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Important Current Affairs 19th July 2020

National

All capitals cities of North-Eastern states to be connected with rail network by 2023

• The Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav has announced that Indian Railways has set the target to connect the capital cities of all the North-Eastern states of India to the rail network by 2023.

• In the present time, except Sikkim, all North-Eastern states have connectivity to the rail network. The capitals of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are already connected to the railway network.

• The capital connectivity work is in progress in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Manipur will be connected in March 2022, Mizoram in March 2023, Nagaland in March 2023, Meghalaya in March 2022 and Sikkim in December 2022.

Mobile App of “PM Street Vendor Atma Nirbhar Nidhi” launched

• The mobile application of PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) has been launched. It aims to offer user friendly digital interface to the Lending Institutions (LIs) as well as to their field functionaries in order to source and process loan applications to the street vendors under the scheme.

• The launch of the mobile app is a step towards boosting the use of digital technology and will ensure maximum coverage of the scheme.

• The mobile app will promote paper-less digital accessing of micro-credit facilities by the Street Vendors and will give impetus to the implementation strategy of the PM SVA Nidhi scheme.

Uttarakhand govt to generate electricity from waste

• The Uttarakhand government has decided to convert waste generated in the state to electricity under an initiative titled ‘Waste to Energy’.

• According to Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB), this waste can generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity and curb pollution.

• The scheme also aims to solve the problem of unavailability of landfills to dispose of the solid waste across the hill state with has 10 out if 13 districts as hill areas.

India lifted record 273 million out of poverty in 10 years, says UN report

• About 273 million Indians were lifted out of multidimensional poverty, over a period of 10 years, between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016, according to a study conducted by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

• The study titled ‘Charting pathways out of multidimensional poverty: Achieving the SDGs’ was based on a global multidimensional poverty index (MPI) which annually measures the complexities of poor people’s lives, individually and collectively.

• The report noted that, India has recorded the largest reduction in the number of people living in poverty, among the 75 countries studied in MPI.

Obituary

Ace para-badminton player and Arjuna Awardee Ramesh Tikaram passes away

• Ramesh Tikaram, a former star para-badminton player and an Arjuna awardee has passed away of C-19. He was 51.

• Ramesh was the first para-badminton player in India to be honoured with an Arjuna award in the year 2002.

Civil rights leader CordyTindell Vivian passes away

• A civil rights veteran, The Rev Cordy Tindell Vivian who worked alongside the Rev Martin Luther King Jr, passed away.

• He also led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and became its interim president in 2012.

Appointments and Resignations

RBI Approves reappointment of Shyam Srinivasan as MD & CEO of Federal Bank

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Shyam Srinivasan as the the managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of the Kerala-based private sector lender, Federal Bank, till September 22, 2021.

Ossouka Raponda appointed as 1st woman PM of Gabon

• Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda has been appointed as the first woman prime minister of Gabon. She is the 12th PM of the country and succeeds Julien Nkoghe Bekale.

• Prior to holding this position, Ossouka Raponda served as Defence Minister since February 2019.

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Important Current Affairs 18th July 2020

National

PM Modi to address ECOSOC on 75th anniversary of UN

• PM Narendra Modi will be virtually addressing the session of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 17th July on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the United Nations.

• This will be PM Modi's first speech at the UN after being elected  to the UN Security Council. Besides the Prime Minister, Norway PM Erna Solberg and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also be addressing the event.

• The theme of the High-Level Segment which is held annually by ECOSOC is “Multilateralism after C-19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary”.

DRDO developed fully indigenous P7 Heavy Drop System for IL 76 aircraft

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed the P7 Heavy Drop System which is capable of para dropping military stores up to 7-ton weight class from IL 76 aircraft.

• The design of this fully indigenous system has been developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a pioneer Research & Development (R&D) lab of DRDO based in Agra, Uttar Pradesh (UP).

• It’s platform system manufactured by L&T (Larsen & Toubro) while parachutes manufactured by Ordnance Factory.

Indian Railways first cable-stayed bridge ‘AnjiKhad Bridge’ being set up in Jammu & Kashmir

• India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge ‘AnjiKhad bridge ‘is being constructed by the Indian Railways’ in Jammu & Kashmir to connect Katra and Reasi Section of Jammu–Baramulla line.

• The Rs. 458 crore railway bridge is being developed by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, a Government of India undertaking.

