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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
New norms of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008:
- Tobacco and cigarette packets will soon come with a new display of health warnings, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- As per the recently amended Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008, new warnings and images will be displayed on tobacco products’ packaging from 1 December.
- Two sets of warning messages and images will be used on both sides of the pack, according to the ministry.
- It said that the first, used in existing packs “Tobacco causes painful death”–will be used with image one on one side of the pack, while “Tobacco users die young” will be on display on the other side of a packet with a second image.
- The packs will also have a toll-free helpline, Quit Today Call Today (1800-11-2356), in white font on a black background.
- With the new set of warming messages, the government is seeking to create awareness among smokers and other tobacco product users.
- It also seeks to offer access to counseling services to tobacco consumers to help them quit.
- According to government data, tobacco use causes more than 1.3 million deaths every year.
Union Cabinet adopts a $1.6 billion BSNL revitalization plan:
- The 1.64 Lakh Crores revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnav, was approved by the Union Cabinet.
- The government’s 2019 package announcement helped to stabilize BSNL’s financial status.
- Revenue that was declining has stabilized at Rs 19,000 crore thanks to a resuscitation package that the union cabinet authorized.
- The federal cabinet also authorized a plan to merge BSNL with Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).
- With the support of the nation’s Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), 5.67 lakh more kilometers of optical fiber have been constructed throughout 1.85 lakh village panchayats nationally.
- Through this merger, BSNL will have access to those additional kilometers of fiber.
The proposed package includes three components:
- Better services,
- A de-stressed balance sheet,
- Fibre network development.
PM has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for numerous Sabar Dairy projects worth 1,000 crore rupees in Gujarat:
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for numerous Sabar Dairy projects worth 1,000 crore rupees at Gadhoda Chowki in Sabarkantha,
- These projects will enhance the income of local farmers and milk producers.
- Mr
- Modi inaugurated the Powder Plant at Sabar Dairy, which has a 120-tonne-per-day capacity and costs more than 300 crore rupees.
- PM also inaugurated the Aseptic Milk Packaging Plant at Sabar Dairy, which has a capacity of 3 lakh liters per day and a total investment of around 125 crore rupees.
- Modi laid the foundation stone of the Sabar Cheese and Whey Drying Plant Project, with an estimated outlay of around 600 crore rupees.
- This is Gujarat’s third cheese plant, and it will be operational by 2024.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers has launched the 11th Agriculture Census:
- Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the 11th Agriculture Census in the country.
- It will be the first-time data collection for agricultural computations will be done on smartphones and tablets.
- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has also launched the Data Collection Portal/App and released the Handbook on Operational Guidelines for Census.
- Agricultural computations will also contribute to the mapping of crops.
- The agriculture Census is conducted every five years.
- The fieldwork for the agricultural census will begin in August 2022.
- Agricultural Census provides information on different agricultural parameters such as area of operational holdings, their size, class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy, cropping pattern, etc. at the minute level.
- The use of mobile apps for data collection will accelerate the digitalization of the land record.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Zimbabwe launches gold coins as legal tender to battle extreme inflation
- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has launched the gold coins called Mosi-oa-Tunya to be sold to the public in a bid to tackle chronic hyperinflation.
- Mosi-oa-Tunya, which in the local Tonga language refers to Victoria Falls.
- The coins will have liquid asset status, meaning they will be capable of being easily converted to cash and will be tradable locally and internationally.
- For this, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe disbursed 2,000 coins to commercial banks.
- The gold coins which have been introduced by the Reserve Bank can only be traded after keeping them for a minimum of 180 days.
- Individuals or companies will be able to buy them from authorized outlets such as banks and keep them at a bank or take them home.
- Foreigners can only buy the coins in foreign currency.
- The first batch was minted outside the country but eventually, they will be produced locally.
- The coins, which have a purity of 22 carats, will be priced based on the international market rate for an ounce of gold, plus 5% to cover production and distribution.
About Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe :
- Headquarters: Harare, Zimbabwe
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Gujarat Becomes the first state to announce a Semiconductor policy
- Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel announced a dedicated Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27.
Aim :
- To generate more than 2,00,000 new employment opportunities during five years.
