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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Nelson Mandela International Day
- The Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year on July 18
- The day came into existence post a resolution passed by the United Nations which officially declared his birthday which falls on 18 July to be celebrated globally since 2009
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
China gifts warship to Sri Lanka
- China has gifted warship frigate P625 to Sri Lanka
- The frigate was commissioned into the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as Tongling in 1994.
- The warship was decommissioned in 2015 and has been gifted to Sri Lankan Navy after a refit.
- The ‘P625’ frigate will be mainly used for offshore patrol, environment monitoring and anti-piracy combats
| USEFUL INFO |
| China Capital | Beijing |
| Currency | Renminbi, Yuan |
| President | Xi Jinping |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Cabinet extends 15th Finance Commission’s term up to November 30
- Cabinet has approved the extension of the term of Fifteenth Finance Commission up to 30th November 2019 and mandated the panel to suggest ways for allocation of non-lapsable funds for defence and internal security.
- It will enable the Commission to examine various comparable estimates for financial projections in view of reforms and the new realities to finalise its recommendations for the period 2020-2025
- The Fifteenth Finance Commission was, constituted by the President on 27th November, 2017, headed by N K Singh.
- It was to submit its report on the basis of its Terms of Reference by 30th October this year covering a period of five years commencing from 1st April, 2020
Cabinet approves Rs. 1,600 crore for Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal
- Union Cabinet has approved 1,600 crore rupees for Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh
- Dibang Multipurpose Project (Dibang MPP) is envisaged as a storage based hydro-electric project with flood moderation as the key objective.
- The Project is located on river Dibang, in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. The project envisages construction of a 278 m high Concrete Gravity Dam
- The project shall generate 2880MW (12x240MW) power to produce 11223MU of energy in a 90% dependable year.
- This is the largest ever Hydro Electric Projects to be constructed in India. The dam is 278 metres high and will be the highest dam in India once completed
Google India’s ‘Internet Saathi’ programmeexpanded to Punjab, Odisha
- Google India’s ‘Internet Saathi’ programme aimed to empower rural women on how to use the Internet has now added two more states — Punjab and Odisha.
- With this, the programme has now reached 2.6 lakh villages in 20 states.
- Launched as a pilot project in 2015, along with Tata Trusts, ‘Internet Saathi’ programme focuses on educating women on how to use the Internet.
- In Punjab, the programme will cover around 5,000 villages. In Odisha, it will cover over 16,000 villages.
Supreme Courtforms panel to frame emergency planfor the protectionGreat Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican Bird
- Supreme Court of India has constituted a three member high powered committee to frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of two Indian birds species namely Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican
- The panel comprising
- Dr Deepak Apte – Director of Bombay Natural History Society;
- Dr Asad R Rahmaniformer Director of Bombay Natural History Society and member of governing body of Wetlands International South Asia
- Dr Dhananjai Mohan, Chief Conservator of Forests of Uttarakhand.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
Government cuts interest on GPF by 10 bps to 7.9 per cent
- Government cuts interest on General Provident Fund (GPF) by 10 bps to 7.9 per cent from 8 per cent for the period starting July 1 and ending on September 30.
- This interest rate will be applicable on provident funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate is in line with that of Public Provident Fund.
Andhra Bank unveils Al chatbotABHiin Telangana
- Andhra Bank launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) interactive assistant – ABHi.
- Bank Managing Director and CEO, J Packirisamy has unveiled the Chatbot – ABHi at a function held at Bank’s Head office
- The Bank’s AI powered chatbot-ABHi uses latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm to understand the customer query and fetch the relevant information from possible knowledgebase in a matter of milliseconds.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Andhra Bank CEO | J Packirisamy |
| Headquarters | Hyderabad |
| Tagline | Where India Bank |
ADB cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 7 per cent for FY20
- Asian Development Bank has lowered India’s GDP growth forecast to 7 per cent for the current year
- India is expected to grow by 7 per cent in 2019 (FY20) and 7.2 per cent in 2020 (FY21), slightly slower than projected in April
- For the south Asian region growth projected at 6.6 per cent in 2019 and 6.7 per cent in 2020
| USEFUL INFO |
| Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
| President | TakehikoNakao |
| Headquarters | Mandaluyong, Philippines |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS
Ebix buys Yatraonline forRs 2,323.6 crore
- EbixInc, the US-based supplier of on-demand software and e-commerce services to the insurance, healthcare, financial and e-learning industries, has acquired Yatra Online Inc, for an enterprise value of $337.8 million (Rs 2,323.6 crore) in an all-stock deal
- The transaction will create India’s largest and most profitable travel services company. However, Yatra will continue to operate independently and also retain its brand and status in India.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
Ursula von der Leyen elected as first female president of European commission
- German defense minister Ursula von der Leyen has been elected as the European Commission’s first female president.
- She will assume charge on 1 November 2019and succeed Jean-Claude Juncker.
| USEFUL INFO |
| European Union Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| President of the Council | Donald Tusk |
| President of the Commission | Ursula von der Leyen |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR
Government’s ”Find the Incredible You” campaign wins PATA award
- The “Find the Incredible You” campaign of the Tourism Ministry, has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award, 2019
- The campaign focuses on digital and social media and the promotion of niche tourism products of the country.
- The campaign won the award under the “Marketing – Primary Government Destination” category.
- To take the campaigns to the next level, the ‘Incredible India 2.0’ campaign was launched in September 2017.
- As part of the 2.0 campaign, five new television commercials were produced by the ministry, which were aired globally on television and social media.
- PATA Gold Awards are given to tourism industry organizations and individuals making an outstanding contribution towards the successful promotion of the travel industry throughout the Asia Pacific Region.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) |
| Headquarter | Bangkok, Thailand |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
Israel Aerospace signs $50 million follow-up deal with Indian Navy
- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has inked a follow-up deal worth USD 50 million to supply complementary Naval MRSAM (medium range surface-to-air missile) systems to the Indian Navy and the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
- The agreement involves a range of maintenance and other services for sub-systems of Israel Aerospace’s naval medium range surface-to-air missile.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Israel Capital | Jerusalem |
| Israel Currency | Israeli new shekel |
| Israel Prime minister | Benjamin Netanyahu |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX
Jeff Bezos world’s richest person in Bloomberg Billionaires Index
- Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is the world’s richest person with a total net worth of USD 125 billion
- Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman MukeshAmbani, India’s richest person, is world’s 13th wealthiest person with a net worth of $51.8 billion in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s wealthiest 500 individuals.
- Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, who has never been ranked below the second spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index has been pushed to the Number 3 rank by Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH oët Hennessy Bernard Arnault
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship begins in Cuttack
- The 21st edition of Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship began at the Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in Cuttack
- Odisha Governor Prof. GaneshiLal inaugurated the event.
AnishBhanwala claims gold medal in 25m rapid fire pistol in ISSF Junior World Cup
- AnishBhanwala won his second ISSF Junior World Cup gold in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol
- While Esha Singh bagged a silver in women’s 10m air pistol, consolidating India’s top position in Suhl, Germany.
- Anish had won his first Junior World Cup gold in the event in Sydney last year.