Current Affairs 18th & 19th July 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Nelson Mandela International Day – Observed on July 18

• Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday.
• “One Hand Can Feed Another” is this year’s theme for Nelson Mandela International Day.
• The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.
• This day honors the great legacy of Nelson Mandela and his values.
• Nelson Mandela (country’s first black president) served as South Africa’s president from 1994 until 1999.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Minister Arjun Munda launches the nationwide campaign ‘COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam’

• Shri Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal Affairs, virtually launched the nationwide campaign “COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam”to accelerate the pace of COVID vaccination among tribals, in India.
• Minister of State for Steel, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste; Ministers of State for Tribal Affairs – Shri Bishweswar Tudu and Smt. Renuka Singh too was present virtually during the launch.
• Shri Munda launched the campaign through video conferencing link-up with field camps in Mandla in Madhya Pradesh and Bastar in Chhattisgarh. During this, Bastar Collector Shri. Rajat Bansal and Mandla District Collector Smt Harshika Singh gave details about the preparations for vaccination being run in their respective districts.
• Launching the campaign, Shri Munda stated, “We have been able to overcome two challenging waves, gained experience and are determined to stop the third wave.
• We have a role to play in rebuilding a new society, free of COVID infection.

About the campaign:

• The campaign hopes to make our Van Dhan Vikas Kendras and villages to be the first in respective states to be declared COVID free and free of all restrictions.”
• The campaign will be implemented with the help of traditional village headsmen, SHGs, and ground level workers in villages and the Van Dhan Kendras will become the focal points.
• Tribal communities should not only remain safe and healthy during the pandemic but should also be able to continue their livelihood activities.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Arjun Munda Launch School Innovation Ambassador Training Program for School Teachers

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched “School Innovation Ambassador Training Program” for 50,000 school teachers.
• The innovative and one-of-its-kind training program for school teachers aims at training 50,000 school teachers in innovation, entrepreneurship, IPR, design thinking, product development, idea generation, among others.
• The education minister stressed that technology is reshaping the world and students have the potential to not only address domestic but also global challenges.

About the Programme:

• The program launched is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the AICTE, which will in turn nurture lakhs of students with innovation capabilities, develop a culture of innovation and lay the foundation of a new and vibrant India.
• “The initiative will benefit a large number of schools for tribal children across the country by giving wings to the creativity of the children and provide a platform so that they can give something new to the world with their ideas”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

New quad grouping formed by US, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan 

• The United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, have agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity.
• “The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing”.
• Recognizing the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties.

About Quad Grouping:

• The Quad, officially the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a group of four countries.
• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is a strategic dialogue between the Countries that is maintained by talks between member countries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

India’s first driverless pod taxis introduced in Jewar international airport with Greater Noida

• The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to bring in ‘pod taxis’ that will connect commuters from Greater Noida to the Noida International Airport in Jewar using the driverless mode of transport, popular in many western countries.
• The Yamuna Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway will soon sign an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to extend the connectivity to remote areas.
• The driverless cars will transport four to six people each.
• Metro connectivity to Greater Noida but Jewar is about 25 kilometres from Greater Noida city.
• To bridge this gap, pod taxis are being considered.
• Pod taxis are a revolutionary mode of transport widely being used in many western countries.

About Jewar international airport:

• Jewar Airport, officially Noida International Greenfield Airport, is a proposed international airport to be constructed near the town of Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
• The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority will be the implementing agency on behalf of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

About Uttar Pradesh:

• Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India.
• With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world.
• Governor: Anandiben Patel Trending
• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
• National Parks: Dudhwa National Park.

Rajasthan Farmers now get Rs 1,000 Monthly Grant under Kisan Mitra Urja Yojna

• Farmers in Rajasthan will get a monthly grant of Rs 1,000 under the ‘Kisan Mitra Urja Yojna’ which was launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
• Under this scheme, for which an additional expenditure of Rs 1,450 crore will be incurred annually, electricity for agricultural purposes will become almost free for the small and medium category farmers in the state.
• Gehlot stated a grant of Rs 1,000 monthly or a maximum of Rs 12,000 annually on electricity cost will be given on agriculture connections.
• ‘The main objective of the scheme is to provide economic support to the farmers’.
• The rate of agricultural electricity in the state is Rs. 5.55 per unit but farmers are being charged 90 paise per unit and the state government is bearing the remaining cost.
• ‘Due to subsidy on agricultural electricity rates, an economic burden of Rs 16,000 crore rupees is there on the state government every year and now an additional burden of Rs 1450 crore will also be borne for the welfare of the farmers’.

