National
1. To express gratitude towards the doctors and physicians for their dedicated service, the day 1st July the birth as well as the death anniversary of one of the renowned physicians in India, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was chosen to be celebrated as National Doctor’s Day in India. The First National Doctor’s Day was celebrated in the year 1991. The day is organized by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
2. To take care of the academic regularity of the school students in the state, the School Education Department of Madhya Pradesh has prepared a digital campaign named ‘Hamara Ghar Hamara Vidyalaya’ meaning My Home My School for providing a school-like environment to the students of classes 1 to 8 in the state during the corona crisis. The campaign will begin on 6th July 2020.
3. An agreement was signed on 30th June 2020 between the Dubai based IOC Middle East FZE-subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bangladesh’s Beximo LPG Limited’s UAE based holding company RR Holdings Ltd.
4. The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR’s) regional centre at Assam’s Dibrugarh- Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) has successfully able to isolate the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus strain. This success will open up avenues to conduct COVID-19 related studies such as from the development of a potential vaccine to making other uses of cultures of the SARS-COV-2 for the development of therapeutic antibodies, testing effectiveness against disinfectants etc.
5. The Kerala State Government Cabinet on 1st July 2020 has decided to roll out a project for the rehabilitation of Non-Resident Indian’s (NRI’s) returning to the state following the loss of employment due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The project has been named as ‘Dream Kerala’ Project’.
6. With Unlock 1 from 8th June 2020, economic activities have resumed in the country as a result of which after two months the unemployment rate has fallen significantly. As per the data for the month of June 2020 released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate in June 2020 was 10.9 percent in India (Urban-12.02 % and Rural- 10.52%).
7. A mega tree plantation drive has been announced by the Delhi Government on 2nd July 2020. The name of the campaign is ‘Paudhe Lagao, Paryavaran Bachao’ meaning ‘Plant Trees, Save Environment’. The campaign will begin on 10th July 2020 and will continue until 26th July 2020.
8. For ensuring corruption-free job placements, Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) has formally launched the activities of state-owned placement agency-Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS) through video conferencing on 3rd July 2020. Some outsourcing staff working in the General Administration Department were handed over appointment letters by the Chief Minister for the launch of the activities of APCOS.
9. In partnership with Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has selected 12 institutes for the Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of the first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine BBV152 (commonly known as COVAXIN).
10. On 2nd July 2020, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval for human clinical trials to Ahmedabad based Cadila Healthcare Limited (Zydus Healthcare). The permission is for the Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of the vaccine.
11. Since its first edition back in 2016, the Swachh Survekshan survey has been conducted every year by making the process for conducting the survey more robust by redesigning it innovatively. The toolkit for the 2021 and the dates for the 6th edition of the Swachh Survekshan survey was launched by Hardeep Singh Puri (Union Minister of State (I/C) of Housing & Urban Affairs) on 3rd July 2020.
12. On 3rd July 2020, with the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of Army Staff MM Naravane, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi reached Ladakh for reviewing the security situations amid continues claims of China for sovereignty over India’s territory at the Galwan Valley.
13. Keeping in mind its community responsibilities towards the increasing cause of concern from the degrading Air Quality Index (AQI) in the National Capital over the years, an Urban Forest will be established in the Office Park of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for India at New Delhi. The Urban Park was inaugurated on 2nd July 2020 by the Prakash Javadekar (Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change).
14. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed virtually on 4th July 2020 between the non-profit organization UKIBC- UK India Business Council and the MIDC-Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. MIDC is the Maharashtra Government’s premier agency for industrial infrastructure development.
15. On 4th July 2020, during a video conferencing with the Union Minister of Jal Shakti regarding the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Himachal Pradesh, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jairam Thakur has stated that the State Government of Himachal Pradesh is planning to provide 100 percent coverage of Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to all rural households in the state by August 2022.
16. Amid a nation-wide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts made by the Department of Fertilizers along with the Ministry of Railways, State Governments, and various other departments such as Ports, etc have helped in ensuring that the production and supply of fertilizers in the country is not affected. As a result of which, a higher sale of fertilizers was recorded in the first quarter of Financial Year (FY) 2020-21. If compared with the first quarter of FY 2019-20, the sale of fertilizers recorded in the first quarter of FY 2020-21 is 82.81 percent more.
17. A Navratna Company of Government of India- NLC India Limited has signed an agreement with a Maharatna Company- Coal India Limited to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) for developing Solar and Thermal power assets. In the Joint Venture Company, both NLC and Coal India will have equal 50:50 equity. This was informed on 3rd July 2020 by NLC India.
18. As per the 2020-21 World Bank’s Country Classification based on Income level, Nepal’s economy has moved to a higher category to become a Lower-middle Income economy while Sri Lanka’s economy has moved to a lower category to become a Lower-middle Income economy.
19. In partnership with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the Union Ministry of Culture will be organizing the celebrations for the Dhamma Chakra Day on Asadha Poornima on the 4th of July 2020. The celebrations for the day were inaugurated from the Rashtrapati Bhawan at New Delhi by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
20. From 4th July 2020, All India Radio (AIR) FM news channel will be broadcasting its first-ever news programme in Sanksrit language for 20 minutes duration. All India Radio has named the news programme ‘Sanskrit Saptahiki’.
21. In order to attract tourists in the state, the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has started a social media campaign. The name of the campaign is ‘Intzaar Aap Ka’ meaning ‘Waiting for You’. The campaign will be conducted by describing the characteristics of the tourism destinations in Madhya Pradesh through photographs and videos.
22. The State Government of Odisha has launched a scheme for the landless farmers in the state under which loans will be provided to around 7 lakh landless farmers or sharecroppers in the state. The scheme is named as ‘Balaram Yojana’.
23. All households in the state of Himachal Pradesh have access to LPG Gas Connection, making Himachal Pradesh the first state in the country to achieve the goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the launch of Ujjwala Yojana for providing a cooking gas connection to every household in the country. This was announced on 6th July 2020 by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur.
24. The Chief Minister of Karnataka B.S. Yediyurappa has launched a scheme for the weaver’s community in the state of Karnataka on 6th July 2020. The name of the scheme is ‘Nekar Samman Yojane’, which means Weaver Samman Yojana.
25. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray has launched a portal on 6th July 2020 that will bridge the gap between the Industrial Units/Employers and the Workers (Domiciled: Skilled, Semi-Skilled and Unskilled). The name of the portal is ‘Maha Jobs’. Anyone can access the portal by visiting- ‘mahajobs.maharashtra.gov.in’. For registration in the Maha Jobs portal, a domicile certificate of the state of Maharashtra is compulsory for the workers.
26. 10,000 bed Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre and Hospital (SPCCCH) was inaugurated in New Delhi on 5th July 2020. To date, SPCCCH is the World’s largest COVID-19 Treatment and Care facility. It was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal.
27. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established a 1000 bed facility in 12 days adjacent to the office of Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on Ulan Bator Road near Domestic Terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport.
28. In Afghanistan’s Capital City Kabul, on 5th July 2020, 5 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed under the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) programme. The 5 MoUs consisted of Tripartite Agreements that were signed between the Government of India, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education.
