Current Affairs July 24th & 25th 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Thermal Engineer Day- July 24

• Every year on July 24, National Thermal Engineer Day is observed to mark and appreciate all thermal engineers in the country.
• The day honors the significance of thermal management in the electronics sector, as well as the engineers and businesses who make it possible.

HISTORY

• Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc (ATS) established the day in 2014.
• ATS focuses on offering efficient and cost-effective thermal energy regulation and electronic packaging solutions.
• It also attempts to emphasize the significance of the thermal energy industry.
• The day was created to showcase the efforts of thermal engineers around the nation.
• The work of thermal engineers is frequently eclipsed by other industries such as software and electronics.
• Nevertheless, it is the thermal sector that supports the electronics and software sectors.
• July 24 was chosen as National Thermal Engineer Day since it is the hottest day of the year.

National Parent’s Day (Fourth Sunday in July) – 24 July

• In the year 2022, the fourth Sunday in July will be recognized as National Parents’ Day.
• The date for the celebration this year is July 24.
• On this day, parents are honored for the crucial part they play in our lives.

History:

• President Bill Clinton 1994 signed a law and a resolution was adopted by the US Congress to establish the fourth Sunday of every July as Parents’ Day.
• This day is similar to Mother’s Day and Father’s day.
• In the Congressional resolution, it is mentioned that Parents’ Day is established for “recognizing, uplifting and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children”.

World Embryologist Day- July 25

• World Embryologists’ Day in 2022 is observed on July 25, it is recognized.
• It honors reproductive medicine researchers on this day.
• On this day world’s first IVF baby was born.
• Embryologists play an important role in an IVF clinic.
• They assist in conceiving children, or you would say that they have the power to create life. Because they are the ones who nurture this fresh beginning of life, they are occasionally referred to as the “caretakers” of patients’ sperm, eggs, or embryos.
• Sperm, eggs, and embryos are the main subjects of research for embryologists.
• They will be able to pick the healthiest sperm, eggs, and embryos for IVF therapy based on their quality.

History:

• Louise Joy Brown on 25 July became the first baby to be born due to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) method in 1978 and so every year on 25 July World Embryologist Day is observed.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

52nd DG-level talks between India & Bangladesh border forces give attention to curbing trans-border crimes

• The border guarding forces of Bangladesh and India have agreed to focus on curbing trans-border crimes and taking all necessary measures to ensure peace and tranquility along the border at the 52nd Director General-level coordination conference, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Indian delegation was headed by Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, Director General of BSF, and the Bangladesh delegation was headed by DG of BGB Major General Shakil Ahmed.

About 52nd Director General-level coordination conference :

• It is a 5-day conference that was held from July 17-21,2022 between Border Security Force (BSF), India, and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh.
• DG-level talks between India and Bangladesh are held twice every year once in India and once in
• Both sides provisionally agreed to hold the next DG-level conference in India preferably in the first or second week of November 2022.

Key Highlights :

• Both sides highlighted the importance of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in curbing the menace of smuggling contrabands, such as various narcotics (especially YABA), firearms, FICN, gold, etc.
• They also agreed to undertake joint efforts to bring down the number of incidents of assault and border crime by intensifying public awareness programs, undertaking appropriate socio-economic developmental programs in vulnerable areas, educating the border population about the sanctity of IB, and preventing criminals and inhabitants from crossing the IB.
• They mutually agreed to constructively engage the respective higher authorities for concurrence of the pending developmental work within 150 yards of IB.
• They also agreed to facilitate river bank protection works along the common bordering rivers as approved by the Joint River Commission.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath launches scheme for the cashless medical benefit for state employees, pensioners

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath has launched a scheme Deen Dayal Upadhyaya State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme in Lucknow, UP.

Aim :

• To provide cashless medical facilities to more than 75 lakh people including 22 lakh state government employees, pensioners, and their dependents.