• The total length of the AnjiKhad Bridge is 473.25 metres, standing at a height of 331 metres above the Chenab river bed.

Banking and Economy

ICRA Predicts India’s GDP to Contract 9.5% in FY21

• Credit Rating agency ICRA has sharply revised the GDP forecast for India and expects the Indian economy to contract by 9.5% (-9.5%) in 2020-21. Earlier it had projected the GDP at -5% for FY21.

• The increasing C-19 infections, leading to localised C-19s in some states and cities, affecting the economic activities is the main reason for this sharp revision.

Awards

CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2020 announced

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has announced the recipients of the International Press Freedom Awards 2020 include Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh, Mohammad Mosaed from Iran, Dapo Olorunyomi from Nigeria and Svetlana Prokopyeva from Russia.

• All four journalists have faced arrests or criminal prosecution in reprisal for their reporting. In addition to them, lawyer Amal Clooney will be honoured with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award 2020.

Sports

2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar

• The Federation International de Football Association announced that the 2022 World Cup is to be held in Qatar.

• The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the first world cup to be held in Arab World and also the first in a muslim-majority country.

• Indian National Team ranks 108 in the latest FIFA rankings that were released in 2019.

Days

Nelson Mandela International Day

• The United Nations observes 18 July every year as Nelson Mandela International Day. The day acknowledges Nelson Mandela’s contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world. Nelson Mandela Day is an occasion for all to take action and inspire change.

• This day marks the contribution to peace through his active involvement in resolving conflicts, promoting human rights, international democracy and reconciliation and in addressing racial issues.

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Important Current Affairs 17th July 2020

National

UNICEF India Partners with FICCI to launch #Reimagine Campaign

• The UNICEF INDIA has entered into partnership with the Socio Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI),  to co-develop #Reimagine Campaign.

• The #Reimagine Campaign of UNICEF aims to support the most vulnerable populations and children during the C-19 response and its after-math in India.

IIT Kanpur develops UV sanitizing device ‘SHUDH’ to disinfect room in 15 mins

• A team of engineers at IIT Kanpur has developed an Ultraviolet (UV) sanitizing product named SHUDH, which is capable to disinfect a 10 sqft room in about 15 minutes.

• SHUDH stands for Smartphone operated Handy Ultraviolet Disinfection Helper. It has been jointly developed by J. Ramkumar, Amandeep Singh and ShivamSachan.

• SHUDH has six UV lights of 15 Watts each that can be individually monitored from a distance and can be rotated up to 360 degrees. Users can use the number of lights based upon the size of the room.

India launches World’s Most Affordable C-19 kit “COROSURE”

• The Union Minister of Human Resource and Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishnak launched world’s most affordable C-19 kit. The kit was developed by IIT Delhi.

• The test called “COROSURE” has been billed as the world’s most affordable RT-PCR based C-19 diagnostic kit. The base price of the kit is Rs 399.

DCGI approves India’s 1st homemade Pneumonia vaccine

• India’s first fully indigenously developed Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine (Pneumonia vaccine) has received the approval from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

• It will be utilized for active immunization against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by “Streptococcus pneumonia” among infants.

Summits and Mou’s

Shripad Naik e-inaugurates 5th Conference on Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Technologies

• The Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik inaugurated the 5th edition of the conference on Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Technologies on 15 July 2020 in New Delhi, via video conferencing.

• The theme of the conference was Empowering India with ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission’.

Obituary

Maharashtra’s first woman Election Commissioner, Neela Satyanarayan, passes away

• Former 1972 batch IAS officer and Maharashtra’s first woman State Election Commissioner (SEC) Neela Satyanarayan has passed away after she was diagnosed with C-19.  She was 72.

• She was made the state election commissioner in 2009, and retired on July 5, 2014.

Ranking

India ranks among top ten nations in intellectual property filings

• India has emerged as the top tenth nation in the ranking of the total (resident and abroad) Intellectual Property (IP) filing activity, as per World Intellectual Property Indicators-2019 Report.

• The overall ranking has been topped by Chinawas followed by United States, Germany, Japan, and Republic of Korea as the top five nations in the list.

• The report released by Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization analyzes IP activity around the globe.

Days

World Emoji Day

• The World Emoji Day is celebrated every year on 17 July since 2014 to promote the use of emojis and spread the enjoyment that they bring to all of those around us.