29. Through video conferencing, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Plant on 10th July 2020. This was informed on 5th July 2020 by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan. To date, the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project is the largest single-site solar power project in Central India.
30. Sanskrit Vidhyalaya built in Eastern Nepal’s Province No 1’s IIam district by India was inaugurated on 6th July 2020 through video conferencing. The name of the Vidhyalaya is ‘Shree Saptmai Gurukul Sanskrit Vidhyalaya’.
31. Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has announced on 5th July 2020 that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has entered into a partnership with United States-based social media company Facebook, Inc.
32. On 5th July 2020, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated a programme under which the State Government of Uttar Pradesh has set a target to plant more than 25 crore sapling across the state.
33. After months of Controversy, the Assam State Government has decided for the up-gradation of the status of the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park. The decision was taken on 6th July 2020 and was announced by the Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal.
34. A Plasma Bank for the treatment of COVID-19 positive patients has been established at the oldest medical college of India- Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. The Plasma Bank has been set up the Immunohematogy department of the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital by the West Bengal State Health Department.
35. In order to address the growing rate of unemployment in the state on a priority basis, under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana Cabinet on 6th July 2020 has approved a proposal for drafting an Ordinance under which 75 percent of the jobs with a salary of less than Rs 50,000 per month will be reserved for the locals of Haryana in the state.
36. In 1932, British Army officer Brigadier William Harry Evans (also a Lepidopterist: a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths) had recorded a Southern Birdwing (Troides minos) butterfly with 190 mm. Since then, for the last 88 years, Southern Birdwing butterfly is considered the largest butterfly in India. Brigadier Evans measured the butterfly from the centre of the thorax to the tip of forewing apex, the outcome of measurement was then doubled to obtain the exact measurement.
37. Sustainability Initiatives and regulatory reforms have enhanced higher levels of transparency in the real estate industry of India as a result of which India improved its ranking to 34th place in the biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI).
38. The Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China had claimed last week that their boundary with Bhutan has never been delimited and there are long-standing disputes between the two countries in eastern, central and western sections.
39. ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ –Following this vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Navy began ‘Mission Sagar’ to extend India’s helping hand across the Indian Ocean. The Mission Sagar was launched on 10th May 2020, and after 49 days, the mission was successfully completed on 28th June 2020 when INS Kesari returned to India.
40. Over the period of next six financial year (2020-21 to 2025-26), an amount of Rs 23,848 crore for the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state of Odisha has been recommended by the 5th State Finance Commission of Odisha on 7th July 2020.
41. The birth anniversary of Former and the 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy is celebrated as Rythu Dinotsavam meaning Farmer’s Day.
42. In March 2019, China reportedly had 46 nuclear reactors active. These 46 nuclear reactors provided a power capacity of 42.8 GW. At the end of May 2020, the Nuclear Capacity of China was at 48.8 GW. By 2035, China Nuclear Energy Association has set a target to achieve about 200 GW nuclear power capacities either in operation or under construction.
43. On 9th July 2020, except for the Indian State-owned Doordarshan’s news channel DD News, Nepal based Multi-System Operators have issued a broadcasting ban on all other Indian News Channels in Nepal.
44. To monitor all Government lands in the state capital Bhubaneswar, web and mobile-based solution named ‘BLUIS’- Bhubaneswar Land Use Intelligence System was launched on 8th July 2020. The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched BLUIS.
45. For making the State more conducive for Startups, the State Cabinet of the Uttar Pradesh Government has given its approval to an independent and comprehensive ‘Startup Policy 2020’ on 8th July 2020. Until the Startup Policy 2020, Uttar Pradesh did not have an independent and comprehensive Policy for the Startups in the state, policy for Startups was governed under the- Uttar Pradesh Information Technology and Startup Policy 2017.
46. Under National Mission for Manuscripts, the Union Ministry of Culture will be reprinting all the 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur Manuscripts. Out of these 108 volumes, the Ministry has published the reprinted version of the first 5 volumes of the Manuscripts.
47. Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) has announced on 8th July 2020 that Sri Lanka and the Maldives have eliminated Rubella Virus. With this, Sri Lanka and the Maldives became the first two countries from the South East Asia Region of WHO to have successfully eliminated both the Measles and Rubella Virus.
48. Environmental Groups has launched an Online Tool on 9th July 2020 as per which India’s Capital New Delhi has the most Economic Impact (based on Per Capita) in the World from Air Pollution during the first half of the year 2020.
49. Through video conferencing, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Plant on 10th July 2020. To date, the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project is the largest single-site solar power project in Central India to date.
50. The Government of India back in 2001 declared 10th July to be celebrated every year as ‘National Fish Farmers Day’. The initiative of celebrating the Day was first taken by Mumbai’s Central Institute of Fisheries Education.
51. Kharif Crops are grown in hot and humid rain fed areas. As per the data from the Indian Meteorological Department, June 2020 was the wettest June in Indian in the last 12 years. As per the LPA- Long Period Average, the country has excessive overall rainfall in June 2020 with 118 percent. Above 110 percent is considered as excess in LPA.
52. Inspired by the ‘The Day of Five Billion (observed on 11th July 1987 as an approximate day when the world population crossed 5 billion)’, the World Population Day was established in 1989 as an initiative taken by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and was observed first on 11th July 1989.
53. For being the World’s Largest Camera Trapping Wildlife Survey, the Fourth Cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records.
54. Despite the cancellation of the 3rd National Lok Adalat of the year 2020 scheduled to be held on 11th July 2020, the first State Level ‘E-Lok Adalat’ of India was conducted successfully on 11th July 2020.
55. The first-ever Bus Service in history was started on 10th July 2020 for the people of Swabhiman Anchal (located in Malkangiri district of Odisha).
56. At the time of a global pandemic, India’s Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) is continuously working day and night to provide security to the nation, now the CAPFs has undertaken a mega Nationwide Tree Plantation Drive.
57. The second Voluntary National Review (VNR) of India was presented on the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) of the United Nations by NITI Aayog. The VNR report provides a comprehensive detailed account of the schemes and initiatives taken by India for the successful implementation and adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda of the United Nations.
58. In its fights against combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh will be launching a campaign named ‘Roko-Toko’ in the upcoming days. The campaign will focus on those who are not wearing masks in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
59. A Comprehensive exercise for mapping of crops under each of the Rythu Bharosa Kendra (RBK) in the state has begun in Andhra Pradesh from 13th July 2020. This will help in preparing the State Government from crop planning to e-marketing of the crop.
60. The Iran Government has decided to drop India from the construction of the Chabahar Port-Zahedan Railway Line Project and now will be proceeding with the construction of the Project on its own.
61. On the occasion of Bhanu Jayanti, Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli attended an event organized at his residence in Kathmandu in which he has now accused India of Cultural Encroachment.
62. On July 14, 2020, the Ministry of Shipping approved Rs 107 crores to augment firefighting facilities in Haldia Dock Complex, Kolkata port.
63. On July 14, 2020, the Union Human Resource and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ released PRAGYATA guidelines on digital education.
