Current Affairs July – 2019
India
Union Budget 2019-20: Highlights
Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, announced the maiden budget of the second innings of the Modi government in Parliament on 5 July 2019. The total expenditure for 2019-20 is budgeted at ₹2,786,349 crore. Listed below are a few key highlights of the budget.
1.Government to introduce a new National Education Policy
2. ₹400 crore allocated to create world-class educational institutions
3. Government to provide training to youth in VR, AI and robotics under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana to enable them to acquire skills in these emerging technologies
4. Government to establish National Research Foundation to encourage universities and colleges take up R&D projects
5. Government to set up National Sports Education Board under Khelo India programme in order to create awareness for sports as an integral part of wellness throughout the country.
6. PAN and Aadhaar to become interchangeable for easier filing of IT returns
7. ₹5 lakh minimum limit announced for taxpayers
8. Import duty of ₹1 per tonne levied on crude oil
9. ₹50 lakh crores proposed for railway infrastructure
10. By 2022, every rural family, except those who are unwilling to take a connection, will have electricity and clean cooking facility.
11. 125,000 kilometres of road to be upgraded over the next five years at a cost of ₹80,250 crore
12. Imported defence equipment will be exempted from basic customs duty
For more details, visit http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=191301
IAF’s Tarun Chaudhri becomes first pilot to do wingsuit skydive
Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri became the first pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to do a wingsuit jump on 21 July 2019. This is the first flying wingsuit jump demonstration at an organised gathering. The commander attempted the jump during the Kargil Diwas celebrations at the Air Force Station in Jodhpur. He jumped off a Mi-17 helicopter from an altitude of 8,500 feet.
Wingsuit flying is a combination of skydiving and hang gliding. The person attempting this sport jumps from a very high altitude or an aircraft and glides through the air. The diver wears a specially designed attire or wingsuit that increases the surface area, thereby generating upward force to prevent the diver from free fall.
For more details, visit https://www.ndtv.com
Bills passed in Lok Sabha in July 2019
The first session of the Lok Sabha that began on 7 June and which was to be concluded on July 26, has been extended till August 7. Some bills passed in the session so far are the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019, The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019; The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019; The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Code on Wages, 2019; The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
A couple of bills including the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 and the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 were passed after much debate.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill: This bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Law and Justice, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, and was passed on 25 July 2019. It makes the declaration of triple talaq (instant divorce), in oral, written or electronic form, a cognisable offence, attracting up to three years’ imprisonment with a fine.
The National Medical Commission Bill: This bill was introduced by the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in the Lok Sabha, and was passed on 22 July 2019. This bill replaces the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. It facilitates the setting up of the National Medical Commission (NMC) to ensure the availability of highly qualified medical professionals, adoption of advanced practices and equipment by medical professionals, periodic assessment of medical institutions, and an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Sports
Seven Indian boxers win gold in President’s Cup
Six-time world boxing champion Mary Kom clinched victory by winning a gold medal at the 23rd President’s Cup held between 20 and 29 July in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. The 36-year-old defeated Australia’s April Franks 5-0 in the one-sided 51kg category final match.
Mary was not the only one to make India proud. Simranjit Kaur, the 2018 World Championships bronze winner was equally impressive. Kaur grabbed a gold medal in the 60kg category by defeating Indonesia’s Hasanah Huswatun 5-0.
India did not stop at that. Jamuna Boro put up a remarkable performance by demolishing Italy’s veteran boxer Giulia Lamagna 5-0 in the 54kg category. Furthermore, Monika put up a great show in the 48kg category.
Among the men, Ankush Dahiya (64kg), Neeraj Swami (49kg) and Ananta Pralhad Chopade (52kg) were crowned champions in the 64kg, 49kg and 52kg weight category, respectively.
Indian boxers grabbed a total of nine medals, including seven gold and two silver, which also helped them win the ‘Best Team’ award.
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Hima Das wins five gold medals in a month
9-year-old Indian sprinter Hima Das scripted history by winning five gold medals in a month. She won the first gold of the year at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on 2 July 2019, clocking 23.65 seconds to win the 200 metre race.
On 8 July, she grabbed another gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland by finishing 200 metre in 23.97 seconds. The ‘Dhing Express’ went on to clinch victory in the 200 metre race held at the Kladno Athletics Meet in the Czech Republic, completing it in 23.43 seconds. Her fourth gold came at the Tabor Athletics Meet held in the Czech Republic. She completed the 200-metre race in merely 23.25 seconds.
