Current Affairs July 21st 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi govt commemorated Happiness Utsav in honor of the curriculum’s 4th anniversary:

• The Delhi government commemorated Happiness Utsav to commemorate the fourth anniversary of its Happiness Curriculum for schools, according to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
• Life coach Gaur Gopal Das spoke on the complexities of happiness during a special session for students at Kautilya Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Chirag Enclave on this occasion.
• The students shared their views on the Happiness course with Gaur Gopal Das.
• The Happiness Utsav takes place every year to commemorate the Happiness Curriculum’s anniversary.
• In addition to introducing communities to the Happiness Curriculum, the 15-day event seeks to increase public awareness of the pursuit of happiness.

Key Points:

• In a government school in Delhi, each pupil interacted with at least five residents of the neighborhood and shared knowledge about happiness with them.
• The goal is to make the millions of residents of Delhi happier.
• Happiness Classes have caused a dramatic change in students’ views.
• Through the Happiness Utsav, we will demonstrate how to live a pleasant life to thousands of Delhi citizens.
• The happiness Curriculum has been a long and winding journey over the last four years.
• The pupils are less stressed, and their focus on their schoolwork has improved.
• The Happiness Utsav, which will take place over the following 15 days, will feature a wide range of activities, according to the Deputy Chief Minister, and this year, “happiness” will not be limited to Delhi government schools alone.
• At least five individuals of the student’s neighborhood would be interacted with by each student in a government school in Delhi, and they would share knowledge on happiness with them.
• The goal is to help Delhi’s millions of residents achieve pleasure.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Flipkart signs pact to launch skill training initiative for the e-commerce logistics sector in Bihar 

• E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has inked a pact with the Bihar State Skill Development Mission (BSDM) to launch the initiatives of the Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) in Bihar.

Aim :

• To create a pool of skilled supply chain operations talent and impart relevant industry training and knowledge.
• This will help bridge the skill gap and create job opportunities in the expanding supply chain industry in the country.
• Flipkart has expanded “Supply Chain Operations Academy to accelerate skill building in Bihar for the e-commerce logistics sector

About SCOA :

• Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) launched in October 2021.
• The training program under SCOA has been designed and created by the Flipkart team to offer a holistic experience and training to candidates.
• The program involves a 60-day skilling initiative, it entails 15 days of digital classroom training and 45 days of on-the-job apprenticeship at Flipkart supply chain facilities, for which the qualified candidates will be paid a stipend of Rs 17,500.
• The students will be imparted skills through Flipkart’s Learning Management System, an online platform for learning programs.

About Flipkart :

• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

About Bihar :

• Governor : Phagu Chauhan
• Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
• Capital: Patna

TN CM Shri M K Stalin inaugurates Tamilnadu Centre for Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing

• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister Shri MK Stalin has inaugurated the Tamil Nadu center for excellence in advance manufacturing (TANCAM) established at the cost of Rs 212 crore in Tidel Park in Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The TN government launched a series of initiatives to help the state become a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with a contribution of around $250 billion by the manufacturing sector.
• The Chief Minister presided over the Advance Manufacturing conclave in TANCAM.
• The center was established jointly by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and French company Dassault Systemes.

Aim :

• To usher in the fourth industrial revolution and change the manufacturing eco-system of Tamil Nadu.

Key Highlights :

• During the conclave, he also inaugurated two innovation centers at the Sipcot Industrial Parks in Hosur and Sriperumbudur at a total cost of Rs 33.46 crore to nurture industrial innovation in partnership with Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator (CIBI).
• The Center will provide a dedicated IT engineering ecosystem to support the micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector and students across Tamil Nadu.
• It will help in the growth of various industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive and electric vehicles.
• The Center will equip the state with the latest technologies such as a 3D experience platform for up-skilling and facilitating future-ready innovations.
• Each innovation center is established at an area of 23,500 square feet with facilities such as meeting halls, labs, and so on.
• He also laid the foundation stone for neo-TIDAL parks in Villupuram and
• The neo-Tidel park in Tirupur will be constructed at the cost of Rs 41.9 crore and the neo-Tidel park in Villupuram will be constructed at the cost of Rs 35 crore.
• He also launched the Industry 4.0 Maturity Survey jointly undertaken by TN Guidance and Nottingham University.
• The data collected in the survey will be helpful for the industries to identify the challenges and steps to be taken to attain their goals.

