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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
World Ranger Day: 31 July
- Every year on July 31st, World Ranger Day is commemorated.
- To recognize Park Rangers’ contributions to the protection of the environment, the International Ranger Federation created this day.
- Supporting their essential work, which includes environmental advocacy and education, is possible on World Ranger Day.
History:
- In 1992, the International Ranger Federation was established.
- It was founded by the SCRA (Scottish Countryside Rangers Association), the CMA (Countryside Management Association), and the ANPR (U.S. Association of National Park Rangers), which represents rangers in Wales and England.
- The goal of this agreement was to promote public support for and awareness of the critical role that rangers play in preserving our cultural and natural heritage across the world.
- The inaugural World Ranger Day was held in 2007, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the IRF’s founding.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
PM Narendra Modi launches International Bullion Exchange IIBX in GIFT-City:
- The “India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX)” has been established by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which is close to Gandhinagar.
- India’s first global bullion exchange is called IIBX.
- The exchange will sell actual gold and silver, as was stated in Budget 2020.
- Jewelers having a net worth of at least Rs 25 crore would be eligible to participate in the exchange.
- The International Financial Services Centers Authority’s headquarters building in GIFT-City also received its foundation stone from the PM.
- Also introduced by Modi was the NSE IFSC-SGX Connect platform.
- Singapore Exchange and the NSE subsidiary in GIFT IFSC are connected by a system called Connect.
- Through this platform, customers, investors, and trading members of SGX who previously traded Indian stocks listed on the NSE through SGX will now do so through the NSE IFSC.
- Ashok Gautam will head IIBX as MD and CEO.
- He took charge in February 2022 and worked with IDBI Bank before this.
- He has earlier worked with the State Bank of India (SBI).
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The largest pink diamond in 300 years was discovered in Angola – Lulo Rose
- A rare pink rough diamond has been discovered by the miners at Lulo alluvial diamond mine, in Angola, and is claimed to be the largest pink diamond discovered in the last 300 years.
- The diamond has been called ‘The Lulo Rose’.
- This is the fifth largest diamond from a total of 27 diamonds with more than 100 carats extracted to date in the Lulo mining project.
About ‘The Lulo Rose’ :
- Lulo is an alluvial mine which means the stones are recovered from a riverbed.
- It is 170 carat in purity and weighs 34 grams.
- The Lulo Rose is a Type IIa diamond, which means it has few or no impurities, one of the rarest and purest forms of natural stones.
- The diamond will be sold at international tender by the Angolan state diamond marketing company, Sodium.
About Lulo alluvial diamond mine :
- The Lulo alluvial diamond mine is owned by the Lucapa Diamond Company, an Australia-based company working in the mining and exploration of diamond projects in Angola.
Additional Info :
- The world’s biggest diamond (any color) is the Cullinan Diamond, discovered in the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1905.
- Weighing 3,107 carats, more than half a kilogram, it was cut into 105 different stones.
- Till now the 6 carats Pink Star remains the most expensive diamond ever sold at a Hong Kong auction in 2017 for 71.2 million US dollars.
About Pink Diamonds :
- Pink diamonds are extremely rare, but the same physical attributes that make the stones scarce also make them very tough, and not easy to work into shapes.
- The largest known pink diamond is the Daria-i-Noor, discovered in India, which experts believe was cut from an even larger stone.
About Angola :
- President: João Lourenço
- Capital: Luanda
- Currency: Angolan kwanza
Indian & Malaysian bodies ink pact to promote palm oil
- The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further cooperation between the two organizations to promote the usage of palm oil.
Aim :
- To help educate Indian consumers on the nutritional and health benefits of palm oil and improve overall understanding of palm oil and its applications, while elucidating its strengths and benefits.
- Wan Aishah Wan Hamid, CEO of MPOC, and Sudhakar Desai, President of IVPA, signed the MoU in Kuala Lumpur.
About the MoU :
- The MoU is expected to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest, to promote the development and use of Malaysian palm oil and MSPO-certified palm oil.
- MPOC has collaborated with IVPA for the greater acceptance of Malaysian palm oil among Indian consumers, food manufacturers, and other end-users.
- The MoU will encourage the exchange of data on palm and edible oils and fats-related business, besides technical, policy, and administrative information.
- MPOC will promote ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ by assisting the Indian palm oil industry in sourcing technical know-how.
- The areas of cooperation include the creation of an expert panel to assist the development of India’s palm oil industry through the provision of information and expertise on the latest technology applications.
About Malaysia :
- Prime Minister: Ismail Sabri Yaakob
- Capital: Kuala Lumpur
- Currency: Ringgit
About IVPA :
- Established: in 1977 formally incorporated as a non-profit organization under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, in 1979.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) formerly known as the Indian Vanaspati Producers’ Association.