About the scheme:

• The Rajasthan government has approved the draft of the Mukhyamantri Kisan Mitra Urja Yojana, under which agriculture power consumers will get Rs 1,000 every month.
• In such a situation, know which people are going to get the benefit of this and what farmers will have to do to take advantage of this scheme.
• Central and state government employees and income tax payers will not be eligible for agricultural consumer subsidy amounts.

About Rajasthan:

• Rajasthan is a state in northern India.
• The state covers an area of 342,239 square kilometres or 10.4 percent of the total geographical area of India.
• It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population.
• Capital: Jaipur
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
• National Parks: KeoladeoNational Park, Ranthambore National Park.

High Court UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh renamed as ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh’

• Ministry of Law and Justice informing that the ‘long-winding and cumbersome’ nomenclature ‘Common High Court of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh’ have been changed to ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh’. 
• President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2021, to effect the change.
• “Present nomenclature is found to be rather long-winding and cumbersome.
• The nomenclature may be substituted as High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which besides being convenient would also be in consonance with the name pattern followed in other common HCs”.

About J&K:

• Jammu and Kashmir was a state of India from 1954 to 2019, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and China since the mid-20th century. 
• The state of Jammu and Kashmir was accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India.
• At the same time, a reorganization act was also passed, which would reconstitute the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 
• The reorganization took effect from 31 October 2019.
• Capital: Jammu(winter), Srinagar(Summer)
• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: DachigamNational Park, Salim Ali National Park, Kazinag National Park, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park.

Telangana: ‘Bonalu’ festival to begin 

• Bonalu, the traditional folk festival of Telangana, began at the Jagadambika Temple at the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.
• The religious procession started from Langar Houz and is on the way to the temple near Bala Hissar on top of the historic fort.
• The three-kilometer procession will reach the temple.
• Ashada Bonalu is the Telangana state festival held in the month of Ashada, according to the Hindu calendar, celebrating Goddess Mahankali.
• While the celebrations were going on, incessant has also impacted the narrow pathways around the fort.

About Telangana:

• Telangana is a state in southern India.
• In the capital of Hyderabad, the Charminar is a 16th-century mosque with 4 arches supporting 4 towering minarets.
• In the city of Warangal, the centuries-old Warangal Fort features carved stone towers and gateways.
• Capital: Hyderabad
• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
• Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
• National parks: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park and Mrugavani National Park

Andhra Pradesh govt made 10% EWS quota in employment, education

• The Andhra Pradeshgovernment has issued fresh orders for the implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in education and employment, in accordance with the Constitution 103 Amendment Act.
• The state government has, in fact, been implementing EWS reservation in education for the last two years following interim orders passed by the High Court in a writ petition.
• Persons who are not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and socially and educationally backward classes, with a gross family income below Rs 8 lakh per annum, will get the benefit of EWS reservation.

About Andhra Pradesh:

• Andhra Pradesh is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India.
• It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of 162,975 km² and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants.
• It is the only state with three capitals.
• The largest city and commercial hub of the state, Visakhapatnam being the executive capital while Amaravati and Kurnool are legislative and judicial capitals, respectively.
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• National parks of the state: Sri VenkateshwaraNational Park, Papikondalu National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Adani Group takes management control over Mumbai International Airport

• Adani Group has taken over the management control over Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).
• The Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited, has taken over the management control from the GVK Group.
• Mumbai International Airport is India’s second busiest airport by both passenger and cargo traffic.
• “The larger objective is to reinvent airports as ecosystems that drive local economic development and act as the nuclei around which we can catalyze aviation-linked businesses.
• These include metropolitan developments that span entertainment facilities, e-commerce and logistics capabilities, aviation dependent industries, smart city developments, and other innovative business concepts”.

About Adani Group:

• Adani Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Ahmedabad.
• It was founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 as a commodity trading business, with the flagship company Adani Enterprises Limited.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

Next-generation digital banking solutions introduced

• Banks have been using digital banking for some time now.
• Digital banking helps consumers by bringing the bank to their homes.
• With advances in technology, new developments have led to better and improved solutions.
• The Next-generation digital banking solutions that are now available allow banks to seamlessly integrate their services across multiple channels.
• Apart from the core banking services, these solutions offer a host of other services making digital banking a value-adding experience for customers.
• The Next-generation digital banking solutions allow banks to offer a complete bouquet of services to customers.