Primary Objective :
- To make Gujarat a forerunner in developing the Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem.
Note :
- Gujarat has become the first state in India to have a dedicated policy for the semiconductor and display production sector (Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27).
- The Gujarat Govt proposes to develop a special Semicon City which would be part of the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), Ahmedabad.
About the Policy :
- The policy focuses on guiding a significant portion of investments made under these India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) policies towards Gujarat.
- At the facility, eligible projects will be given a 75 percent subsidy on the purchase of the first 200 acres of land for setting up manufacturing units.
- Meanwhile, additional land for upstream or downstream projects will get a 50 % subsidy on land cost.
- To encourage investors under the policy, the Gujarat govt has also announced to reimburse 100 percent of stamp duty which investors would pay for the first time for taking land on lease or land transfer.
- The eligible projects will be provided good quality water at the rate of Rs 12 per cubic meter for the first 5 years.
- The manufacturing units will get a power tariff subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for the first 10 years of going into production & such projects will be exempted from paying any electricity duty.
About Gujarat :
- Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat
- Chief Minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- National Park : Gir National Park, Velavadar NP, Vansda NP.
- Wildlife Sanctuary: Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda WS, Purna WS
Bonalu Festival 2022 Celebrated in Telangana
- Bonalu Festival is celebrated in Telangana, specifically in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and is dedicated to Goddess MahaKali.
- The festival is celebrated usually during Ashada Masam (July-August).
- In 2022, the festival began on July 3 and will end on July 24, 2022.
About Bonam :
- Bonam means a feast or a meal in Telugu, an offering to the Goddess, cooked with milk, or jaggery in an earthen or brass pot.
- The pot is decorated with turmeric, Neem leaves, and vermillion.
- Women carry these pots on their heads and make an offering of Bonam, including Bangles and Saree to the Mother Goddess at Temples.
- Bonalu involves worship of Kali in her various forms such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Dokkalamma, Pedamma, Poleramma, Ankalamma, Maremma, Nookalamma, etc.
About Telangana :
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Capital: Hyderabad
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE
SEBI issues new guidelines for settlement of running account
- Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued new guidelines on settlement of running accounts of clients’ funds lying with stock brokers, which will be effective from October 1, 2022.
- The process of transferring back the unused funds of the clients to their accounts by stock brokers is called running account settlement.
About the Guidelines :
- Under the new guidelines, SEBI decided that the settlement of running account of funds of the client shall be done by the trading members after considering the End of the day (EOD) obligation of funds as on the date of settlement across all the Exchanges on the first Friday of the Quarter (i.e., Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec, Jan–Mar) for all the clients.
- The running account of funds will be settled on the first Friday of October 2022, January 2023, April 2023, July 2023, and so on for all the clients.
- If the first Friday is a trading holiday, then such settlement will happen on the previous trading day.
- For clients, who have opted for monthly settlement, running accounts will be settled on the first Friday of every month.
- If the first Friday is a trading holiday, then such settlement will happen on the previous trading day.
- SEBI has asked stock exchanges to continue online monitoring of timely settlement of running accounts for funds of clients and to verify that excess clients’ funds are not retained by the TM as on the date of settlement of running accounts.
- Also, stock exchanges are required to place an appropriate reporting requirement by TM to enforce the above system, and communicate the status of the implementation of the provisions in their monthly development report to SEBI.
- Stock exchanges are also asked to make amendments to the relevant Bye-laws, Rules, and Regulations, as may be necessary.
About SEBI :
- Established: on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra. India
- Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
- SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
RBI’s digital payments index increases to 349.30 in March 2022
- The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) digital payments index (DPI) has risen to 349.30 in March 2022, compared to 304.46 for September 2021, indicating digital payments are on the rise in the country led by a unified payments interface (UPI).
- The central bank developed the composite Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) with March 2018 as the base year to assess the extent of digitization of payments in India.
| Period | RBI – DPI Index |
| March 2018 (Base) | 100 |
| March 2019 | 153.47 |
| September 2019 | 173.49 |
| March 2020 | 207.84 |
| September 2020 | 217.74 |
| March 2021 | 270.59 |
| September 2021 | 304.06 |
| March 2022 | 349.30 |
- The index will be published on a semi-annual basis with a lag of 4 months.
