Current Affairs 01st & 02nd August 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Muslim Women Rights Day – Observed on Aug 01

• Muslim Women Rights Day is observed on August 1.
• It was on this very day in 2019, the passage of the triple talaq bill in Parliament proved to be a great milestone as it brought about a ray of hope, a promise to liberate Muslim women from the shackles of social evil that came in the form of the divorce terms.
• This year marks the second anniversary of that historical bill which is officially known as the Muslim Women Act (Protection of Rights on Marriage) passed in the Rajya Sabha.
• The law made the ‘triple talaq’ a criminal offence.
• It was seen as a crucial step as it ensured Muslim women protection against gender inequality, and empowerment by lawfully bidding adieu to the practice of instantaneous ‘talaq’.
• The law is meant to promote women’s self-reliance, self-respect, and boost self-esteem as it strengthens the fundamental and democratic rights of Muslim women.

World Breastfeeding Week 2021: 01 – 07 August

• World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration which is held every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries.
• This year, the theme for breastfeeding week is “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility”.
• The World Health Organization states, breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.
• World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) occurs annually on the first week of Augustand represents a global celebration of breastfeeding efforts including breastfeeding promotion, support, education, research, progressive trends and normalizing breastfeeding as the gold standard of infant nutrition.
• World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated to encourage women to breastfeed for the all-around development of a child.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS       

PM Modi initiates Academic Bank of Credit and Artificial Intelligence programme

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the policymakers and stakeholders across the country via video conferencing to mark the completion of one year of announcing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• PM Modi has launched multiple educational initiatives including the Academic Bank of Credit that will provide multiple entry and exit options for students in Higher education.
• First-year engineering programmes in regional languages and guidelines for internationalization of higher education.
• Under the ABC, students will be given multiple entry and exit options. This enables students to leave a degree or course and get a corresponding certification and rejoin studies after a certain time and be able to start from where they had left.
• It will also provide students with the flexibility to move between institutes while pursuing one degree or leave a course.
• ABC has been drafted on the lines of the National Academic Depository – a virtual storehouse.

National Education Policy:

• The National Education Policy 2020, which was approved by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of India’s new education system.
• The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1986.
• The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Undergraduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.

Dr Jitendra Singh roll out “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines”

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines” developed by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology. 
• Dr Jitendra Singh stated that in a large population of over 135 crore and heterogeneous character of the country, India needs its own exclusive database for Indian Research and Solutions.
• He mentioned, there is no dearth of talent in the country and the indigenous database will have a huge enabling mechanism for exchange and adoption of data by young scientists and researchers for the benefit of Indian Citizens.
• The Minister informed that in the last 6-7 Years, Modi Government has given huge impetus and priority to Science and Technology and particularly in Space Technology, where the world is looking up to India for win-win cooperation and collaboration.

Biotech-PRIDE Guidelines:

• These guidelines envisage bridging other existing biological datasets/data centres with the IBDC, which will be called Bio-Grid.
• This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data.
• Also, Bio-Grid will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.
• These guidelines will be implemented through Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC).
• Currently, India ranks number 4 amongst the top 20 countries contributing biological database

Rajya Sabha passes Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021

• The Rajya Sabha passed the Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to create the post of ‘non-executive chairman’ for the board.
• The Upper House passed the Bill after a brief discussion amid protest and sloganeering by the Opposition.
• The Bill seeks to amend Section 4 of the Coconut Development Board Act, 1979, and provides for the appointment of a non-executive chairman, a chief executive officer and an ex-officio joint secretary to the Government of India, in-charge of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, as member of the board.
• The Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, provides for the appointment of six members instead of the existing four members.

PM Modi host IPS probationers at SVPNPA

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA).
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi while interacting with IPS Probationers, last September, had underlined the importance of police-public relations, the reciprocal attitude of the police and the public to the expected and performed tasks of the police, and to involve general public relations, community services, and community participation.

About SVPNPA:

• SVPNPA, the premier police training institution in the country is situated at the historic city of Hyderabad.
• It trains officers of the Indian Police Service, who have been selected through an All India based Civil Services Examination.

