Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore said that films and music provided a bridge between cultures that connects people across nations. 
•    The opening film of the festival was famous Danish Film Silent Heart (Stille Hjerte) directed by Bille August. The film was premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival where it received a 20 minutes standing ovation. Bille August is a Danish Academy Award-winning film and    television director. His film Pelle the Conqueror from 1987 won the Palme d'Or, Academy    Award and Golden Globe. He is one of only eight directors to win the Palme d'Or twice,     winning the prestigious award again in 1992.
•    There was also a musical performance by Neemrana Choir. Neemrana Choir consists of 50 singers of all ages and backgrounds.
•    The festival was organized by DFF in collaboration with the delegation of the European Union of India. The festival would commence from 30th July to 6th August, 2016 and 23 films would be screened during the period. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been organizing film festivals in different parts of the country.  National Film Archive of India, Pune one of the Film Media Units of this Ministry had recently organized a European Union Film Festival.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today held meeting with all District Nodal Officers (DNOs) of Eastern States and North Eastern States. Nearly 250 DNOs, Senior Officials of the Ministry and Oil Marketing Companies attended the meeting. The DNO meet was first such meeting providing an opportunity for experience sharing by DNOs in implementing Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ambitious Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) under which LPG connections are given to women of BPL Households.
•    A large number of DNOs shared their experiences in implementing the scheme which included massive communication strategy to educate prospective beneficiaries, enrolment of beneficiaries, strengthening of infrastructure and coordination with elected representatives & local administration.
•    DNOs also highlighted the steps taken by them to educate beneficiaries on safety measures and insurance cover available. A few DNOs highlighted the difficulties faced in the field.
•    Shri Pradhan appreciated the enormous enthusiasm & commitment shown by each DNO, being foot soldier of Hon’ble PM’s vision to bring qualitative change in the lives of millions of women. He emphasised that DNOs to be more vigilant on involvement of any middle man and directed to reach out to every beneficiary. He further stressed on the need of ensuring quality services to all LPG consumers.
•    The minister directed all DNOs to organise distribution melas from 15th of August involving freedom fighters to make 70th Independence Day.

Union Ministry for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation called a Meeting of representatives of Governments of Odisha and Chattisgarh in New Delhi yesterday to consider the various water resources issues/projects in Mahanadi Basin. 
•    It was decided that the Central Water Commission (CWC) would invariably ensure that the DPRs for the projects in Mahanadi basin which are appraised by it, are duly shared with the other riparian State.
•    It was felt that a number of issues had arisen and acquired an emotive tone in the absence of sharing of reliable information. 
•    As an example, it was mentioned that due to the implementation of Arpa-Bhaisajhar project, the total effect on the availability of water in Hirakud Dam during the non-monsoon period was not significant, i.e. within the range of 1.5 to 2%. 
•    The Government of Odisha desired that the information on all the projects on the river Arpa on the basis of which, these calculations were made should be shared with them. 
•    Chief Secretary, Chattisgarh assured that the requisite information would be shared with Odisha within a fortnight. CWC was also advised to share the available information with the Govt. of Odisha.

Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat has said that formation of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa has been completed with the untiring efforts of the Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh in which the youth of India and Bihar are getting education in Agriculture science which will in turn benefit agriculture in Bihar. 
•    Under the process of the formation of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, it was decided to bring the assets of Rajendra Prasad Agriculture University, Pusa under Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa for which formation of Assets Taking over Committee was pending. 
•    On 28.7.2016 i.e. yesterday the Government of Bihar has sent the names of two of its representatives. The committee has been formed today and the state government has been informed. Tomorrow i.e. on 30.7.2016 two representatives of Government of India of this committee will leave for Patna, Bihar. 
•    State Government will extend full cooperation to this Committee so that the work of hand over take over is completed on time.

The total sown area as on 29th July, 2016 as per reports received from States, stands at 799.51 lakh hectare as compared to 752.29 lakh hectare at this time last year.
It is reported that rice has been sown/transplanted in 231.92 lakh ha, pulses in 110.35 lakh ha, coarse cereals in 150.76 lakh ha, oilseeds in 159.78 lakh ha, sugarcane in 46.83 lakh hectare and cotton in 92.33 lakh hectare

The Lok Sabha on 27 July 2016 passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill with amendments was passed without any discussion.
•    The bill amends section 44 of the 2013 Act and says that every public servant shall make a declaration of his assets and liabilities in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
•    Section 44 of the Lokayukta Act, 2013 provides for declaration of assets by the public servants.
•    It says that every public servant shall, within a period of thirty days from the date on which he makes  and  subscribes  an  oath  or  affirmation  to  enter  upon  his  office,  furnish  to  the competent  authority  the  information  relating  to—(angel) the assets of which he, his spouse and his dependent children are, jointly or severally,  owners  or  beneficiaries; (beer) his liabilities and that of his spouse and his dependent children.

Kolkata’s football club East Bengal on 26 July 2016 announced that the 2016 Bharat Gaurav Award, also known as Pride of India Award, will be conferred on legendary athlete Milkha Singh.
•    Milkha Singh is a former Indian track and field sprinter.
•    He is also known as The Flying Sikh.
•    He was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army.
•    He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.
•    He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1958.
•    East Bengal Football Club is a professional football club.
•    It is based in Kolkata, West Bengal.
•    It was founded on 1 August 1920.
•    It currently competes in the I-League, the top-tier of Indian football pyramid.
•    The club is the current holder of the Calcutta Football League.
•    The club has represented India the most number of times in the Asian competitions.

Punjab's Beas railway station was ranked the highest in cleanliness in a passenger feedback survey carried out by the Railway Ministry. 
•    The survey also ranked Bihar's Madhubani railway station the last in cleanliness.
•    The survey, involving 1.3 lakh passengers in 407 railway stations, was conducted as a part of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's 'Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat' initiative.
•    Out of the 40 different cleanliness parameters passengers rated stench at stations as their top concern, followed by lack of dustbins and unclean platforms.
•    Every passenger was asked to rate the stations cleanliness on 40 different parameters. Out of these absence of stench in the station premises was the most important for the passengers; this was followed by "adequate availability of dustbins".
•    The primary audience for the survey was passengers. Porters and vendors on the platform or ticketed area and railway officials were also approached for their feedback.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Cambodia. 
•    The Treaty seeks to promote and protect investments from either country in the territory of the other country with the objective of increasing bilateral investment flows. 
•    The Treaty encourages each country to create favourable conditions for investors of the other country to make investments in its territory and to admit investments in accordance with its laws. 
•    The Treaty is the first Bilateral Investment Treaty in accordance with the text of the Indian Model BIT, approved by the Cabinet in December, 2015.
•    Cambodia officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.
•    Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline.

Lok Sabha on 27 July 2016 passed the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015. The Bill seeks to amend the Benami Transactions Act, 1988.
•    The bill prohibits benami transactions and provides for confiscating benami properties.
•    It defines benamidar as the person in whose name the benami property is held or transferred, and a beneficial owner as the person for whose benefit the property is being held by the benamidar.
•    Under the Act, an Authority to acquire benami properties was to be established by the Rules. 
•    To hear appeals against any orders passed by the Adjudicating Authority, the Bill also seeks to establish an Appellate Tribunal. 
•    Appeals against orders of the Appellate Tribunal will lie to the high court.