• The Day was created by London-based founder of Emojipedia, Jeremy Burge.

World Day for International Justice

• The World Day for International Justice, (also known as Day of International Criminal Justice or International Justice Day), is celebrated globally on July 17 to support and recognize the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

• The day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute on July 17, 1998, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court.

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Important Current Affairs 16th July 2020

National

Madhya Pradesh Tops in the Implementation of PM SVANidhi

• Madhya Pradesh has topped in implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) by sanctioning an interest-free loan of around Rs 15.50 crore to 15,500 street vendors in the state.

• PM SVANidhi is a central sector scheme to help and formalize the street vendors involved in small businesses across the country. The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

DRDO develops P7 Heavy Drop System

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed P7 Heavy Drop System that is capable of para dropping military stores up to 7-ton weight class from IL 76 aircraft.

• The system is fully indigenous and is being manufactured by L&T who makes the platform system, parachutes manufactured by Ordnance Factory.

International

UK bans companies from sourcing 5G equipment from Huawei

• The United Kingdom has imposed a ban on its telecom companies from sourcing 5G equipment from Chinese telecom company Huawei. The announcement was made by UK’s Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden after a meeting chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

• UK’s Digital Secretary informed the British parliament that from the end of this year, telecom providers must not buy any 5G equipment from Huawei. Under the new guideline, the British telecom operators will be required to remove all 5G-related equipment, supplied by Huawei, from their infrastructure by 2027.

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh resigns

• Prime Minister of Tunisia, Elyes Fakhfakh has submitted his resignation to the President of Tunisia.

• His resignation has come after a campaign to oust him in a vote of no confidence gathered momentum and to avoid more conflicts between state institutions in the country.

Summits and Mou’s

Google-Jio partnership to 5G in India: Reliance Industries 43rd  AGM 2020

• Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani has confirmed the Google will be Reliance Industries' new strategic partner. The announcement was made during the 43rd Annual General Meeting on July 15, 2020.

• The new strategic partner was introduced by Mr. Ambani after he mentioned all the entities that have invested in Jio Platforms. He informed that Google will invest 33,737 crores for a 7.7 percent stake in Jio Platforms.

• Reliance Jio in partnership with Google will develop an android-based smartphone operating system to increase access to smartphones. The main objective is to accelerate India's digital economy.

Appointments and Resignations

ADB appoints Ashok Lavasa as new Vice President

• Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has been appointed as the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank. The development comes just a few months before Lavasa was scheduled to take over as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

• In his new position, Ashok Lavasa will be looking after the Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships. Ashok Lavasa has more than two years left in his term at the Election Commission of India. He would have retired as the CEC in October 2022.

Books and Authors

A book titled “If It Bleeds” authored by Stephen King released

• A new book titled “If It Bleeds”, a collection of four stories, authored by Stephen King has been released. The book published by Hachette India.

• The book has the story centres around a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School. It is a sequel to his bestselling work, “The Outsider”.

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Important Current Affairs 15th July 2020

National

Government to increase public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP by 2025

•  The Union Health Ministry has called for increased expenditure on public health. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan highlighted during a meeting with the 15th Finance Commission that the government aims to gradually increase the public health expenditure to 2.5 percent of the nation's GDP by 2025.

•  The Minister asserted that the outlay for primary health expenditure will also be made nearly 2/3rd of the total public health expenditure in the country. The Health Minister further emphasized on the importance of increasing the state’s health sector spending to nearly 8 percent of their total budget.

•  The Health Ministry has also revised its requirement of around 4.9 lakh crores to 6.04 lakh crores in the wake of the C-19. The Ministry has asked for additional resources for the states that will be utilized for the achievement of the National Health Policy targets.

Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project

• Iran has dropped India from Chabahar rail project which comprises rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan. The Iranian government cited delays from the Indian side in funding and starting the project, for its decision of dropping India from the project.

• Now, Iranian Railways will go ahead without India’s assistance and utilize around $400 million from the Iranian National Development Fund.

International

Singapore enters into recession, GDP falls by 41.2 percent

• Singapore has entered into the phase of economic recession after the country's GDP contracted by around 41.2 percent in last 3 months.

• The extended C-19 amid has adversely impacted the economy of the nation. The announcement was made by Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore.