Health Minister launched National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution 

• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya presided over the 112th Annual Day celebrations of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) along with Dr. Bharati Pawar, MoS (HFW).
• At the event, the Union Health Minister virtually inaugurated the Whole Genome Sequencing National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and BSL 3 Laboratory along with a PG hostel and Guest House.
• The L3 laboratory complex has five floors and houses 22 Biosafety level (BSL) II laboratories.
• Shri Mansukh Mandaviya stated that India has performed better than many other countries in fighting the COVID pandemic.
• He stated that new dimensions have been added in the legacy of 112 years of achievements of NCDC.
• He encouraged NCDC to strive for further innovations so that not only India but the whole world can benefit from its work.
• The Union Health Minister also underlined that scientists, doctors, officers and staff of NCDC should collectively chart out goals they want to achieve in the coming years.
• The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need of creating vigilance and awareness on Zoonotic Diseases. 
• The Union Health Minister along with MoS(HFW) unveiled.

ATL Tinkerprenuer Summer Bootcamp- Highlights

• NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) have successfully completed the two month long, exclusive and digital skills entrepreneurship which is named ATL Tinkerprenuer summer bootcamp and was held across India.
• The name derives from the phrase “allowing students to tinker in the comfort of their homes and become entrepreneurs this summer” which is a campaign focused on developing an innovative and creative mindset among the participating students.
• Spanning 9 weeks from May 31, 2021 to August 1, 2021, this programme enabled attendees to develop a business idea and create an end-to-end strategy to establish a new business.
• Designed for high school students across the country, the program has seen a breakthrough of over 9,000 participants (including over 4,000 women) in 32 states and 298 districts of the country.
• Bootcamp saw the participation of 820 ATLs, over 50 live expert speaker sessions conducted with over 4.5 lakh views and imparted over 30 digital and business skills.
• The entire training program was designed to impart innovative thinking as well as to help students move from an idea to a business in a short time, failing and trying again and making the experience of both building solutions and businesses around it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Peru: Guido Bellido named as new Prime Minister of the country

• New Peruvian President Pedro Castillonamed a member of his Marxist-Leninist Free Peru Party as prime minister. 
• Castillo chose Guido Bellido, who hails from the Andean region of Cuzco, to fill the role.
• The new prime minister holds masters in economics and previously worked for Peru’s public statistics agency.
• The 41-year-old is also an elected congressman.
• Bellido took the oath of office in the south-central city of Ayacucho and spoke in the indigenous Quechua language during the inauguration ceremony.

Peru commemorates 200th anniversary of its independence on July 28

• On July 28, Peru will commemorate 200 years of independence from the erstwhile Spanish Empire.
• This is a momentous occasion in the country’s history and Carlos Rafael Polo, Ambassador of Peru to India takes this opportunity to extend his heartfelt and warm greetings to the Government, and the people of this cosmopolitan city of Mumbai; as well as to his fellow Peruvians living in this beautiful city.
• Peru and India are two nations with a glorious past, and a forward-looking future, which continue to share cordial and ever-closer ties with each other.
• The two countries enjoy excellent people-to-people relations, trade ties that have soared in the past decade, and an active diplomatic connection, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

About Peru:

• Capital: Lima
• Currency: Sol
• President: Pedro Castillo

First Goods Train on Haldibari-Chilahati rail link leaving for Bangladesh

• The first goods train carrying stone chips to Bangladesh through the revived Haldibari -Chilahati rail link will leave from Damdim station of Alipurduar Division in Northeast Frontier Railway, 31 July.
• The train is expected to reach Bangladesh on 1st August.
• Haldibari – Chilahati route will provide a shorter route for transit of goods into Bangladesh from Assam, West Bengal, Nepal and Bhutan.
• This rail link will enhance rail network accessibility to the main ports, dry ports and land borders to support the growth in regional trade and to encourage economic and social development of the region.
• Economic activities of these South Asian countries will also be benefitted from this new rail link.
• The Haldibari – Chilahati rail link between India and the then East Pakistan was operational till 1965.
• This was part of the Broad Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during partition.

About Bangladesh:

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

India, China establish hotline in north Sikkim, other operational hotlines are at Chushul and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh

• A hotline was established between Indian Army at Kongra La in North Sikkim and the People’s Liberation Army of China at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region. 
• This will further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders.
• The event coincided with the PLA Day.
• The Armed forces of the two countries have well established mechanisms for communication at ground commander’s level.
• These hotlines in various sectors will go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and calmness at the borders.
• The inauguration was attended by ground commanders of the respective Armies.
• A message of friendship and harmony was also exchanged through the Hotline.