About the Scheme :

• Under the Scheme, the eligible people will get cashless medical facilities at government-run institutions, medical colleges, and hospitals without any financial limit.
• Cashless medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh will be available at hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
• Also, a State Health Card would be provided to the eligible employees and pensioners.
• Under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ Ayushman Bharat, medical insurance coverage up to Rs 5 lakh is being provided to poor families.
• He stated that under the Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Antyodaya (poorest of the poor) families of the UP are being provided medical insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh 
• Besides, medical insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh is also being provided to the registered workers of the Construction Workers Welfare Board.

Abou UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• CM: Yogi Adityanath
• Capital: Lucknow
• National Parks: Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Punjab FM presents the AAP government’s first budget for FY 2022-23

• Punjab finance minister Shri Harpal Singh Cheema presented the first budget of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government a ₹1,55,859.78-crore budget, which reflects 20 percent growth as compared to 2021-22.
• No new tax has been proposed in the budget.
• The Budget also lays provisions for introducing Fiscal Risk Management.
• Reading out from the paperless budget, Cheema, informed us that Our focus in the first year will be threefold.

1. To restore deteriorating fiscal health
2. To deliver on the promises of good governance by ensuring effective use of public funds
3. To concentrate on health and education.

• Punjab FM stated that the Janata budget (people’s budget) has been prepared after receiving 20,384 suggestions on the government portal and through emails.
• The Punjab government borrowed Rs 8,000 crore in the last three months & also contributed Rs 1,000 crore to the Consolidated Sinking Fund (CSF) of the state within the first two months.

On electricity

• The Punjab government is fulfilling its first guarantee (promise) made to the people of the state by providing 300 units of domestic power supply per month free to all citizens from July 1, 2022.
• A total power subsidy bill has been proposed at Rs 15,845 crore as against Rs 13,443 crore in 2021-22.

Health Sector :

• The government will set up 16 new medical colleges over five years, taking the total number of colleges in the state to 25.
• A sum of ₹1,033 crores has been allocated for medical education, which is an increase of 60% over FY 2021-22.
• The government will set up two super-specialty hospitals in Patiala and Faridkot in two years & 3 more super-specialty hospitals shall be opened by 2027.
• The budget outlay for the health sector with an allocation of ₹4,731 crores is an increase of 23.80% over that of FY 2021-22
• The government plans to set up 117 mohalla clinics for which an initial allocation of ₹77 crores has been proposed & 75 of these mohalla clinics will be operational by Independence Day on August 15, 2022.

Agriculture Sector :

• The finance minister proposed a budgetary allocation of ₹11,560 crores for the agriculture sector and ₹6,947 crores for free power to agriculture tube wells.
• ₹100 crores have been allocated for the installation of the rooftop solar panel system in government schools.
• The Punjab Sikhya Te Sehat Fund, a trust to assist capital asset creation in the health and education sector, will be set up during the year and the government will provide token assistance initially as seed money to it during FY 2022-23.
• The government proposes ₹200 crores for solutions to stubble burning.

Other Key Highlights :

• Further, cyber-crime control rooms shall be set up in all districts with an outlay of Rs 30 crore.
• ₹5 crores are hereby proposed for the installation of CCTV cameras at Mohali and similarly, CCTV cameras will be installed at police Mahila Mittar Kendras during FY 2022-23.
• To help road accident victims, the government proposed a scheme in Punjab on the pattern of the Farishtey scheme in New Delhi whereby anyone can take a road accident victim(s) and get them admitted to any hospital.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Asian Development Bank cuts India’s GDP forecast for FY23 to 7.2% 

