shot putter Manpreet Kaur on 24 April 2017 clinched a gold medal in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jinhua, China.
●    Manpreet came up with a best throw of 18.86 metre, a national record. 
●    In 2015, she made a national record after throwing a shot put at the distance of 17.96 metre.
●    With the win, the shot putter also acquired the No 1 spot in the world rankings.
●    With the performance, Manpreet also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in August 2017 in London, UK.
●    Bian Song of China finished a distant second with 17.96 metres.
 

Important Current Affairs 6th July 2017

Current Affairs 6th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Signing of MoU between CSIR & KVS

Jigyasa, a student- scientist connect programme was officially launched in the national capital today. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has joined hands with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to implement this programme. 
●    The focus is on connecting school students and scientists so as to extend student’s classroom learning with that of a very well planned research laboratory based learning.
●    Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony was held in the presence of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource Development.
●    Addressing the gathering, the Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Harshvardhan said, that the Jigyasa programme was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a new India and “Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR)” of scientific community and institutions. 
●    It is a historic day when two ministries are collaborating on the Youth who are the future of the nation. The day also coincides with the birthday of Shri Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who is an inspirational figure and a role model for all Indians.

Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres to be established in 100 districts of the country

The Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres will be established in 100 districts of the country which will effectively ensure employment oriented skill development of youth belonging to Minority communities. 
●    Shri Naqvi said that in next six months, Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres, providing job oriented skill training in various fields, will be established in Hyderabad, Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Allahabad, Mysore, Chennai, Goa, Gauhati, Kolakata, Patna, Kishanganj, Dehradun, Shahjahanpur, Rampur, Ranchi, Giridih, Mewat, Tijara, Panipat, Delhi, Uddhamsingh Nagar, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Mumbai etc. 
●    The Minority Affairs Minister today felicitated candidates, belonging to Minority communities, selected in the prestigious civil services examination who got financial assistance under “Nai Udaan” scheme, for coaching and preparation of competitive exams, of Ministry of Minority Affairs. 
●    Shri Naqvi said that education is solution to several problems including poverty. Through education, we can also tackle menace of radicalism and terrorism.

India declares itself free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8)

India had reported outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza at various epicenters in Delhi, Gwalior (MP), Rajpura (Punjab), Hissar (Haryana), Bellary (Karnataka), Allappuzha and Kottayam (Kerala), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Daman (Daman) and Khordha and Angul (Odisha during October, 2016 to February, 2017.
●    All the outbreaks of Avian Influenza (HPAI) mentioned above were notified to OIE and the control and containment operations were carried out as per the Action Plan on Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza. 
●    Surveillance was carried out throughout the country and around the areas of the outbreaks since completion of the operation (including culling, disinfection and clean-up) and surveillance in the states showed no evidence of presence of Avian Influenza Virus.
 

Current Affairs 6th July 2017: ECONOMY

Ministry of Food Processing Industry establishes GST facilitation cell to guide industry about GST regime 

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has established a four member GST Facilitation Cell at its office to guide the industry about the new tax regime. 
●    The members of the GST Facilitation Cell can be accessed through Toll Free No 1800111175 or on #AskonGSTFPI. Further details can be accessed from http://www.mofpi.nic.in
●    The ministry has created a GST cell for the purpose of implementation and facilitating the rollout of GST with immediate effect. The GST facilitation cell will provide all possible support for the rollout of the levy to the major industry and business associations related to MoFPI. 
●    This cell will serve as the first point of contact to address any issue being faced by any sector related to the ministry. The GST cell will be equipped with the complete knowledge of the relevant GST Act, rules, rate structure etc.
●    The cell will be headed by Shri Bijaya Kumar Behera, Economic Advisor and Shri G Srinivasan, senior marketing officer, Shri S N Ahmed, Assistant Director, Shri Bikram Nath, Assistant Director as its Members.
●    The Ministry is in the process of organising several programmes for the industry to sensitise associates about GST, and has also planned to conduct seminars to disseminate information about the new tax regime.
 