Banking and Economy

Reliance Industries becomes first Indian company to hit Rs. 12 lakh crore market cap

• Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has become the first Indian firm to hit a market capitalisation mark of Rs. 12 lakh crore. The shares price of the company surged to a record high of Rs. 1,947 on 13 July 2020, after which the Market cap of the firm rose to Rs 12.32 lakh crore.

• The increase in Reliance Industries m-cap comes after it secured deal with Qualcomm Ventures to invest in Jio Platforms for a 0.15 percent equity stake.This is the 13th deal secured by Jio Platforms in a span of 12 weeks, bringing the total funds raised by the company to Rs 1.18 lakh crore.

NABARD organised ‘Digital Choupal’ to mark its 39th foundation day

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised its first ‘Digital Choupal’ to mark its 39th foundation day. During the ‘Digital Choupal’ session, NABARD also announced Rs 5,000 crore of refinance scheme for banks and financial institutions.

•  “Digital Choupal” was conducted in the form of a video conference which was attended by participants of different projects initiated by NABARD, to share their experiences about the projects they are involved in.

Awards

ISRO Chief K Sivan named for Von Karman Award 2020

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief, Kailasavadivoo Sivan has named for Von Karman Award 2020 by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

• The Von Karman Award is known as the highest distinction of the IAA. Dr K. Sivan is going to receive an award in March 2021 at Paris France.

• Udupi Ramachandra Rao was the first Indian to receive the von Karman award.The award was presented to him in 2005 and Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan received the Von Karman award in 2007.

Appointments and Resignations

Hemang Amin appointed as interim CEO of BCCI

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Hemang Amin as its interim chief executive officer (CEO).

• He will replace Rahul Johri who recently resigned as the chief executive officer (CEO) of BCCI and his resignation was accepted by the BCCI office-bearers.

Days

World Youth Skills Day

• United Nations celebrates World Youth Skills Day globally on 15 July every year. The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2020 is “Skills for a Resilient Youth“.

• The day is celebrated as an opportunity for young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders to acknowledge as well as celebrate the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

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Important Current Affairs 14th July 2020

National

NITI Aayog presents India’s second Voluntary National Review at UN’s High-Level Political Forum

• NITI Aayog presented India’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020.It is organised annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN.

• The India VNR 2020 report was titled Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local. The report was presented by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.

• The HLPF is the foremost international platform for countries to present its follow-up and review of progress on achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

United States remains India’s top trading partner for 2nd consecutive year in 2019-20

• According to the data of the Union Ministry of Commerce, United States remained India’s top trading partner for the second consecutive fiscal in 2019-20. The recently released data shows increasing economic ties between the two nations.

• As per the data, the bilateral trade between the US and India has increased from $87.96 billion in 2018-19 to $88.75 billion in the fiscal year 2019-20. China was India’s top trading partner since 2013-14 to 2017-18.

International

Russia first nation to complete clinical trials of vaccine

• Russia has successfully completed the human trials of Chinese virus vaccine. With this, Russia has become the first country to complete the trials of C-19 vaccine.

• The volunteers who took part in the trials will be discharged soon. The trials were aimed at showing the safety of vaccine for human health.

Andrzej Duda wins Poland’s presidential election

• Andrzej Duda has been re-elected as the President of Poland. He won the presidential elections recently held in Poland after winning 51.21% of the votes, defeating the opposition candidate, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski who got 48.79% votes.Voter turnout was a record high at 68.12 percent.

Banking and Economy

Google for India Digitization Fund of USD 10 billion launched

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced the launch of ‘Google for India Digitization Fund’. Through this fund, Google will be investing USD 10 billion or Rs. 75,000 crore in India over next 5-7 years.

• The investment comes amid the C-19 crisis that has deeply impacted the economy of India. The investment will be made through a mix of partnerships and equity investments.

• Google Investment will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization

1. Enabling affordable access and information to every Indian in their own language.

2. Building new services and products that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs.

3. Empowering businesses as they continue on digital transformation.

4. Leveraging technology in AI- Artificial Intelligence for social good in areas like education, health, and agriculture.

FICCI survey predicts India’s GDP to contract by 4.5% in FY21

• Industry body FICCI has projected the Indian economy to contract by (-) 4.5 percent in 2020-21, as per its latest Economic Outlook Survey released on 12 July 2020.

• The minimum and maximum GDP growth estimate stood at (-) 6.4 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, for FY21.

