Current Affairs 10 July 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 10 July 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

 India, Gambia sign MoU to Strengthen Cooperation in Governance ReformsOn July 8, 2021, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Gambia to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation in personnel administration and governance reforms. The information for the same was provided by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• As a part of MoU, both nations’ personnel administration will share best practices in improving performance management system in government, implementation of contributory pension schemes and e-recruitment in government.
• For the formation of a work plan, a meeting of the joint working group (JWG) will be held.

Signatories:
i.The MoU was signed virtually by Sanjay Singh, Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, and Lamin E Singhateh, Charged Affairs on behalf of the Public Service Commission of the Gambia
ii.The signing ceremony was attended virtually by senior officers of the Gambian Public Service Commission, Ministry of External Affairs and the Ambassador, Embassy of India, Senegal, which is accredited to the Gambia,
About Gambia:
Capital– Banjul
Currency– Gambian dalasi
High Commissioner of India to Gambia– Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas (Concurrently Accredited)

Cabinet Approvals on July 8, 2021The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded approval to several initiatives. They are

• ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package: Phase II’ scheme will be implemented at a total cost of INR 23,123 crore from July 1,2021 to March 31, 2022.
• Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) & Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC).
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAl) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), United Kingdom (UK).
• Modifications in the Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’.
• Amendment in Coconut Development Board Act, 1979 for creation of Administrative posts.

About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Morena, Madhya Pradesh),
Minister of State – Sushri Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi Chikmagalur, Karnataka), Kailash Choudhary (Barmer, Rajasthan)
About Competition Commission of India
Chairperson – Ashok Kumar Gupta
Head Office – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

Google India becomes 1st SSMI to publish Transparency report under New IT rulesGoogle India became the 1st technology company which is qualified as ‘Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs)’ to publish a Transparency report under the new ‘Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’.

• Transparency report includes details of complaints received from users in India and the action taken across Google’s platform between April 1-30, 2021.
• SSMIs are technology platforms which have more than 5 million users.

New IT Rules
The ‘Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’ has been framed in exercise of powers under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and in supersession of the earlier Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011. It was released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
i.Objective – The rules have been framed after growing concerns about lack of transparency, accountability and rights of users related to digital media.
ii.The new IT rules aim to establish a soft-touch self-regulatory architecture and a Code of Ethics and three tier grievance redressal mechanism for news publishers and OTT Platforms and digital media.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha – Odisha)
MoS – Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Rajya Sabha – Karnataka)
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Union Minister – Anurag Singh Thakur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
MoS – L. Murugan
>>Read Full News

CIL inked pact with Iz-Kartex for 11 Russian Rope Shovels; India’s 1^st integrated Carbon Black complex set up in Bellary, Karnatakai.On July 8, 2021, Coal India Ltd (CIL) signed an agreement for the purchase of 11 20-cubic metre Russian rope shovels for nearly Rs 1,462 crore with Iz-Kartex named after P.G.Korbokov Ltd, a Russian shovel manufacturing company.
ii.India’s first integrated carbon black complex has successfully commissioned its operations in Bellary, Karnataka. It has been set up by Epsilon Carbon Private Limited (ECPL), a coal tar derivatives Indian company with estimated investment of Rs 550 cr.
About Epsilon Carbon Private Limited:
Establishment– 2010
Managing Director (MD)– Vikram Handa
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Coal India Limited (CIL):
It is Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)
Establishment– 1975
Chairman– Pramod Agrawal
Headquarter– Kolkata, West Bengal
>>Read Full News

CII, MEA Organize 1st edition of Indo-Pacific Business Summit 2021Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) organized the 1st edition of Indo Pacific Business Summit from 6-8 July, 2021, over a virtual platform.

• Theme of the Summit – ‘Developing a Road Map for Shared Prosperity’
• Objective – To discuss how India & other countries in the Indo Pacific Region can enhance economic partnership and collaborate for future economic development.
• The Topics of discussion were Physical and digital connectivity, development of supply chains, start-ups, healthcare, investment opportunities in the region, climate change, blue economy and others.

Piyush Goyal Addresses the Special Plenary with Trade Ministers
Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal delivered the keynote address at the CII’s Special Plenary with the Trade Ministers in the Indo-Pacific region during the summit.

• Piyush Goyal’s address was largely centered on two topics – India’s Initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region and Inviting neighbouring countries to invest in India.

About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
President – T V Narendran
Head Office – New Delhi
About Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Union Minister – S Jaishankar (Rajya Sabha – Gujarat)
MoS – V Muraleedharan (Rajya sabha – Maharashtra), Meenakashi Lekhi (Lok Sabha – New Delhi, NCT of Delhi), Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Inner Manipur, Manipur)
>>Read Full News

BDL signs contract with MoD for Manufacture & Supply of Akash MissilesBharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) signed a INR 499 crore contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for manufacture and supply of Akash Missiles (Surface-to-Air Missile System) to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• Akash is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and can engage aerial threats up to the maximum range of 25 kms and up to an altitude of 20 kms. It has a speed of 1.8 to 2.5 Mach.
• It was developed under India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and was inducted into IAF in 2014 and the Indian Army in 2015.
• BDL is the main production agency for projects under IGMDP. It manufactures Akash Missiles for both Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

Commercial Interests of BDL
i.Apart from Akash Missile, BDL also manufactures Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, Air to Air Missiles, Air to Surface Weapons, Launchers, Test Equipment, Underwater weapons and CounterMeasure Systems.

• During FY 2020-21, BDL received new orders worth INR 2803 crore which includes Anti-Tank Guided Missiles order worth about INR 1820 crore and Surface to Air Missile order worth about INR 793 crore.

Export Orders
BDL has received clearance from the Union Cabinet for the Export of Akash Weapon System.

• India has set a target of achieving USD 5 Billion in Defence Exports by 2024.
• It has also set a target of INR 1.75 Lakh Crore (USD 25 Billion) turnover in Defence Manufacturing by 2025.

About Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL)
CMD – Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd)
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana

DCC clears use of VSAT for remote connectivity & rollout of BharatNet in PPP mode

Digital Communication Commission (DCC) cleared the provision for usage of Satellite based VSAT (Very-Small-Aperture Terminal) system for providing telecom connectivity in remote areas to avoid difficulties in laying Optical fibre lines. DCC also gave approval for the proposal to implement BharatNet project under Public Private Partnership (PPP) in 16 states, with a viability gap funding of Rs 19,041 crore.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India to promote ‘Green Hydrogen’ strategies in International Climate Summit 2021India will host the International Climate Summit 2021 (ICS) on 3rd September in New Delhi, with key focus on ‘Green Hydrogen’ and making India as a Global hub for Hydrogen production. The event was organised in partnership with the Government of Norway, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the delegates.
i.The Summit is being organised jointly by NITI Aayog, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, CSIR, and the Department of Science & Technology.
ii.It includes India-centric discussions with a special focus on ‘Powering India’s Hydrogen Ecosystem’. Innovative ideas on storing and transportation of liquefied hydrogen are the key agenda of the Summit.
Note – India announced the “National Hydrogen Energy Mission” in the Union Budget of India 2021-22, with targets to build hydrogen energy capacity by 2050.
iii.The Summit also plans on the formation of an ‘International Hydrogen Alliance’ and setting up of ‘Centres of Excellence’ in select Universities across India.
About UN – Conference of Parties (UN-COP) 2021:
Host – United Kingdom & Italy
Schedule – November 2021 at Glasgow
President of COP 2021 – Alok Sharma

COAS MM Naravane holds High-level meeting in UK & ItalyIndia’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane conducted high-level meetings with his counterparts & senior military leaders in the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy as a part of his European Tour between 5th to 8th July 2021.
i.COAS Gen. MM Naravane made his 2-day visit to the United Kingdom on July 5 & 6, where he conducted high level talks on Defence Cooperation with UK’s CODS Gen. Nicholas Carter.
ii.COAS Gen. MM Naravan visited Italy on July 7 & 8, where he inaugurated an ‘Indian Army Memorial’ at Cassino, Italy. The memorial acts as a respect for the sacrifice made by Indian forces during World War II.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh
Minister of State – Ajay Bhatt
General Bipin Rawat was India’s 1st Chief of Defence Staff
>>Read Full News