About TN :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai

TN Department of higher education launched a portal for financial aid to students

• The Tamilnadu Government’s Higher Education department has launched a portal https://penkalvi.gov.in where beneficiaries may register themselves.
• Under this, the TN government will provide ₹1,000 annually to each girl student from middle school till she completes college education under a financial assistance scheme.
• The students who studied in government schools from Class VI to Class XII and college students who fulfill the criteria can avail themselves of the facility.
• College students who are studying undergraduate courses must provide details of their school education, bank account details, and Aadhaar number.
• Also, photocopies of these documents and copies of their Class X and Class XII mark sheet be produced.
• College students have been instructed to have a cellphone as an OTP is required for registration & they must complete the process even if they have to appear for the examinations.
• The department has urged the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of Technical Education to ensure that the process is done correctly.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCEGovt. declares zero coupons and zero principal instruments as securities

• The Central Government has declared “zero coupons zero principal instruments” as securities for the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.

About Zero coupons zero principal instruments:

• Zero coupons zero principal instrument means an instrument issued by a Not for Profit Organisation (NPO) which will be registered with the social stock exchange segment of a recognized stock exchange.
• These instruments will be governed by rules made by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

About SSE :

• The Social Stock Exchange (SSE) is a novel concept in India and such a course is meant to serve private and non-profit sector providers by channeling greater capital to them.
• The idea was floated by Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget Speech 2019-20.
• SSE will be a separate segment of the existing stock exchanges.
• In September 2021, Sebi’s board cleared a framework for SSE for fund raising by social enterprises.
• Social enterprises eligible to participate in the SSE should be entities NPOs and for-profit social enterprises having social intent and impact as their primary goal.
• The social enterprises will have to engage in a social activity out of the list of 15 broad activities approved by SEBI.
• About fund raising, it has been proposed that eligible NPOs may raise funds through equity, zero coupons zero principal bonds, mutual funds, social impact funds, and development impact bonds.

Morgan Stanley lowers India’s FY23 GDP forecast to 7.2%

• American brokerage Morgan Stanley has lowered India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 7.2% in the 2022-23 financial year (FY23), 40 basis points (bps) lower than their previous estimates of 7.6%.
• It has also cut the real GDP forecast for FY 2023-24 (FY24) by 30 bps from 6.7% to 6.4%.
• However, Morgan expects the policy repo rate to stabilize at 6.5% by April 2023, 160 bps higher.
• The ongoing moderation in commodity prices is improving the near-term trajectory for macro stability and also cut its FY23 average inflation target to 6.5 percent against 7 percent earlier.
• Retail inflation fell marginally to 7.01 percent in June 2022 primarily due to a slight easing in the prices of vegetables and pulses.
• The inflation stood at 7.04 percent in the preceding month of May 2022 and 6.26 percent in June 2021.
• Global growth, Morgan Stanley stated, is expected to slow to 1.5% YoY in the quarter ending December 2022 from 4.7% in the quarter ended December 2021.

Three main reasons :

1. Slower trade growth
2. Tighter financial conditions
3. Changes in commodity prices.

About Morgan Stanley :

