Latest Current Affairs – July 21 & 22 2018
1. Kerala best in governance, Bihar worst: Think tank report
Kerala has been rated as the best-governed state in India for the third consecutive time in the Public Affairs Index released by Bengaluru-based think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC). While Tamil Nadu was rated second on the index, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar were ranked the lowest. The index was based on 100 indicators, which were derived from government data.
2. Lewis Hamilton wins German Grand Prix
Four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix despite starting from the 14th position on the grid. Hamilton’s championship rival Sebastian Vettel crashed while leading the race with 15 laps to go. The Mercedes driver now leads Vettel by 17 points in the championship standings with 10 races to go.
3. Indian captain Sunil Chhetri named AIFF Player of 2017
Indian men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri has been named as the 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year. The 33-year-old had recently become the second Indian footballer after former captain Bhaichung Bhutia to play 100 matches for the national team. Chhetri scored 22 goals in 30 matches for Bengaluru FC across all competitions last season.
4. Only 35 goods left in 28% GST slab from 226 at launch
The GST Council has pruned the 28% slab by cutting rates on 191 goods over the past one year, leaving just 35 items in the highest tax bracket. The items remaining in the 28% bracket include automobiles, digital cameras, tyres, yachts, aircraft, aerated drinks and cigarettes. The Council cut rates on TV, fridge and washing machine among others.
5. India gets first Asian Jr C’ship men’s gold winner in 53 yrs
Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen became the first men’s singles player from India in 53 years to win the gold medal at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships. The 16-year-old beat world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn to become only the third Indian after Gautam Thakkar and PV Sindhu to bag a gold medal at the Asian Junior Championships.
6. Ukrainian 1st man to hold all 4 world cruiserweight titles
Ukrain’s Oleksandr Usyk beat Russian rival Murat Gassiev by a unanimous decision to become the first man to hold all four world cruiserweight titles. With the win Usyk also claimed the inaugural World Boxing Super Series Ali Trophy. Usyk, the 31-year-old Olympic gold medallist, ended Gassiev’s 26-match unbeaten streak to claim the WBA and IBF titles from him.
7. SpaceX launches world’s heaviest communications satellite
Elon Musk-led space startup SpaceX launched the Telstar 19 Vantage satellite, the world’s heaviest commercial communications satellite weighing over 7,000 kg, through its Falcon 9 rocket. Its upgraded first stage booster flew itself back and landed on an off-shore droneship. This was the second successful launch of the new version of SpaceX’s Block 5 rocket.
8. PM Modi to gift 200 cows to Rwandan President
PM Narendra Modi will gift 200 cows to Rwandan President Paul Kagame on his upcoming visit as a contribution to the latter’s flagship ‘Girinka’ programme, wherein each poor family is given one cow. The cows will be sourced from Rwanda since they are adapted to local surroundings. Earlier, PM Modi gave ex-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif a shawl for his mother.
9. New Electronic Voting Machines manufacturing facility inaugurated
Election Commissioner Sunil Arora inaugurated a new manufacturing facility for EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) production at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL),in Bangalore. Braille EPI Cards (Electors Photo Identity Card) were distributed for the first time in Karnataka to four visually impaired voters.
10. NASA launches toolkit to promote commercial use of satellite data
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the ‘Remote Sensing Toolkit’ to promote commercial use of satellite data.
This toolkit was launched with an aim to make it easier for users to find, analyse and utilise the relevant satellite data for their research, business projects or conservation efforts.
It provides a simple system that quickly identifies relevant sources based on user input. It helps to find the satellite data easier and to spark innovation among the entrepreneurial community and lead to further commercialisation of NASA technology.
11. India and Japan hold 4th Round Of Maritime Affairs Dialogue
India and Japan held the fourth round of Maritime Affairs Dialogue in New Delhi. During the dialogue, key issues related to the Indo-Pacific region and maritime security were discussed.