64. On July 15, 2020, the Minister of State for Shipping Shri Manasukh Mandaviya reviewed the development activities of Vallarpadam terminal at Cochin. The terminal accommodates India’s first trans-shipment hub.
65. On July 15, 2020, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the first indigenously developed Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine. The vaccine was developed by Serum Institute of India.
66. Every year on July 14, the French Government celebrates Bastille Day. It is also called the French National Day. The day commemorates the storming of Bastille in 1789.
67. Every year, World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on July 15. The day is celebrated to recognize the importance of equipping young people with skills of employment, entrepreneurship and decent work. This year the day focuses on the following theme
68. On July 14, 2020, the Goa Bench of GST Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR) pronounced that alcohol-based sanitizers will attract 18% GST.
69. The United Nations recently released the “State of Food Security and Nutrition” report. The report was prepared by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
70. On July 15, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released data on alarming decline in number of children receiving vaccines.
71. On July 15, 2020, the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the Digital Indo-Italian Business mission on Food Processing.
72. On July 16, 2020, the Union Minister of fisheries, Husbandry and Dairying launched guidelines for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).
73. The Cochin Shipyard has signed contract with ASKO Maritime AS of Norway to build two autonomous electric ferries. The project is to be partially funded by the Norwegian Government. The project aims to provide emission free transport of goods. It aims at emission free transport across Oslofjord inlet in Norway.
74. On July 16, 2020, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development launched projects worth of Rs 44 lakhs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
75. On July, 17, 2020, India and United States signed Memorandum of Understanding to begin discussions on storing petroleum reserves in the US soil. A virtual US-India Strategic Energy Partnership Ministerial was held between the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Energy Secretary of US Dan Brouillette.
76. On July 17, 2020, Government of India announced that five portals are being developed by different organizations to promote innovation in India. This will help boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
77. On July 17, 2020, India and US held a strategic virtual energy partnership meet to review the progress of major accomplishments and also to prioritize new areas of cooperation.
78. Every year Nelson Mandela International Day is marked all over the world on July 18. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009 and the first UN Mandela day was observed in 2010.
79. On July 17, 2020, Union Environment Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar informed that the Zonal Master Plan of Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone has been approved.
80. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed community transmission in Kerala. According to the State Government of Kerala, community transmission has occurred in two coastal hamlets near capital Thiruvananthapuram.
81. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh recently announced the Renewable Energy Export Policy, 2020. The policy permits sale of power to other states of India.
82. The Indian Council of Medical Research is to conduct study to evaluate effectiveness of BCG vaccine to prevent morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 elderly individuals. The study is to be conducted on people aged between 60 and 95 years in 19 hotspots in the country.
83. On July 18, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines to Gated Residential Complexes that wish to set up COVID-19 care facilities. The facilities will manage asymptomatic, suspects, pre-symptomatic and very mild cases of COVID-19.
84. On July 19, 2020, the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering Technology operating under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers was accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing (NABL) and Calibration Laboratories to test and certify Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits.
85. On July 19, 2020, the Union Environment and Information Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar hailed “KURMA” application to track and report Indian turtles.
86. On July 19, 2020, the scientists reported the discovery of first “Super Giant Isopod” species. It was found in the eastern Indian Ocean.
87. On July 18, 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir administration announced life insurance cover of Rs 25 lakhs to all elected members of urban local bodies and panchayati raj institutions.
88. The United Nations recently released the Multidimensional Poverty Index, 2020. According to the index, India recorded the largest reduction in number of people living in poverty between the period 2015-19.
89. Every year on July 20, the Space Exploration Day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of man’s first historic landing on the moon.
90. On July 19, 2020, the State Government of Assam announced that so far 108 animals of Kaziranga National Park died in the recent floods in the state.
91. On July 20, 2020, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force. The act will empower consumers, help them to protect their rights through its provisions such as Consumer Protection Council and Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.
92. On July 20, 2020, the International Trade Union Confederation released it ranking of 144 countries on degree of respect for workers’ rights Unfortunately, India was among the least performing 10 countries in the list.
93. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share data.
94. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have partnered with UNICEF to strengthen the youth volunteers in the country to achieve Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. That is, India is to become self-reliant through such measures.
95. The National Centre for Disease control operating under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has commissioned sero-surveillance study in New Delhi.
96. The Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan recently announced that the N95 masks with valved respirators do not prevent COVID-19 from spreading out.
97. The Defence Research Development Organization has established a COVID-19 testing facility in Leh. The research facility was set up at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR).
98. Every year, on July 23, National Broadcasting Day is celebrated all over India. The day is celebrated to commemorate the first ever radio broadcast aired in India.
99. On July 23, 2020, the Karnataka cabinet cleared the formation of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission. .
100. The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Energy Agency released a report on “Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis”. The report cited benefits of cooling efficiency and Kigali Amendment report.
101. On July 25, 2020, an orange brown chemical spread over 6 hectares of nationally recognised marine life area in the French Mediterranean Sea.
102. Rajasthan Government is to set up the first plasma bank of the state in Jaipur. The first ever plasma bank of India was established in Delhi.
103. On July 26, 2020, India marked Kargil Vijay Diwas. The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute at National War Memorial. The day marks India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil war.
104. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently released Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) report. According to the report, India ranked third among top 10 countries where forest cover has increased in the last decade.
105. On July 27, 2020, PM Modi is to launch three new high-throughput labs of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
106. The TRIFED operating under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed an agreement with IIT Delhi to implement Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.
107. The researchers of IIT Kharagpur has developed rapid diagnostic device to detect COVID-19 infection within one hour.
108. On July 24, 2020, the Union Minister of Human Resources and Development has set a committee under the chairmanship of UGC Chairman D P Singh. The committee is to frame guidelines to ensure that more students stay in India and continue their higher studies.
109. The Government of India recently amended General Financial Rules, 2017. The rules were amended to impose restrictions on public procurement from the neighbourhood countries of India that share land border. This has been done on national security grounds.
110. The growth of Himalayas is a continuous process. This causes frequent earthquakes in the region. The study from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology says that the seismic activity in the eastern most part of Himalayas generate earthquake in two concentrated depths.
111. The Government of India recently brought down the average completion time for houses under restructured Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. The number of days comes down to 114 days.
112. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman recently reviewed the performance of Special Window for Affordable and Mid Income Housing (SWAMIH).
113. The Central Water Commission (CWC) recently announced that reservoirs have 155% more water as compared to that of 2019.
114. The Ministry of Shipping recently waived Waterways Usage Charges (WUC) for three years.
115. The National Task Force on COVID-19 recently decided against using Itolizumab in clinical management protocols. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had earlier approved for “restricted emergency use” of the drug.
116. The Cotton Corporation of India is holding surplus stocks of cotton. With the next harvest season approaching, the CCI is trying to boost exports.
117. The CRPF was raised on July 27, 1939 as the Crown representative Police under the British. It was then changed as Central Reserve Police force in 1949 under Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
118. Every year, World Hepatitis Day is marked by the World Health Organization and various other organizations all over the world. The day is marked to encourage actions, partners and public for greater response towards controlling Hepatitis. This year, the World Hepatitis Day is marked on the following Theme: Hepatitis-Free Future.
119. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently released the World Wildlife Crime Report. The report highlighted trafficking in protected species.
120. On July 27, 2020, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a mobile application that will provide city-wise weather forecasts and warnings. The application has been named “Mausam”.
121. The Indian Council of Medical Research has warned that India is likely to miss the national target of ending AIDS in the country by 2030. According to the council, this is mainly due to the halted progress of several health programmes due to COVID-19.
122. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation recently released a report on infrastructure projects in the country. According to the report, more than 403 infrastructure projects each of worth Rs 150 crores have been hit badly.
123. The Defence Research Development Organization launched an innovative contest “Dare to Dream”. The contest was launched on the death anniversary of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
124. Every year July 29 is celebrated as Global Tiger Day. The decision to celebrate the day was taken at the Saint Petersburg Declaration on Tiger conservation that was signed in 2010.
125. On July 28, 2020, the United Nations reported that the nitrogen dioxide levels in New Delhi has fell by more than 70% during the lock down. However, according to the international organization, this could be temporary till the cities re-open.
126. The National Green Tribunal has made the guidelines for the commercial use of ground water more stringent in the country.
127. The United Nations report recently warned that there is significant increase in ISIS terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka. The report was titled “Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS”.
128. As per the Tigers Report 2018, an increasing rate of 6% per annum of Tiger population in India from the year 2006 to 2018 was observed.
129. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on 23rd July 2020 launched a compilation of useful information about CSIR technologies for COVID-19 mitigation. He expressed his strong viewpoints on technological advancements and innovations undertaken by CSIR against COVID-19 and talked about how the country’s scientists and experts have contributed to the fight against the novel coronavirus. The Union minister also praised the contributions of COVID-19 fighters who have selflessly given their valuable time and service to the country at this juncture when the country needed them most.
130. International Friendship Day is celebrated on 30th July every year in many parts of the world while in India it is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year which is going to be 2nd August this year.
International
1. Constitutional Referendum as proposed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin during his address to the Federal Assembly on 15th January 2020 was held from 25th June to 1st July 2020. As per the votes during the Referendum, 77.95 percent of Russian citizens have voted in support of the Amendments to the 1993 Constitution of Russia. Only 21.23 percent of the Russian Citizens voted against the Amendments.
2. A new free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada comes into effect from 1st July 2020 onwards. It replaced the earlier 26 years old free trade agreement between the three countries- North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new free trade agreement has been ratified by all three countries.
3. On 6th July 2020, from Central Israel’s Palmachim Airbase Israel has successfully launched its intelligence satellite ‘Ofek-16’ into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This is the 12th Satellite launched by Israel under its Ofek family of satellites. The Ofek-16 Satellite was launched as a payload of the rocket- Shavit 2.
4. Governments across the world are dependent on the recommendations and guidelines of the WHO to curbing the spread of the infectious virus. An open letter was published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal by a group of scientists for the World Health Organization (WHO) on 6th July 2020 for revising the recommendations and guidelines issued by the WHO for transmission safety against the COVID-19 infection.
5. The formal notification to the United States Congress was provided on 7th July 2020 by President Donald Trump-led Administration on the decision of ending the United States relations with the World Health Organization (WHO: Specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for public health globally).
6. Persecution of Minorities in Pakistan continues as this time the Islamic activists have blocked the construction of Shree Krishna Mandir- the first Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. Located at the H-9/2 area of Islamabad, the foundation stone for the 1860 sq meter (20,000 sq ft) Shree Krishna Mandir was laid on 23rd June 2020.
7. From the LaunchPad 3 of the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC- the sole commercial organization for providing commercial satellite launch services of the Chinese Government) had successfully launched the communication satellite ‘APSTAR-6D’ on 9th July 2020.
8. Manila based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has renewed its 3-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2017 with the Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA). The renewed MoU was signed on 9th July 2020 for a period of 3 years.
9. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa has informed that on the request of his Government, the Indian Government has agreed to not form a joint venture company with Sri Lanka for running the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
10. Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravin Kumar Jugnauth on Thursday virtually inaugurated the new Supreme Court building at Port Louis. The building has been constructed with Indian assistance as India’s sign of cooperation with countries in the Indian Ocean Region. The inauguration process was done online via video conferencing in the presence of senior members of the judiciary from Mauritius and other esteemed delegates from both the country as well.
11. The 2020 General Elections of Singapore was conducted on 10th July 2020 for its 105 seats unicameral Parliament (93 members are elected through the Election). Singapore became the 2nd Country in Asia to conduct National Polls in the times of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Earlier on 15th April 2020, South Korea became the first Asian Country by conducting its 21st Legislative Elections.
12. The internet control and regulatory agency of the People’s Republic of China- Cyberspace Administration of China has launched a campaign for two months from 13th July 2020. As per the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Campaign is to promote a healthy online environment for all in the country, for this, the websites that have contents aimed at users base of mostly below the age of 18 will be monitored and if required will be blocked or removed for access in China.
13. On July 17, 2020, PM Modi will deliver an address on the eve of 75th anniversary of the UN. The Prime Minister is to speak at the Valedictory of High-Level Segment of UN ECOSOC.
14. On July 15, 2020, Ashok Lavasa was appointed as the vice president of Asian Development Bank.
15. On July 15, 2020, the 15th India-European Union Summit was held through video conferencing. The summit aims to strengthen ties between India and European Union. PM Modi addressed the summit.
16. On July 15, 2020, the World Health Organization released its Guidance Note on Public Health Criteria to adjust Public Health and Social Measures. Under the guidance note, the organization advised comprehensive surveillance for suspected cases.
17. On July 16, 2020, the Tunisian PM Elyes Fakhfakh resigned. He presented his resignation to the President of Tunisia Kais Saied.
18. On July 16, 2020, the 15-hour long India-China border talks concluded at 02:30 AM. The senior military commanders of the countries held discussions on the Indian side of the border in Ladakh.
19. On July 16, 2020, India and Bhutan opened a new trade route between Jaigon in West Bengal and Pasakha in Bhutan. The land route will help to move industrial raw materials and goods destined for Pasakha Industrial Estate. The route will help boost trade and commerce and will lead to decongestion of vehicular traffic.
20. On July 16, 2020, the Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that India is to resume operation of international commercial flights with France and US.
21. On July 15, 2020, India and Israel signed agreements to expand their collaboration in dealing with cyber threats. The agreement was signed between Director General of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate (INCD) and India’s Ambassador to Israel Sanjeev Singla.
22. India and Russia held a virtual meeting on “India-Russia Relations in the context of post-pandemic global order”. The meet was organized by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).
23. The United Nations Security Council has added Baitullah Mehsud of Pakistan to ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list. This has brought in asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo to the Pakistani national.
24. On July 18, 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman participated in third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meet. The meet was presided by Saudi Arabia.
25. On July 18, 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization to allow pool sampling from up to four individuals to test COVID-19.
26. The UK military is to station HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier in the Pacific as a part of International Alliance to counter China. The vessel is to sail her maiden deployment in 2021 that includes region of South China Sea.