Ismail Haniyeh re-elected as leader of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip

• Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been re-elected unopposed
• It will Strenghten his grip over the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip after recent clashes with Israel.
• The contest included no known opponent to Haniyeh.
• Considered a pragmatist, Haniyeh has been head of Hamas’ political bureau since 2017
• He was recently involved in talks aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest deadly violence between the Jewish state and Hamas.
• The 11-day conflict in May killed 13 Israelis and 260 Palestinians, including some fighters.
• Hamas won the last legislative elections in Gaza, an impoverished Palestinian enclave of nearly two million, in 2006, delivering a surprise defeat to opponent Fatah.
• A virtual civil war the following year led to the division of Palestine, with Fatah dominating the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip.
• Due to repeated attacks Israel has blockaded Gaza, while Hamas has been internationally shunned and declared a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States.

India, China to hold 12th round of Military-level talks

• To end a 14 months long standoff near LAC, India and china hold another level of high-level military talks on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation organisation conference in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on July 14
• India hopes for a positive outcome in this meeting that is being held regarding disengagement in Gogra and Hot Springs.
• This round of dialogue is taking place after an interval of more than three and a half months.
• In this Bilateral meeting foreign Minister Jaishankar told him that the status quo along LAC is not accepted by India and that comprehensive relations can only develop after the full restoration of peace and tranquility in eastern Ladakh.
• During the latest round of military talks, the two sides discussed ways to proceed with the liberation of Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang with the broader aim of reducing tensions in the region.

Myanmar: Military ruler Gen. Min Aung Hlaing becomes PM in newly formed caretaker govt.

• The State Administration Council of Myanmar has been reformed as ‘Caretaker government of Myanmar’ headed by the Chief of the Myanmar military Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as the Prime Minister.
• Hlaing also pledged to hold elections by 2023.
• He said that his administration was ready to work with a future regional envoy appointed by the ASEAN on Myanmar
• The Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers is scheduled to take place between August 2-7 virtually to finalise a special envoy to Myanmar to initiate dialogue between the military government and its opponents.
• Earlier, in April ASEAN had called for immediate cessation of violence and a visit to Myanmar by a regional special envoy.
  Myanmar has witnessed regular protests since February against the military government.
• As per Human rights watchdog Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 940 people have been killed and 6994 people arrested in protests against the military government as of now.

Addl.Info:

• General Hlaing took over power in Myanmar in February after removing the government headed by the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, a day before the newly elected parliament was set to meet.
• Since then, the State Administration Council has been performing the duties of the government in Myanmar.

US imposes Sanctions on Cuban Police Force and Leaders

• The US administration has imposed sanctions on Cuba’s police force and two of its leaders following recent protests on the island against the communist government.
• These sanctions were the reactions to actions to suppress peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba that began on July 11.
• Thousands of Cubans took to the streets in the largest demonstrations against the Cuban government in decades. 
• The demonstrators were protesting shortages of basic goods, power outages, restrictions on civil liberties and the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Modi govt’s fiscal deficit attains 18.2% of annual target

• The central government’s fiscal deficit stood at Rs 2.74 lakh crore or 18.2 percent of the full year’s Budget estimate at the end of June.
• The fiscal deficit at the end of June 2020 was 83.2 percent of the Budget Estimates (BE) of 2020-21.
• In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit was at Rs 2,74,245 crore at the end of June.
• For the current financial year, the government expects the fiscal deficit at 6.8 percent of GDP or Rs 15,06,812 crore.
• The fiscal deficit or the gap between expenditure and revenue for 2020-21 was 9.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), better than the 9.5 per cent projected in the revised estimates in the Budget in February.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

UPI sets new record in July month

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the flagship payments platform of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), made a record in volume and value of transactions in July as digital payments rise in the pandemic.
• UPI processed a record 3.24 billion transactions in July, up 15.7 per cent from June when it processed 2.8 billion transactions. In value terms, in July, the platform processed transactions worth Rs 6.06 trillion, up 10.76 per cent from June.

About UPI:

• UPI was launched in 2016 and crossed 1 billion transactions for the first time in October 2019.
• The next billion transactions came in just a year.
• In October 2020, UPI processed more than 2 billion transactions for the first time.
• Further, the journey from 2 billion transactions a month to 3 billion transactions was traversed in just 10 months’ time, indicating the incredible popularity of the UPI as a platform for retail digital payments among consumers.

PM to introduces digital payment solution e-RUPI on August 2

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a new digital payment solution –e-RUPI through video conferencing.
• Numerous programmes have been rolled out to ensure that the benefits reach their intended beneficiaries in a focused and leak-proof manner, in order to limit touch points between the government and the beneficiary.