- The DPI index comprises 5 broad parameters that enable the measurement of the deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different periods.
The parameters include :
- Payment enablers, with a weightage of 25 percent in the index, followed by demand-side and supply-side payment infrastructure factors, with a weightage of 10 percent each, payment performance, with 45 percent weightage, and consumer centricity, with 5 percent
- Each of the parameters has sub-parameters which, in turn, consist of various measurable indicators.
- Among the digital modes of payments, the number of transactions using Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) increased by 30.5 percent during 2021-22.
- In terms of value, RTGS transactions registered an increase of 21.8 percent; transactions through the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system also witnessed an increase of 30.6 percent and 14.3 percent in volume and value, respectively.
- Payment transactions carried out through credit cards increased by 27 percent and 54.3 percent in terms of volume and value, respectively.
- Transactions through debit cards decreased by 1.9 percent in terms of volume, though in terms of value, they increased by 10.4 percent.
- Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) recorded an increase in volume and value terms by 32.3 percent and 48.5 percent, respectively.
- In FY22, UPI processed more than 46 billion transactions amounting to over Rs 84.17 trillion, thus breaching the $1 trillion mark. And, in FY21, it had processed 22.28 billion transactions, amounting to Rs 41.03 trillion.
About RBI :
- Established: 1 April 1935
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Governor : Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
SEBI extends the deadline for commencing KYC record validation by KRAs
- Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the deadline for commencing the validation of all Know Your Customer (KYC) records by KYC Registration Agencies (KRAs) by three months to November 01, 2022, from August 01, 2022.
- This is the second time the SEBI has extended the deadline.
- Earlier it was extended till August 01, 2022, from July 01, 2022.
- As per clause 9 of SEBI KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agency (KRA) Regulations, 2011, the KYC records of all existing clients (who have used Aadhaar as an officially valid document (OVD) shall be validated within 180 days from 1st November 2022.
- In January 2022, SEBI notified new norms to make KRAs responsible for carrying out independent validation of the KYC records uploaded onto their system by Registered Intermediaries (RIs).
- Under the notified rules, such agencies will have to maintain an audit trail of the upload/modification/download of KYC records of clients.
Kotak General Insurance launches AI-based vehicle pre-inspection
- Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered with Inspektlabs to automate the vehicle inspections for vehicle insurance renewals with Artificial Intelligence-based technology.
- Under the AI-based inspection process, during policy renewals, customers can capture photos or videos of their vehicle and upload them on the cloud-based App.
- An automated inspection report covering damages, if any, gets generated after uploading the photos/videos.
- The automated process will replace humans in repetitive work at a very high accuracy level that saves cost and increases customer satisfaction by reducing the time required to renew a car insurance policy.
- The technology helps to detect fraud based on the pictures and videos uploaded, thereby aiding the underwriting process.
- In July 2022, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allowed general insurance companies to introduce tech-enabled concepts for own damage (OD) cover in motor insurance policies.
About Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Ltd :
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO: Suresh Agarwal
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
Google Maps has launched its street view service across 10 cities in India:
- Google Maps has launched its street view service across 10 cities in India in partnership with two local companies.
- Street View is being launched in partnership with Genesys International and Tech Mahindra.
- Street View will be available on Google Maps with fresh imagery licensed from local partners covering over 1,50,000 km across ten cities in India, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune, Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar, and Amritsar.
- Google, Genesys International, and Tech Mahindra plan to expand this to more than 50 cities by the end of 2022.
- This India launch marks the first time in the world that Street View is being brought to life completely by local partners.
- Street View APIs will also be available to local developers enabling them to deliver richer mapping experiences in their services.
- Additionally, Google announced its collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to provide air quality information.
Mapmy India has released its new 360-degree panoramic street view service:
- Indian digital mapping company MapmyIndia has released its Mappls Realview – a new 360-degree panoramic street view service.
- RealView features over 40 crore geo-tagged panoramas and has offered part of its repository — almost 1,00,000km — free for consumers, following which the service will be chargeable.