• Founded: 1935
• Headquarters: New York, U.S.
• Chairman & CEO: James P. Gorman

Government extends levy of GST Compensation Cess till March 2026

• The Union Finance Ministry announced that the Good and Services Tax (GST) Compensation levy to states has been extended by nearly four years from July 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026.
• It recalled the GST (Period of Levy and Collection of Cess) Rules, 2022.
• The compensation cess is applicable on specific goods, including tobacco, cigarettes, hookah, aerated water, high-end motorcycles, aircraft, yachts, and motor cars.
• The cess is levied on notified luxury goods falling in the 28 percent GST slab.
• The compensation cess levied on luxury and demerit goods, will continue to be collected till March 2026 to repay the borrowings that were done in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to compensate states for GST revenue loss.
• To meet the resource gap of states due to short release of compensation, the Center has borrowed and released Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1.59 lakh crore in 2021-22 as back-to-back loans to meet a part of the shortfall in cess collection.
• The Centre has repaid Rs 7,500 crore as interest cost for the borrowing in 2021-22 and Rs 14,000 crore is to be paid this fiscal year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

JSW Steel and BCG collaborate to quicken the decarbonization process:

• JSW Steel and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have collaborated on a decarbonization and sustainability plan.
• BCG will leverage its exclusive CO2 AI platform as well as its top-tier digital and analytics capabilities to support JSW Steel on its journey to being a net-zero carbon emitter.
• BCG will also prioritize staff training and enhancing the sustainable culture across all of our manufacturing locations during this period.
• This revolutionary project will need them to ramp up their sustainability efforts.

Key Points:

• To successfully manage change and have an impact, BCG will make use of JSW’s proprietary and unique CO2 AI technology.
• Their second strategic alliance with JSW Steel resulted from the productive Digital Transformation cooperation.
• They are happy to support JSW Steel’s sustainability objective with their best abilities and cutting-edge solutions.
• The strategy comprises a full exercise in target-setting at the level of overall production, devolving them into shop-level objectives, and transforming emissions targets into manageable tasks on operating metrics.
• A team of sustainability supporters will oversee the deployment throughout all production operations.
• To introduce new technologies and projects, including the use of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, among others, a roadmap will be made for all medium- to long-term operations.
• There will also be a thorough analysis of all available technological options to capacities and investments that must be made now and in the future to progress toward sustainability goals.

Successful testing of India’s first 5G private network announced by Bharti Airtel:

• At the Bosch Automotive Electronics facility in Bengaluru, Bharti Airtel successfully tested the country’s first 5G private network.
• The trial takes place in the middle of a dispute between telecom and IT companies over the distribution of airwaves for private networks, ahead of a 5G spectrum auction.
• Airtel developed two industrial-grade use cases at Bosch’s facilities for operational effectiveness and quality improvement using the government-allocated trial spectrum.

Key Points:

• The firm stated in a statement that automated processes were driven by 5G technology, including mobile broadband and ultra-reliable low-latency communications, which provided faster scale-up and fewer downtimes.
• A private network was built up as a test, and it is capable of supporting hundreds of connected devices and offering a throughput of several GBPS.
• Ajay Chitkara, director and CEO of Airtel Business, asserts that Airtel is dedicated to aiding India’s digital transformation and the expansion of its business as it strives to become a major worldwide player.
• The Airtel Private 5G network’s low latency and stable connectivity, which were observed at our facility during the proof of concept, have reportedly allowed them to boost output and efficiency, according to Subhash P, head of technical activities at Bosch Automotive Electronics India.
• The quantity of wired IT infrastructure will be significantly reduced and operational efficiency will increase with the adoption of 5G.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

NAARM received the Sardar Patel Award of ICAR:

• The Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award 2021 (in the Large Institute Category) has been given to the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in recognition of its overall accomplishments.
• In New Delhi, Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director of NAARM, accepted the honor from Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• At a celebration honoring the 94th Foundation Day of the ICAR, the prizes were presented.
• In Hyderabad, Telangana, India, there is a national-level Natural Resource Service training facility for the ARS cadre.
• Its name is the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management.
• To solve problems with agricultural research and education administration in India, it was founded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1976.