Current Affairs 6th July 2017: APPOINTMENT

Achal Kumar Joti takes over as new Chief Election Commissioner of India

Shri Achal Kumar Joti has assumed charge as the 21st Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, succeeding Dr. Nasim Zaidi here today. 
●    Dr. Zaidi demitted office yesterday after completing his tenure.
●    After the assumption of charge, Shri Joti spoke about the priorities of the Commission and said that the Commission shall pursue vigorously its commitment to hold free, fair, inclusive and credible elections throughout the country. 
●    Secondly, the Commission will also pursue its mission to ensure that “No Voter to be Left Behind”. Thirdly, the Commission shall actively promote e-Governance for holding of elections to the State Assemblies and Parliamentary Elections in the country, Shri Jyoti added. 
●    Shri Jyoti has served as Election Commissioner since 13th May, 2015. 
●    During his tenure as Election Commissioner, State Assembly elections in the States of Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakand, Manipur and Goa were successfully conducted. 

Sanjay Kumar takes charge as DG, NDRF 

Shri Sanjay Kumar, is 1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Himachal Pradesh Cadre.
●    He took charge as the Director General (DG) of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), today. 
●    The post of DG, NDRF fell vacant after incumbent Shri R K Pachnanda was appointed as the Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
●    Prior to the appointment as DG, NDRF, Shri Sanjay Kumar was serving as Director General of Police in Himachal Pradesh.
 

Current Affairs 6th July 2017: SPORTS

Pankaj Advani defeats Sourav Kothari to win Asian Billiards Championship

Pankaj Advani on 14 April 2017 defeated Sourav Kothari 6-3 to win the Asian Billiards Championship final held in Chandigarh.
●    It is Advani’s seventh Asian title.
●    Born on 24 July 1985, Pankaj Arjan Advani is an Indian professional player of English billiards and former professional snooker player.
●    He has achieved a hat-trick of hat-tricks in English billiards, holding the World, Asian, and Indian National Championship titles simultaneously, in three different years: 2005, 2008 and 2012.
●    In 2012, he became a snooker professional.
●    He won the 2014 IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship, on his debut in that discipline.

Indian national team rises to 96th in FIFA rankings

Indian national football team climbed four places to sit on the 96th position in the latest FIFA rankings updated on 6 July 2017. 
●    It is the second highest ranking for the country ever.
●    In addition, it is India’s highest FIFA ranking under coach Stephen Constantine.
●    The rankings were updated following India’s 2-0 win against Nepal in a friendly match. 
●    The national team also emerged victorious against Kyrgyzstan in AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers group match held in June 2017.
●    India currently scores 341 points, seven points behind 95th placed Cyprus.
●    Earlier in May 2017, the Indian football team had made into the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in 21 years.
●    It was in February 1996 that India was placed on the 94th spot, which is the country's best ever FIFA ranking.

Important Current Affairs 5th July 2017

Current Affairs 5th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of Minority Affairs issues advisory for Haj Pilgrims on misleading advertisements with false promises of making arrangements for Haj 2017

Instances have come to the notice of this Ministry that unscrupulous elements are publishing misleading advertisements in print media with a view to entice intending Haj Pilgrims with false promises of making arrangements for Haj 2017 with different types of facilities by implying that they have got Haj quota allotted from this ministry.
●    It is hereby clarified that 45000 Haj seats have been allocated among 569 PTOs for Haj 2017. The list of such PTOs is available at this ministry’s website at www.minorityaffairs.gov.in. and www.haj.gov.in. 
●    The general public and intending Haj pilgrims desirous of availing the services of PTOs for Haj 2017 are hereby advised to check the above website and also make necessary enquiries and take precautions before engaging a PTO in order to avoid incidents of cheating by unscrupulous elements. 