- Interestingly the Mappls RealView came on the same day that Google Maps launched its Street View service to India in select cities after 11 years.
- Mappls reviews several thousand kilometers in metropolitan areas and towns, and highways connecting them and provide 3D views of tourist landmarks, residential societies, office towers, and complexes.
- The service can be accessed on the Mappls website or Mappls App on Android and iOS.
- Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Volodymyr Zelensky was awarded the Winston Churchill Leadership Award from the International Churchill Society:
- International Churchill Society recognizes the extraordinary personal leadership and bravery of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by presenting him with The Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award.
- Joined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, members of the Churchill family, and International Churchill Society Chairman Laurence Geller, President Zelenskyy accepted the award virtually at an event in Downing Street alongside the Ukrainian Ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko.
- This prestigious award recognizes individuals that have demonstrated extraordinary leadership characterized by wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill.
About International Churchill Society:
- The International Churchill Society (ICS), founded in 1968 shortly after Churchill’s death, is the world’s preeminent member organization dedicated to preserving the historic legacy of Sir Winston Churchill.
Roshni Nadar was re-elected as India’s richest woman for a second consecutive year:
- According to the third edition of the ‘Kotak Private Banking Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women List,’ HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra has held her position as India’s richest woman for the second year in a row.
- Roshni Nadar’s total net worth was Rs 84,330 crore.
- Roshni Nadar was followed by Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar, who surpassed Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with a total value of Rs 57,520 crore.
- Falguni Nayar is the ninth richest self-made woman in the world.
- The report highlighted those 25 new faces have made it to the list.
- The other key highlights of the report include that the average wealth of women in 2021 went up to Rs 4,170 crore as against Rs 2,725 crore in the last edition of the list.
| Rank | Name | Company | Wealth/Net worth (INR) |
| 1 | Roshni Nadar Malhotra | HCL | 84, 330 crore |
| 2 | Falguni Nayar | Nykaa | 57,520 crore |
| 3 | Kiran Mazumdar Shaw | Biocon | 29,030 crore |
| 4 | Nilima Motaparti | Divi’s Laboratories | 28,180 crore |
| 5 | Radha Vembu | Zoho | 26, 260 crore |
| 6 | Leena Gandhi Tewari | USV | 24,280 crore |
| 7 | Anu Aga and Meher Pudumjee | Thermax | 14,530 crore |
| 8 | Neha Narkhede | Confluent | 13,380 crore |
| 9 | Vandana Lal | Dr. Lal PathLabs | 6,810 crore |
| 10 | Renu Munjal | Hero FinCorp | 6,620 crore |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT
An MoU was signed by Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India to boost inter-island connectivity:
- An MoU was signed by Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India in Port Blair to boost inter-island connectivity under Udaan Scheme.
- As per the MoU, naval airfields at Shibpur (in Diglipur) in North Andaman and Campbell Bay will be utilized for civil operations.
- Passenger flights will be connecting Port Blair directly to Diglipur and Campbell Bay, the two extreme corners of the archipelago.
- A low-cost 20-passenger flight to be operated between these islands as per the vision of the Udaan Scheme.
- Presently, Heli services are available to Diglipur and Campbell in a very limited capacity.
- Diglipur is the third most populous town in Andaman while a major transshipment port is to come up in Campbell Bay.
- Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik, known by its acronym UDAN is a regional airport development program of the Government of India and part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme for upgrading under-serviced air routes.
- Its goal is to make air travel affordable and improve economic development in India.
- Launched: 21 October 2016.
Tata Steel and Aarav Unmanned Systems have signed an MoU to develop and offer end-to-end integrated drone solutions:
- Tata Steel and Bengaluru-based drone startup Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and offer end-to-end integrated drone solutions with a focus on efficiency, safety, and productivity of open cast mining operations.
- Tata Steel will also work jointly with AUS to provide drone-based solutions, including mine analytics and geotechnical mapping to Tata Steel group companies across various stocks and mining locations in India.
- This is the second time a Tata Group company and AUS have partnered.