Australia Tennis star Lleyton Hewitt inducted into Hall of Fame:

• Lleyton Hewitt, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, was admitted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• Hewitt maintained the top place for 80 weeks, which ranks as the 10th-longest period in history, before Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic rose to the top of the sport.
• Even after those stars became famous.
• The Australian legend defeated Ivo Karlovic to win the Hall of Fame Open in 2014, which was his final ATP championship after winning his first in Adelaide in 1998.
• Hewitt won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEXES

Facebook-owner Meta released the first annual human rights report:

• After years of criticism that it ignored online atrocities that stoked bloodshed in the real world in nations like India and Myanmar, Facebook owner Meta published its first annual human rights report.
• A description of the contentious human rights impact assessment of India that law firm Foley Hoag was hired by Meta to do is included in the report, which covers due diligence completed in 2020 and 2021.
• Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, two human rights organizations, have sought the full publication of the India report and have accused Meta of holding it up in a joint letter written in January.
• The law firm’s findings on the possibility of “salient human rights risks” associated with Meta’s platforms, including “advocacy of hatred that incites hostility, discrimination, or violence,” were noted in the summary provided by Meta.

About Facebook

• Founded: February 2004
• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
• Headquarters: California, United States.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

HAL, Safran sign agreement to create JV to build helicopter engines

• HAL signed an agreement with French engine-maker, Safran Helicopter Engines, to create a new joint venture (JV) that will develop helicopter engines for India’s future needs
• Amongst the most ground-breaking technological successes notched up by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are its single-engine and twin-engine helicopters in the former segment, the eponymous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH); and in the latter, the Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH), the Rudra attack helicopter and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).
• The common feature in all these choppers is the remarkable Shakti engine, which is powerful enough to propel them to the dizzying heights of Kargil, or the Saltoro Ridge, where the Indian Army is deployed in posts like Sonam and Bana Top, at altitudes above 20,000 feet.

Key Points:

• This MoU demonstrates once again the commitment of both Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL to the Indian government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ or achieving self-reliance – particularly in defense technologies
• The HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines partnership includes the Shakti engine, which powers HAL-produced helicopters, including the Dhruv, Rudra, and the LCH.
• The Ardiden 1U variant (of the Shakti engine) also powers the new LUH.
• More than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced
• Through the HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines will also provide MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) services for TM333 and Shakti engines already in service with India’s military.
• It will be operational by the end of 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Former Supreme Court judge Mr. Vineet Saran appointed BCCI ethics officer

• Former Supreme Court judge Mr. Vineet Saran has been appointed as the new ethics officer and ombudsman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• He will be taking over from Justice (Retd) D K Jain whose term ends in June 2021.

About Mr Vineet Saran :

• Justice Vineet Saran was born on 11 May 1957.
• He was enrolled as an Advocate on 28 July 1980.
• He practiced in the Allahabad High Court from 1980 to 2002 on the constitutional, civil and criminal sides.
• He was appointed a permanent Judge of the Allahabad High Court on 14 February 2002.
• He was thereafter transferred to Karnataka High Court on 16 February 2015 and was appointed Chief Justice of Orissa High Court on 26 February 2016.
• He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 7 August 2018 & he retired on 10 May 2022.

About BCCI :

• Founded: December 1928
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• President : Sourav Ganguly

Shri Manoj Kumar Assumes Charge as new Chairman Of Khadi And Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• Former expert member of marketing at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC),  Shri Manoj Kumar has been promoted to take charge as Chairman of the Government of India’s statutory body KVIC.
• KVIC’s former Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena has moved on to take charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

About Shri Manoj Kumar :

• Shri Manoj Kumar, who has worked as an Expert Member (Marketing) at KVIC, has a vast experience in the areas of marketing and rural development.

About KVIC :

• Founded: 1957
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed by the GoI, under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’.
• It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

Aim :

• To develop Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.

Shri. Jayanti Prasad appointed as Whole Time Member of IBBI

• The central Government has appointed Shri Jayanti Prasad as a Whole-time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for five years.

About Shri Jayanti Prasad :

• Shri Jayanti Prasad holds a Master of Science degree in the subject of Physics from the University of Lucknow.
• He belongs to the 1986 batch of Indian Audit and Accounts Service officers, superannuated as Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General (Human Resources and International Relations).
• He had accomplished 35 years of experience in the civil services, national and international assignments, having held key positions within the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India and in the United Nations (UN)
• He was the Chief Auditor at the UN for six years and also served as the Custodian under the Special Court (TORTS) Act, 1992 in the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
• In addition to being an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, he holds membership in the Institute of Public Auditors of India.