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its ‘Outlook 2022 Supplement’ has cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 7.2% for the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from 7.5% projected in April 2022 because of higher-than-expected inflation and monetary tightening.
• It also lowered the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth estimate for 2023-24 to 7.8% from the 8% estimated earlier.
• However, India will continue to surpass China which is expected to grow by 4 percent in 2022 as against the earlier estimate of 5 percent.
• In 2023, China is expected to grow by 4.8 percent.
• On India’s inflationary outlook, ADB stated that for FY2022 it is revised up from 5.8 percent to 6.7 percent on higher-than-expected oil prices.
• The inflation projection for FY2023 is raised from 5 percent to 5.8 percent.
• ADB added that private investment would soften due to the higher cost of borrowing for firms as the RBI continues to raise policy rates to contain inflation.
• The RBI’s monetary policy committee hiked the repo rate by 90 basis points in two consecutive months, May (an off-cycle policy review) and June, raising the repo rate to 4.9%.
• India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is hovering at more than 7% and is expected to remain elevated in the coming months.
• Also, the net exports would shrink due to subdued global demand and a rising real effective exchange rate eroding export competitiveness despite a depreciating rupee.
• On July 20, 2022, the rupee touched an all-time low of 80.06 against the dollar.
• So far, The domestic currency has depreciated about 7.5% against the greenback in 2022.

About ADB :

• Founded: 19 December 1966
• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa
• Membership: 68 countries

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches add-on motor insurance cover

• Private sector Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited launched its add-on motor insurance cover called ‘Pay As You Consume’ (PAYC).
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance was the first to launch ‘Pay As You Consume’ under the Insurance Regulatory and Developments Authority of India’s (IRDAI’s) (Sandbox Regulations).
• This usage-based motor insurance add-on cover is in alignment with IRDAI’s recent circular to allow PAYC under annual motor products.

About PAYC :

• Pay-as-you-consume add-on cover can be opted by the customer along with the basic OD (Own Damage) plan under Package Product, Bundled, and Standalone OD cover.
• Customers can choose coverage based on their vehicle usage, further to which the premium will be calculated, i.e. kilometers driven annually.
• Customers can also avail of an additional benefit in premium for their safe driving.
• Customers’ driving behavior will be analyzed based on a telematics device installed in the vehicle, driving metrics recorded on their “BJAZ CARINGLY YOURS” mobile app (Company’s app), or information provided by them through a device, etc.
• Customers need not worry if the opted kilometers during the policy period get exhausted; they can add kilometers to their plan using the top-up plan & if a customer forgets to add kilometers to their top-up plan, the company has offered a unique concept of “GRACE KM”

Additional Info :

• Earlier in July 2022, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) permitted general insurers to issue sophisticated add-ons for a motor insurance policy.
• These are telematics-based motor insurance plans for which the premium depends on the usage of the vehicle or driving behavior.

About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance :

• Founded: 2001
• MD & CEO : CEO: Tapan Singhel
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Microsoft announces ‘Viva Engage’ app in Teams to help build community:

• Microsoft has announced the launch of Viva Engage, a new app in Teams that helps develop community and connection while also giving tools for creative expression.
• Viva Engage, built based on Yammer, connects employees across the organization to interact with leaders and coworkers, get answers to issues, share their unique stories, and feel a sense of belonging at work.

About the Microsoft Viva:

• Microsoft Viva is intended to provide workers in a variety of jobs and responsibilities with the tools they need to feel connected – no matter when or where they work.
• Employee experience, though, is more than that. According to the organization, it is about assisting individuals in excelling at their jobs, whether they are in sales, marketing, finance, or information technology.
• The social app for digital communities, dialogues, and self-expression tools expands on the current Communities app for Teams and Microsoft 365 features.
• Microsoft Viva Sales, the first of a new dimension of Viva built to satisfy these vertical, role-specific objectives, was announced last month.

About Microsoft

• Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Founded: 4 April 1975
• Headquarters: Washington, United States.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Flipkart and the Bihar State Skill Development Mission have signed an agreement:

• Flipkart, the e-commerce market, announced a partnership with the Bihar State Skill Development Mission to launch Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) programs in the state.
• According to a press release, the initiative seeks to establish a talent pool of professional supply chain operations people and to distribute relevant business skills and knowledge.