Hima claimed her fifth gold of the month in the 400-metre race held at the Nove Mesto nad Metuji Grand Prix in Prague clocking 52.09 seconds.
For more details, visit https://www.financialexpress.com
Zimbabwe cricket team suspended from ICC with immediate effect
The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the Zimbabwe cricket team with immediate effect for breach of its constitution. The decision was taken during the ICC annual conference in London on 18 July 2019.
A statement released by the Council said, ‘Zimbabwe failed to fulfil their obligation to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its administration for cricket.’
As a result of the suspension, Zimbabwe will lose out on ICC funding. Furthermore, its national cricket team will not be allowed to participate in any ICC event.
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Dutee Chand creates history at the World University Games
Dutee Chand created history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to win a gold medal in the 100-metre race in the World University Games. She thus became the second Indian sprinter to win a gold in an international event after Hima Das, who finished on top in 400-metre at the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.
The 23-year-old sprinter led the race from start to finish and clocked 11.32 seconds. The silver medal was clinched by Ajla Del Ponte of Switzerland who completed the race in 11.33 seconds. The 30th edition of the Summer University Games was held in Naples, Italy.
India’s golden girl holds the 100-metre national record at 11.24 seconds.
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Rohit Sharma becomes first cricketer to score five centuries in a World Cup
Indian opener Rohit Sharma set a record by becoming the first player to hit five centuries in the 2019 World Cup. No other player has ever smashed five centuries in a single World Cup. The previous record for the highest number of centuries was held by former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, who made four centuries in the last edition of the World Cup in 2015.
Here are some other records held by Rohit Sharma.
Only batsman to score three double hundreds in ODI matches
Only batsman to score a century with a six in all three formats of the game
Only batsman to hit four consecutive sixes twice in international matches
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Shoaib Malik retires from ODIs
Shoaib Malik, the former captain of Pakistan cricket team, announced his retirement from One Day International (ODI) matches on 5 July 2019. The announcement came after his team failed to secure a spot in the World Cup semi-final.
In a statement, Shoaib said, ‘I am retiring from ODI cricket. I had made this decision a few years ago, that I would retire after Pakistan’s last World Cup match’.
‘I am sad to be leaving a format I once loved but I am happy that I will now get to spend more time with my family. This will also allow me to focus on T20s’, he added.
The 37-year-old made his ODI debut in October 1999 and scored a total of 7,534 runs in 287 matches. He also managed to take 158 wickets along the way.
For more details, visit https://www.business-standard.com
Sarabjot Singh bags gold in ISSF Junior World Cup
Sarabjot Singh won a gold medal for India at the ISSF Junior World Cup for shooting held on 18 July 2019. He shot a 239.6 in the men’s 10 metres air pistol event held in Suhl, Germany. He was the only Indian to qualify in the final with a score of 575. The 17-year-old faced stiff competition from Chinese shooters, Zhehao Wang and Shichang Lu.
Earlier this year, Sarabjot struck gold in the same event at the Asian Championships in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
For more details, visit https://www.firstpost.com
England lifts ICC World Cup trophy
Amidst a lot of drama and controversy, England brought home their maiden World Cup cricket trophy in One Day Internationals. The final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup was played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London between New Zealand and England on 14 July 2019.
Both the teams finished their innings at 241, and therefore, were asked to play a decisive super over. However, the nail-biting event was not over yet as both the teams ended up scoring 15 runs. Eventually, by virtue of having scored more boundaries in the match, England was declared a winner. Nonetheless, New Zealand team’s fighting spirit and extraordinary performances in the tournament will be remembered forever.
A total of 11 Cricket World Cups have been played so far since its inception. As per records, Australia is the most successful World Cup team having won the tournament five times, and declared runner-up twice.
For more details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in
Environment
Scaly-foot snail listed as the first-ever endangered deep sea animal
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the scaly-foot snail as endangered due to mining on 18 July 2019. It is the first-ever deep-sea animal to be added to the endangered list. The scaly-foot snail, also known as sea pangolin, is found only in three deep-sea hydrothermal (hot water) vents in the Indian Ocean. The snails coat their shells and tiny plates on their feet with iron that it takes from the vents. Mining companies are now engaged in explorations at these metal-rich sites, thus threatening the habitats of these animals and their existence as well.
Two varieties of the scaly-foot snail are found — black and white. These animals have a large heart, which is in fact the largest in the entire animal kingdom, in proportion to its body size. A large heart enables enhanced blood flow and oxygen exchange, helping it to survive in low-oxygen conditions typical of the vents.
For more details, visit https://www.nature.com
20 million-year-old species of vine snake found in India
A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru found a 20-million-year-old species of vine snake in the Western Ghats.
The species, named as Pro Ahaetulla antique, have slender bodies and vine-like appearance. They also have 12-13 partially serrated reptile scales on the upper body, 20 maxillary teeth and three postocular scales lying directly behind and in contact with the eye.
Scientists also found that these species are actually a member of the Ahaetuliinae family. This family of snake includes 62 non-venomous species belonging to four genera: Ahaetulla (vine snakes), Chrysopelea (flying snakes), Dendrelaphis (bronzebacks) and Dryophiops (whip snakes).
The study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE in collaboration with researchers from Chennai Snake Park and Bombay Natural History Society.
For more details, visit https://www.natureasia.com
Tiger Estimation Report 2018 released
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the results of the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 on 29 July 2019. According to the report, the count of tigers in India has risen to 2,967 in 2018.
The report further mentions that Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers in the country with 526 tigers, followed by Karnataka with 524 and Uttarakhand with 442. The report also lists 42% of the tiger reserves in the Very Good management category, 34% in the Good category, 24% in the Fair category, while no tiger reserve is in the Poor category.
The Tiger Estimation Report is created every four years by conducting the world’s largest wildlife survey in terms of coverage, intensity of sampling and quantum of camera trapping.
For more details, visit http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=192357
World
Priti Patel appointed UK’s first Indian-origin Home Secretary
Priti Patel became the first Indian-origin Home Secretary in the UK replacing Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid. While Patel is now a part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top team, Javid will now look after the treasury department as the first ethnic minority Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Patel was first elected as a Conservative MP for Witham in Essex in 2010. Thereafter, she gained prominence and went on to be appointed to junior ministerial posts, treasury minister in 2014 and employment minister in 2015. She was then promoted to the position of Secretary of State in the Department for International Development (DfID) in 2016.
The Gujarati-origin politician is an ardent Brexiteer and is often seen as an avid supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the UK.
For more details, visit https://indianexpress.com
Global Innovation Index 2019 released
The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019 in New Delhi on 24 July. It is the 12th edition of GII rankings and evaluates 129 countries and economies around the world based on 80 indicators.
Here are a few major findings from the index.
1. Switzerland has topped the list once again implying that it is the most innovative country in the world. It is followed by Sweden, USA, the Netherlands, UK, Finland, Denmark, Singapore, Germany and Israel.
2. India has shown signs of improvement by jumping five positions, from 57th last year to 52nd this year.
3. The top five clusters of science and technology are Tokyo-Yokohama (Japan); Shenzhen-Hong Kong, China (China); Seoul (Republic of Korea); Beijing (China); San Jose-San Francisco (US).
4. Public R&D expenditures, particularly in some high-income countries, are growing slowly or not at all.
The report was released jointly by WIPO, Cornell University, INSEAD, and the 2019 GII knowledge partners which includes the Confederation of Indian Industry.
For more details, visit http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=192210
WHO declares Ebola outbreak as a global health emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the latest deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo an international health emergency. The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates. It spreads in humans through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids of infected people.
This is the fifth WHO medical emergency declaration in history. Previous emergencies include the 2014-16 Ebola outbreaks, the emergence of Zika, the swine flu pandemic and polio eradication declaration.
The current Ebola outbreak is the second largest in history and has affected more than 2,500 people since August 2018.
For more details, visit https://www.who.int
Anshula Kant appointed World Bank MD and CFO
The World Bank appointed Anshula Kant as its Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer on 12 July 2019. One of Kant’s key responsibilities include looking after the financial and risk management of the group.
Anshula Kant has completed her graduation in Economics Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi and post-graduation in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. She has over 35 years of experience in the field of finance, banking and innovative use of technology.
For more details, visit https://www.worldbank.org
Pakistan reopens 1000-year-old Shawala Teja Singh temple
Pakistan has reopened the Shawala Teja Singh temple for its local Hindu community, for the first time since partition. It is located in the Dhaarowal locality of eastern Sialkot, almost 100 kms away from Lahore. According to the book, History of Sialkot, the temple is 1,000 years old. It was built by Sardar Teja Singh and is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Shiva.
Earlier, no Hindu population was residing close to the area where the temple is located. However, at present, around 2,000 Hindus are living near the temple, and therefore, the Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan which looks after the holy places of minorities in the country, decided to reopen the ancient place of worship.
According to official estimates, almost 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan.
For more details, visit https://www.hindustantimes.com
Science & Technology
India launches Chandrayaan-2
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, into an earth orbit on 22 July 2019. The spacecraft lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota at 02:43 IST. This is the first operational flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV MkIII-M1.
The main objective of this mission is to study the topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics and atmosphere of the moon in order to help gain a better understanding of its origin and evolution. Furthermore, it also aims at developing and demonstrating the key technologies for end-to-end lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and roving on the lunar surface.
This expedition is being led by two women – Muthaya Vanitha, the project director, and Ritu Karidhal, the mission director.
For more details, visit https://www.isro.gov.in
China launches first commercial rocket
China launched its first rocket designed by a private firm, Interstellar Glory Space Technology or iSpace, on 25 July 2019. The SQX-1 Y1 rocket, also known as Hyperbola-I, lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert at 05:00 (GMT).
‘The launch mission was a complete success, achieving a breakthrough for the Chinese private launch vehicles,’ said iSpace.
The two-metre rocket carried two satellites and payloads into a predetermined orbit. It weighs 34 tonnes and consists of three solid propellant stages and a liquid propellant stage.
According to the Beijing-based iSpace, it is the largest launch vehicle to enter the Chinese spaceflight industry. Previously, two other startups LandSpace and OneSpace made a similar attempt to launch rockets into space, but failed.
For more details, visit https://www.reuters.com
NASA’s planet hunter discovers three new worlds
A report published by NASA on 29 July 2019, says that its planet hunter Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) recently discovered TOI-270, comprising three exoplanets and a dwarf star. TOI 270 is located in the constellation, Pictor, around 73 light years away from Earth.
The dwarf star is around 40% smaller than the sun in both size and mass, and its surface is about one-third cooler than the sun. The three exoplanets, namely TOI 270 b, TOI 270 c and TOI 270 d, orbit around the star every 3.4 days, 5.7 days, and 11.4 days, respectively.
As per estimates, TOI 270 b has a mass around 1.9 times that of the Earth, and TOI 270 c and d are 2.4 and 2.1 times, respectively, larger than Earth. According to George Ricker, an MIT researcher who heads the project, TESS has discovered 21 new planets and 850 new worlds so far, since its launch in April 2018.
For more details, visit https://www.nasa.gov
Miscellaneous
India’s Vidisha Baliyan becomes the first Indian to win Miss Deaf World Title
Defying all odds, Vidisha Balan, a 22-year-old from Uttar Pradesh became the first Indian to win the Miss Deaf World 2019 title on 22 July 2019. The final round comprising 11 finalists from 16 participating countries, was held in Mbombela, South Africa.
Paralympian Deepa Malik and her daughter Devika, the co-founders of the Wheeling Happiness Foundation, trained and helped Vidisha achieve this feat. She also bagged the Miss Deaf India title in February, this year.
Balan is a former international tennis player and has also represented India in the Deaflympics. She is currently pursuing a course in modelling from the Asian Academy of Film & Television (AAFT).
For more details, visit https://www.dnaindia.com
Tokyo Olympic medals made from recycled electronics unveiled
The organisers of the Tokyo Olympics unveiled 5,000 medals for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games on 24 July 2019. The unique fact about these medals is that they are made from recycled materials collected from electronics donated by the Japanese public as part of a campaign to make Tokyo 2020 eco-friendly.
The design of the Olympic medals was chosen from over 400 entries received from professional designers and design students. The design of the medals represents Japanese culture, and the attached ribbons have traditional checkered patterns and graphics depicting kimono layering techniques. In addition, the ribbons are manufactured from chemically-recycled polyester fibres in an environment-friendly manner. The medals weigh 450–556 grams.
For more details, visit https://www.washingtonpost.com