- Previously, Tata Steel partnered with AUS in November 2021, to help its project team to map the progress of the upcoming Kalinganagar Expansion Plant in Odisha.
- Back then, AUS had carried out drone surveys of the mining leases of Tata Steel and delivered mines analysis.
- Founded in 2013 by Vipul Singh and Suhas Banshiwala, AUS is building commercial-grade drones and provides drone-based solutions for enterprise applications in mining, infrastructure, urban planning, irrigation, energy, and agriculture.
- Its end-to-end solutions include a drone, an operator, and a cloud platform for data analysis.
- AUS was the first drone startup to be granted the certification under the small category as all previous certifications were for drones under the micro category.
Talgo and Bharat Forge inks a contract for the production of trains:
- BF Infrastructure Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd., and Talgo India Pvt Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Spanish company Patentes Talgo S.L., have formed a joint venture to develop high-speed passenger trains.
- The collaboration will benefit from upcoming field requirements locally as well as fresh economic opportunities in the railroad industry.
- The Union government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative is expected to gain from this partnership.
- It will support the delivery of cutting-edge, high-speed rail solutions.
- The focus of the proposed agreement will be on developing a center for the manufacture, upkeep, and life cycle support of the upcoming generation of aluminum-bodied, lightweight, high-speed trains.
- Following a tender for the creation and maintenance of 100 next-generation, lightweight, and energy-efficient trains, the Indian Railways announced the project.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS
Indian Navy receives 1st indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant from Cochin Shipyard Limited
- The Indian Navy received the country’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ from its manufacturer, Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
- Vikrant has been designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Shipping (MoS).
- The aircraft carrier is likely to be commissioned on August 15, 2022.
- With an overall indigenous content of 76 percent, IAC is a perfect example of Atma nirbhar Bharat and provides thrust to Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
- With the delivery of Vikrant, India has joined a select group of nations having the niche capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.
- The carrier is christened after her illustrious predecessor, India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which played a vital role in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
- Once the IAC Vikrant is commissioned in the Indian Navy, it will be the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant that would bolster India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy.
About Vikrant :
- The aircraft carrier was built at a cost of around Rs 20,000 crore.
Features of Vikrant :
- It has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes which is much larger and more advanced than her predecessor.
- The ship is powered by four gas turbines totaling 88 MW of power and has a maximum speed of 28 knots (56 km/hr;35 mph) and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi)
- The IAC is 262 meters long, and 62 meters wide and it has a height of 59 meters.
- Its construction began in 2009.
- The IAC project has been implemented under the three phases of a contract between the ministry of defense and Cochin Shipyard Ltd, concluded in May 2007, Dec 2014, and Oct 2019
- The warship will operate 30 aircraft including Russian MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
- It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1700 people, including specialized cabins to accommodate women officers.
MoD approves arms procurement proposals worth Rs 28,732 cr
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh approved arms procurement proposals worth a total of Rs 28,732 crore, including bulletproof jackets, carbines, and swarm drones under Buy Indian Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) and Buy Indian categories
- This will provide a further boost to ‘AtmaNirbharta’ in Defence.
- These proposals will enhance the overall combat prowess of the armed forces along the northern and western borders.
List of Arms Received Approval from DAC :
- Bulletproof jackets
- Close quarter battle carbines
- Autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarms.
Bulletproof jackets :
- The council approved bulletproof jackets with Indian Standard BIS VI level of protection because of the threat of enemy snipers to troops deployed along the Line of Control.
Close quarter battle carbines :
- The approval to procure 4 lakh close-quarter battle carbines was granted to combat the current complex paradigm of conventional and hybrid warfare” and terrorism at the borders.
Autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarms :
- The DAC has approved the Navy’s proposal to procure an upgraded 1,250-KW capacity marine gas turbine generator for power generation application onboard the Kolkata class of ships through the Indian industry.
- This will give a major boost to the indigenous manufacturing of gas turbine generators.
- DAC also approved the proposal of procurement of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) with 60 percent indigenous content.
About MoD :
- Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
- Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
China launches six satellites with a new solid propellant rocket
- China successfully launched 6 new satellites into space with its new solid-propellant rocket, ZK 1A, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north-western China.