Key Points:

• This will help to close the skills gap and provide job opportunities in the nation’s thriving supply chain industry.
• The Flipkart team designed and created the SCOA training program, which was launched in October of last year, to give candidates thorough experience and training.
• Successful candidates will be paid Rs 17,500 for finishing the program, which involves 45 days of on-the-job training at Flipkart supply chain facilities after 15 days of digital classroom instruction.
• The program is a 60-day skill-building endeavor that attempts to give young people the abilities they need to pursue careers in various areas of supply chain management while also certifying them to make them more marketable.
• Students will be offered skills using Flipkart’s Learning Management System, an online learning platform where students may master a range of skills through courses designed by industry specialists.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

NITI Aayog: India’s R&D expenditures are one of the lowest worldwide

• India has among the lowest R&D spending worldwide, according to research by the government think tank NITI Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness.
• Spending on R&D has declined in India, going from 0.8 percent of GDP in 2008-09 to 0.7 percent in 2017-18.
• India has a smaller GERD than the other BRICS nations, according to statistics.
• Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa all had spending rates of 1.2 percent, 1.1 percent, over 2 percent, and 0.8 percent, respectively.
• The average worldwide rate is close to 1.8 percent.

Key Points:

• The India Innovation Index 2021 indicates that India has often made very modest investments in R&D.
• This was reflected in the total proportion of gross expenditures on R&D (GERD), which was around 0.7 percent of GDP.
• Developed countries like the United States, Sweden, and Switzerland spend about 2.9 percent, 3.2 percent, and 3.4 percent, respectively.
• Israel spends the most on R&D as a percentage of GDP, at 4.5 percent.
• One of the reasons offered for the low spending on R&D in developing countries like India is the fact that R&D investments take time to pay off.
• Because these issues are more common in countries like India, where they entail lowering hunger and battling

India and declining research output:

• India has to considerably increase its GERD and raise it to at least 2 percent to achieve its goal of a $5 trillion GDP.
• India has one of the lowest rates of GERD in the world, at $43 per person. India ranks far lower than its ASEAN and BRICS competitors Brazil, Malaysia, and Russia.
• Only Mexico, at $0.31, has a smaller share of GERD as a percentage of GDP, according to the statistics.
• Numerous companies, experts, and even the RBI have raised concerns about the poor R&D performance over the years.
• In addition, the survey finds evidence of a mismatch between what is taught in universities and what is required in the industry.

The report titled “Digital Banks” released by NITI Aayog:

• The NITI Aayog document “Digital Banks” provides a justification for a licensing and regulatory framework for digital banks as well as a template and a method for putting it into practice.
• It puts a strong emphasis on preventing any regulatory or policy arbitrage and offers equal playing time for both established players and upstart competitors.
• Suman Bery, CEO of NITI Aayog, Parameswaran Iyer, and Senior Advisor Anna Roy presented the report for release in front of other officials.
• Because it is essential to effectively utilize technology to satisfy India’s banking expectations, this paper looks at the present gaps, the underserved niches, and the worldwide regulatory best practices for licensable digital banks.

Key Points:

• India’s recent significant achievements in financial inclusion have been fueled by the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and India Stack.
• However, credit penetration remains a policy priority, especially for the nation’s 63 million or more MSMEs, which contribute 30% to GDP, 45% to manufacturing output, 40% to exports, and employ a sizable number of the workforce.
• Indians now have access to financial inclusion thanks to digitalization, which was made possible by the Jan Dan-Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) trinity and Aadhaar, during the past several years.
• This has been further supported by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), whose adoption has reached historic levels.
• More than 4.2 billion transactions totaling $7.7 trillion were recorded by UPI in October 2021.
• UPI has benefited from the creation of valuable payment solutions on top of it because of the platform approach the government utilized while creating it.
• As a result, payments can now be done with a click at retail places as well as peer-to-peer, drastically changing how money is transferred between individuals.

Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index June 2022: India ranks 118

• According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, India’s ranks in terms of median mobile speeds dropped by three positions.
• In May of this year, India was ranked 115th, but in June, it fell to 118th.
• India’s mobile broadband speeds increased in April and May.
• However, the data shows that in June 2022, India’s median mobile download speeds dropped from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps.
• The average fixed broadband download speed in India increased to 48.11 Mbps in June 2022 from 47.86 Mbps the previous month.
• This raised the nation’s position in the world rankings three spots, from 75th in May 2022 to 72nd in June 2022.