Awards & Honors :

• He has been awarded by the UN in recognition of his contributions as Chief Auditor for the Oil for Food Program resulting in significant impact and cost savings for the UN.

About IBBI :

• Established: 1 October 2016
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairperson: Ravi Mittal

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

ITBP creates 1st mountain-warfare training school in NE

• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created its first mountain-warfare training center in northeast India (Sikkim).
• The training center is the ITBP’s second overall center to skill its troops in high-altitude combat and survival tactics as part of their mandate to guard the Line of Actual Control with China.
• The center is being commanded by ITBP Commandant and ace mountaineer Ratan Singh Sonal, who has led numerous expeditions and rescue missions in the hills.
• The facility has come almost five decades after the establishment of its first such school called mountaineering and skiing institute (M&SI) during 1973-74 at Auli near Joshimath.  

About mountain-warfare training center :

• The new center has been established in remote Dombang, abutting the LAC, and is located at a height of 10,040 ft in Sikkim sharing a 220 km front of the India-China LAC.
• The Dombang center has an ideal mountainous and rocky terrain and its glacier training area are spread across a height of 14,000-17,000 feet.

Purpose :

• To enhance the capacity to train newly recruited and serving troops in mountain warfare, rock climbing, high-altitude survival, and patrol even as the need to have one more facility than Auli was being felt for long, given the increasing engagement of its troops with the Chinese PLA over the recent years.

Additional Info :

• The M&SI is located at a height of more than 9,000 ft in the Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand and has trained thousands of ITBP, army, Air Force, and other security personnel in this domain and that for adventure sports.

PM Shri Narendra Modi Unveils ‘SPRINT Challenges’ For Indian Navy in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled ‘SPRINT challenges’, during Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organization (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’(self-reliance) in New Delhi, Delhi to engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the defense sector.

Aim :

• To boost the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy.
• The seminar was organized by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
• This collaborative project is named SPRINT – Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), NIIO, and TDAC (Technology Development Acceleration Cell).

About the Seminar :

• The seminar will provide a platform for leaders from Industry, Academia, Services, and Government to come together on a common platform to ideate and come up with recommendations for the Defence Sector.
• Sessions dedicated to Innovation, Indigenisation, Armament, and Aviation will be held.
• The second day of the Seminar will witness outreach to the Indian Ocean Region, in line with the government’s vision of SAGAR
• The NIIO, in cooperation with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy in sync with ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of the country’s Independence.

About Ministry of Defence :

• Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Ajay Kumar

About ITBP :

• Established: 1962
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Director General: Sanjay Arora
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India’s primary border patrol organization for its border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Union Minister inaugurates IS4OM to safeguard Indian space assets; 60 startups have registered with ISRO

• Union Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Shri Jitendra Singh inaugurated the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Operation (IS4OM) at ISRO Control Centre, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Around 60 startups have registered with the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) since the agency started promoting the country’s space sector.
• Some of these space start-ups include launch vehicles, nano-satellites, research facilities, and ground systems.

About the IS4OM facility :

• The IS4OM facility can support all routine operations safeguarding Indian space assets, mitigating collision threats from space objects through specific collision avoidance maneuvers, information required for strategic purposes, and research activities in Space Debris and Space Situational Awareness.
• IS4OM facility will aid India in achieving its SSA (Space Situational Awareness) goals by providing comprehensive and timely information about the Space environment to users.
• ISRO is an active member of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IDAC), IAF Space Debris Working Group, IAA Space Traffic Management Working Group, ISO Space Debris Working Group, and UNCOPUOS long-term sustainability Working Group – all international organizations contributing to the space debris studies and space situational awareness.

