Latest Current Affairs – July 23 & 24 2018
1. Centre to set up high-level committee to probe mob lynchings
The Centre has announced a four-member committee headed by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to suggest laws against lynching and mob violence. A Group of Ministers was also constituted to make recommendations to the Prime Minister for legislation on lynching. This comes after the Supreme Court asked the Parliament to come up with a law on lynchings.
2. India and Rwanda sign several MoUs
India and Rwanda signed eight agreements in the field of Defense, Cultural exchange programme, MoU in Cooperation in Leathers among others. The documents were exchanged following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rwanda on the first leg of his three-nation Africa tour, becoming the first Indian premier to visit the East African country.
3. Bargiel became the first person to ski down the world’s 2nd highest mountain
Poland’s Andrzej Bargiel became the first person to ski down the world’s second-highest mountain, the 8,611-metre high K2 peak in Pakistan. K2 also known as “Savage Mountain” is considered to be a more challenging climb than the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
4. IIPH-H to introduce Drone delivery system for medical supplies
Indian Institute of Public Health – Hyderabad (IIPH-H) is developing a drone delivery system for medical supplies, with a temperature-controlled payload box, to be delivered to a remote village in the State without delay.
The aim of the Digital Drone-based Real-Time Advanced Medical Modular Logistics system (2DREAM) project is to reach the remote areas and deliver the temperature-sensitive payload in 30 minutes. IIPH-H has partnered with the prestigious US-based Johns Hopkins University to develop the temperature-controlled vaccine box.
5. Delhi AIIMS signed MoU with IIT Kharagpur for education and research purposes
The AIIMS has signed a MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, for collaboration in education, research outreach and medical services. The agreement included initiating joint degrees such as PhD, M.D.-PhD, M.Sc-PhD and coordinated internship programmes.
It is aimed to promote interaction and collaboration among faculty members, scientists and students of the two premier institutes in their respective domains, to carry out joint academic and research programmes, joint supervision of masters and doctoral students, and collaborative research.
6. India Won 8 Medals and Iran tops at Junior Asian Wrestling Championship
India won 8 medals in the Junior Asian Wrestling championship. The medallist comprises of 2 gold, 3 Silver and 3 bronze. Sachin Rathi won gold in the category of 74 kilograms. Deepak Punia won gold in the category of 86 kilogram category. Iran topped the championship with the 189 points. India secured 173 points and Uzbekistan secured 128 points.
7. Democratic Republic of Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared the end of an Ebola outbreak which was first reported in the month of May in Bikoro province. More than 30 people were killed and over 50 people were infected in the outbreak, the Health Ministry said. It was the ninth Ebola outbreak since the discovery of the virus in Congo in 1976.
8. Groundwater where Sterlite plant located contaminated: Govt
The Centre has confirmed that, according to a study by the Central Ground Water Board, the groundwater in the SIPCOT area of Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin where the Sterlite copper plant is located is polluted. Notably, the plant was closed two months ago following a protest which resulted in the death of 13 protestors in police firing.
9. Spray loaded with microscopic electronic sensors made
Using tiny 2-D materials, researchers have built microscopic chemical sensors that can be sprayed as aerosols. Each sensor comprises a chip with dimensions 1 micrometer x 100 micrometers with circuits that include a chemical detector and photodiode, which converts light into electric current. The devices could help monitor environmental pollution or diagnose diseases, said researchers.
10. Pakistan gets its first woman chief justice of high court
Justice Tahira Safdar has been nominated as the first woman chief justice of a Pakistani high court. She will take charge of her new role following the retirement of incumbent Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai on August 31. In 1982, Safdar became the first woman civil judge in Balochistan.
11. PM Modi addresses Indian Community in Kampala; India-Uganda exchange 3 MoUs
PM Modi thanked President Museveni for his long association with India and for taking special care of people of Indian origin in Uganda. India and Uganda exchanged 3 MoUs covering the defence sector, cultural exchanges and diplomatic passport holders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India will continue to assist Uganda in its growth journey in every possible field. He also announced a gift of a state of the art Cancer therapy machine to the Uganda Cancer Institute.
12. 19th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations begin
19th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations begin at Drass War Memorial in Jammu and Kashmir. The Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated for three days; from 24th July till 26th July; every year, to commemorate India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan.
It remembers the supreme sacrifice of 500 war heroes who laid down their lives and those who are still alive. Various cultural programmes have been organised for the three-day event.
13. Muhammed Anas Yahiya Breaks Own National Record In 400m
Star sprinter Muhammed Anas Yahiya entered the record books as he broke his own national record to win the 400 metres race at the Cena Noveho Mesta nad Metuji meets in the Czech Republic. Anas set a time of 45.24 seconds to break his own record of 45.31 seconds which he had set during the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in April 2018.
14. China offered a gift of USD 295 million to Sri Lanka
Chinese President Xi Jinping offered a gift of $295 million to Sri Lanka, as Beijing tries to expand its influence in the island nation.
President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka, a partner in China’s Belt and Road project, made the announcement at a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a Chinese-funded kidney hospital in his home constituency of Polonnaruwa. China has gifted $295 million for the utilization of the project.
15. Federal Bank got RBI nod to enter Bahrain, Kuwait, Spore
Federal Bank was waiting for local clearances to start operations around Bahrain, Kuwait, Spore already it has representative offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The bank mainly focuses on the digital alternatives to reach out to more customers. It’s turnover around 380 crores.
16. Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched gold medal at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2018
Sixteen-year-old Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen secured a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships after defeating World junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in straight games in the final. He scored 21-19, 21-18 and won over Vitidsarn in the final which clocked 46 minutes.
The Badminton Association of India has announced a cash reward of Rs.10 lakh for Lakshya. Late Gautam Thakkar (1965) and Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu (2012) had won the prestigious title earlier.
17. Banks and Financial institutions in India signed Pact on Bad Loan Resolution Framework
22 public sector banks (including India Post Payments Bank), 19 private sector banks, 32 foreign banks and financial institutions like LIC, HUDCO, PFC and REC signed the Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) framework, which is part of project ‘Sashakt’, to take concerted efforts towards resolving dud loans under Rs. 500 crore.
This Project is proposed by a committee headed by Sunil Mehta (non-executive chairman of PNB). The new framework is applicable to accounts with exposures of over ₹2,000 crore where lenders must implement the resolution plan within 180 days.
18. Tokyo introduced mascots for 2020 Olympic Games
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organising Committee launched the official Olympic Game mascot named ‘Miraitowa’ and Paralympic Game mascot christened ‘Someity’.
A big-eyed, blue-checked character “Miraitowa” name was a combination of the Japanese words for future and eternity, expressing “hope for a bright future stretching off forever.” The pink, pointy-eared “Someity” name comes from the word for Japan’s iconic cherry blossoms and also sounds a bit like the English words “so mighty”.
The next Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo between July 24 and August 9, 2020 and Paralympic Games from August 25 to September 6, 2020.
19. Govt reduced minimum yearly deposit for Sukanya Samriddhi account
The government has slashed the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000. The maximum amount that can be deposited in a year is Rs 1.5 lakh.
Sukanya Samriddhi scheme was launched in January 2015, under which a parent or legal guardian can open an account in the name of the girl child until she attains the age of ten years.
The account opened under the scheme will be valid for 21 years from the date of opening, after which it will mature and the money will be paid to the girl child in whose name the account is opened.
20. Iran becomes India’s second largest oil supplier
Iran has overtaken Saudi Arabia to be the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indian public sector firms during April-June quarter. Iraq remains India’s No:1 supplier of crude. State firms that buy oil from Iran include Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL). New Delhi shipped in 7.27 million tonnes of oil from Iraq, while shipments from Saudi Arabia totalled 5.22 million tonnes.
21. Lok Sabha passed NCTE (Amendment) Bill
The Lok Sabha passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill to post-facto approval to Central/State institutions that are conducting teacher education courses without NCTE approval.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that it has been done as a one-time measure to ensure the benefit of the students who have appeared for B.Ed, M.Ed and various other exams in institutes that are not recognised. He also said that there are also plans to start an integrated four-year B.A.-B.Ed, B.Sc.-B.Ed and B.Com-B.Ed courses to benefit the students.