27. The South African Customs Union (SACU) comprises of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana and Eswatini. India and the South African Customs Union held a virtual meeting to discuss the aspects of Preferential Trade Agreement.
28. On July 22, 2020, the Union Minister of Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad is to attend G20 Digital Ministers’ Meet. The Digital Economy Ministers Meet is hosted by Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia Presidency has chosen the Theme: Realizing Opportunities of the 21st century for all.
29. The Japanese Government recently approved Dexamethasone as a second treatment of COVID-19. The approval came in after Britain showed that the drug reduced death rates in COVID-19 patients.
30. On July 22, 2020, India and Maldives signed agreement to establish “Emergency Medical Services” in Male. The Emergency Medical Service is financed by India under grant assistance of 20 million USD for neighbouring countries. This will help to increase the collaboration between the countries, especially in the areas of health care facilities, disaster responses during critical times, etc.
31. On July 21, 2020, India began its trial trans-shipment of goods from India to the North East through the Chittagong port of Bangladesh.
32. On July 22, 2020, The US House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to de-escalate the situation along Line of Actual Control.
33. On July 22, 2020, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude stuck the Alaska peninsula. Tsunami warnings have been issued in the region. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 9.6 km and was centred at 96 kilometres south-southeast of Perryville, Alaska. US Tsunami Warning System has warned of hazardous waves along the coast of North America. The Earthquake took place in the “Ring of Fire”.
34. The 75th United Nations General Assembly is to be conducted virtually in 2020 for the first time in its history. The 2020 session is to begin on September 15.
35. India and Israel are to launch a cooperation operation to develop a rapid COVID-19 test. The cooperation between the countries will merge India’s mass production and technological expertise of Israel. To achieve this, Israel is to send high level research delegation to India. The team will conduct series of final stages of testing and this is a part of the cooperation.
36. South Korea recently launched its first ever military satellite to defend itself against nuclear armed North Korea. The satellite has been named “ANASIS II”.
37. On July 24, 2020, Union Health Minister of India Dr Harsh Vardhan attended Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Health Ministers’ meeting.
38. On July 25, 2020, India and European Union renewed their agreement on scientific and technological cooperation for the next five years. The agreement was signed in 2001 and was renewed in the past twice in 2007 and 2015.
39. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently launched India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization programme. The programme was launched in partnership with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and FASIE (Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises) of Russia.
40. On July 26, 2020, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization announced that it will take up clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine, COVISHIELD developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
41. On July 27, 2020, the United States Consulate in Chengdu city of China was closed in response to the closure of Chinese consulate in Houston.
42. The Government of India recently extended 1 million USD of medical assistance to North Korea on the request of World Health Organization. The medical assistance is provided as part of WHO anti-Tuberculosis programme.
43. On July 27, 2020, India handed over 10 Railway Locomotives to bolster its Neighbourhood First Policy. India had committed to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India to provide broad gauge diesel locomotives to the country.
44. On July 27, 2020, Defence Ministers Dialogue was held in New Delhi between India and Indonesia. India and Indonesia were represented by their respective Defence Ministers Shri Rajnath Singh and Prabbowo Subianto.
45. On July 28, 2020, China announced the suspension of extradition treaties of Hong Kong with Canada, Britain and Australia. China has brought the suspension under its New Security Law in Hong Kong. According to the law, China gained control over external affairs and defence of Hong Kong.
46. The United States Congressional committee has recently passed a bill Inspired by American civil rights leader and lawmaker John Lewis visit to India in the year 2009. Mr Lewis visited India to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s trip to India in the year 1959. This bill written by Mr Lewis got final approval of the key congressional committee on 29th July in the US. However, the bill has to pass through the House and Senate before it becomes the law.
47. The India-UN Development Partnership Fund was established in the year 2017, with an ambitious agenda of promoting multilateralism and shared prosperity. It was formed with a dedication of supporting demand-driven, and transformational SDG (Sustainable Development Growth) projects across the developing countries while having an immense focus on least developed countries. The fund is supported and led by the Government of India, and managed by UNOSSC (United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.). The fund is implemented in the public domain in collaboration with the United Nation.
Defence
1. The proposal to acquire 33 new fighter aircraft was approved by the Ministry of Defence on 2nd July 2020. This will help the Indian Air Force in addressing the long-felt need for increasing its fighter squadrons. Along with the purchase of 33 new fighter aircraft, the existing 59 MiG 29 aircraft will also be upgraded. The entire purchase and up-gradation will cost Rs 18,148 crore.
2. ‘Samudra Setu’ meaning ‘Sea Bridge’, In an effort to repatriate Indian Citizens from overseas, the Operation Samudra Setu was launched on 5th May 2020 by the Indian Navy. The Operation Samudra Setu lasted over 55 days in which 3,992 Indian Citizens were brought back to their homeland by the sea route by the Indian Navy.
3. On 9th July 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has e-Inaugurated 6 strategic bridges in sensitive border areas of Jammu & Kashmir. All the six bridges with strategic importance along the International Border and Line of Control were constructed in record time by working in extremely difficult weather conditions and terrains by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
4. The United States-based multinational Aerospace Company- Boeing had completed the delivery of all 37 Military Helicopter in the month of June 2020 that were ordered by the Defence Ministry for the Indian Armed Forces in 2015. This was informed by Boeing through a news release statement on their website on 10th July 2020.
5. The Israel Weapon Industries (IWI- Formerly owned by the Israel Government, was privatized in 2005 ) Assault Riffle’s- Arad and Carmel will be manufactured at the PLR Systems Private Ltd (PLR- Precise Lethal Reliable) in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district. This will be a major boost to the domestic small arms industry and as well as the Make in India initiative.
6. Talks on sharpening the infantry of the Indian Army continues as the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is likely to acquire the remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle- Raven from the United States and Israel’s Spike Firefly.
7. The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) will provide a link between the data of 14,000 police stations from across the country. The National Intelligence Grid is expected to go live by the end of the year 2020.
8. On July 15, 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) empowered the Indian Armed Forces to decide on urgent capital acquisitions up to Rs 300 crores. The DAC was chaired by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
9. On July 15, 2020, the Union Minister of State for Defence Shri Shripad Naik inaugurated the conference on Defence Manufacturing Technologies and Aerospace.
10. On July 20, 2020, the US Navy carrier USS Nimitz conducted maritime drills with Indian warships in the Middle East. The PASSEX exercise comes during a period when India and China are locked in tensed border.
11. The Defence Acquisition Council cleared the purchase of six P-8I aircrafts in 2019. Of this, four are to arrive in 2021. There are talks to acquire six more.
12. On July 20, 2020, the Defence Ministry signed a contract with the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) to procure 1,512 mine plough devices at a cost of Rs 557 crores.
13. On July 20, 2020, the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has suggested to freeze changes in Defence Procurement Policy for 4 to 5 years.
14. India and Russia are finalizing Defence Logistics Agreement that will enable seamless access to military bases and support facilities. The formal agreement is to be signed between the countries by the end of 2020.
15. On July 22, 2020, India successfully conducted the flight trial of Dhruvastra anti-guided missile at the Interim Test Range of Odisha.