Summits and Mou’s

Visa Partners With Federal Bank For Rolling Out Visa Secure For E-Commerce

• Visa, a global leader in payments technology has tied-up with Federal Bank to launch “Visa Secure” to the bank's cardholders.The upgraded technology provides a quicker and frictionless checkout experience to consumers.

• “Visa Secure ‘is a global authentication program that uses the latest standards of the EMV 3DS (3D Secure) protocol.

Obituary

Padma Shri award winning journalist Nagindas Sanghvi passes away

• Padma Shri award winning veteran Gujarati journalist, columnist, writer and political analyst Nagindas Sanghvi passed away. Government of India conferred him Padma Shri award in the year 2019.

• He had written many books on Mahatma Gandhi, Gujarat and other subjects. Besides writing in Gujarati language, Sangvi also wrote in English and Hindi languages.

Books and Authors

A book titled ‘A Song of India’ authored by Ruskin Bond to be released

• The book titled ‘A Song of India’ authored by Ruskin Bond to be released on July 20, 2020. This book will mark the 70th year of the author’s literary career. The book has been published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India.

• The new book is the fourth instalment in his memoir series after “Looking for the Rainbow” (2017), “Till the Clouds Roll By” (2017) and “Coming Round the Mountain” (2019).

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Important Current Affairs 13th July 2020

National

Chhattisgarh Government organises India’s first e-Lok Adalat

• Chhattisgarh government has organised the first e-LokAdalat of India amid the C-19 C-19. The virtual hearings were conducted through video conferencing under the e-Lok Adalat along with its live streaming.

• The “e-Lok Adalat” was organized by the High Court and Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority and was inaugurated by P R Ramchandra Menon, the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court.

NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL App Development Module for school children

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has launched the ATL App Development Module for school children across the country, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

• The ATL App is an online course by AIM and is completely Free.The course has been jointly developed by AIM and Indian startup, Plezmo.

• The innovative course will have six project-based learning modules and online mentoring sessions to enable the young innovators learn how to build mobile apps in various Indian languages and showcase their talent.

Awards

Kezang D Thongdok bags Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020

• Arunachal Pradesh filmmaker Kezang D Thongdok has bagged the Dada SahebPhalke Award 2020 for a short documentary “Chi Lupo“. Chi Lupo, documented by Kezang D Thongdok is a short documentary on honey hunting.

• Chi Lupo sketches the tradition of honey hunting practised in the Shertukpen community in which “Chi” means honey while “Lipo” means hunters.

NTPC Limited wins prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2019

• The centrally-owned, National Thermal Power Corporation, (NTPC) Limited, under the Ministry of Power has won the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2019, under Outstanding Accomplishment in Corporate Excellence Category.

• The company has also received Commendation for Significant Achievement in the category of CSR in the 15th CII-ITC Sustainability Award.

• The CII-ITC Sustainability Awards recognise and reward excellence in businesses that are seeking ways to be more sustainable and inclusive in their business.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Qualcomm Ventures to invest Rs. 730 crore in Jio Platforms

• Qualcomm Ventures announced on July 12 that it has decided to invest Rs. 730 crore in Jio Platforms. Qualcomm Ventures which is an investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated will make an investment for a 0.15% stake.

• With an announced investment, Qualcomm Ventures has become a 12th investor in Reliance Industries Ltd’s digital and telecom business in less than a time period of two months.

• The new investment by Qualcomm Ventures will take the total investments in Jio Platforms to Rs. 1,18,318.45 crore for a combined 25.24% holding.

Obituary

Renowned Gujarati Cartoonist Avad Bin Hassan Jami passes away

• One of the most senior and popular cartoonist of Gujarat, Avad Bin Hassan Jami, has passed away in Jamnagar. He was 77.

• He was popularly known as “Jami”. His cartoons were regularly published in leading Gujarati daily newspapers and news magazines for more than two decades.

Sports

Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton won Styrian Grand Prix 2020

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Britain) has won the Styrian Grand Prix 2020 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. ValtteriBottas (Mercedes-Finland) finished second while Max Verstappen( Red Bull- Belgium) was third.

• It was the second race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship and the first running of the Styrian Grand Prix.

Ranking

Mukesh Ambani becomes world's seventh richest, overtakes investor tycoon Warren Buffett

• Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has become the world's 7th richest person after overtaking legendary investor tycoon Warren Buffett in terms of net worth.