About e-RUPI:

• e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless platform for digital payments.
• The instrument acts as an e-voucher which is based on a QR code or SMS string, delivered to the mobile phones of recipients.
• It has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Deepak Das takes oath as new Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

• Civil Accounts Service officer Deepak Das took charge as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the Department of Expenditure.
• A 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, Das has held important positions at different levels in ministries such as science & technology, environment and forest, and Departments for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

About Deepak Das:

• Prior to assuming charge of CGA, he was the principal chief controller of accounts in the Central Board of Direct Taxes, where he was pivotal to several important technology-driven initiatives relating to direct taxes collection, reporting and receipt accounting.

Vice Admiral SN Ghormade: New Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

• Vice Admiral N. Ghormade took over as Deputy Chief of Naval who succeeds Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumarwho retired on July 31, 2021, after more than 39 years of service.
• The Flag officer SN Ghormade was commissioned in the Indian Navy on January 01, 1984.
• He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) on January 26, 2017, and Nausena Medal (NM) in 2007 by the President of India, and a Commendation by the Chief of the Naval Staff in 2000.

Govt. approves two more new Strategic Oil Reserves

• Under the first phase of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) programme, the Government of India through its special purpose vehicle, the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), has set up petroleum storage facilities with a total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) at 3 locations, namely (i) Visakhapatnam (1.33 MMT), (ii) Mangaluru (1.5 MMT) and (iii) Padur (2.5 MMT), and all the storage facilities have been filled with crude oil.
• The petroleum reserves established under Phase-I are strategic in nature and the crude oil stored in these reserves will be used during oil shortage events, as and when declared so by the Government of India.
• Under the second phase of the Petroleum Reserves programme, the government has approved the setting up of two additional commercial-cum-strategic facilities with a total storage capacity of 6.5 MMT underground storage at Chandikhol (4 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT) in July 2021, on PPP Mode. 
• The request for proposal for building these storage facilities is under finalisation.
• An amount of Rs 210 crore was allocated in the budget for the financial year 2020-21 under Phase II for land acquisition, and the same has been disbursed to ISPRL

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Cyrus Poonawalla bags Lokmanya Tilak National Award

• Businessman Cyrus Poonawalla, who is the founder-chairperson of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), has been named as a recipient of the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award for 2021.
• He will be honoured for his work during the coronavirus pandemic, wherein he helped in saving many lives by manufacturing the Covishield vaccine.
• Under his leadership, crore of doses were made available to people in record time.
• Poonawalla has been at the forefront of making different vaccines at affordable prices”.

About the award:

• The award was first given in 1983.
• Its recipients include former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee and Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, among others.

Graphic artist Anand Radhakrishnan bags prestigious Eisner award

• Mumbai-based graphic artist Anand Radhakrishnan, 32, has won the prestigious Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, considered the Oscars equivalent of the comics world.
• The Eisner Awards are given out annually and the award won by Radhakrishnan — Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art) — recognises the creator of a graphic novel’s art and images.
• Radhakrishnan shares the award with UK-based colourist John Pearson.
• They won for their work on UK-based author Ram V’s 145-page graphic novel Blue In Green, published in October 2020 by Image Comics.

About the Award:

• The awards are named after the comic book and graphic novel legend Will Eisner, whose seminal works include The Spirit and A Contract with God.
• There are 32 categories of awards ranging from Best Writer to Best Lettering as well as a Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.
• William Erwin Eisner was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur.
• He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series The Spirit was noted for its experiments in content and form.

Sai Life Sciences bags Golden Peacock National Training Award 2021

• Sai Life Sciences Wins Golden Peacock National Training Award 2021. 
• Sai Life Sciences, one of India’s fastest growing Contract Research, Development & Manufacturing Organizations (CRDMOs), announced that it has been honoured with the Golden Peacock National Training Award 2021 in the pharmaceutical category.
• This is the second consecutive Golden Peacock Award for the company following the Golden Peacock National Quality Award it received in 2020.
• Golden Peacock Awards are the most coveted awards for corporate excellence in India organized every year under the aegis of the Institute of Directors, India.

About the Award:

• Golden Peacock Environment Management Award is a prestigious award that was instituted by the World Environment Foundation in 1998. 
• The award encourages the corporates to enhance their environmental performances.

Manipal’s Kasturba Hospital bags IMC award

• Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, has been awarded ‘IMC RBNQ Efficiency Excellence Trophy 2020’ in the healthcare sector from IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj Nationwide High quality Award Belief,
• Hospital stated that the award is introduced to Kasturba Hospital for demonstrating a socially accountable, moral, and clear healthcare service, dynamic management, affected person centricity, worker orientation, and for offering all companies underneath a single roof with the most recent analysis and technical experience at a reasonably priced price.
• The award was named after Ramakrishna Bajaj, previous president of IMC.
• The award course follows rigorous coaching and analysis.

About the Award:

• IMC Awards are India’s most prestigious Awards for Excellence in Management Education.
• India’s most prestigious awards for Excellence in Management Education.
• Award selection by unbiased and eminent Jury purely on the merit of nominated initiative.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Razorpay acquires TERA Finlabs bags third firm 

• Business payments and financial services startup Razorpay has acquired artificial intelligence (AI)-based risk analysis platform TERA Finlabs, marking its third acquisition since its inception.
• Razorpay will leverage the acquisition for its small and medium enterprise (SME)-based lending business, Razorpay Capital, which was launched in 2019.
• Previously, Razorpay had acquired Thirdwatch, it helps reduce Return-to-Origin or RTO fraud losses in e-commerce in 2018, and Opfin – a payroll management software company in 2019.

Note :

• Razorpay CEO and co-founder : Harshil Mathur
• TERA Finlabs co-Founder and CEO : Pradeep Rathnam

About TERA Finlabs :

• TERA Finlabs is a Bangalore-based Risk Technology company.
• It will provide risk management software, along with customized credit offerings to make lending more affordable for consumers and profitable for lenders.
• TERA Finlabs is an Indian subsidiary of UK-based digital lender, GAIN Credit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE 

BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group 6th meeting held virtually July 28-29 under India’s Chairmanship

• The 6th meeting of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) was held virtually on 28-29 July 2021 under the Chairship of India. Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs chaired the meeting.
• Senior counter terrorism officials from all BRICS countries participated in the meeting.
• The main outcome of the Working Group meeting was the finalization of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan containing specific measures to implement the BRICS Counter Terrorism Strategy adopted by BRICS Leaders in 2020.

About the Action Plan:

• The Action Plan is aimed at further strengthening result oriented cooperation between BRICS countries in areas such as preventing and combating terrorism, radicalization, financing of terrorism, misuse of internet by terrorists, curbing travel of terrorists, border control, protection of soft targets, information sharing, capacity building, international and regional cooperation etc.
• The BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan is one of the key deliverables during India’s Chairship of BRICS and will be adopted at the meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors scheduled next month.

Italy hosts G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting

• The first G20 Culture Ministers Meeting was held in Rome, Italy.
• The meeting began at the Colosseum.
• The culture ministers of the 20 largest economies in the world and 40 high-level cultural delegations attended the meeting.
• The meeting was attended by the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, and the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay.
• OECD, UNESCO, the Union for the Mediterranean, the Council of Europe, ICOM, ICCROM and ICOMOS, Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the World Customs Organization (WCO) took part in the meetings.
• July 30, conference was held at Palazzo Barberini, the museum houses the collection of ancient Italian art

Points discussed in the conference:

• Protect and promote the cultural and creative sector as an engine for balanced growth which is also sustainable.
• Protect cultural heritage from risks, including natural disasters, environmental degradation and climate change, sabotage and looting, and illegal traffic in cultural property.
• Promote digital and technological transformation in the cultural and creative fields.
• Develop the capacity through training to face the complexity of the contemporary world and the challenges of the cultural sector.
• Joint Statement on Climate Change through Culture.

Addl.Info:

• Italy assumed the rotating presidency of the G20 2021 in December last year and will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rome on October 30 and 31.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Joint mission of ISRO-NASA “NISAR Satellite” to be launched in 2023

• Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh stated The ISRO-NASA joint mission NISER (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, aimed at making global measurement of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging, is proposed to be launched in early 2023.
• “NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISER) has not been launched yet. NISER is proposed to be launched in early 2023“.
• It is a dual-band (L-band and S-band) radar imaging mission with the capability of full polarimetric and interferometric modes of operation to observe minor changes in land, vegetation and cryosphere.
• NASA is developing L-band SAR and associated systems while ISRO is developing S-band SAR, spacecraft bus, the launch vehicle and associated launch services.

About ISRO:

• The Indian Space Research Organization or is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. 
• It operates under the Department of Space which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while Chairman of ISRO acts as executive of DOS as well.

About NASA:

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
• NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

IIT Madras researchers develops AI tool NBDriver to study cancer causing mutations

• To detect cancerous mutations in the body, Researchers from Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, have developed  a machine learning model on an Artificial Intelligence tool named NBDriver (neighbourhood driver).
• The study, funded by the Department of Biotechnology, government of India,
• It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancers.