MERIT app and e-Bidding portal launched

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched here today the ‘MERIT app (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency)’ and the e-bidding portal for providing e-Bidding solution to States to select Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for procurement of power by transferring their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal.
●    Briefing the media on the occasion, Shri Goyal said that both the initiatives are taken in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ through ‘Speed, Skill and Scale’. 
●    The app and the web portal would result in optimum utilization of Coal which would save the consumer close to Rs. 20,000 crores five years down the line, the Minister added.
 

Current Affairs 5th July 2017: APPOINTMENT

Somesh Goyal appointed as DGP of Himachal Pradesh

Somesh Goyal, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, was on 5 July 2017 appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Himachal Pradesh.
●    He succeeds Sanjay Kumar who has now been appointed as Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Goyal was presently serving as the DGP (Prisons) of the state.
●    Goyal's main concern as the DGP would be to improve the delivery system, project a people-friendly image of police, root out drug menace and ensure safety of women.
●    A trained commando, Goyal had worked with the Black Cats (National Security Guard), a trained special protection group responsible for the security of the prime minister.
●    He has served in Kashmir and West Bengal as DIG and as Inspector General in the Border Security Force.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran named Chairman of Tata Global Beverages

Tata Global Beverages Ltd (TGBL) on 3 July 2017 appointed Tata Sons head Natarajan Chandrasekaran as its Chairman with immediate effect.
●    The TGBL board approved the "appointment of N. Chandrasekaran as an additional director and as chairman of the board of the company in place of Harish Bhat who expressed a desire to step down as chairman."
●    The board also appointed Siraj Azmat Chaudhry as a Non-Executive Independent Director in the company.
●    Born in 1963, Natarajan Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Sons.
●    He took over as the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services on 6 November 2009 prior to which he was COO and Executive Director of TCS.
 

Current Affairs 5th July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

10th Session of the India- Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) 

The 10TH India-Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) Meeting was held in New Delhi on 4th and 5th July, 2017 under the co-chairs of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and H.E Eng. Mr. Yarub Qudah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
●    On this occasion, the two countries emphasized the need for diversification of bilateral trade and deepening their engagements for greater cooperation in investment sector. 
●    During the TEJC meeting, the two sides also reaffirmed their mutual interest and discussed the roadmap for cooperation in various fields such as Fertilizer Sector, Customs, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Visa and Consular issues, Health and Pharmaceuticals, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Maritime Transport, Rail Transport, and Air Transport, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Smart Grid development, Information Technology, Higher Education and Vocational Training, Agriculture sector etc.
●    The two leaders also inked the revised Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India, and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, aiming at boosting and diversifying bilateral trade relations, in addition to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation based on the principle of equity, non-discrimination.
●    On the sidelines of the TEJC, business federations from both sides also met and discussed the roadmap for promotion of trade and investment through B2B mechanism.

Visit of Royal Australian Navy Ship to Kochi 

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship, HMAS Newcastle commanded by Commander MD Sirois is visiting Kochi from 04 - 07 Jul 17. 
●    On 04 Jul 17, the Commanding Officer of the visiting RAN Ship accompanied by Ms. Harinder Sidhu, High Commissioner of Australia and Captain Sheldon Williams, Defence Attache called on Vice Admiral AR Karve AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding- in- Chief Southern Naval Command (SNC) for interactions on issues of common interest to both navies. 
●    A friendly volleyball match between teams from SNC and the visiting ship was also played.
●    During the ship’s stay in harbour, various activities such as guided tour for Indian Naval personnel onboard HMAS Newcastle, conducted tour of some of the training units under SNC at Kochi like the Navigation & Direction, Anti- Submarine Warfare School, Damage Control Training Facility ‘Avinash,’ for the visiting ship’s crew have been planned. 
●    The crew from the HMAS Newcastle would be also visiting places of interest at Fort Kochi, Marine Drive and various museums at Kochi. 
●    On their departure on 07 Jul 17, the RAN ship is planned to participate in a passage Exercise with IN Ships off Kochi.
●    Recently, IN Ships Jyoti, Shivalik and Kamorta from Eastern Fleet had also visited Fremantle, Australia from 13–17 June and participated in the second edition of AUS INDEX- 17, a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies. 
●    The naval cooperation between the two countries is in pursuance of India’s Act East policy to promote bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between both navies.