Speedtest Global Index:

• While Chile has recaptured the top rank from Singapore, which fell to No. 2 in terms of overall worldwide fixed broadband speeds, Norway continues to hold the top spot for overall global median mobile speeds.
• In terms of the median mobile download speed index for June, Norway comes in first place with 126.96 Mbps, while Chile comes in top place with 213.73 Mbps.
• In terms of fixed broadband speeds and mobile download speeds, respectively, Papua New Guinea and Gabon had the fastest growth rates in June 2022.
• Each month, Ookla’s index analyses speed test results from all across the world.

WHO Report: India was the top remittance recipient in 2021 receiving $87 billion

• According to World Health Organization research, among the low- and middle-income nations, India received the most remittances inflows in 2021, measured in current US dollars.
• 87 billion US dollars’ worth of remittances were sent to India in 2021, according to the “first World report on the health of refugees and migrants.”

Key Points:

• The top five countries on the list were China ($53 billion), Mexico ($53 billion), the Philippines ($36 billion), and Egypt ($33 billion).
• The United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland were the top remittance source nations in 2020.
• Remittances boost or sustain consumer spending and lessen the impact of tough times, like the COVID-19 epidemic, on the economy.

About the WHO World report:

• One billion people, or one in eight people worldwide, are migrants, according to the inaugural WHO World Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants.
• According to research by the UN organization with particular responsibility for international public health, the top five countries that received remittances in 2021 in current US dollars were India, China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt.
• The durability of remittance flows observed in 2020, which fell by a small 1.7% to USD 549 billion in the face of one of the worst global recessions, was followed by the economic rebound in 2021.

About WHO

• Director-General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 7 April 1948.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Filmmaker KP Kumaran honored with JC Daniel Award 2022:

• KP Kumaran, a Malayalam director, has received Kerala’s top cinema honor, the JC Daniel Award.
• Kumaran received the award in recognition of his contributions to the Malayalam cinema industry.
• The award consists of a Rs 5 lakh cash reward, a citation, and a plaque.
• Singer P Jayachandran, director Sibi Malayil, film academy chairman Ranjith, and Rani George, principal secretary of the Department of Cultural Affairs were among the 2021 jury members.

About KP Kumaran:

• The filmmaker made his directorial debut with Athithi in 1975 and rose to prominence with films such as Rugmini, which won the National Award for Best Malayalam Feature Film and the Kerala State Film Award in 1989.
• He is well recognized for his roles in films such as Thenthulli, Laxmivijayam, and Thottam.
• Gramavrikshathile Kuyil, the filmmaker’s most recent film, was released in 2020.
• Kumaran Asan, a philosopher, poet, social reformer, and businessman, is the subject of the film.

About The JC Daniel Award:

• The JC Daniel Award is Kerala’s top honor in Malayalam film.
• The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a nonprofit organization under the Department of Cultural Affairs, hosts it each year.
• The award was established in 1992 to recognize individuals for their remarkable contributions to Malayalam film.
• The prize was designed to honor Indian director JC Daniel, who is widely recognized as the founder of Malayalam cinema.
• The prize has been given to 27 people since its establishment.
• The inaugural laureate was TE Vasudevan, a film distributor, and producer. P Jayachandran, a singer, was the most recent laureate – 2020.

68th National Film Awards 2022 Announced:

• In New Delhi, the winners of the 68th National Film Awards were announced.
• Due to COVID-19-related delays, this year’s awards presentation included films from 2020 as well.
• The event is organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Directorate of Film Festivals.
• Shri Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, announced the award winners.
• Soorarai Pottru received three of the night’s four main prizes, while Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior also received notable honors.