- The rocket is a major project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and “another innovative attempt in the field of aerospace science and technology.”
- The satellites included a new space technology test satellite and a test satellite for probing atmospheric density.
Note :
- The ZK 1A became China’s largest and most powerful solid-propellant rocket.
About ZK 1A :
- The ZK 1A has a length of 30 meters, a diameter of 2.65 meters, and a lift-off weight of 135 metric tons.
- It is capable of sending satellites with a combined weight of 5 tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit about 500 km above the Earth
- The ZK 1A replaces the Long March 11 rocket which is 20.8 meters tall, with a diameter of 2 meters and a liftoff weight of 58 tons.
- Meanwhile, China’s Tianzhou-3 cargo craft which had detached from the under-construction space station re-entered the atmosphere in a controlled manner.
- The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft launched in September 2021 and delivered about six tonnes of supplies to China’s space station, which is under construction.
About China :
- President: Xi Jinping
- Capital: Beijing
- Currency: Renminbi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Four times world champion Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement:
- Four times world champion German racer Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of the season.
- The 35-year-old said, his goals had changed and he wanted to focus more on family and interests outside the sport.
- Sebastian will end his final season with Aston Martin after winning a total of 53 Grand Prix and 122 podium finishes.
- Vettel made his debut in 2007.
- His first title win came in 2010 which also made him the youngest title winner.
- He won four titles for Red Bull between 2010 to 2013.
- Vettel who is a legend of the sport is third on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53 victories to his name.
- Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have more titles than him.
- Sebastian made the announcement ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the 13th round of the season and the last race before the August break.
American sprinter Allyson Felix joined the International Olympic Committee’s athletes’ commission:
- American sprint great Allyson Felix and a refugee cyclist originally from Afghanistan joined the International Olympic Committee’s athletes’ commission.
- Felix is the most decorated female track and field athlete in Olympic history with seven gold medals and joins the commission after winning her 14th career world championship title.
- Felix came out of retirement last week to run the prelims of the 4×400-meter relay.
- The American team went on to win the final at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon.
- Also appointed was cyclist Masomah Ali Zada, who was born in Afghanistan and competed in the women’s cycling time trial on the IOC’s refugee Olympic team last year in Tokyo.
- Ali Zada is now studying in France and will be the first refugee athlete on the commission.
- The other two new members are two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee of Britain and Canadian athlete Oluseyi Smith, who has competed at both the Summer Olympics in track and the Winter Olympics in bobsled.
- The new members were all appointed to the IOC athletes’ commission, which has a mix of members elected by other athletes and those appointed directly by IOC President Thomas Bach.
- Only the elected members typically also serve on the full IOC, which decides on Olympic host cities and will elect a new president to replace Bach in 2025.
Reliance Industries and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced a long-term partnership to support Indian athletes:
- Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced a long-term partnership to support Indian athletes in major multi-sport events, including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics Games.
- Under this partnership, RIL and IOA will also establish the first-ever India House at Paris Olympics 2024.
- Furthermore, in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, India will also be hosting the 140th IOC Session in June 2023 at the newly-developed multi-level center Jio World Centre in Mumbai.
- The IOC Session, which coincides with the 75th year of Independence, will highlight the role of sport in India and celebrate the contribution of India to the Olympic Movement.
About Olympic Hospitality House:
- Nations from across the world strengthen their Olympic Movement involvement during the Olympic Games, with the official Olympic Hospitality House that provides a vision and an understanding of the country and also serves as an avenue to engage officials, sportspeople, and their families and the public.
- The 2024 Paris Olympics will have India’s first house.
- At the 2016 Rio Olympics, over 50 nations had set up their country-specific Hospitality House, bringing to the games a combination of their country’s cultural and sporting history.
Coca-Cola launched a no-fizz low-sugar lemon drink in India with Neeraj Chopra as the brand ambassador:
- Coca-Cola’s lime beverage is all set to attract health-conscious customers.
- The latest addition, called Limca Sportz, brands itself as a low sugar variant energy drink with Neeraj Chopra as the ambassador.
- The move comes amid a surge in launches into the health space by food and beverage companies globally, as consumers choose these products, especially after the pandemic.
- The electrolyte and glucose beverage is a sports drink, a broad base for the company’s portfolio beyond soft drinks.
England’s Leicester Cricket Ground named after Sunil Gavaskar:
- The Leicester Cricket Ground in England is named for the renowned cricketer from India, Sunil Gavaskar.
- The Leicester Cricket Ground, which is owned by Bharat Sports and Cricket Club, has chosen to rename the venue in honor of Gavaskar in recognition of his enormous commitment to raising Indian cricket to a particular level.
- There is already a field named after Sunil Gavaskar in the Kentucky region of the United States of America (USA), and another field with the same name is being completed in Tanzania’s Zanzibar region.
- Gavaskar was a former Indian opener.
About Gavaskar:
- Gavaskar, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, is frequently recognized as one of the greatest hitters in history.
- He set the record for the most centuries (34), becoming the first cricketer to reach 10,000 runs.
- Gavaskar was impressed with his outstanding technique against the Windies’ fast bowlers throughout the 1970s and 1980s when West Indies ruled world cricket.
- He was also a member of the Indian World Cup-winning squad in 1983.
- Later, Sunil Gavaskar achieved another milestone by scoring 10,000 runs for the first time in test cricket history.
Daily CA on July 30:
- Tobacco and cigarette packets will soon come with a new display of health warnings, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- The 64 Lakh Crores revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnav, was approved by the Union Cabinet.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for numerous Sabar Dairy projects worth 1,000 crore rupees at Gadhoda Chowki in Sabarkantha,
- Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the 11th Agriculture Census in the country.
- Google Maps has launched its street view service across 10 cities in India in partnership with two local companies.
- Indian digital mapping company MapmyIndia has released its Mappls Realview – a new 360-degree panoramic street view service.
- International Churchill Society recognizes the extraordinary personal leadership and bravery of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by presenting him with The Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award.
- According to the third edition of the ‘Kotak Private Banking Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women List,’ HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra has held her position as India’s richest woman for the second year in a row.
- An MoU was signed by Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India in Port Blair to boost inter-island connectivity under Udaan Scheme.
- Tata Steel and Bengaluru-based drone startup Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and offer end-to-end integrated drone solutions with a focus on efficiency, safety, and productivity of open cast mining operations.
- BF Infrastructure Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd., and Talgo India Pvt Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Spanish company Patentes Talgo S.L., have formed a joint venture to develop high-speed passenger trains.
- Four times world champion German racer Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of the season.
- American sprint great Allyson Felix and a refugee cyclist originally from Afghanistan joined the International Olympic Committee’s athletes’ commission.
- Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced a long-term partnership to support Indian athletes in major multi-sport events, including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics Games.
- Coca-Cola’s lime beverage is all set to attract health-conscious customers.
- The Leicester Cricket Ground in England is named for the renowned cricketer from India, Sunil Gavaskar.
- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has launched the gold coins called Mosi-oa-Tunya to be sold to the public in a bid to tackle chronic hyperinflation.
- Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel announced a dedicated Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27.
- Bonalu Festival is celebrated in Telangana, specifically in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and is dedicated to Goddess MahaKali.
- Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued new guidelines on settlement of running accounts of clients’ funds lying with stock brokers, which will be effective from October 1, 2022.
- The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) digital payments index (DPI) has risen to 30 in March 2022, compared to 304.46 for September 2021, indicating digital payments are on the rise in the country led by a unified payments interface (UPI).
- Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the deadline for commencing the validation of all Know Your Customer (KYC) records by KYC Registration Agencies (KRAs) by three months to November 01, 2022, from August 01, 2022.
- Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered with Inspektlabs to automate the vehicle inspections for vehicle insurance renewals with Artificial Intelligence-based technology.
- The Indian Navy received the country’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ from its manufacturer, Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh approved arms procurement proposals worth a total of Rs 28,732 crore, including bulletproof jackets, carbines, and swarm drones under Buy Indian Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) and Buy Indian categories
- China successfully launched 6 new satellites into space with its new solid-propellant rocket, ZK 1A, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north-western China.