GK and Current Affairs Updates

Roelant Oltmans was appointed coach of the Indian hockey team.He replaces Paul van Ass, who was unceremoniously sacked after a bitter spat with Hockey India President Narinder Batra.
The 61-year-old Dutchman, who has been associated with Indian hockey from long time.

Nobel prize winner Peter Higgs has joined the ranks of Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein by winning the world’s oldest scientific prize, the Royal Society’s Copley Medal, for his pioneering work on the theory of the Higgs boson, which was discovered in 2012. The Copley medal was first awarded by the Royal Society in 1731, 170 years before the first Nobel Prize.

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, today launched the Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana.

Keeping in view the above problems, Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for rural areas having following objectives:

i) To provide electrification to all villages

ii) Feeder separation to ensure sufficient power to farmers and regular supply to other consumers

iii) Improvement of Sub-transmission and distribution network to improve the quality and reliability of the supply

iv) Metering to reduce the losses

Safety of women in the country is of utmost priority to the Government. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing following schemes for protection of women:- 

i. Swadhar and Short Stay Homes to provide relief and rehabilitation to destitute women and women in distress. 

ii. Ujjawala Homes for rehabilitation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. 

iii.Working Women Hostels for ensuring safe accommodation for working women away from their place of residence. 

iv. One Stop Centre to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence. 

v. Scheme for Universalisation of Women Helpline intended to provide 24 hours immediate and emergency response to women affected by violence. 

The Swadhar scheme was launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2002 for rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances.

The scheme provides shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women/girls who are in need. The beneficiaries include widows deserted by their families and relatives, women prisoners released from jail and without family support, women survivors of natural disasters, women victims of terrorist/extremist violence etc.

The implementing agencies are mainly NGOs. An Evaluation Study conducted through Centre for Market Research and Social Development to assess the performance of the scheme observed that the scheme is successful for which it was formulated/implemented.

23rd July is observed as National Broadcasting day. According to an agreement, the Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd.(IBC) started broadcasting from Bombay Station from 23^rd July’1927.

India and Singapore signed Technical Agreement (TA) on sharing white-shipping information to enhance maritime cooperation between the two navies. The agreement was signed during the visit of Navy chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan to Singapore. The White-shipping refers to commercial shipping information about movement of cargo ships. The Singapore Navy and the Indian Navy conduct the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) together annually.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a huge milestone as it successfully tested India’s latest and most powerful cryogenic engine for 800 seconds  at Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu). This cryogenic engine will be utilized to power ISRO’s next generation monster rocket, the GSLV Mark-III, which will be capable of carrying the 8 ton class of satellites to space.

Tom Moore, the "Archie" (America's famous cartoon character) cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of the freckled-face, red-haired character passed away.Moore, who began drawing cartoons while in the US Navy during the Korean War, died in his hometown of El Paso.

Reliance group company Pipavav Defence has signed an agreement with Russia's company JSC Ship Repairing Centre for medium refits and life certification of 877 EKM submarines in India. This will also mark the first time the work for refit of submarines is being considered for the private sector in India.