68th National Film Awards 2022:

• Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru
• Best Director: Sachidanandan KR, Ayyappanum Koshiyum
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji
• Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji
• Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali, Soorarai Pottru
• Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
• Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innam Sila Pengallum
• Best Action Direction Award: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum
• Best Choreography: Natyam (Telugu)
• Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina (Hindi)
• Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Taktak
• Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
• Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, S Thaman
• Best film on Social Issues: ‘Justice Delayed but Delivered & Three Sisters
• Best Choreography: Natyam
• Best Cinematography: Avijatrik
• Best Audiography: Dollu, Mi Vasantrao, and Malik
• Best Costume Design: Tanhaji
• Best Production Design: Kappela
• Best Editing: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
• Best Make-up: Natyam
• Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara, and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin
• Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Special Jury Award:

• Best Feature Film in Hindi: Toolsidas Junior
• Best Feature Film in Kannada: Dollu
• Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam
• Best Feature Film in Tamil: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
• Best Feature Film in Telugu: Colour Photo
• Best Feature Film in Haryanvi: Dada Lakhmi
• Best Feature Film in Dimasa: Samkhor
• Best Feature Film in Tulu: Jeetige

Non-Feature Films:

• Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan, Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi
• Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu, RV Ramani
• Best Music Direction: 1232 kms – Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar, Vishal Bhardwaj
• Best Cinematography: Sabdikunna Kalappa, Nikhil S Praveen
• Best Audiography: Pearl of the Desert, Ajit Singh Rathore
• Best Editing: Borderlands, Anadi Athaley
• Best Narration Voiceover: Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan
• Best On-Location Sound: Jadui Jangal, Sandeep Bhati, and Pradeep Lekhwar
• Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation
• Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai
• Best Book on Cinema (Special Mention): MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam, Anoop Ramakrishnan, and Kali Paine Kalira Cinema by Surya Deo
• Best Film Critic: No winner this year.
• Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh

Feature Film Awards:

• Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
• Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazcha Nishchayam
• Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
• Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
• Best Assamese Film: Bridge
• Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
• Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
• Best Marathi Film: Gostha Eka Paithanichi
• Best Kannada Film: Dollu
• Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor
• Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi

Other Awards:

• The Most Film Friendly State award goes to Madhya Pradesh (Rajat Kamal & Certificate), while Uttarakhand (Certificate) and Uttar Pradesh (Certificate) are given Special Mention.
• The Odia book “Kali Paine Kalira Cinema” and the Malayalam book “MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam” both receive special mentions in addition to Kishwar Desai’s “The Longest Kiss,” which receives Best Book on Cinema for the Year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

• Senior Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Member of Parliament Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena has been appointed as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
• He succeeds former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s 9th president.
• Gunawardena was sworn in by President Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka

About Dinesh Gunawardena :

• Gunawardena was born on 2 March 1949.
• He has served as a member of parliament, cabinet minister, and Leader of the House of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
• He was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna’s (MEP) central committee in August 1973.
• He was appointed Minister of Transport, Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply, and Deputy Minister of Education after the election.
• He is the current leader of the left-wing Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party since 1983.

About Sri Lanka :

• President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

Harbhajan Singh, Misa Bharti, and Rajeev Shukla are among 28 MPs to be sworn in as Rajya Sabha members

• Cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh, Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav, and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla took oath along with nearly 25 other leaders as Rajya Sabha members.
• Others included A Rao Meena, Vijay Sai Reddy, Kheeru Mahto, Shambhala Saran Patel, Ranjeet Ranjan, Maharashtra Majhi, Aditya Prasad, Praful Patel, Imran Pratapgarhi, Sanjay Raut, Sasmit Patra, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, and Vikramjeet Singh Sahani, Randeep Singh Surjewal, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, R Girl Rajan, S Kalyan Sundaram, KRN Rajesh Kumar, Javed Ali Khan, V Vijendra Prasad were others among those who took the oath.
• Newly elected members from different political parties took oath on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
• Renowned former athlete PT Usha (from Kerala) and legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja (from Tamil Nadu) could not be present in the Rajya Sabha to take the oath due to some reasons.
• The Rajya Sabha also paid homage to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ex-UAE president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and former Kenayan president Mwai Kibaki.

IAPH appoints Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan as its representative in India

• The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the global ports’ forum for industry collaboration and excellence, has appointed Ennarasu Karunesan as its official representative in India.