5th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers held in Beijing

Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held on 5th July, 2017 at Beijing, China. 
●    The Indian delegation was led by Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource Development, India. 
●    Delegation of all the five BRICS countries participated in the two-day deliberations.
●    Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar thanked China for hosting the meeting in Beijing. 
●    He said that the Education, being the universal good, empowers everybody. 
●    It will set the tone for the world of the future. 
●    Education is a universal, apolitical agenda. 
●    It’s not negotiation, but cooperation all the way. 
●    So, increased cooperation in education is the need of the hour.

Important Current Affairs 4th July 2017

Current Affairs 4th July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Dr. Subhash Bhamre Chairs CAC of National Cadet Corps 

Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre chaired the 50th Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) here today. 
●    Dr. Bhamre, in his presidential address complimented the NCC on the performance of its cadets in various activities pertaining to training, adventure, social service and community development. 
●    The committee deliberated on various issues in order to optimise training efforts so that NCC continues to perform in an excellent manner towards character and leadership building of the youth of the nation. 
●    The Minister complimented efforts of the NCC in nation building and urged it to continue ‘Grooming Future Leaders’. 
●    The NCC presently has cadet strength of 13 lakhs and plans to expand to 15 lakhs and beyond. 

Environment Minister to Lead Plantation Drive to Celebrate Van Mahotsav 

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan will lead a month-long drive to plant saplings to mark Van Mahotsav here starting on July 5.   
●    The plantation drive will be organised at Ram Lila Park, C. C Colony, Model Town tomorrow and in District Park, Paschim Vihar on July 6.  
●    The Minister will plant saplings and also distribute saplings for plantation to local residents. 
●    Dr. Harsh Vardhan has advised the people to plant native trees because they readily adapt to local climate, integrate into the ecosystem, have a high survival rate and are helpful in supporting local birds, insect and animals.
●    Recollecting the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s emphasis on ‘Van Dhan’ to enhance the country’s forest-based economy, while improving the biodiversity and living in harmony with nature has been a part of our culture for thousands of years, the Environment Minister requested all States and the people at large, to hold plantation drives during the monsoon season.  
●    Dr. Harsh Vardhan also referred to India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDCs) to create additional Carbon Sink of 2.5 to 3 Billion Tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030, as has been submitted to UNFCCC under the able guidance of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.  

Ministry of Railways sanctioned New BG line between Jeypore & Navarangpur in Odisha 

As per the announcement of Budget 2016-17, Ministry of Railways sanctioned New BG line between Jeypore & Navarangpur  in Odisha. 
●    The length of the new BG line is 38 Kms. The cost of the project is 747.91 Crores. 
●    The project will be completed in 3 years. The project shall be implemented on Cost-sharing basis (50% by Ministry of Railways under GBS and 50% by State Govt. of Odisha)
●    The Project is important for connecting Navarangpur District of Western Odisha, with Jeypore, an existing Station on Kottavalasa- Kirandul line. 
●    This line will provide connectivity to important towns viz. Koraput, Jeypore, Jagdalpur, Dantewada. 
●    Further, the line is useful for connecting Navarangpur to Junagarh/Kalahandi District and result in short lead to many other places of Odisha, Chhattisgarh & Andhra Pradesh.
●    Further,  State Govt. of Odisha will be bearing entire cost of land and 50%  of the construction cost of the project.

All cities of MP, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana to become ODF by October 

All the 1,137 statutory cities and towns in six States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Telangana are set to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2 this year marking the completion of three years of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). 
●    This is based on the regular reports being received from States/UTs. 
●    With Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Chandigarh having already declared all the 281 cities and towns under their jurisdiction ODF, a total of 1,418 cities and towns would become ODF by this October, two years ahead of the mission deadline of October 2, 2019. 
●    These nine States account for 39% of the total 4,041 mission cities. 
●    This was revealed during the review of progress of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) by Shri D.S.Mishra, Secretary(Urban Development) yesterday. 
●    The number of mission cities in Maharashtra are 384, followed by Madhya Pradesh -378, Chattisgarh-168, Kerala-93, Telangana -73 and Jharkhand-41. 
●    Gujarat had already declared all 170 cities and towns ODF while Andhra Pradesh had done so in respect of 110. Chandigarh is the only UT to have become ODF.

J P Nadda chairs high level review meeting on control of vector borne diseases

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, held a high level meeting to review the preparedness of the Ministry for prevention and control of vector borne diseases (dengue, malaria, chikungunya) in the country, here today. 
●    During the meeting, Shri Nadda asked the States for mounting aggressive IEC campaigns to enhance awareness on prevention and control of vectors in their surrounding areas and neighbourhoods. 
●    Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (Health), Dr Saumya Swaminathan, Secretary (DHR) and DG (ICMR), Dr. (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS and other senior officers of the Union Health Ministry, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were also present in the meeting along with Directors/ MS from the Central Government hospitals. 
●    Taking stock of the situation, Shri Nadda was briefed on the preparations of the Health Ministry and was informed that Technical Guidelines for prevention and control and clinical management were developed and shared with the states for implementation. 
●    The Ministry has also conducted review meeting with the states and more than 13 advisories have been sent to all States as early as January for strengthening their preparedness before the vector borne disease season. 
●    The Health Minister was further informed that the Ministry has requested the States/UTs to declare Dengue as notifiable disease for improving reporting and for taking preventive measures in the affected areas. 
●    Under the guidance and direction of the Union Health Minister, Government of India has initiated several awareness programmes through print and electronic media and issue advertisements for controlling these diseases. Besides, for sensitization of the masses on the subject, the National Dengue Day was celebrated on 16th May, 2017.

India successfully test-fires short range surface-to-air missile

India on 3 July 2017 successfully test-fired indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air missile (QR-SAM) off the Odisha coast.
●    This short range missile with a strike range of 25 to 30 km was test fired from a truck-mounted canister launcher from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. 
●    It was the second developmental trial of the state-of-the-art missile with an aerial target. 
●    The first developmental trial of the missile was carried out on 4 June 2017 from the same base.
●    Designed to be a quick reaction missile, it is capable of engaging multiple targets and involves an all-weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing. 
●    It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other establishments.

Manipur government declares flood situation a 'State Calamity'

An emergency review meeting held on 3 July 2017 to assess the flood situation in Manipur decided to declare the present disaster as a ‘State Calamity.’
●    The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. 
●    It was attended by Irrigation & Flood Control Department (IFCD) Minister Letpao Haokip, Education Minister Th. Radheshyam, Chief Secretary O. Nabakishore, Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners, DCs and Directors of different Departments.
●    The meeting was called due to the worsening of the flood situation in many localities of the state. 
●    The decision was brought upon after thoroughly reviewing the reports presented by the concerned officials and DCs.
●    Besides this, Biren Singh also informed at the meeting that he has requested the Central Government to declare Manipur’s flood situation as a calamity of ‘severe nature’.

Current Affairs 4th July 2017: AWARDS

Indian-Americans Shantanu Narayen and Vivek Murthy to be honoured with Great Immigrants Award

Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, are among 38 immigrants to be honoured with the Great Immigrants Award.
●    They will be honoured for their role in helping advance the country's society, culture and economy on 4 July 2017, the Independence Day of the United States of America.
●    Among other honourees include Canadian-origin social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, who has been awarded the 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, PayPal cofounder of Ukrainian origin Max Levchin, Iranian-origin philanthropist and entrepreneur Hushang Ansary.
●    Born on 27 May 1963, Shantanu Narayen is an Indian-American business executive and the CEO of Adobe Systems.
●    Prior to this, he was the President and Chief Operating Officer since 2005.