Importance of radar and optical telescopes :

• The importance of radars and optical telescopes as the main ground-based facilities for tracking space objects including space debris.
• The long-term sustainability of outer space activities is of utmost importance to ensure that the technology used for scientific and technological purposes remains relevant to future generations.
• The Infrastructure for Space Weather monitoring and forecast is a critical component of the country’s space activities, as it can help protect the country’s ground-based infrastructure from the threat of space objects.
• The vision of the IS40M project is to provide planetary defense and space weather services.

About ISRO :

• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath

NASA & SpaceX launches Climate Research Experiments to ISS Aboard Resupply Mission from the US 

• A SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft carrying more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States (US).
• The Cargo Dragon spacecraft was launched through the Falcon 9 rocket.
• This is SpaceX’s 25th commercial resupply services mission to the ISS for NASA.

Among the science experiments Dragon is delivering to the space station are:

Mapping Earth’s Dust :

• The spacecraft is loaded with several experiments with one being the Earth’s Surface Mineral Dust Investigation (EMIT) which has been developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. 
• It employs NASA imaging spectroscopy technology to measure the mineral composition of dust in Earth’s arid regions.
• The mineral dust blown into the air can travel significant distances and affect Earth’s climate, weather, vegetation, and more.
• The EMI will gather images for a year and create maps of the mineral composition of the regions that produce dust on Earth.
• Apart from this, EMIT will also help in mapping which will help researchers gain a better understanding of the effects of mineral dust on the human population.

Speedier Immune System Aging

• Immunosenescence is the changes in the immune response associated with aging.
• Microgravity causes changes in human immune cells that resemble this condition, but happen faster than the actual process of aging on Earth.
• The Immunosenescence investigation, sponsored by the International Space Station U.S.
• National Laboratory, uses tissue chips to study how microgravity affects immune function during flight and whether immune cells recover post-flight.

 Soil in Space

• Dynamics of Microbiomes in Space sponsored by NASA’s Division of Biological and Physical Sciences examines how microgravity affects metabolic interactions in communities of soil microbes.
• This research focuses on microbe communities that decompose chitin, a natural carbon polymer on Earth.

High School Student Weather Study

• BeaverCube is an educational mission that will teach high school students aerospace science by having them design a CubeSat.
• It will host one visible and two infrared imagers to measure cloud properties, ocean surface temperatures, and ocean color to study Earth’s climate and weather systems.
• It also will demonstrate an application for the use of shape memory alloy technology via an in-orbit calibration technique.

Genes, No Cells

• Cell-free technology is a platform for producing protein without specialized equipment for living cells that need to be cultured.
• Genes in Space-9, sponsored by the National Lab, demonstrates cell-free production of protein in microgravity and evaluates two cell-free biosensors that can detect specific target molecules.

Better Concrete

• Biopolymer Research for In-Situ Capabilities looks at how microgravity affects the process of creating a concrete alternative made with organic material and on-site materials, such as lunar or Martian dust, known as biopolymer soil composite.
• Using resources available where construction takes place makes it possible to increase the amount of shielding.

About NASA :

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

About SpaceX :

• Founded: March 14, 2002
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
• CEO & Chairman: Elon Musk

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Los Angeles to host 2028 Summer Olympic Games:

• The United States city of Los Angeles will play host to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• The Los Angeles Olympics’ opening ceremony will begin on July 14, 2028, and last until July 30.
• Los Angeles did, however, previously hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984.
• More than 800 events in more than 40 sports will be included over the LA28 Games’ more than 3,000 hours of live competition.
• According to LA 28, 15,000 competitors are anticipated to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
• The Paralympic Games, however, will start on August 15 and finish on August 27 in Los Angeles.
• The Paralympic Games are being held in Los Angeles for the first time.
• It should be remembered that Paris, France will host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes announces ODI retirement:

• Ben Stokes, an all-rounder for England, has abruptly announced his retirement from one-day international cricket.
• Three formats are just no longer viable for him, he declared.
• At his home stadium in Durham, the 31-year-old will play his final ODI match against South Africa.
• Because of his Player-of-the-Match performance in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s versus New Zealand, Stokes’ ODI career will live on in infamy.
• Stokes has amassed 2919 runs, including three centuries, and 74 wickets in ODIs since making his debut against Ireland in 2011.