This would include:

• Account management, including transaction on accounts.
• Single sign on to account
• Value added services like investment, insurance, savings, and loans
• Integration with mobile banking
• Single platform for transacting on all channels

About Gen Next Banking:

• Next Genbranch banking is all about Banks transforming their branches and putting them on an accelerated track of digital technology enablement and adoption towards this goal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Cannes Film Festival 2021 winners list published

• The 2021 CannesFilm Festival officially came to an end with the awards ceremony in which this year’s competition jury named the best films and performances of the festival.
• With Spike Lee serving as president, the jury featured director Mati Diop, singer/songwriter Mylène Farmer, actress/director Maggie Gyllenhaal, writer/director Jessica Hausner, actress/director Mélanie Laurent, writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho, actor Tahar Rahim, and actor Song Kang-ho. Find the full list of winners below.
• Palme d’Or: “Titane”
• Grand Prix: (tie) “A Hero” and “Compartment No. 6”
• Jury Prize: (tie): “Ahed’s Knee” and “Memoria”
• Best Actress: Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World”
• Best Actor: Caleb Landry Jones, “Nitram”
• Best Director: Leos Carax, “Annette”
• Best Screenplay: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car”
• Camera d’Or: “Murina” by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
• Short Film Palme d’Or: Tian Xia Wu Ya by Tang Yi
• Special Jury Mention for Short Film: “Ceu de Agosto” by Jasmin Tenucci

CMFRI scientist Kajal Chakraborthy won prestigious Norman Borlaug award 

• The research to develop nutraceutical products from seaweeds for the treatment of lifestyle diseases including diabetes has brought national recognition to Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) principal scientist Kajal Chakraborthy.
• He bagged the prestigious Norman Borlaug National Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research instituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) functioning under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• The award, which is announced every five years, carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.
• Besides, the scientist will be given a research grant of Rs 1.5 crore for carrying out a challenging research project for five years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Thailand’s PTT acquires 41.6% stake in Indian Avaada energy company

• Global Power Synergy Public Co Ltd, a unit of Thailand’s state-owned utility major PTT, has acquired 41.6% stake in Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd, an Indian renewable energy producer.
• GRSC has invested by way of subscription of new shares approximately 41.6% of equity interest in Avaada with total investment of approximately THB 14,825 million (approx $454 million)

About GPSC :

• Headquarters: Thailand
• Founded: 10 January 2013

About Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd :

• Founded: 2007
• Avaada has developed and operated a large portfolio of solar power plants in India, with long-term power purchase agreements with Central and State Governments of India and private commercial & industrial customers.
• It has a total committed capacity of approximately 3,744 megawatts, of which approximately 1,392 megawatts are in operations and approximately 2,352 megawatts are under construction with expected commercial operations by 2021 – 2022
• Avaada aims to expand its renewable energy portfolio in accordance with significant growth expected in electricity demand in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

India, Sri Lanka and Maldives conduct trilateral tabletop exercise on maritime security

• The two-day trilateral tabletop exercise TTX-2021, among the top defence officials from India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives was held from July 14 to July 15.

Aim :

• Enhancing mutual understanding and exchange of best practices procedures for countering common transnational crime .
• During the TTX-2021 exercise the three countries discussed best practices and procedures for countering common transnational maritime crime like curbing narcotics and assistance in maritime search and rescue.
• It was coordinated by the Maritime Warfare Centre, Mumbai, the Indian High Commission 
• Also, the exercise gained additional relevance in light of the successful Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2 executed in support of MV X-Press Pearl, the Singapore-flagged cargo ship that caught fire.

About Sri Lanka :

• President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

About Maldives :

• President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
• Capital: Malé
• Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS 

Vice President M. Venkaih Naidu receives book entitled ‘Urdu Poets and Writers – Gems of Deccan’        

• Vice President Venkaih Naidu received a book entitled ‘Urdu Poets and Writers – Gems of Deccan’ authored by senior journalist, J.S. Ifthekhar 
• The Book is Published by Woven Words Publishers OPC Private Limited.

About the Book :

• The book is an anthology of prose and poetry on the life and works of 51 outstanding poets and writers of the Deccan region.
• It covers the rich literary and cultural traditions of Deccan,from Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, to the present times.

About j.s. Ifthekhar :

• S. Ifthekhar is a senior journalist with nearly four decades of experience.
• He Worked in journalism at the Indian Express before he moved to The Hindu.
• He was also associated with the Siasat Daily, Telangana Today, Deccan Chronicle, Onlooker magazine, Newstrack, Detective Digest 

A New Book Titled India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends Authored by Kanti Bajpa

• A New Book Titled India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends Authored by Kanti Bajpa
• The Book was Published by the Juggernaut publishers.

About the Book :

• The Book talks about the differences between India & China.
• The book examines the four key drivers of conflict between the

1. Two Asian giants: negative elite perceptions of each other,
2. Differences over perimeters ie) the borderlands and Tibet,
3. Lacking trust and communication structures between civilian and military leaderships;
4. A growing asymmetry on economic, military, and soft power capabilities

About Kanti Bajpai :

• Kanti Prasad Bajpai is an Indian academic, international affairs analyst.
• He is currently a professor at National University of Singapore and was the Vice-Dean for Research of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Achievements :

• For Excellence in research and strategic security issues he received K Subrahmanyam Award in 2012.

Book Titled ‘UNTOLD stories’ of Haryana Police unveiled by Haryana  CM Manohar Lal Khattar                

• The Haryana  Chief Minister unveiled a Coffee Table Book titled ‘UNTOLD stories’ of Haryana Police in Panchkula, Haryana.

About the Book :

• The prologue of the book, penned by DGP Haryana Manoj Yadava, gives an overview of the role of police.
• The book showcases the extraordinary and gallant work done by Police officers and men of Haryana Police during the Covid Pandemic.
• The Book pays tribute to the 49 police martyrs who succumbed to the pandemic.
• It specially features the ‘Karamveers’ of the Police department who have made extraordinary efforts beyond the call of duty, in enforcing the lockdown, providing assistance to the public or making them aware of Covid safety measures.

About Haryana :

• Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Capital: Chandigarh

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Documentary on Traditional Polo Game of Ladakh by LA Polo 

• LA Polo Delhi in collaboration with Himalayan sports and cultural development organization and Polo Promotion Committee Kargil are working on a promotional documentary in Ladakh.
• In Drass & Kargil, for this they are shooting different aspects of the Game in context with Ladakh particularly related to the traditional natural game of Polo.
• An exhibition polo match was played between LA Polo Delhi and Himalayan Sports Drass at Goshan International Polo Stadium, (Shagaran)
• The aim of the match was to generate interest among local youth towards the sport in the region.

About Polo :

• Polo is a horseback ball game, a traditional field sport and one of the world’s oldest known team sports.
• Polo has been called “the sport of kings” 

Lewis Hamilton Clinches British Grand Prix 2021

• On July 18, 2021, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), won the British Grand Prix 2021 for a record-extending eighth time at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom.
• Monaco based Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) stood second place followed by Hamilton’s team mate Valtteri Bottas from Finland.
• This win is the 99th of seven-times world champion Hamilton’s Formula One career, fourth of the current campaign and one of the more controversial in his long list of achievements.

About Lewis Hamilton :

• Lewis Hamilton holds the records for the most wins (99), pole positions (100), and podium finishes (172).
• Hamilton was listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally, and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours.
• He was elected FIA Personality of the Year three times 2014, 2018, 2020.
• In 2020 , he received the DHL Fastest Lap Award & FIA Pole Trophy.
• He won the Sportsman of the Year Award in 2020.

About British Grand Prix 2021 :

• The 2021 British Grand Prix is officially known as the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2021.
• It was a  Formula One motor race held on 18 July 2021 at the Silverstone Circuit.
• It was the tenth round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.

Daily CA On July 17 :