Mission :
- To promote excellence, economic growth, and sustainability in India’s edible oil and oilseed value chain.
- To represent the Indian Oils & Oilseeds Industry Players with a Credible Voice.
About MPOC :
- Chairman: YB Tuan Larry Sng Wei Shien
- CEO : YBrs Puan Wan Aishah Wan Hamid
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Chhattisgarh CM Shri Bhupesh Baghel Flags Off ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ to make women aware of their rights
- On the occasion of the Hareli Tihaar festival, Chhattisgarh Shri Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel flagged off the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ from Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Aim :
- To make the women of Chhattisgarh aware of their constitutional rights and laws.
- The program commenced with the State Song of Chhattisgarh.
- Rath Yatra was flagged off with the slogan of “Baat He Abhimaan Ke, Mahila Man Ke Samman Ke”.
- The Chhattisgarh Women Commission will organize Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath Yatra to make the women of the state aware of their constitutional rights and
About ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ :
- Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath Yatra will go from village to village in all the districts to create mass awareness about the legal provisions and constitutional rights of women.
- The Information regarding women’s rights and concerning laws will be spread through short films, messages, and
- Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath will initially tour nine districts of the state that receive the Mineral Trust fund, i.e. Durg, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Mahasamund, Janjgir-Champa, Gariaband, Dhamtari, Kanker.
- National award-winning short films in Chhattisgarhi and Hindi, based on various laws, will be screened on large LED screens during the Rath Yatra.
- The Government of Chhattisgarh has made special changes in the DMF (District Mineral Foundation) policy, to operate Mahtari Nyay Rath under DMF.
About Chhattisgarh :
- Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
- Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
- Capital: Raipur
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE
Bandhan Bank opens first currency chest in Patna for Cash Management
- Bandhan Bank has opened its first currency chest in Deedargunj in Patna, Bihar.
- This will help the private lender manage cash management for the branches and ATMs in Bihar.
Key features of the currency chest of Bandhan bank :
- The currency chest will help its customers, micro, small, medium enterprises, and small traders with the supply of currency notes to the bank branches and the ATMs as and when required.
- The bank plans to open more than 530 new bank branches across the country in this financial year.
- The new branches will be mainly distributed in North and West and South India.
Note :
- According to the 2020-2021 Annual report of RBI, there are 2878 currency chests in India as of March 2022.
About Bandhan Bank :
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
RBI imposes restrictions on two co-operative banks, caps fund withdrawal amount
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on fund withdrawals, on two Uttar Pradesh-based cooperative banks Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank and Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Sitapur because of their deteriorating financial position.
- The restrictions under the Banking Regulation Act will remain in force for six months.
- As per this, Customers of Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank will not be able to withdraw more than Rs 30,000, and the withdrawal limit in the case of Urban Co-operative Bank is Rs 50,000 per customer.
- The two banks, without permission of the RBI, cannot grant loans, make any investment, incur any liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, or disburse or dispose of properties or assets.
About RBI :
- Established: 1 April 1935
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Governor : Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
Aditya Birla Health Insurance & Policybazaar.com launches OPD Add-on Cover with Zero Waiting Period
- Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), & non-bank financial company Policybazaar.com has launched ‘OPD Add-on’ for customers to address their health & wellness needs.
Aim :
- To provide hassle-free physical and virtual consultation, which leads to quicker treatment.
- It also offers a range of special consultations such as Gynaecology, Orthopaedic, Paediatric, Ophthalmologist, Physiotherapist, and Nutritionist, referred or prescribed by a General Practitioner, for any illness or injury.
- This product can be added to existing indemnity plans to provide unlimited medical consultation at affordable prices.
Types of OPD Add-on Cover:
- Option (1) ₹599 per insured (excluding tax) – Unlimited Physical Outpatient consultations by a general medical practitioner
- Option (2) ₹799 per insured (excluding tax) – Unlimited Physical & Virtual Outpatient consultations by a general medical practitioner
- Option (3) ₹999 per insured (excluding tax) – Unlimited Physical & Virtual Outpatient consultations by a general medical practitioner
Key Highlights :
- There is no waiting period and the add-on kicks in from day one and covers more than 32,000 doctor networks in over 70 cities.
- Hence, all the insured will receive the benefit on an individual basis by default.
- The minimum and maximum age at entry will be as per the base policy.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance :
- Established: 2015 (commenced its operations in October 2016 )
- CEO: Mayank Bathwal
- ABHICL is a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
About Policybazaar.com :
- Founded: July 2008
- Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana, India
- CEO: Sarbvir Singh
- It is the flagship platform of PB Fintech, which owns the fintech brand, Paisabazaar.com, and lending & insurance marketplace in the UAE region, Policybazaar. ae.
RBI extends the license application window for payment aggregators
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed another window for payment aggregators (PAs) existing as of March 2020 to apply to the central bank for a license by September 30, 2022, & should have a minimum net worth of Rs 15 crore as on March 31, 2022.
About Payment aggregators :
- Payment aggregators are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept various payment instruments from customers for the completion of their payments without the need for merchants to create separate payment integration systems of their own.
- They facilitate merchants to connect with acquirers.
- In the process, they receive payments from customers, pool them, and transfer them to merchants after some time.
Eligibility Criteria :
- In 2020, as per RBI guidelines to acquire and offer payment services to merchants, only companies that had been approved by the regulator were allowed to.
- While banks do not need separate approvals, non-bank entities offering payment aggregator services had to apply to the RBI for authorization by June 2021, a deadline that was later extended.
- However, the RBI allowed them to continue their operations till they received communication from the regulator regarding the status of their application.
- Several payment providers like Razorpay, Pine Labs, Stripe, 1Pay, and Innoviti Payments have received in-principle approval from the RBI for a PA license.
- According to the RBI guidelines, payment aggregators need to have a net worth of Rs 15 crore by March 2021, and a net worth of Rs 25 crore by March 2023.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
DSF institutes “Dinesh Shahra Lifetime Award for Excellence” in Music:
- The Dinesh Shahra Foundation (DSF) has made significant progress in its mission to popularise soulful Indian music.
- A first-of-its-kind “Dinesh Shahra Lifetime Award” for Excellence in Music has been established by the Foundation.
- The Indian Arts & Cultural Society is in favor of the project.
- Dinesh Shahra, Trustee -DSF, recently announced this novel’s recognition during a cultural event called “Mausiqui” in Mumbai.
- DSF, as a part of its mission to create a value-based social structure, has taken up the cause of supporting senior artists in cooperation with the Indian Arts & Cultural Society.
- Apart from a trophy or memento, the recognition will also include a significant cash component
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX
Parle is still India’s largest FMCG firm:
- According to Kantar India’s annual Brand Footprint research, locally created biscuit brand Parle remained the most popular fast-moving consumer goods brand in India in 2021, topping the rankings for the eleventh consecutive year.
- The analysis examined the FMCG brands that consumers will pick in 2021 based on Consumer Reach Points (CRPs).
- CRP is calculated based on real consumer purchases and the frequency with which they occur for a year.
- After Parle, the other top brands on the list are Amul, Britannia, Clinic Plus, and Tata Consumer Products.
- For a record-breaking tenth year in a row, Parle is in first place with a CRP score of 6531 (million).
- According to Parle, CRP increased by 14% from the prior year’s ranks.
- Comparing the present ranks to the same time last year, Amul‘s CRP improved by 9%, while Britannia’s increased by 14%.
- Anmol (a brand of cakes and biscuits) also joined the CRP club.
- Based in London, England, Kantar Group is a data analytics and brand consultancy firm.
- It was established in 1992
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT
Sakurajima Volcanic Eruption: Volcano Erupts for three days:
- A volcanic eruption occurred in Kyushu, Japan’s main southern island.
- Locals have been urged to escape as quickly as possible so that no one is impacted by the volcanic eruption.
- The eruption was followed by a showing of red-hot rocks and dark fumes from the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture.
- Sakurajima is located on Japan’s major southern island of Kyushu, and it was an island with the largest number of active volcanoes in Japan that erupted regularly.
- It is around 1000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
- In 1914, Sakurajima saw a devastating volcanic eruption that killed 58 people, after which it became peninsular.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
IFS officer Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma appointed as the new Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh
- The Center appointed Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma as the next High Commissioner of India to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
- Verma will succeed incumbent Mr. Vikram Doraiswami.
Other Appointments :
- Sandeep Arya, an IFS officer of the 1994 batch has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
- Currently, Mr. Arya is posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
About Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma :
- Verma is an officer of the 1994 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
- He has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Beijing, Kathmandu, and Washington DC.
- He served as the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
- He also served as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy looking after India’s nuclear diplomacy.
- Currently, he is serving as Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
About Ministry of External Affairs :
- Cabinet Minister: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
- Minister of State: V. Muraleedharan, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEW
Indian Navy receives two MH-60 R multirole helicopters from the US
- Indian Navy receives two MH-60 R multirole helicopters – Romeo helicopters from the United States at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), Kerala.
- The third helicopter is scheduled to be delivered in August 2022.
- The delivery of all 24 MH 60R helicopters will be completed by 2025.
About MH-60 Romeo :
- MH-60R helicopter manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors.
- India is procuring the choppers as part of an around Rs 15,000-crore deal with the US government under the framework of foreign military sales.
- The first three MH 60 ‘Romeo’ helicopters were delivered in the US in 2021 and are being used for training the Indian Navy crew.
- The induction of state-of-the-art mission-capable platforms will significantly boost the integral anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy
Additional Info :
- The United States Department of State has approved the sale of 24 MH-60R multi-mission helicopters to India under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program & the value of the potential is USD 2.6 billion.
- The approval was made to improve the security of a major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
About the Indian Navy :
- Founded: 26 January 1950
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Commander-in-Chief: President Droupadi Murmu
- Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar
About the US :
- President: Joe Biden
- Capital: Washington, D.C.
- Currency: United States Dollar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indus International School in Hyderabad introduces India’s 1st teaching robot – Eagle
- Indus International School in Hyderabad, Telangana has introduced India’s first Teaching Robot Eagle to teach students and also assist teachers in teaching.
- These robots were developed by the school, as part of a collaborative learning model at its schools.
- It was introduced by the Indus Trust.
- 21 Eagle Robots have been deployed across three of the Indus Schools, 7 each in Hyderabad, Bangalore, and
- Recently the school management demonstrated the performance of Eagle robots to Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy.
About Eagle :
- Eagle Robot is highly interactive, making the experience personalized along with emotional emulation through the digital face.
- It is capable of teaching students of grades 5 to 11, in the classroom along with the human teacher and also in a stand-alone mode.
- Students can access these robots at the end of class and receive instruction in 30 different languages.
- Eagle robots are programmed to teach all the science and humanities subjects including languages.
- Children can connect with the assessment and content of the robot through devices like mobile, tab, or laptops.
- These robots, made with the help of artificial intelligence, will clarify the doubts of the students.
- These robots will bridge the gap of lack of teachers in government schools and improve the quality of education.
Note :
- Founder and CEO : Arjun Ray
About Telangana :
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Capital: Hyderabad
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Weightlifter Sanket Sargar wins silver: Commonwealth Games 2022
- Sanket Sargar of India made history by being the country’s first athlete to take home a medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
- He finished second to Malaysia’s Aniq Mohamad, who won gold with a total of 249 kg, in the men’s 55 kg event with a total weight of 248 kg.
- Sanket Sagar, who set a new Commonwealth and national record at the Asian qualifiers in Singapore in February 2022 (snatch – 113kg; clean and jerk 143kg – total of 256kg), was at his best as he cleared all his 3 weights in his first attempt in snatch.
- Sanket Sargar of Maharashtra, who began wrestling at the age of 13, has consistently finished on the podium at major international tournaments, including the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent.
Daily CA on July 31:
- Every year on July 31st, World Ranger Day is commemorated.
- The “India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX)” has been established by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which is close to Gandhinagar.
- The Dinesh Shahra Foundation (DSF) has made significant progress in its mission to popularise soulful Indian music.
- According to Kantar India’s annual Brand Footprint research, locally created biscuit brand Parle remained the most popular fast-moving consumer goods brand in India in 2021, topping the rankings for the eleventh consecutive year.
- A volcanic eruption occurred in Kyushu, Japan’s main southern island.
- Sanket Sargar of India made history by being the country’s first athlete to take home a medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
- A rare pink rough diamond has been discovered by the miners at Lulo alluvial diamond mine, in Angola, and is claimed to be the largest pink diamond discovered in the last 300 years & the diamond has been called ‘The Lulo Rose’.
- The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further cooperation between the two organizations to promote the usage of palm oil.
- On the occasion of the Hareli Tihaar festival, Chhattisgarh Shri Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel flagged off the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ from Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
- Bandhan Bank has opened its first currency chest in Deedargunj in Patna, Bihar, this will help the private lender manage cash management for the branches and ATMs in Bihar.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on fund withdrawals, on two Uttar Pradesh-based cooperative banks Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank and Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Sitapur because of their deteriorating financial position.
- Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), & non-bank financial company Policybazaar.com has launched ‘OPD Add-on’ for customers to address their health & wellness needs.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed another window for payment aggregators (PAs) existing as of March 2020 to apply to the central bank for a license by September 30, 2022, & should have a minimum net worth of Rs 15 crore as on March 31, 2022.
- The Center appointed Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma as the next High Commissioner of India to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh & Mr. Verma will succeed incumbent Mr. Vikram Doraiswami.
- Indian Navy receives two MH-60 R multirole helicopters – Romeo helicopters from the United States at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), Kerala.
- Indus International School in Hyderabad, Telangana has introduced India’s first Teaching Robot Eagle to teach students and also assist teachers in teaching.