About NBDriver :

• In that AI algorithm will spot changes in cells that can cause cancer.
• By looking at the neighbourhood, or context, of a mutation in the genome, will identify harmful “driver” mutations and distinguish them from neutral “passenger” mutations.
• NBDriver is used to differentiate between passenger and driver mutations using the features derived from the neighbourhood sequences of somatic mutations.
• NBDriver could accurately identify 85% of the rare driver mutations from patients diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).

About IIT Madras :

• Established : 1959
• Located at : Chennai
• Director : Bhaskar Ramamurthi
• Head of the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and AI at IIT Madras : B. Ravindran
• It was the third IIT established by the Government of India.

Russia launches Nauka science module to International Space Station

• Russia successfully launched the Multipurpose Laboratory Module called  Nauka to the International Space Station atop a Proton-M rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

About Nauka :

• It is the 20-metric-ton (22-ton) module & it is set to dock at the ISS in automatic mode on July 29.

Purpose of the Launch :

• Intended to provide more room for scientific experiments and space for the crew.

Note :

• Nauka was initially scheduled to go up in 2007, but it had been repeatedly delayed because of technical problems.
• In 1998, Russia launched the station’s first module, Zarya & the last module is Rassvet, which arrived at the station in 2010.

About Russia :

• President: Vladimir Putin
• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian ruble

About ISS :

• The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.
• It involves five participating space agencies: Roscosmos (Russia), NASA (United States), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

About Roscosmos :

• Founded: 25 February 1992
• Administrator: Dmitry Rogozin
• Headquarters: Moscow, Russia

About NASA :

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
• Administered by: Steve Jurczyk, Bill Nelson

About JAXA :

• It is the Japanese national aerospace and space agency.
• Founded: 1 October 2003
• President: Hiroshi Yamakawa
• Headquarters: Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan

About ESA :

• The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space.
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 30 May 1975, Europe
• CEO: Johann-Dietrich Wörner (1 Jul 2015–)

About CSA :

• Founded: 1919
• Headquarters: Mississauga, Canada
• President & CEO: David Weinstein

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book Titled Why We Kneel, How We Rise Authored by Michael Holding

• Former Cricketer Michael Anthony Holding Authored a Book titled Why We Kneel, How We Rise.
• The Book was Published by Simon & Schuster limited.

About the Book :

• In that Book he shares his story together with those of some of the most iconic athletes in the world. 
• He delivers a powerful and inspiring message of hope for the future and a vision for change, and takes you through history to understand racism.

About Michael Holding :

• Michael Anthony Holding is a Jamaican cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for the West Indies cricket team.
• He was nicknamed “Whispering Death“.
• He played 60 Tests for the West Indies between 1975 and 1987, taking 249 wickets.
• After retiring from the game, he became a commentator, mainly working for Sky Sports.

NASA selects SpaceX for Jupiter moon mission

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected SpaceX for the Europa Clipper mission to conduct detailed investigations of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
• Europa Clipper mission, scheduled to launch in October 2024 on a Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida & it will arrive in orbit around Jupiter in April 2030.
• The total value of the contract is about $178 million.
• Jupiter’s moon Europa is approximately 390 million miles (630 million kilometres) from Earth and the journey is expected to take more than five years.

About the Mission :

• The mission will investigate whether Jupiter’s icy moon has conditions suitable for life.
• It will produce high-resolution images of Europa’s surface, determine its composition, look for signs of recent or ongoing geological activity
• Also it measures the thickness of the moon’s icy shell, searches for subsurface lakes, and determines the depth and salinity of Europa’s ocean.

About NASA :

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
• Administered by: Steve Jurczyk, Bill Nelson

About SpaceX :

• Founder: Elon Musk
• Founded: 6 May 2002
• CEO: Elon Musk
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Hockey India launches player-oriented web-based platform Heroes Connect

• Hockey India (HI) has launched its own player-oriented web-based engagement platform, the ‘Heroes Connect’.

About ‘Heroes Connect :

• The Platform will create a detailed database of the players who have represented the country in both men and women”s game.
• It has been designed to encourage former and current Indian international Hockey players to initiate constructive discussions around the sport.
• These profiles consist of general details of a player, matches played for the Indian team, duration of career, tournaments played, year of retirement, memorable career moments, awards won, social media profile and photographs of the player.

France judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou wins second Olympic gold in Women’s Judo

• 28 years old judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou (France) won the gold medal in the women’s -63 kg weight class by defeating Slovenian Tina Trstenjak in the final.
• Italy’s Maria Centracchio and Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard of Canada were awarded bronze medals.
• Judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou gives France its second Olympic gold medal

Note :

• Now, The French team have won six medals in the Tokyo Olympics, including two gold (Agbégnénou and Romain Cannone in epee), two silver (Amandine Buchard and Sarah-Léonie Cysique, both in judo) and two bronze (Manon Brunet in sabre and Luka Mhkeidze in judo).
• Romain Cannone won France’s first gold medal of the Games on July 25, beating Gergely Siklosi of Hungary 15-10 in the men’s épée final.
• judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou was silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

Tokyo 2020: PV Sindhu wins badminton bronze

• On August 01,2021, Indian badminton player PV Sindhu defeated China’s He Bingjiao to win the bronze medal in women’s singles event at the Tokyo Olympics.
• With this she became the first Indian woman and the only second Indian athlete to win two Olympic medals in individual events.
• This is India’s second medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

 Note :

• Sindhu was also the first Indian badminton player to win a Silver medal at the Olympics.
• She becomes the fourth player to win women’s singles medal in consecutive games

About PV Sindhu :

• In 2016, she won the silver in women’s singles badminton at the Rio Olympics.
• Sindhu made the Forbes’ list of Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2018 and

Achievements :

• PV Sindhu is the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, highest sporting honour of India in 2016.
• She received India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri in 2015.
• Also, She was honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, in January 2020.

Daily CA On July 31 :

• An International Friendship Day was first proposed on July 30, 1958 by the World Friendship Crusade, an international civil organization that campaigns to foster peaceful culture through friendship.
• World Ranger Day is celebrated on July 31 of every year & it pays tribute to the Rangers who are injured and killed in the line of duty and celebrates their colleagues who still boldly undertake their role in the field to protect the world’s natural and cultural treasures.
• The government announced a 27-per cent quota for OBCs and 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category in the All-India Quota (AIQ) scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses from the current academic year, 2021-22.
• Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurated NATRAX- the High Speed Track(HST) in Indore which is the longest such track in Asia.
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda launched Rashtriya Swasthya Swayamsevak Abhiyan (a health volunteers programme) from the party headquarters in Delhi.
• The All India Council of Technical Education is creating a database of resources to allow colleges to offer more programmes in regional languages and developed a tool to translate engineering content into 11 languages.
• The mini polyhouse [polyhouse is a type of greenhouse] is coming under ‘Krishikarna’ project launched in Kerala, a joint initiative of State Agri Horticultural Society (SAHS), Sustainable Foundation and Qore3 Innovations.
• Kerala Government announced a financial package of ₹ 5,650 crore in the state Assembly, to assist small-scale traders and farmers of the state.
• The Centre announced 780 new air traffic routes have been approved under the regional air connectivity scheme
• Global Tobacco Epidemic 2021 report prepared by WHO, on that More than four times as many people are now covered by at least one WHO-recommended tobacco control measure as compared with 2007.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Department of Commerce in partnership with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Invest India conducted a 2 Day Virtual Outreach Event connecting exporters from the Districts to the buyers outside India.
• In the process of Returning stolen Idols, the National Gallery of Australia announced it would return 14 works of art from its Asian art collection to Indian Government.
• Intel in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ministry of Education announced the launch of the AI For All initiative with the purpose of creating a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) for everyone in India.
• The Reserve Bank of India cancelled the licence of Madgaum Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Margao, Goa, as the bank with its current financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full.
• Three of India’s biggest private lenders – ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank – have taken stakes in the blockchain financial technology firm IBBIC.
• Bharat Bill Payment System, NPCI’s flagship bill payments platform that was hived off into a separate subsidiary in April, has appointed former PayU and Airtel Payments Bank executive Noopur Chaturvedi as its new chief executive officer.
• Property consultant Colliers has appointed Ramesh Nair as the chief executive officer (CEO) for India and managing director, market development, for Asia.
• Former India off-spinner M. Venkataramana has been appointed the Tamil Nadu senior team coach for the coming season.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve of the Madhya Pradesh has received the Natwest Group Earth Heroes Award in the Earth Guardian category for best management
• 31-year-old Ngangom Bala Devi has been named as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Women’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21, Meanwhile, 19-year-old Manisha Kalyan won the Women’s Emerging Player of the year awards.
• On July 15 & 16, 2021, Uzbekistan hosted a two day high-level International Conference titled “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” at Tashkent.
• A two day G20 Environment Ministerial Meeting 2021 was organised at Naples, in Italy in virtual mode.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel is undertaking coordinated patrol (CORPAT) with Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Bung Tomo from 30 to 31 July 2021.
• The 12th edition of exercise INDRA NAVY, a biennial (Every Two Years) bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy was held in the Baltic Sea from 28 to 29 July 2021.
• Intel in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ministry of Education announced the launch of the AI for All initiative with the purpose of creating a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) for everyone in India.
• Malaysia has registered the world’s first affordable & effective new drug for hepatitis C.
• 22-year-old Yuto Horigome of Japan won the gold medal in skateboarding with a score of 37.18 points at the Olympic Games held at Ariake Urban Sports Center, in Tokyo.

• On July 24, 2021, 21-year-old Chinese Shooter Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in women’s 10m air rifle with a score of 251.8.

Daily CA On Aug 01 & 02 :

• Muslim Women Rights Day is observed on August 1 & this year marks the second anniversary of that historical bill which is officially known as the Muslim Women Act (Protection of Rights on Marriage) passed in the Rajya Sabha.
• World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration which is held every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries & the theme for breastfeeding week is “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility”.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the policymakers and stakeholders across the country via video conferencing to mark the completion of one year of announcing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines” developed by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology. 
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to create the post of ‘non-executive chairman’ for the board.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA).
• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya launched National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution 
• NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) have successfully completed the two month long, exclusive and digital skills entrepreneurship which is named ATL Tinkerprenuer summer bootcamp and was held across India.
• Guido Bellido named as new Prime Minister of Peru
• On July 28, Peru will commemorate 200 years of independence from the erstwhile Spanish Empire.
• The first goods train carrying stone chips to Bangladesh through the revived Haldibari -Chilahati rail link will leave from Damdim station of Alipurduar Division in Northeast Frontier Railway, 31 July.
• A hotline was established between Indian Army at Kongra La in North Sikkim and the People’s Liberation Army of China at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region. 
• Ismail Haniyeh re-elected as leader of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip
• To end a 14 months long standoff near LAC, India and china hold another level of high-level military talks on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation organisation conference in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on July 14
• The State Administration Council of Myanmar has been reformed as ‘Caretaker government of Myanmar’ headed by the Chief of the Myanmar military Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as the Prime Minister.
• The US administration has imposed sanctions on Cuba’s police force and two of its leaders following recent protests on the island against the communist government.
• The central government’s fiscal deficit stood at Rs 2.74 lakh crore or 18.2 percent of the full year’s Budget estimate at the end of June.
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the flagship payments platform of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), made a record in volume and value of transactions in July as digital payments rise in the pandemic.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a new digital payment solution –e-RUPI through video conferencing.
• Civil Accounts Service officer Deepak Das took charge as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the Department of Expenditure.
• Vice Admiral N. Ghormade took over as Deputy Chief of Naval who succeeds Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumarwho retired on July 31, 2021, after more than 39 years of service.
• Businessman Cyrus Poonawalla, who is the founder-chairperson of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), has been named as a recipient of the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award for 2021.
• Mumbai-based graphic artist Anand Radhakrishnan, 32, has won the prestigious Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, considered the Oscars equivalent of the comics world.
• Sai Life Sciences Wins Golden Peacock National Training Award 2021. 
• Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, has been awarded ‘IMC RBNQ Efficiency Excellence Trophy 2020’ in the healthcare sector from IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj Nationwide High quality Award Belief,
• Business payments and financial services startup Razorpay has acquired artificial intelligence (AI)-based risk analysis platform TERA Finlabs, marking its third acquisition since its inception.
• The 6th meeting of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) was held virtually on 28-29 July 2021 under the Chairship of India. Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs chaired the meeting.
• The first G20 Culture Ministers Meeting was held in Rome, Italy.
• Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh stated The ISRO-NASA joint mission NISER (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, aimed at making global measurement of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging, is proposed to be launched in early 2023.
• To detect cancerous mutations in the body, Researchers from Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, have developed  a machine learning model on an Artificial Intelligence tool named NBDriver (neighbourhood driver).
• Russia successfully launched the Multipurpose Laboratory Module called  Nauka to the International Space Station atop a Proton-M rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
• Former Cricketer Michael Anthony Holding Authored a Book titled Why We Kneel, How We Rise.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected SpaceX for the Europa Clipper mission to conduct detailed investigations of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
• Hockey India (HI) has launched its own player-oriented web-based engagement platform, the ‘Heroes Connect’.
• 28 years old judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou (France) won the gold medal in the women’s -63 kg weight class by defeating Slovenian Tina Trstenjak in the final.
• On August 01,2021, Indian badminton player PV Sindhu defeated China’s He Bingjiao to win the bronze medal in women’s singles event at the Tokyo Olympics.