• World Day for International Justice, also referred to as Day of International Criminal Justice or International Justice Day, is an international day celebrated throughout the world on July 17 as part of an effort to recognize the emerging system of international criminal justice with the theme of “social justice in the digital economy“
• World Emoji Day is an annual unofficial holiday occurring on 17 July, intended to celebrate emoji; in the years since the earliest observance, it has become a popular date to make product or other announcements and releases relating to emoji.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the youth of the nation on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day and 6th anniversary of Skill India Mission.
• Government launched the digital platform Kisan Sarathi to facilitate farmers to get the right information at the right time in their desired language, it was jointly launched by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw through video conference on the occasion of 93rd ICAR Foundation Day.
• As per the report, Since 2019, Bihar has reported most deaths because of lightning.
• External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar concluded the one-hour-long bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, where he conveyed that that unilateral change of status quo of the border area is not acceptable to India.
• The Centre asked the states to direct their police not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 related to posting online comments.
• Ethiopia’s governing Prosperity Party has won the most seats in the country’s parliamentary election, PM Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party wins 410 out of the 436 contested seats in Ethiopia’s federal parliament.
• American President Joe Biden extended the “Child Tax Credit Programme” because this programme has potential to reduce child poverty in America.
• The new EV policy introduced in Maharashtra is a revision of the 2018 policy and it is introduced with an aim to make Maharashtra the “topmost producer of battery-powered electric vehicles in India.”
• Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa unveiled the event to mark World Youth Skills Day
• Given nod to set up small finance bank to take over scam-hit PMC (Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative) Bank: RBI to HC
• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the ‘RBI Retail Direct’ scheme that will give investors the facility of investing in government securities in one place.
• India’s wholesale price inflation eased in June to 12.07% from a record 12.94% a month ago as food and fuel prices fell while those of manufactured items accelerated.
• New York-based multibillion-dollar TCG group has appointed B Anand as the head of business for developing and implementing large scale polymer projects with sustainability focus
• Pidilite Industries has announced that Sudhanshu Vatswill join the company as deputy managing director, effective September 1, 2021.
• Isobar, the digital agency from the house of Dentsu India, has named Pragati Rana as its Senior Vice President (SVP)- Strategy.
• Dentsu Grouphas announced that its board of directors has appointed Jean Lin, global chief executive officer of creative services line of dentsu International, as a new executive officer of the company, effective on August 1.
• Financial institution of Maharashtra (BoM) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nationwide Financial institution for Agriculture & Rural Improvement (NABARD) to spice up ongoing developmental initiatives linked to precedence sector lending in Maharashtra.
• Web Werks plans to build a 750 crore ($100m) data center in Bengaluru, India.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken various initiatives in the recent past to ease the lives of citizens by facilitating online delivery of Government services it is for enhance the initiatives of Digital India Programme, the Ministry has enabled map services in UMANG App ‘through Memorandum of Understanding with MapmyIndia.
• The National Commission for Women has signed an MoU with the Bureau of Police Research and Development for gender sensitization of police personnel across the country.
• On July 16, 2021, To strengthen India-US defence relationship, the Indian Navy received the first two MH-60R Multi Role Helicopters (MRH) from the United States Navy at Naval Air Station in North Island, San Diego.
• On July 15, 2021, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered grievance management application CPGRAMS ( Centralized Public Grievance Redress & Monitoring System ) in New Delhi developed by the Ministry of Defence with the help of IIT-Kanpur.
• A heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine formulation developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru has proven effective against all current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, according to a study in animals.
• In AFC Women’s Club Championship 2020-21, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has nominated the women’s team of ‘Gokulam Kerala FC’ to represent India.
• On July 16, 2021, Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, Passed away.

Daily CA On July 18 & 19 :

• Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday with the theme of “One Hand Can Feed Another”
• Shri Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal Affairs, virtually launched the nationwide campaign “COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam”to accelerate the pace of COVID vaccination among tribals, in India.
• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched “School Innovation Ambassador Training Program” for 50,000 school teachers.
• The United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, have agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity.
• The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to bring in ‘pod taxis’ that will connect commuters from Greater Noida to the Noida International Airport in Jewar using the driverless mode of transport, popular in many western countries.
• Farmers in Rajasthan will get a monthly grant of Rs 1,000 under the ‘Kisan Mitra Urja Yojna’ which was launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
• Ministry of Law and Justice informing that the ‘long-winding and cumbersome’ nomenclature ‘Common High Court of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh’ have been changed to ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh’. 
• Bonalu, the traditional folk festival of Telangana, began at the Jagadambika Temple at the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.
• The Andhra Pradeshgovernment has issued fresh orders for the implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in education and employment, in accordance with the Constitution 103 Amendment Act.
• Adani Group has taken over the management control over Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).
• The Next-generation digital banking solutions that are now available allow banks to seamlessly integrate their services across multiple channels.
• The 2021 CannesFilm Festival officially came to an end with the awards ceremony in which this year’s competition jury named the best films and performances of the festival.
• The research to develop nutraceutical products from seaweeds for the treatment of lifestyle diseases including diabetes has brought national recognition to Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) principal scientist Kajal Chakraborthy.
• Global Power Synergy Public Co Ltd, a unit of Thailand’s state-owned utility major PTT, has acquired 41.6% stake in Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd, an Indian renewable energy producer.
• The two-day trilateral tabletop exercise TTX-2021, among the top defence officials from India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives was held from July 14 to July 15.
• Vice President Venkaih Naidu received a book entitled ‘Urdu Poets and Writers – Gems of Deccan’ authored by senior journalist, J.S. Ifthekhar & the Book is Published by Woven Words Publishers OPC Private Limited.
• A New Book Titled India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends Authored by Kanti Bajpa & the Book was Published by the Juggernaut publishers.
• The Haryana  Chief Minister unveiled a Coffee Table Book titled ‘UNTOLD stories’ of Haryana Police in Panchkula, Haryana.
• LA Polo Delhi in collaboration with Himalayan sports and cultural development organization and Polo Promotion Committee Kargil are working on a promotional documentary in Ladakh.
• On July 18, 2021, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), won the British Grand Prix 2021 for a record-extending eighth time at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom.