Current Affairs July 31 2019

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approval on July 31,2019

• Approval was given to the extension of the term of the commission constituted under Article 340 of the constitution to examine the issue of Sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List by 6 months beyond 31st July, 2019 and upto 31st January, 2020.
• Approval was given to the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 which provides for the extension of the benefit of reservation of up to 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in educational institutions and public employment alongside existing reservations.
• Approval was given to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court (SC) from 30, at present, to 33, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI)…………………………Click here to Read more

Cabinet Approval with the foreign country on July 31, 2019

• Cabinet approves MoU between ISRO and the Bolivian Space Agency on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space
• Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bahrain on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space
• Cabinet approves the signing of UN Convention on International settlement agreements
• Cabinet approves setting up ISRO Technical Liaison Unit at Moscow…………………………..Click here to Read more

Parliament passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to amends the Companies Act, 2013
On July 30, 2019, The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to amends the Companies Act, 2013 has been passed by the Parliament with the approval of Rajya Sabha. The bill was already passed by the Lok Sabha.Key points:
i. Aim: The aim of the bill is to improve the ease of doing business and also reduce the compliance burden on the companies, especially the smaller ones.
ii. Stricter Norms: The bill to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National Company Law Tribunal and recategorization of certain offences as civil offences.
iii. Provision of the bill: Under the original Act, certain classes of public companies are required to issue shares in dematerialized form only. The Bill states this may be prescribed for other classes of unlisted companies as well.
iv. CSR: Under the Act, the companies which have to provide for CSR, do not fully spent the funds, they must disclose the reasons for non-spending in their annual report.Now, any unspent annual CSR funds must be transferred to one of the funds under Schedule 7 of the Act (e.g., PM Relief Fund) within six months of the financial year.
v. Re-categorisation of certain Offences: The Act contains 81 compoundable offences(those offences where, the complainant enter into a compromise, and agrees to have the charges dropped against the accused).These offences are heard by courts. The Bill re-categorizes 16 of these offences as civil defaults, where adjudicating officers (appointed by the central government) may now levy penalties.

Parliament passed Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019
On July 30, 2019, Parliament passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019. It was passed with 99 votes in favour and 84 opposed against it. The bill criminalizes instant triple talaq among Muslims and attracts a jail term of three years for the husband.
Key Points:
i. Definition: It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq pronounced by a Muslim man resulting in instant and irrevocable divorce. Talaq-e-biddat refers to the practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of the word ‘talaq’ thrice in one sitting by a Muslim man to his wife results in an instant and irrevocable divorce.
ii. Benefits: It protects the rights of married Muslim women and prevent divorce by the practice of instantaneous and irrevocable ‘talaq-e-biddat’ by their husbands. It also provides the rights of subsistence allowance, custody of minor children to victims of triple talaq i.e. talaq-e-biddat.
iii. Bail: The Bill provides that the Magistrate may grant bail to the accused only after hearing the woman (against whom talaq has been pronounced), if the Magistrate is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for granting bail.
iv. Allowance & Custody: A Muslim woman against whom talaq has been declared, is entitled to seek subsistence allowance from her husband for herself and for her dependent children, which will be determined by the Magistrate. The Muslim women can seek custody of her minor children. But the manner of custody will be determined by the Magistrate.
v. Compounding of the offence: Upon the request of the woman, the offence may be compounded (stop the legal proceedings) by the Magistrate.

Centre plans to review the List of 17 Iconic Tourist Sites
Union Culture & Tourism Minister Prahalad Singh Patel ordered the setting up a panel to review the list of 17 Iconic Tourist Sites. The Union Government has plans to develop the Iconic Tourist Sites.
Key Points:
i. Background: In July 2018, the then tourism minister K.J. Alphons said that the sites would be developed. In Budget 2019-20, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned that the Government would be developing the sites into world-class tourist destinations to serve as a model to other tourism sites.
ii. 17 Iconic Tourist Sites: They are the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra, Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, Colva in Goa, Amer Fort in Rajasthan, Somnath and Dholavira in Gujarat, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, Hampi in Karnataka, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, Kaziranga in Assam, Kumarakom in Kerala and the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar.
iii. Changes: Union minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had urged the Centre to include Odisha’s Jagannath Temple and Konark Sun Temple in the proposed list of ‘iconic tourist sites’.

Govt sanctioned project for the development of Tirthankar Circuit covering sites associated with Jainism under Swadesh Darshan scheme
Government has sanctioned Rs.52.39 crores for the project development of Vaishali, Arrah, Masad,  Patna, Rajgir, Pawapuri, Champapuri in Bihar under the Tirthankar Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme in the year 2016-17. It was informed by Union Tourism Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel in reply to question in Lok Sabha. The project is under implementation and the Ministry has released Rs.26.19 crores for the project.
Key Highlights:
i. The ministry has identified Tirthankar Circuit as one of 15 thematic circuits for development under Swadesh Darshan Scheme. All sites in the country related to Jainism are covered under this Circuit.
ii. The projects to be taken up under the scheme are identified in consultation with State Governments/UT(Union Territory) administrations and are sanctioned subject to the submission of project proposals, their adherence to relevant scheme guidelines, submission of suitable detailed project reports, availability of funds and utilization of funds released earlier.
iii.About  Swadesh Darshan:
Thematic circuits: In 2014 The Ministry of Tourism launched this flagship scheme for development of thematic circuits i.e. theme-based tourist circuits across the country in a planned and prioritized manner.
Concept: These tourist circuits are being developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
Funding: It is a 100% centrally funded scheme. It also has provision for leveraging voluntary funding under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Central PSUs(Public Sector Units) and corporate sector.
Present status: 15 thematic circuits that have been identified so far for development under it are Buddhist, North-East India, Coastal, Himalayan, Krishna, Desert, Eco, Wildlife, Tribal, Rural, Sufi, Tirtankar, Spiritual, Ramayana, and Heritage.

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan launched Atal Community Innovation Centre in New Delhi
On July 31, 2019, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) in New Delhi. The objective of ACIC is to encourage the spirit of innovation through solution-driven design thinking to serve society. It is a new initiative of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).Key Points:
i. ACICs will act as a channel for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funding by private and public sector firms in addition to direct funding through AIM.
ii. The maximum grant-in-aid support form AIM will be up to Rs 2.5 crores.
iii. A new Logo, Posters, brochure and video, AICC website and Application portal were also launched.

National traders welfare board announced by the government for small traders
In order to improve the availability of funds for traders and to reduce compliance burden, the “National Traders Welfare Board” is to be set up by the commerce and industry ministry as told by the Prime Minister while addressing the traders during his election campaign in April 2019.
Key points
i. The board will consist of 15 members (5 with special knowledge of matters related to technical aspects and remaining from trade association) headed by senior official from Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). 
ii. The board’s other functions are, advising the Government in simplifying laws concerning traders and recommending suggestions regarding social security benefits like insurance, pension, Healthcare etc.
iii. 25crore people’s life is linked to domestic trade, growing 15% every year.
Pension
A monthly pension of Rs.3000 after the age of 60 for retailers and traders was announced by the labour ministry and this scheme is expected to benefit 3 Crore self-employed workers in the country.
DPITT
The Department Of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was renamed as the Department For Promotion Of Industry And Internal Trade (DPIIT)in January 2019 giving at the additional responsibility of welfare traders and their employees.
Established- 1995
Ministry responsible- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India

DDUGJY flagship scheme’s targets achieved
Minister of State (MoS) for Power, New and Renewable energy R.K.Singh announced that the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) scheme which completed four years from its launch, has achieved all its target which was set and is near its conclusion. The announcement was made by him in an interview to the All India Radio (AIR).
Key points
i. 26 million houses have been electrified in India which is the only country having synchronous grid.
ii. Smart prepaid metre will be introduced by 2022 to reduce power theft. This metre will reduce human intervention.
DDUGJY
It is a scheme designed to produce continuous power supply to rural India and the scheme will replace existing Rajiv Gandhi Grameen vidyutikaran Yojana.
Launched- 2015 by Narendra Modi
Ministry responsible-  Ministry of power

Chhattisgarh & Telangana top in the processing of solid waste
The Ministry of Environment, Forest And Climate Change (MoEFCC) informed that Chhattisgarh and Telangana processed the largest percentage of solid waste until November 2018. Chhattisgarh generated a total 601,885 MTPA (metric tonne per annum) of waste & 84% was processed while Telangana generated a total 2,690,415 MTPA & 73% was processed.
Key Points:
i. Among the larger states, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir had processed the smallest percentage of the total waste they generated — 5% and 8% respectively.
ii. Maharashtra generated the largest quantum of solid waste- 8,22,38,050 MTPA  and processed 44% of it.
iii. Delhi, Gujarat, and Karnataka generated 38,32,500, 37,02,925, and 36,50,000 MTPA, and processed 55%, 57%, and 32% respectively.
iv. According to an annual report prepared by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for 2016-17,  the total generation of solid waste was approximately 1,50,000 T/day. Out of it, 90% (1,35,000 metric tonnes/day) was collected. Out of the waste collected, 20% (27,000 MT/day) was processed & the remaining 80% (10,8000MT/day) went to dump sites.
v. In 2016-17, 7.17 million tonnes of hazardous waste was produced and 3.68 million tonnes (49.46%) was recycled from it.
About MoEFCC:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Founded: 1985
♦ Minister In-charge: Prakash Javadekar

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

London named as World’s Best Student City in QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2019
In the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2019 compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a global education consultancy, London, the capital of United Kingdom (UK), was named as the world’s best city for students for the second consecutive year. Tokyo and Melbourne were ranked second and third positions respectively. Key Points:
i. Categories: The Ranking was based on each city’s performance across 6 categories- the number of top-ranked universities; the proportion of a city’s population made up of students; quality of life on offer; job opportunities available after graduation; affordability; and the feedback of the students themselves.
ii. Indian Students: Student numbers from India going to study in London registered an increase of 20% in 2017-18 from 4,545 in 2016-17 to 5,455 in 2017-18.
iii. Indian Cities: Bangalore was ranked 81^st and Mumbai stood at 85^th position, Delhi was ranked 113^th and Chennai stood at 115 out of a total of 120 cities ranked in the list.
Top 10 in QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2019

About Quacquarelli Symonds:
♦ Founded: 1990
♦ Founder: Nunzio Quacquarelli

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI relaxes norms of NBFC and corporates raised through ECB
i. As a beneficial way to raise cheaper Offshore funds by the Corporates and the Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFC)  , the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed the norms of funds raised through External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) for the second time this year.
ii. Based on stakeholders’ feedback form and also with a view in liberalizing ECB framework, end-use restrictions are now relaxed and funds are allowed for working capital requirements in general corporate purposes and also for repayment of rupee loans……………………………Click here to Read more

PNB Housing Finance raises $100 million (nearly Rs.690 crore) from World Bank Group member IFC
On July 29,2019, Indian public limited housing finance company PNB(Punjab National Bank) Housing Finance Ltd has raised $100 million (around Rs 690 crore) from International Finance Corporation (IFC, member of the World Bank Group) for the purpose of lending to buyers in housing projects. Key points:
i. This is the 1^st ECB( external commercial borrowings) outlay was made under the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) automatic route for the current financial year (FY2019-20).
ii. The central bank has allowed it to borrow ECB up to $750 million annually from oversees through the route.
iii. The line of credit secured by the PNB Housing will enhance liquidity and balance the company’s long-term asset-liability management position.
iv. For IFC, this partnership will help further expand to smaller towns and cities and reach low-income customers with loans to buy homes and help raise their living standards.
v. IFC already helped PNB Housing in raising foreign-exchange financing and in issuing the 1^st green bond in India for financing construction of green buildings.
About PNB Housing:
Founded: 11 November 1988
Headquarters: New Delhi
Managing Director: Sanjaya Gupta
About IFC:
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.,US
Founded: 20 July 1956
CEO: Philippe Le Houerou

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

FDI inflow registered a growth of 79% during the last 6 years amounting to $64.37 billion in 2018-19
According to the Annual Report 2018-19 of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) which is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow increased during the last 6 years from $36.05 billion in 2013-14 to $64.37 billion in 2018-19, registering a growth of 79%.
Key Points:
i .FDI worth $286 billion was received in the past five years.
ii. The FDI inflow was $45.14 billion in 2014-15, $55.55 billion in 2015-16 and  $60.98 billion in 2017-18.

US finalizes $670 million foreign military sales to support India’s C-17 aircraft
On July 26, 2019, The United States (US) approved foreign military sales worth $670 million to support India’s C-17 military transport aircraft in order to enhance operational readiness and ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) assistance in the Indo-Pacific region.
i. The implementation of the proposed sale requires the assignment of 1 US government representatives and 23 contractor representatives to India.
About USA:
♦ Capital: Washington, DC
♦ Currency: US Dollar
♦ President: Donald Trump

IIT Kharagpur, Tata Medical Center join hands to form Comprehensive Digital Archive of Cancer Imaging
Under the National Digital Library Initiative (NDLI) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), IIT Kharagpur(Indian Institute of Technology) has joined hands with the Tata Medical Center for the project of setting up an image data bank for cancer patients & in particular, radio oncology (a medical specialty that involves the controlled use of radiation to treat cancer) in the country ,called Comprehensive Digital Archive of Cancer Imaging (CHAVI).
Key points:
i. CHAVI  project will address the imaging-related research and will be India’s first step towards harnessing artificial intelligence(AI) and deep learning methods to answer medical questions of importance in the field of image banking.
ii. It will be scaled up to a larger level of setting up medical images once it successful & then the imaginary combined with AI to treat more people as well as provide targeted therapy based on individual symptoms.
iii. The two institutions also organized a workshop called “Structuring a Collaborative National Image Banking Program” on 26th July 2019 to enhance this project.
About TATA medical centre:
Formation: May 16, 2011
Headquarters: Kolkata
About NDLI
i.  It is a project of the HRD Ministry under the aegis of National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT).
ii. The objective of this initiative is to make digital educational resources available to all citizens of the country to empower, inspire and encourage learning. It is developed by IIT Kharagpur.

Infosys launched its new Cyber Defence Center in Romania
Indian multinational corporation based in Bengaluru, Infosys has opened its new state-of-the-art Cyber Defence Center in Bucharest, Romania. The centre is an expansion of services delivered by Infosys Digital Innovation Centre, which opened in Bucharest earlier. Key points:
i. Support:  The Centre will offer an end-to-end, real-time, 24 * 7 cybersecurity monitoring and protection services to support European and global businesses on their digital transformation drive.
ii. Services: The services provided by the center’s certified and highly skilled cybersecurity professionals include security monitoring, management and remediation, threat hunting, security analytics, incident discovery and response
iii. Expansion:  By opening the new centre, Infosys will expand its current team in Romania by recruiting local talent base and investing in advanced training for both its current employees and new ones.
iv. Reason:  Romania is an established leader in the European cybersecurity talent market so that it is chosen by the Infosys to invest in and develop its cybersecurity research and innovation potential.
v. Benefit:  cyber defence centres help enterprises by the way of prevent, detect and respond to advanced cyber-attacks enabling them to scale securely in their digital journey.
About Infosys:
Founded 7 July 1981
Chairman: Nandan Nilekani
MD & CEO: Salil S. Parekh
About Romania:
Capital: Bucharest
Currency: Romanian leu
President: Klaus Iohannis
Prime Minister: Viorica Dancila

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Bollywood’s Advocate Dinesh Tiwari conferred with Society Global Indian Icon Award 2019
Bollywood’s Advocate Dinesh Tiwari was conferred with ‘The Society Global Indian Icon Award 2019′, for his excellence in the field of law at an event hosted in London by the Society Magazine. He was presented the award by Gopichand Hinduja in presence of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar who were the Chief Guests of the event. Key Points:
i. He started his career in the year 1997 under the guidance of the great Ram Jethmalani.
ii. He has represented many high profile individuals as well as corporate entities including Reliance Industries, City Limousine, National Spot Exchange Limited, High Ground Enterprise, among others.

Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri Becomes First Pilot of IAF To perform Wingsuit Skydive Jump
On July 21, 2019, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri created history by becoming the first pilot to perform a wingsuit skydive jump. He jumped 8500 feet from the Mi-17 V5 helicopter at Air Force Station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan during the Kargil Diwas day celebrations. Key points:
i. This is the first time when a pilot of the IAF jumped the wingsuit skydive with the same helicopter, which he has just flown.
ii. Mi-17 V5: It is a military transport variant, equipped with modern avionics and glass cockpit instrumentation. The rotary-wing aircraft has state-of-art navigational equipment, avionics, weather radar.
iii. Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July every year in honor of the Kargil War’s Heroes. The Kargil war was fought between India and Pakistan for more than 60 days. It ended on 26 July 1999 where India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders.
About IAF:
Founded: 8 October 1932
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS): Birender Singh

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Rajiv Kumar, IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre appointed as new Finance Secretary
According to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC), Government of India, Rajiv Kumar (a 1984 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre) has appointed as the new  Finance Secretary. He succeeds Subhash Chandra Garg, who took charge as Power Secretary. Key points:
i. Rajiv Kumar is currently serving as the Financial Services Secretary.
ii. He also worked as the Establishment Officer in the Department of Personnel and Training.
iii. He played a key role in the initiatives including streamlining of promotion and appointment process done by the ACC.
iv. He got his credit by performing multiple reforms in the banking sector and providing a record amount of capital infusion in the public sector banks(PSBs).
v. He is known to have initiated and implemented the “PSB Loans in 59 Minutes” scheme for the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector.
vi. The Finance Secretary (FS) is the administrative head of the Ministry of Finance. This post is held by senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to Government of India.
vii. FS is senior-most bureaucrat among the finance ministry’s five departments include economic affairs, revenue, expenditure, financial services and department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM).

ITBP DG S.S Deswal given additional charge of NSG
The Director-General (DG) of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) S.S Deswal was given the additional charge to act as the Director-General of the counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG). He succeeds Sudeep Lakhtakia, a 1984-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Telangana cadre.
i. S.S Deswal is a 1984-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Haryana cadre.
About NSG:
♦ Formed: 1984
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
About ITBP:
♦ Motto: Shaurya – Dridhata – Karm Nishtha
♦ Formed: 24 October, 1962
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi

Dinesh Bhatia concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Paraguayan Republic
Ambassador of India to the Republic of Argentina Shri Dinesh Bhatia has been concurrently accredited as the next ambassador of India to the Republic of Paraguay.
Dinesh Bhatia, the Indian Forest Service(IFS)-1992 batch officer will have his residence based in Buenos Aires.
Paraguay
It is a landlocked country between Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia in South America.
Capital-  Asunción
Currency- Paraguayan Guarani

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Govt plans to prevent vehicle theft with microdot patches
On July 24, 2019, The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has issued a Draft Notification GSR 521(E) in order to amend Central Motor Vehicle Rules,1989. The amendment will make it compulsory for motor vehicles and their parts, components, to be affixed with permanent and nearly invisible microscopic dots that can be identified with an ultraviolet light source.
Key points:
i. These micro dots are comply with AIS (Automotive Industry Standard) 155 requirements.
ii. Globally used Microdot technology involves spraying microscopic dots on the body and parts of the vehicle or any other machine. This will give a unique identification & can’t be removed from the vehicle or the part without damaging it.
iii. With the help of this technology, the Central Government aims to combat vehicles theft and curb the use of fake spare parts.
About Ministry of Road Transport & Highways:
Founded: July 1942
Headquarters: New Delhi
Minister of State : Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Union Minister: Nitin Gadkari

Scientists designed a novel molecular framework in superbug armour
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Lucknow based Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) designed a novel molecular framework to destroy superbugs (a bacteria that is resistant to drugs and estimated to kill 10 million people worldwide by 2050).
i.  This Framework helps the drugs to affect the germs after contact with them, thus preventing them from multiplying.
Key points
Scientists used Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria found in nostrils upper respiratory tract and on the skin of nearly 30% people. The designed molecule stops the energy production for 20 minutes making the bacteria to lose its ability to divide and multiply.
i. The stops the production of gyrase which is essential for bacterial survival and multiplication.
ii. Gyrase is of two types- gyrase A and gyrase B. Both this guy raises have been attacked does a making the developed molecule more powerful and effective.

ENVIRONMENT

World’s smallest fossil monkey “Parvimico materdei” found in the forests of Amazon
A team of scientists led by Duke University in the US(United States) and the National University of Piura in Peru has discovered the fossils of the world’s smallest monkey in the Amazon forests. The team has found 18 million years old fossil teeth, which is related to the small monkey of a new species. The team dubbed the animal Parvimico materdei, or “tiny monkey from the Mother of God River.”
Key points:
i. The fossil found in sandstone on the banks of the Rio Alto Madre de Dios River in south-eastern Peru. To distinguish it from the stone, the researchers dig up the pieces of stones and put them in sacks and leave them to soak in water. Later, after filing the fossils buried in stones (teeth, jaw, and pieces of bones) separated them from it.
ii. According to a study published in the journal Human Evolution, this fossil is very important & with its help, the gap between monkeys can be found in the fossil record of 15 million (1.5 million) years.
iii. The team also found fossils of mice, bats and many other animals, including monkey teeth, whose total weight was 2000 pounds (about 1 Kg(kilogram).

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SPORTS

400-metre hurdles record of 16 years, broken Dalilah Muhammad during US National Championships
29-year-old Dalilah Muhammad set World Record in the women’s 400m hurdles at 2019 USA Track & Field (USATF) Outdoor Championships after 16 years, set by Russia’s Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003. The event was held in Drake stadium, in Des Moines, Lowa, United States. Record broken:
She won in 52.20 seconds beating the previous record of 52.34seconds.
United States:
Capital- Washington DC
Currency- US Dollars
President- Donald Trump
US Secretary of State- Mike Pompeo (Michael Richard Pompeo)

Ellyse Perry of Australia becomes the first cricketer to reach 1000 runs & 100 wickets in T20 format
All-rounder Ellyse Perry of Australia became the first cricketer of either gender to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the T20 format. She achieved the feat of scoring 1000 runs in T20 against England in the second T20 of the Women’s Ashes tour on July 28, 2019. She picked up the 100^th wicket by dismissing England’s Nat Sciver in the World T20 final in November 2018.

CAC led by Kapil Dev to choose Team India’s next coach
The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) led by Kapil Dev, former Indian cricket team captain, will select the next coach for men’s cricket team of India. Along with Kapil Dev, the panel comprises of former women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy and former men’s coach Anshuman Gaekwad.Key Points:
i. The present coach Ravi Shastri was given an extension till the end of the tour of West Indies from August 3 to September 3, 2019.
ii. The decision to entrust the responsibility of selection to the trio was taken by the Committee of Administrators (COA).
iii. The CAC will only appoint the head coach. All other support staff appointments will be done by Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Rahul Johri.

ICC’s Anil Kumble-led Cricket Committee will discuss issues concerning controversial boundary countback rule
ICC’s (International Cricket Council) ) general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice stated that Anil Kumble(Former Indian cricketer)-led ICC Cricket Committee will discuss the issues concerning 2019 World Cup final, including the controversial boundary countback rule which decided the winner of the tournament. The committee will meet during the first quarter of 2020.
Key points:
i. Background: New Zealand lost the world cup title 2019 to England on boundaries based on superior boundary count (22 fours and two sixes)  to New Zealand’s 17after the match ended in a tie after regulation play and subsequent Super Over.
ii. Super Over: It is also called a one-over eliminator is a tie-breaking method used in limited-overs cricket matches, where both teams play a single, additional over of six balls to determine the winner of the match.
About ICC:
Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Chairperson: Shashank Manohar
CEO: Manu Sawhney
Founded: 15 June 1909

Former India batsman and Andhra Pradesh skipper Venugopal Rao announces retirement
Y. Venugopal Rao(37), Former India batsman and Andhra Pradesh skipper has his retirement from all forms of cricket. Key points:
i. He represented India in 16 ODIs(One-day Internationals)  and featured in 65 matches for Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League(IPL) between 2008 and 2014. He made his debut against  Sri Lanka at Dambulla on July 2005.
ii. He hails from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He played his last ODI against West Indies at Basseterre on May 23, 2006.

OBITUARY

Noted economist and former RBI deputy Governor SubirGokarn passed away
Former RBI Deputy Governor Subir Vithal Gokarn passed away due to a brief illness at the age of 60. He was appointed as Executive Director on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2015 by Narendra Modi government. He hailed from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Key points
i. He served as RBI deputy Governor from 2009 to 2012.
ii. He was the youngest RBI Governor at the time.
iii. He served as the Director of Research at Brookings Institution India Centre, Chief Economist of Standard & Poor’s Asia-pacific and as Executive Director and Chief Economist of Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL).
RBI
Governor- Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters- Mumbai
Founded- 1 April 1935, Kolkata

IMPORTANT DAYS

81st CRPF raising day observed on July 27
The Minister of State (MoS) for home, Nityananda Rai attended the 81st CRPF raising day celebration and paid tributes to Martyrs of the force at the National Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Key points
i. Director-General of the CRPF, Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar remembered the CRPF Jawans who laid down their lives for the nation.
ii. As a way of providing assistance to the families of Martyrs on a real-time basis, the President Shri Ram Nath Govind launched Veer Parivar app in April 2019.
CRPF:
The first came into existence as Crown Representative’s Police on July 27, 1939.
Headquarters- New Delhi
Minister responsible- Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit shah

STATE NEWS

AP Assembly passes Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Bill 2019 to regulate school fees
On July 29,2019, Andhra Pradesh(AP) Assembly has passed Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Bill 2019 which aims to regulate school fees & that in turn reduce the burden on parents.
The bill provides setting up of commission which will be supervised by a retired high court judge to maintain standards of school education, competences of teachers, information disclosure, effective inspection, monitoring of schools, implementation of the provisions of RTE (Rights To Education) Act, 2009.
Key points:
i. As per the  RTE act, every private school should provide 25 % seats at free of cost and the government should pay those fees. But in the state, the RTE Act was not executed in even one school for the past 5 years.
ii. As per the 2011 census report. There are 33 % uneducated people due to the financial burden in Andhra Pradesh, which is higher than the national average of 26 %.
iii. The commission will have 11 members, who are national level prominent academicians monitor the admission and teaching at any school. Accreditation & Grading of the schools will be under the purview of the commission.
iv. They also have the right to give warnings to the school managements, impose fines and even can order shut down of the schools.
About Andra Pradesh:
Capital:  Amaravati
Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan

UP Government to install 251-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya; Set to become the world’s tallest statue
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has decided to install a 251-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram at Ayodhya which will become the world’s tallest statue surpassing the record held by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat (182-metre). Lord Ram’s statue would be installed on the 100 hectares of land near River Sarayu in Ayodhya.Key Points:
i. For this purpose, the Uttar Pradesh government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government for technical assistance and guidance. Assistance will also be sought from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
ii. A separate unit of “Rajkiya Nirman Nigam” will be set up for the purpose of installation of the statue.
iii. A digital museum based on Lord Ram theme, interpretation centre, library, parking, food plaza etc will be the part of Ayodhya’s development.
7-foot tall statue of Lord Ram unveiled
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled the 7-foot tall statue of Lord Ram which depicts Kodamb Ram, one of the five avatars of Lord Ram, during his visit to Ayodhya at the Shodh Sansthan Museum.
i. The statue is made of a single block of rosewood and purchased for Rs. 35 lakh from Karnataka.
About Uttar Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Lucknow
♦ Governor: Anandiben Patel
♦ Wildlife Sanctuary: Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ National Park: Dudhwa National Park

Former Andra Pradesh minister Mukesh Goud passes away
Senior Andhra Pradesh Congress leader and former state minister Mukesh Goud passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana after suffering from throat cancer for the last 2 years. He was 60. He was born in Hyderabad, Telangana.i. Born on July 1, 1959, Mukesh had worked as NSUI(National Students’ Union of India) leader during his college days and won as a corporator from Jam Bagh in 1986.
ii. He served as BC (Backward Classes) welfare minister in 2007 and then as Minister for warehouse and marketing in 2009.
iii. He had served as MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly)from Maharajgunj constituency in 1989 and 2004 and from Goshamahal assembly constituency in 2009.

Gujarat’s former MP and farmer leader Vitthal Radadiya dead
Former Member of Parliament (MP) from Porbandar, Gujarat, Vitthalbhai Hansrajbhai Radadiya, Died at his residence in Ahmedabad, after a prolonged illness at the age of 60 years. He was born in Rajkot, Bombay Presidency (present-day Indian state of Maharashtra) in 1958.
Key points
i. Vitthal R’adadiya also served as director of Indian farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO).
ii. He was also the chairman of Rajkot District Cooperative Bank.
Gujarat
Capital-  Gandhinagar
Chief minister- Vijay Rupani
Governor- Acharya DevVrat
National parks-Gir national park, Vansda national park, Marine national park, Blackbuck national park.

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