The Indian delegation at the dialogue was led by Pankaj Sharma, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the External Affairs Ministry and the Japanese side was led by Ambassador Kansuke Nagaoka, Policy Planning and International Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
12. Myanmar Joins International Solar Alliance
Myanmar joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) and it became the 68th signatory to the Framework Agreement of the ISA that aims for optimum utilisation of solar energy. Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin handed over the ISA Framework Agreement to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a bilateral meeting on Delhi Dialogue 2018.
13. Volkswagen has planned to set up a design centre in Pune
German auto major Volkswagen (VW) Group has planned to set up a design centre in Chakan near Pune. It is aimed to expand the production capacity of the company. VW would be investing ₹8,000 crore, in phases, in the design centre, development of new models and other activities.
The group is targeting to achieve a 5% market share in India by 2025, from the current 1.8%, across brands. Currently, Volkswagen has 121 dealers across 104 cities in India and it is planning to increase the number of touch points.
14. Govt to use MicroDots technology to check vehicle thefts
In this technique, thousands of small dots laser etched will be sprayed with a vehicle identification number on all over the vehicle’s body including their engines.
This tech is termed as MicroDots and it is almost impossible to remove these dots. Hence, the car’s identity can be established at any stage.
The government’s highest automobile technical standard making body CMVR-TSC (Central Motor Vehicles Rules -Technical Standing Committee) will finalise the rules and its guidelines in the next one or two months.
15. India topped the list of skilled visa immigrants in Australia
For those coming to Australia on the skilled visa, India with 2,34,395 individuals (19 per cent) bagged the top rank, followed by England and China at 160,558 (13 per cent) and 146,842 (12 per cent) people, respectively. According to a data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 1,54,012 Indians have acquired Australian citizenship.
Under the family visa programme, China with 95,532 immigrants (14 per cent) ranked first, followed by UK at 60,108 (8.8 per cent) and India at 56,406 (8.3 per cent).
16. World class exhibition on four eminent personalities of Bengal to be hosted at Kolkata
A world-class permanent exhibition on four eminent personalities of Bengal – Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Syama Prasad Mukherjee. It will be opened at the National Library in Kolkata in the near future. This is announced by Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
17. Union Government to launch Student Police Cadet Programme
The Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme will be launched nationally on July 21, 2018, by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of the Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar and the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal.
The programme will not have any prescribed textbook and nor will it include an exam. The topics covered under this part include values and ethics, respect for elders, empathy and sympathy, tolerance, patience, attitude, team spirit and discipline.
18. Facebook to Launch Satellite Athena in 2019
Facebook is working on a new satellite project, named Athena, that will provide broadband internet connections to rural and underserved areas. The company aims to launch a satellite in early 2019. In 2016, Facebook’s internet satellite for Africa was lost when SpaceX’s rocket exploded.
19. Former Chhattisgarh Finance Minister Ramchandra Singhdeo Passed away
Ramchandra Singhdeo, former and first Finance Minister of Chhattisgarh, passed away in Raipur. He was the Finance Minister in the cabinet of the then Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.
20. Justice Menon is to be appointed as Chief Justice Delhi High Court
The Supreme Court (SC) collegium has recommended Chief Justice Rajendra Menon to take over as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Currently, he is the CJ of Patna HC. The acting Chief Justice of the Delhi HC is Justice Gita Mittal. She has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir HC.
21. NABARD launches South East Asia’s first ever Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow
NABARD launches South East Asia’s first ever Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow. It aims at accelerating concerted climate action by various stakeholders in government, private, financial and non -government sectors.
The centre will help NABARD in enhancing its capacity building efforts manifold. It will extend professional support to stakeholders for designing climate related projects and take up collaborative studies and action research projects in the area. It will address capacity building needs of stakeholders, undertake policy advocacy, promote national and international collaborations by bringing in knowledge, technology and finance for addressing the challenges and opportunities emerging from climate change.