• The Indian billionaire's net worth currently stands at $69.9 billion, while Warren Buffer's net worth stands at $69.1 billion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is ranked at the top of the world's richest individuals list with a net worth of $189.2 billion.

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Important Current Affairs 12th July 2020

National

All India Tiger Census 2018 sets new Guinness World Record for largest camera-trap wildlife survey

• The fourth edition of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 has created the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey.

• The All India Tiger Estimation is conducted every four year since 2006, by the National Tiger Conservation Authority with technical support from the Wildlife Institute of India.

• These cameras surveyed an effective area of 121,337 square kilometres (46,848 square miles).A total of 34,858,623 photographs of wildlife were captured by the 26,838 camera traps installed. Of the total photographs 76,651 were tigers and 51,777 were leopards while the remaining were other native fauna.

White Paper launched for Recommendations on Immediate Technology and Policy Impetus to Make India ATMANIRBHAR

• At a virtual event, White Papers prepared by the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) was launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) on 10th July 2020.

• India has set the target of achieving ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)’ by adopting appropriate technology and policy reforms that will provide a thrust to the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the post-C-19 era.

• The White Papers are on:

a) Focused Interventions for Make in India: Post C-19 19

b) Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Status, Issues, Technology Readiness and Challenges

Banking and Economy

Global economy to contract by 5.2 pc in 2020: D&B Report

• The global economy is likely to contract by 5.2 percent in 2020, according to Dun and Bradstreet’s (DNB) Country Risk and Global Outlook Report that covered 132 countries.

• The reason behind this decline is the C-19, which is still spreading, and the economic prospects of countries across the world are uncertain.

SEBI Revamps advisory committee on mutual funds; Usha Thorat new head

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has re-constituted its advisory committee on mutual funds that advises the capital markets regulator on matters related to regulation and development of mutual fund industry.

• The revamped advisory committee on mutual funds has 20-member and will be headed Usha Thorat, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Appointments and Resignations

Lee HsienLoong became Prime Minister of Singapore

• Lee HsienLoong has become the Prime Minister of Singapore after the ruling People’s Action Party won the General Elections held in the country. PAP won 83 of the 93 seats contested in General Election.

• With this, Lee HsienLoong has won a fourth term as the Prime Minister of Singapore.

Days

World Population Day

• World Population Day is observed globally on 11th July every year. Objective is to raise awareness among people about the impact of a growing population and issues including gender equality, the importance of family planning, poverty, maternal health, human rights, etc.

• This year theme of World Population Day 2020: Putting the brakes on C-19: Safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls.

Malala Day Observed

• July 12 was declared by the United Nations as World Malala Day on July 12, 2013 to honour the young activist, Malala Yousafzai.

• July 12 also marks the birth anniversary of Yousafzai, the Pakistani human rights activist, and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.

Books and Authors

A book on Dalai Lama's biography to release in 2020

• The biography of the current Dalai Lama titled “His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography”, is set to hit the stands in October 2020.

• The 352-page book has been written by Tenzin Geyche Tethong, one of the Dalai Lama’s closest aides and advisor of over 40 years. The book is published by Roli Books.

• The book features nearly 400 never seen before photographs and documents from the life and times of the Tibetan spiritual leader. It also has a personal message by the spiritual leader, along with a foreword by his younger brother, Tenzin Choegal.

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Important Current Affairs 11th July 2020

National

Govt launches AI-based ASEEM digital platform

• The Ministry of Skilled Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on July 10 launched Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM) digital portal which will help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.

• The step will improve the information flow and will bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) based system apart from recruiting the skilled workforce will also help in exploring job opportunities.

• ASEEM is developed and managed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with the Bangalore based company, Betterplace which specializes in blue-collar employee management.

Asia’s Largest and World’s Second Largest Data Centre Inaugurated In Mumbai

• Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray jointly inaugurated the second-largest Tier IV data centre of the world in Mumbai.

• The world-class ‘Yotta NM1 data centre’ building has been set up at Mumbai’s Panvel data center park, to cater to the needs of engineering and real estate businesses.

• It is the largest of its kind data centre in India and Asia, as well as the second largest in the world. The Yotta NM1 facility has been developed and owned by the Hiranandani Group through its fully owned subsidiary, the Yotta Infrastructure Group. The Yotta NM1 offers 7200 racks and 50MW of power with 48-hour backup.

Banking and Economy

India’s GDP to contract by 3% in FY21: BofA

• The US brokerage firm BofA Securities has projected the India’s GDP to contract by 3 percent in FY21 because of the C-19 C-19, assuming the economy is opened up fully from August 2020.

• The GDP is likely to grow at 9 percent in FY22, expects BofA, the multinational investment bank division under the auspices of Bank of America.

Summits and Mou’s

15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit

• The 15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit will be held in virtual mode. The summit will deliberate on India-EU cooperation by covering various aspects such as political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation.

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of European Council Charles Michel will co-chair the 15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit to be held virtually.

Science and Technology

ISRO to Launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 Earth Observation Satellite on PSLV

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the Amazonia – 1 onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as a primary payload by August 2020. Amazonia -1 is Brazil’s first satellite for Earth observation – designed, assembled and tested in Brazil.

• Amazonia – 1 will help in observing and monitoring the deforestation in the region of Amazon through the satellite images.

Obituary

Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly passes away

• The incumbent Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, passed away on 8th July 2020. He was 61.

• Coulibaly was a candidate for president in a coming election, to be held in October. He took over as the 10th PM of the country in January 2017.

Legendary musician Charlie Daniels passes away

• Country Music Hall of Fame musician, Charlie Daniels passed away. He was country music and southern rock icon who entertained fans for decades with songs like “Long-Haired Country Boy,” “In America,” and his signature fiddle tune “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”, who won his only Grammy Award in 1979.

• He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Important Current Affairs 9th July 2020

National

India Global Week 2020 to start from 9 July

• PM Narendra Modi will be addressing the audience worldwide on July 9 to mark the start of India Global Week 2020. The event will be held for three days during July 9 - July 11 with main focus on Trade and Investment prospects in India.

• The event will be held virtually and is expected to be attended by 5000 people.

Prakash Javadekar Participated in 4th edition of the Ministerial on Climate Action

• The 4th edition of international meeting named “Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA)” was held on July 7, 2020, which was co-chaired by European Union (EU), China and Canada. From India, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar participated in the meet.

• This meet was held virtually for the first time in view of the ongoing C-19. MoCA is held annually since 2017.Developed nations’ Target of USD 1m funding by 2020 for developing nations is not achieved yet

International

The US formally announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization

• The United States has formalized to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). The actual project of disentangling the U.S. from WHO began on July 6, 2020, with a letter signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It will take one year to go into effect.

• In April, the US stopped funding to WHO as the Trump administration reviewed the ties.

Banking and Economy

Fino Payments Bank launches ‘Bhavishya’ Savings Account for minor children

• Fino Payments Bank Limited (FPBL) has launched a savings bank account ‘Bhavishya’ for minor children aged between 10 and 18 years on 7th July 2020 to make children banking ready from early age and inculcate a savings habit among them.

• Bhavishya is an annual subscription-based savings account, which can be opened with just Rs. 349 (inclusive of GST).

• Initially, the bank is introducing the Bhavishya Savings Account in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and gradually it will launch in other states.

Summits and Mou’s

Microsoft partners NSDC to provide digital skills

• Microsoft has partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to offer digital skills to India’s youth in the next 12 months.

• This partnership will help in creating a digital skills ecosystem which will prepare India’s workforce for jobs of the future.

• As a part of the partnership, “Microsoft Learn” a learning resource center of Microsoft will be integrated with the eSkill India digital platform and offer access to personalized learning paths and resources that are required in today’s economy and expected to continue to grow in the future. e-skilling events, webinars and virtual sessions would be co-hosted across the country by eSkill India and Microsoft in order to support students, training partners and higher-education trainees enrolled under NSDC’s skill training programs.

Obituary

Veteran bollywood actor Jagdeep passes away

• Veteran Bollywood actor-comedian, Jagdeep passed away. He was born as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, the legendary actor was popularly known as Jagdeep, his stage name.

• He was best known for his roles in films such as Sholay, Purana Mandir and Andaz Apna Apna.

Appointments and Resignations

UKIBC appoints Jayant Krishna as Group CEO

• The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has appointed Jayant Krishna as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group. Jayant will replace the current Group CEO, Richard Heald.

• Prior to this, Jayant Krishna has served as the CEO of Prime Minister’s Skill India mission as well as the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

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