West Indies Cricketers Lendl Simmons & Denesh Ramdin Announce Retirement:

• Denesh Ramdin, a former captain of the West Indies, announced his immediate retirement from international cricket.
• In a T20I in December 2019, he participated in his final game for the West Indies.
• He will still play franchise cricket, though.
• He participated in 139 ODIs, 71 T20Is, and 74 Test matches.
• In July 2005, he made his Test cricket debut in Colombo against Sri Lanka.
• He contributed to the 2012 and 2016 West Indies T20 World Cup victories.
• Lendl Simmons, a West Indies hitter, also declared his retirement from international cricket in the meanwhile.
• Trinbago Knight Riders, the player’s Caribbean Premier League team.
• In an ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2008, Simmons made his debut for the United States. After that, in 2007 and 2009, respectively, he made his T20I and Test debuts.
• The right-handed hitter scored 278, 1958, and 1527 runs in 68 ODIs, 68 T20Is, and 8 Tests, respectively, with the assistance of 2 centuries and 25 half-centuries.

Daily CA on July 21:

• The Delhi government commemorated Happiness Utsav to commemorate the fourth anniversary of its Happiness Curriculum for schools, according to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
• JSW Steel and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have collaborated on a decarbonization and sustainability plan.
• At the Bosch Automotive Electronics facility in Bengaluru, Bharti Airtel successfully tested the country’s first 5G private network.
• The Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award 2021 (in the Large Institute Category) has been given to the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in recognition of its overall accomplishments.
• Lleyton Hewitt, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, was admitted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• After years of criticism that it ignored online atrocities that stoked bloodshed in the real world in nations like India and Myanmar, Facebook owner Meta published its first annual human rights report.
• HAL signed an agreement with French engine-maker, Safran Helicopter Engines, to create a new joint venture (JV) that will develop helicopter engines for India’s future needs
• The United States city of Los Angeles will play host to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Ben Stokes, an all-rounder for England, has abruptly announced his retirement from one-day international cricket.
• Denesh Ramdin, a former captain of the West Indies, announced his immediate retirement from international cricket.
• Lendl Simmons, a West Indies hitter, also declared his retirement from international cricket.
• E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has inked a pact with the Bihar State Skill Development Mission (BSDM) to launch the initiatives of the Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) in Bihar.
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister Shri MK Stalin has inaugurated the Tamil Nadu center for excellence in advance manufacturing (TANCAM) established at the cost of Rs 212 crore in Tidel Park in Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The Tamilnadu Government’s Higher Education department has launched a portal https://penkalvi.gov.in where beneficiaries may register themselves, under this the TN government will provide ₹1,000 annually to each girl student from middle school till she completes college education under a financial assistance scheme.
• The Central Government has declared “zero coupons zero principal instruments” as securities for the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
• American brokerage Morgan Stanley has lowered India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 7.2% in the 2022-23 financial year (FY23), 40 basis points (bps) lower than their previous estimates of 6%.
• The Union Finance Ministry announced that the Good and Services Tax (GST) Compensation levy to states has been extended by nearly four years from July 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026.
• Former Supreme Court judge Mr. Vineet Saran has been appointed as the new ethics officer and ombudsman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• Former expert member of marketing at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC),  Shri Manoj Kumar has been promoted to take charge as Chairman of the Government of India’s statutory body KVIC.
• The central Government has appointed Shri Jayanti Prasad as a Whole-time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for five years.
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created its first mountain-warfare training center in northeast India (Sikkim).
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled ‘SPRINT challenges’, during Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organization (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’(self-reliance) in New Delhi, Delhi to engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the defense sector.
• Union Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Shri Jitendra Singh inaugurated the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Operation (IS4OM) at ISRO Control Centre, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• A SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft carrying more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States (US).