16. On July 27, 2020, the first batch of Rafael Jets flew out of France. The jets are to reach India on July 29, 2020. The jets are to be armed with deadly weapons, radars, advanced electronics, electronic warfare systems and self protection suites. They are combat-deployable. The jets are to be equipped with MICA weapon system. They are to be provided with 13 India specific enhancements. It includes Israeli helmet mounted displays, radar enhancements, cold start capability from high altitude regions, low-band jammers, infrared search and tracking system and flight data recording.
17. On July 27, 2020, the Indian Army announced that the Siachen Valley is to be opened for the civilians. The decision comes amidst Line of Actual Control stand off between India and China.
18. The first set of five Rafale aircrafts landed in Ambala air base on July 29 to join IAF’s team. Section 144 CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) imposed in 4 adjacent villages of Ambala air base. Public gathering on roofs and capturing any kind of photography of landing approaches was strictly prohibited. Jodhpur air base was taken as an alternate option in case of any kind of emergency.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. Index of the Eight Core Industries for the month of May 2020 was released on 30th June 2020. The index was released by the Office of Economic Affairs (under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade). Out of the total items included in the Index of Industrial Production, the Eight Core Industries comprises of 40.27 percent weight of the total.
2. Through Finance Act 2019, amendments were brought to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. The amendments made comes into effect from 1st July 2020 onwards. These amendments were made for building a pan-India securities market and to boost Ease of Doing Business.
3. A USD 750 Million loan was approved for the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India by the World Bank Group. The Approval for the loan amount was given on 30th June 2020 by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MSME sector is under severe financial stress due to lack of exports and domestic businesses, loan approval is under Emergency Response Program to ensure increased financial support for the MSMEs in India.
4. Rs. 90,917 crore is the gross GST (Goods and Services Tax) revenue collected in the month of June 2020. The amount Rs. 90,917 crores is 91 percent of GST revenue collected in the month of June in 2019.
5. Last week the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group has approved a loan of USD 400 million for the rejuvenation of the Ganga River under the NAMAMI Gange Program of the Government of India. The loan approved by the World Bank Group is for strengthening the river basin.
6. Tensions escalated at the border between India and China from the last week of April 2020. The Galwan Valley clashes on 15th June 2020 have further intensified the call to boycott Chinese goods and products. However, there was already a significant decline in India’s trade deficit with China for the Financial Year 2019-20 (ending on 31st March 2020). With the call to boycott Chinese goods and products in the country on the rise, the trade deficit is likely to witness a larger drop in the current financial year.
7. United States-based Intel Corporation’s investment arm Intel Capital will invest Rs. 1,894.50 crores in Reliance Industries Limited’s (RIL’s) subsidiary company Jio Platform. The announcement was made by Reliance Industries Limited on 3rd July 2020. With this investment, equity value in Jio Platforms rose to Rs 4.91 lakh crore, while Rs. 5.16 lakh crore its enterprise value.
8. The Second Tranche of India’s first Corporate Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)- Bharat Bond ETF will be open for subscription from 14th July to 17th July 2020.
9. Not only to health and freedom of movement, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also made a much larger financial impact on the economy for individuals and business entities (including MSMEs) across the world. Between 8th April to 30th June 2020 which had a total of 56 weekdays (Monday to Friday), the Income Tax Department of India has made 76 tax refunds per minute.
10. The United States-based global investment firm- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) & Co. Inc. will buy the majority of 54 percent stake in JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals. 54 percent stake of Mumbai based JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals is worth Rs 3,109 crore.
11. The setbacks to the Indian economy in the first two months of the Financial Year (FY) due to the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be finally over as on 3rd July 2020 the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal informed that merchandise export figures in the month of June 2020 have touched almost 88 percent of the June 2019 figure. Earlier on 22nd June 2020, Piyush Goyal had informed that the contraction in outbound shipments are 10-12 percent in the month of June 2020 if compared to 60 percent in April 2020.
12. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) on 13th May 2020. ECLGS was announced as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package for supporting the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
13. For three Public Sector General Insurance Companies, the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a capital infusion of Rs 12,450 crore on 8th July 2020. This capital infusion of Rs 12,450 also includes the capital of Rs 2,500 infused by the Central Government in the Financial Year 2019-20 in these three Public Sector General Insurance Companies.
14. The statistics for the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in the Financial Year 2019-20 in the United Kingdom was released on 10th July 2020 by the United Kingdom Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT).
15. The United States-based Multinational Corporation-Qualcomm has informed on 12th July 2020 that it has invested Rs 730 crore in Reliance Industries’ subsidiary company- Jio Platforms.
16. As per the data from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the United States remains as the top trading partner of India during the Financial Year 2019-20.
17. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has informed on 12th July 2020 that a new Utility Tool has been launched that will facilitate the Banks and Post Offices across the country with the accurate TDS rate (Tax Deduction at Source) applicable on cash withdrawals.
18. On July 19, 2020, the Ministry of Commerce released data on exports. According to the data, the export of spices has increased. In June 2020, Indian Spices exports has increased by 23% as compared to the same month in 2019. The exports of spices have earned 359 million USD in June 2020 as compared to 292 million USD in June 2019.
19. On July 19, 2020, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies announced that the safeguard duty on solar cells imported from China, Vietnam and Thailand will continue for another one year starting from July 31, 2020. However, the countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia have been exempted.
20. On July 20, 2020, the Tamil Nadu State Government signed eight new Memorandum of Understanding of Rs 10,399 crores. The MoUs will bring investments in the areas of solar cells, agrotech, iron foundry and module manufacturing.
21. On July 20, 2020, the Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy Shri R K Singh inaugurated first public Electric Vehicle charging plaza at Chelmsford club in New Delhi.
22. On July 22, 2020, the India Business Council is to host India Ideas Summit 2020. PM Modi is to address the summit. The Summit will convene government leaders and business men for discussion about US-India partnership and trends in shaping trade and investment, globalization and future works.
23. On July 21, 2020, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) signed Memorandum of Understanding to exchange data with each other.
24. On July 22, 2020, PM Modi congratulated Kakrapur Atomic Plant of Gujarat to reach its criticality. Criticality is reaching normal operating condition.
25. The Financial Intelligence Unit is the nodal agency authorized to obtain cash transaction reports from private and public sector banks. The FIU receives reports every month to analyse suspicious cases.
26. On July 22, 2020, the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) launched UPI Auto Pay feature for recurring payments. The feature launched is dedicated to recurring payments. It can be used for multiple financial purposes such as booking bus pass, utility payment, paying DTH, train ticket among others. The organizations such as Policy Bazaar, Axis Bank, Timesprime, Razor Pay and Pay U India are to provide Auto Pay option to customers using recurring payments.
27. On July 25, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India extended 400 million USD of currency swap with Sri Lanka. The currency swap agreement is to remain till November 2022.
28. On July 26, 2020, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India amended the Indian Accounting Standards related to leasing. The Ind-AS 103, 116 and other standards have been amended.
29. On July 26, 2020, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India Chief M S Sahoo announced that a special resolution framework for MSMEs is being prepared.
30. Asian Development Bank has approved USD 3 million (equivalent to Rs 22 crore) grant to India from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to support India’s battle against COVID-19.
31. Considering current global pandemic COVID-19 the government of India on Wednesday for the third time extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for 2018-19 financial year for two months till September 30. Before this in March, the due date was extended from March 31 to June 30 for the first time and again in late June, it was extended by a month till July 31.
Science & Technology
1. Department of Science and Technology’s (DST’s) Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a scheme named ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ on 1st July 2020. The scheme was launched with the objective to provide a single platform that will encourage high-end scientific research in the country by providing a common forum for conducting workshops. Internships and capacity building programs for research scholars and students.
2. For supporting the drug discovery process, a national initiative called Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 was launched on 2nd July 2020. The initiative was launched by Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Human Resource Development Minister) and Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Science and Technology).
3. On 2nd July 2020, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval for human clinical trials to Ahmedabad based Cadila Healthcare Limited (Zydus Healthcare). The permission is for the Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of the vaccine.
4. The Mangalyaan Mission (also known as Mars Orbiter Mission) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has captured the image of Phobos (the largest Moon or Natural Satellite of Mars) on 1st July 2020. The image was shared by ISRO on 3rd July 2020.
5. As the number of social media users in India has increased significantly since the introduction of 4g technology in the country, the need for a homegrown Made in India Social Media Application was felt by many in the country largely due to rising concerns related to the privacy of data and data ownership.
6. Mumbai based Quidich Innovation Labs Private Limited has announced that it has successfully completed the first No-Permission No-Takeoff (NPNT) compliant drone flight of India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified the green field near Karnataka’s Tumkur were the first NPNT compliant drone flight of India was carried out.
7. For building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat using Digital Technologies, an App Innovation Challenge was launched on 4th July 2020 by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. In partnership with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission, the App Innovation Challenge is an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
8. Global pharmaceutical company Mylan N.V was given approval by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the launch of its generic version of Gilead Sciences Remdesivir drug for the treatment of COVID-19 positive patients in India. Mylan N.V is currently the second-largest company in the world for the manufacturing of generic and specialty pharmaceuticals.
9. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Scheme, the largest power generation equipment manufacturer in India- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) had undertaken a project with the Indian Railways for setting up a 1.7 MWp (megawatt peak) solar energy project at the Madhya Pradesh’s Bina district that will connect directly to the Overhead Traction System of the Indian Railways. The solar power project between the Indian Railways and BHEL was signed on 9th October 2019.
10. India’s & Asia’s Largest and World’s Second Largest Uptime Tier IV Designed Data Centre was inaugurated virtually on 7th July 2020. The Data Centre is named ‘Yotta NM1 or NM1’ is located inside the 600-Acre Hiranandani Fortune City at Navi Mumbai’s Panvel region. Inside the Hiranandani Fortune City, a Data Centre Park named Panvel Data Centre Park or Integrated Yotta Data Centre Park has been developed, NM1 is located inside the Panvel Data Centre Park.
11. Pune based molecular biology company- Mylab Discovery Solutions Private Limited has launched a cartridge-based machine named ‘Compact XL’ on 7th July 2020 that will be able to test and handle multiple samples at the same time. The machine will reduce the need for laboratory technicians for handling and testing samples to one, as an individual will be able to operate the machine.
12. On 8th July 2020, an agreement has been signed between the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and IIT Alumni Council.
13. The first earth observation satellite to be entirely developed by Brazil will be launch by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The satellite is known by the name ‘Amazonia-1’. The exact launch date of Amazonia-1 hasn’t been confirmed yet by ISRO but as per media reports, the launch will take place next month (August 2020).
14. Indian Manufacturing Company- Loyal Textile Mills on 9th July 2020 launched the first of its kind in the world- reusable PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Kits. Along with reusable PPE kits, reusable garments and face masks with zero virus penetration were also unveiled by Loyal Textile Mills.
15. After three years of delay, on 10th July 2020 the Solid-Fuelled Carrier Rocket of China- Kuaizhou-11 suffered a failure during its maiden flight. Kuaizhou-11 was originally planned to be launched in the first half of 2018, it was delayed due to an explosion during engine testing back in 2020. The rocket was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
16. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its approval to ‘Itolizumab’ injection for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with restricted emergency use only in case of moderate to severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) patients.
17. The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology has successfully completed the Human Clinical Trials. The trials on volunteers were conducted from 18th June 2020 at Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.
18. The IIT Kanpur has developed an Ultra Violet Sanitizing product called “Shudh”. The device is capable to disinfect 10 ×10 square feet room in just 15 minutes.
19. The scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and new materials (ARCI) have developed low cost, environment friendly super capacitor from industrial waste cotton. The capacitor can be used as energy harvester storage device.
20. Ingenuity is a robotic helicopter that is to be deployed in Mars 2020 mission of NASA. Mars 2020 mission is to be launched on July 30, 2020.
21. On July 15, 2020, the Union Minister of Human Resource and Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishnak launched world’s most affordable COVID-19 kit. The kit was developed by IIT Delhi.
22. On July 19, 2020, CSIR-CMERI unveiled COVID-19 protection System (COPS) for workplaces. The COPS include contactless solar based intelligent mask automated dispensing unit cum thermal scanner (IntelliMAST), 360-degree car flusher and touchless faucet. These sub units are now available for technology transfers. The COPS is the conglomeration of the above listed technologies.
23. A new android malware has been discovered that steals data such as credit card details, password from 337 applications. This included some of the popular apps such as Amazon, Gmail, Uber, Netflix and more.
24. IIT-Madras supported startup Modulus Housing has developed portable hospital unit. The unit can be dragged anywhere and can be installed within 2 hours.
25. On July 19, 2020, the United Arab Emirates launched the first ever mission to the red planet, Mars. The spacecraft is to arrive Mars in February 2021.
26. On July 23, 2020, china launched its first successful Mars probe from the Wenchchang spacecraft launch site. The Mars probe has been named Tianwen 1.
27. A Space start up called the Digantara has developed India’s first in-orbit space debris monitoring and tracking system. The system works on LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology.
28. NASA is to launch ASTHROS Mission from Antarctica in December 2023. The mission is to spend three weeks observing air currents above the continent.
29. Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre For Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India developed a device named “AJO-Neo” for “No-touch” & “Painless” non-invasive bilirubin level screening in new-borns.
30. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with AIIMS, is creating a new rigorous database of COVID-19 patients, admitted across the country with the aim of improving treatment in hospitals.
31. The third and final mission to the red planet of the month lifted off on Thursday 30th July at 17:20 IST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. After covering a huge distance of 300 million miles the Mars Perseverance Rover is expected to land on 18th February 2021. The main objective of the Mars Perseverance Rover is to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth.
32. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on 23rd July 2020 launched a compilation of useful information about CSIR technologies for COVID-19 mitigation. He expressed his strong viewpoints on technological advancements and innovations undertaken by CSIR against COVID-19 and talked about how the country’s scientists and experts have contributed to the fight against the novel coronavirus. The Union minister also praised the contributions of COVID-19 fighters who have selflessly given their valuable time and service to the country at this juncture when the country needed them most.
Government Schemes
1. The Department of Food and Public Distribution has estimated that food grains (Rice and Wheat) and pulses worth Rs 1,48,938 crore will be distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana in the period between 8 months from April to November 2020.
2. During the first quarter (April 2020 to June 2020) of the FY 2020-21, despite a nationwide lockdown and restriction on the movement of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 19 lakh households in the rural areas across the country were provided with tap water connection.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the rural and migrant labourers across the country into financial distress, as a result, more and more labourers continue to be attracted towards Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
4. On 8th July 2020, a new pan India Central Sector Scheme was given approval by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new Central Sector Scheme is called ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’.
5. To fulfill the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, On 8th July 2020, the Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval for developing Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs). These Affordable Rental Housing Complexes will be developed as a sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) for the Urban Migrants/poor.
6. To bridge the demand-supply gap in the market across all the sectors in the country for the skilled workforce, on 10th July 2020, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based digital portal was launched that will address the same by improving the information flow. The name of the digital portal is ‘Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASSEM)’.
7. 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.
8. At the Health and Wellness Centres across the country under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, in between 1st February 2020 to 30th June 2020, about 8.8 crore Indian Citizens have availed healthcare services.
9. For the sensitization of the Members of Parliaments from Schedule Tribe (ST) Constituencies, a webinar was conducted on 10th July 2020. The webinar was conducted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
10. On 10th July 2020, for school children across the country ‘ATL App Development Modules’ has been launched in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative for transforming school students from users of the smartphone-based applications to innovative developers of the smartphone-based applications.
11. On behalf of the State Government of Punjab, Manpreet Singh Badal (Finance Minister of Punjab) met DV Sadananda Gowda (Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers) on 13th July 2020 at New Delhi.
12. For vital inputs related to the local requirement that will help in providing a world-class network of National Highways in the country such as topography, resource potential, etc, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) through a decentralized approach will be collaborating with the premier Technical Institutes of the country (IITs, NITs, and other Reputed Engineering Colleges and Universities).
13. Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed the Street Vendors in the State on 12th July 2020 through video conferencing. He informed that Madhya Pradesh so far has topped in implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) by sanctioning an interest-free loan of around Rs 15.50 crore to 15,500 street vendors in the state.
14. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched a refinance scheme for financial institutions and banks. It has allocated Rs 5,000 crores for the scheme.
15. On July 14, 2020, Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog coordinated and concluded the series of COVID-19 “Demo Days” initiative. The initiative will identify promising startups that have the potential of COVID-19 innovations.
16. On July 18, 2020, Odisha Government announced that transgenders are to be included under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana.
17. On July 17, 2020, PM SVANidhi app was launched by the Minister of Urban Affairs. The application aims to provide user-friendly digital interface for lending institutions and their functionaries to source and process loan applications of street vendors.
18. On July 20, 2020, the Minister of food Processing Industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal e-inaugurated the first Mega Food Park in Mizoram.
19. On July 21, 2020, Ministry of Human Resources and Development will launch “Manodarpan” initiative under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The initiative is being launched to provide psychosocial support to the students for their mental well being.
20. On July 21, 2020, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched “Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana”. The scheme is to help the eligible beneficiaries get ration delivered at home.
21. On July 23, 2020, Home Minister Amit Shah will launch “Vriksharopan Abhiyan”. The minister is to launch the scheme through video conference in more than 130 locations spread in 38 districts.
22. The Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah distributed 100 electric potter wheels under Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana of KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission).
Awards & Honours
1. Technical partners of MyGov Corona Helpdesk- JioHaptik Technologies Limited were awarded two awards for their AI (Artificial Intelligence) enabled technology solution at the virtual Global Leadership Summit and Festival of AI & Emerging Technology, CogX 2020.
2. A WhatsApp chatline named ‘SMARTgirl Chatline’ was implemented by a Research Team from Cambodian NGO- KHANA Centre for Population Health Research. The ‘Smartgirl Chatline’ offered 24 hours response and support against gender-based violence to female entertainment workers in Cambodia.
3. The Climate Activist Greta Thunberg was awarded the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. She was awarded with prize money of 1 million Euros.
Persons in News
1. To the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, the 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Indra Mani Pandey was appointed as the next Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India. In the Ministry of External Affairs, Indra Mani Pandey is currently serving as the Additional Secretary.
2. 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee and Harvard University Economics Professor Raj Chetty were listed among the 38 immigrants to be honoured as the ‘2020 Great Immigrants’ by the Carnegie Corporation.
3. Retired 1983 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Odisha Cadre- Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as the 1st Chairman of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) on 6th July 2020.
4. The Incumbent President of Poland- Andrzej Duda has secured a victory in the 2020 Presidential Election of Poland on 12th July 2020. Andrzej Duda has secured 1,04,13,094 (1 crore 4 lakh 13 thousand 94 votes) votes in the Second Round of the Election to cross the majority figure marginally with 51.21 percent of the total valid votes.
5. 13th July 2020 marks the 206th Birth Anniversary of Bhanubhakta Acharya, he was the first writer to translate the Great Epic of Ancient India- Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali. Bhanu Jayanti is also celebrated across the state of Nepal on 13th July every year.
6. On July 16, 2020 the former IAS officer and the first woman election commissioner of Maharashtra Smt Neela Satyanarayan passed away. The 1972 batch officer was admitted at the Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
7. On July 21, 2020, Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon passed away at the age of 85. Upon the governor’s death, the MP Government has announced 5-day mourning period between July 21, 2020 and July 25, 2020.
8. On July 22, 2020, actor Sonu Sood launched “Pravasi Rojgar App”. The application provides all necessary information to find jobs and offer specific job training programmes.
9. On July 22, 2020, Shri Arun Kumar was nominated as the Vice-Chairman of the International Union of Railways. Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav is the chairman.
10. On July 22, 2020, the Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Customs Sahil Seth was appointed as the honorary adviser of steering committee for BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).
Sports
1. In the presence of P.V Sindhu (Olympic Silver Medalist) and Sunil Chhetri (all-time top goalscorer of Indian National Football team), ‘Fit Hai to Hit Hai India’ program was launched on 3rd July 2020 by Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Minister of Human Resource Development) and Kiren Rijiju (Union Minister of State I/C for Youth Affairs and Sports).
2. In order to groom young athletes in the country for the upcoming Olympics of 2024 (Paris) and 2028 (Los Angeles), the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will launch- Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for the junior athletes. This was informed on 3rd July 2020 by Kiren Rijiju (Union Minister of State I/C for Youth Affairs and Sports) during the launch of the ‘Fit Hai to Hit Hai India’ program.
3. On the occasion of completion of 100 years of participation of Indian athletes at the Olympic Games, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has adopted a new branding and visual identity on 6th July 2020.
4. On July 15, 2020, the Federation Internationale de Football Association announced that the 2022 World Cup is to be held in Qatar. The governing body also released schedule of matches.
5. On July 25, 2020, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju announced that Haryana is to host the fourth edition of Khelo India Youth Games. The Games has been scheduled to be conducted after Tokyo Olympics.
6. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Friday came up with a selection committee for selecting awardees for various sports awards for the year 2020.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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