About Mr Ennarasu Karunesan :

• Karunesan has over 33 years of leadership experience in the marine and port industries.
• He began his career in the port industry with the Mumbai port and later worked as the general manager of operations and CEO of the Westport Container Terminal in Port Klang, Malaysia, from 2001 to 2004.
• He introduced innovative port technologies and developed maritime infrastructure with safe & sustainable operations.
• He served as Director & Chief Executive Officer, Chennai Container Terminal Ltd.(CCT), Dubai Ports World (2004 – 2015), and Joint President and CEO of the Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, Gujarat, India (2015 – 2019).
• Currently, he serves as an advisor to Indian Ports.

About IAPH :

• Established: 1955
• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
• MD: Patrick Verhoeven
• The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is the global trade association for seaports worldwide.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA chooses SpaceX to launch Roman Space Telescope

• American Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to launch their new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission.
• The mission is targeted to launch in October 2026, as specified in the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract, on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States of America.
• It is named after Nancy Roman, an astronomer renowned for paving the way for large telescopes in NASA.

About Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission :

• The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope features a4-meter primary mirror.
• According to NASA, the total cost for the agency to launch the Roman telescope is approximately USD255 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs
• The telescope, previously known as the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), is designed to unravel the secrets of dark energy and dark matter, search for and image exoplanets, and explore many topics in infrared astrophysics.
• The Roman Space Telescope will have a primary mission lifetime of 5 years, with a potential 5-year extended mission.
• The Roman Space Telescope project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

About Nancy Grace Roman :

• Nancy Grace Roman was the first female executive at NASA.
• She served as NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy throughout the 1960s and 1970s,

About NASA :

• Founded: July 29, 1958
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States
• Administrator: Bill Nelson
• Motto: For the Benefit of All

Daily CA On July 24 and 25:

• Every year on July 24, National Thermal Engineer Day is observed to mark and appreciate all thermal engineers in the country.
• In the year 2022, the fourth Sunday in July will be recognized as National Parents’ Day.
• World Embryologists’ Day in 2022 is observed on July 25, it is recognized.
• KP Kumaran, a Malayalam director, has received Kerala’s top cinema honor, the JC Daniel Award.
• In New Delhi, the winners of the 68th National Film Awards were announced.
• Microsoft has announced the launch of Viva Engage, a new app in Teams that helps develop community and connection while also giving tools for creative expression.
• Flipkart, the e-commerce market, announced a partnership with the Bihar State Skill Development Mission to launch Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) programs in the state.
• India has among the lowest R&D spending worldwide, according to research by the government think tank NITI Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness.
• The NITI Aayog document “Digital Banks” provides a justification for a licensing and regulatory framework for digital banks as well as a template and a method for putting it into practice.
• According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, India’s ranks in terms of median mobile speeds dropped by three positions.
• According to World Health Organization research, among the low- and middle-income nations, India received the most remittances inflows in 2021, measured in current US dollars.

• The border guarding forces of Bangladesh and India have agreed to focus on curbing trans-border crimes and taking all necessary measures to ensure peace and tranquility along the border at the 52nd Director General-level coordination conference, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath has launched a scheme Deen Dayal Upadhyaya State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme in Lucknow, UP.
• Punjab finance minister Shri Harpal Singh Cheema presented the first budget of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government a ₹1,55,859.78-crore budget, which reflects 14.20 percent growth as compared to 2021-22.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its ‘Outlook 2022 Supplement’ has cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 7.2% for the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from 7.5% projected in April 2022 because of higher-than-expected inflation and monetary tightening.
• Private sector Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited launched its add-on motor insurance cover called ‘Pay As You Consume’ (PAYC).
• Senior Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Member of Parliament Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena has been appointed as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka & he succeeds former prime minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s 9th president.
• Cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh, Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav, and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla took oath along with nearly 25 other leaders as Rajya Sabha members.
• The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the global ports’ forum for industry collaboration and excellence, has appointed Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan as its official representative in India.
• American Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to launch their new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission.