GK and Current Affairs Updates

Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, from Air Marshal B Suresh AVSM VM, who assumes appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel at Air Headquarters. 
•    Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM is a graduate of National Defence Academy, Defence Service Staff College, and National Defence College. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in Dec 81. He has over 3700 hours accident free flying to his credit including 3100 hrs on all variants of MiG-21 aircraft. 
•    He topped the Fighter Strike Leader Course at TACDE and also served as Directing Staff there as of Head of Training and Deputy Commandant. He has commanded a MiG-21 Sqn and has been the Chief Operational Officer of a premier flying base. In addition to Commanding an Operational fighter base, he also Commanded a helicopter base in DR Congo as part of UN Peace Keeping Mission. He also held the appointment of Principal Director Air Defence at Air HQ and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Inspection) at Air HQ. Prior to his present appointment, he was Air Defence Commander HQ SAC. 
•    He was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the year 2013.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi here today flagged off the RUN FOR RIO from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium(MDCNS), India Gate to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS), Lodhi Road amidst Olympic spirit and cheers to celebrate the Olympic mood in the country. Thousands of school children and youth participated in the 5 Km run to demonstrate to RIO bound Indian athletes that the whole country is proud of them and wishes them all the best in the forthcoming competitions. 
•    The Prime Minister also released a publication of SAI on “Indian Olympics Journey,” which carries interesting information on country’s Olympics achievements and preparations for the future. Prior to the flagging off, Shri Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at the statue of the Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand in National stadium.
•    The RUN FOR RIO was organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs to connect public at large, especially children and youth, with the Olympic spirit and power of sports. India is sending its largest ever contingent of 119 athletes to participate in the Rio Games.
•    Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel in his speech thanked the Prime Minister for accepting the invitation to flag off the RUN and said that his ministry, under the overall guidance of Shri Narendra Modi, is committed to promote Sports in the country especially in rural and far flung areas of the country. He said the Rio bound contingent comprises eighty percent athletes from rural background and the North East region of the country. He said the focus would be to provide facilities and sports infrastructure to promote sports and sports persons at the grassroots level especially in indigenous and popular sports. 

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javdekar inaugurated Indian Institute of Technology, Goa on Saturday, July 30th. He also laid the foundation stone for IIT Goa Students’ Hostel. The newly set up IIT Goa shall function from temporary campus at Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi and will be mentored by IIT Mumbai. 
•    IITs are recognised world over as premier institutes of academic excellence. He also stated that the Ministry is working towards increasing the perception of IITs so that IITs are ranked top in world rankings. 
•    He also congratulated the students who made into the IITs and described them as the cream of the country. The Minister also mentioned how the IITs can use Government of India’s Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) in which industries can give specific research request to IITs and co-partner in technological development. The Minister also commented on Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in which the best practices of foreign countries can be implemented in India through idea exchange. 
•    The summer internship programme of IIT students can be conducted at various defence research establishments and will add value to their curriculum. 
•    He also mentioned about a programme in which scientists from DRDO will act as visiting faculty members to various IITs. The proposed campus for NIT Goa will be established at Cuncolim removing all the bottlenecks. 

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.

“National Tourism Awards for the year 2014-15” to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry were presented by the Speaker, Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan at a function organized by M/o Tourism here today. 
•    Shri Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism & Culture presided over the function. 
•    Tourism Ministers of many States, Central and State Government Officials, Members from the Travel and Hospitality Industries, including leading Hoteliers, Travel Agents and Tour Operators and Travel Media attended the function.
•    Ministry of Tourism is in consultation with Ministry of Railways for exclusive Tourist coaches for Tourists on select routes as well as for the development of 50 Railway stations as “Adarsh Railway Stations”
•    awards were given in various categories
•    Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore and above - First Prize - M/s SDU Travels Private Limited
•    Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore and above Second Prize - Le Passage Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd.
•    Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore and above Third Prize - SOTC Travel Services Pvt. Ltd.

International Tiger Day was observed on 29 July 2016. The day is held annually on 29th July to give worldwide attention to the reservation of tigers.
•    The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.
•    It was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the big cat population by 2022.
•    As per latest data by tiger experts, the world has lost 97 percent of all wild tigers in a little over 100 years.
•    The World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum says that the number of wild tigers has gone up to 3890 from the earlier 2010 estimate of 3200.
•    In 1915, the number of tigers was 1 lakh.
•    Some species of tigers have already been extinct.
•    India leads tiger population countries with an estimated population of 2226.
•    Despite countries such as India, Nepal, Russia and Bhutan registering a rise in tiger population, the status of the animal remains endangered.
•    Poaching has been the biggest threat to tigers in India. 81 tigers were victims to poachers in 2014, 25 in 2015 and by April 2016 it was 28.
•    According to reports of United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol, the environmental crime industry, which includes illegal trade in wildlife, is worth 258 billion dollars.
•    Expansion of cities and agriculture by humans led to loss of 93% natural habitat for tigers lost
•    Fewer tigers can survive in small, scattered islands of habitat, which make tigers more vulnerable to poaching, which lead to a higher risk of inbreeding.
•    Sundarbans, a large mangrove forest area shared by India and Bangladesh on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean, is one of the world’s largest places where tiger populations is found.
•    Sundarbans harbors Bengal tigers and protects coastal regions from storm surges and wind damage.
•    Rising sea levels that were caused by climate change threaten to wipe out these forests and the last remaining habitat of this tiger population.
•    WWF study says that without mitigation efforts, projected sea level rise will go up by nearly a foot by 2070, which could destroy nearly the entire Sundarbans tiger habitat.

Haryana Government on 29 July 2016 launched Pashudhan Bima Yojana in Jhajjar. The Yojna was launched by the state’s Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister, O P Dhankar.
•    The Yojna was started in accordance to the recommendations made in Swaminathan Report.
•    Dhankar said that the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department has set a target to cover one lakh cattle under Pashudhan Bima Yojana.
•    It will provide insurance cover to cattle breeders in the state at different premium rates for different animals.
•    Insurance cover will be provided at a premium of 100 rupees for cows, buffaloes, bulls, camels.
•    Insurance cover will be provided at a premium of 25 rupees for sheep, goat and pig for a period of three years.
•    Under it, the insurance companies would give compensation in case of death of animal (cattle).
•    The scheme is free of cost for cattle breeders from the scheduled castes.

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.

T Nanda Kumar resigned from the post of Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Kumar had submitted his resignation on 29 June 2016.
•    Kumar’s resignation was accepted by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet on 27 July 2016.
•    Kumar, who had a five-year term ending in 2019, will be relieved on 1 August 2016.
•    T Nanda Kumar is a retired 1972-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre.
•    He retired from the IAS in 2010.
•    He was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of NDDB in March 2014 after the exit of Dr Amrita Patel in February 2014.
•    The National Dairy Development Board is an institution of national importance set up by an Act of Parliament of India in 1965.
•    Its main office is in Anand, Gujarat.
•    Its subsidiaries include IDMC Limited-Anand, Mother Dairy, Delhi, NDDB Dairy Services, Delhi and Indian Immunologicals Ltd., Hyderabad.
•    It was founded by Verghese Kurien.
•    NDDB launched its Perspective Plan 2010 with four thrust areas, which are Quality Assurance, Productivity Enhancement, Institution Building and National Information Network.