World’s Tallest Sandcastle Build in Blokhus, Denmark

The sandcastle created by the Dutch Designers team led by Wilfred Stijger, which stands around 69 feet tall (more than 21 meters) becomes the world’s tallest sandcastle. The sandcastle made of around 5000 tons of sand was created as a part of the sandcastle festival in Blokhus, Denmark.

• The sandcastle has broken the previous record held by the 17.658 metres sandcastle built by Skulptura Projects GmbH in 2019 in Germany by around 3.5 metres.
• The Blokhus sandcastle, with a replica of the coronavirus at the top, represents the power the coronavirus has held over the world.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Directed Banks to Shift from LIBOR to ARR by December 31, 2021On July 08, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other RBI-regulated entities to prepare for the transition from the international benchmark reference rate, ‘London Interbank Offered Rate’ (LIBOR), to any other widely accepted Alternate Reference Rates (ARR).

• LIBOR is used widely by the global financial system as one of the interbank benchmarks for a large volume and broad range of financial products and contracts.
• In March 2021, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ceased the use of LIBOR by any administrator and stated that it would no longer be representative.
• RBI has advised the Financial Institutions (FI) not to enter into new LIBOR referenced contracts and encouraged them to use any widely accepted ARR.
• It has also instructed the FI to incorporate robust fallback clauses in all the LIBOR reference-based financial contracts that have maturity after December 31, 2021.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Subsidiaries of RBI:  
i.Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (DICGC),
ii.Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL),
iii.Reserve Bank Information Technology Private Limited (ReBIT),
iv.Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS)
Note – Earlier National Housing Bank(NHB) was also one of the subsidiaries of RBI but after RBI has divested its entire stake in NHB, it was no more the subsidiary of RBI.
>>Read Full News

Mastercard, MMOPL, Axis Bank Launched ‘One Mumbai Metro Card’ for Mumbai PeopleOn July 08, 2021, Mastercard, Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL), and Axis Bank launched ‘One Mumbai Metro Card’ to enable cashless and contactless travel for Mumbai People (Mumbaikars).

• Objective: To change the way Indians travel regularly and to modify the transit ecosystem into completely digital.
• Type: It is a prepaid, open-loop contactless card, the users could ‘Tap’ their card on a contactless Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminal to make payment. It has a top-up feature for daily payments.
• Along with metro fare, this card could also be used for all other daily expenses such as food, groceries, medicines, shopping, etc.

About Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL):
It is a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO – Col. Shubhodoy Mukherjee
>>Read Full News

STPI Signed MoUs with BoB, Yes Bank, Freshworks, Mathworks, Yourstory, PontaqOn July 08, 2021, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), a part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Bank of Baroda, Yes Bank, Mathworks, Yourstory, Freshworks and Pontaq to build a robust startup ecosystem in India.

• Through the 6 agreements, STPI would promote entrepreneurship and create a nurturing ecosystem for Centres of Excellence (CoE), that are set up by the STPI in areas such as digital and mobile payments, blockchain, IoT (Internet of things), big data, and other emerging technologies.
• Under the MoU, BoB partners with STPI and ‘AIC STPINEXT Initiatives’, a subsidiary of STPI, to support start-ups across India under its Baroda Start-up Banking programme.
  The Baroda Start-up Banking programme was launched in February 2020 across 15 cities in India.
• Until now, STPI has launched 13 CoEs and it has 177 startups on its platform.

About Software Technology Parks of India (STPI):
It is a premier S&T (Science and Technology) organization under MeitY, engaged in promoting IT/Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) Industry, innovation, R&D (Research and development), start-ups, and product creation in the field of emerging technologies.
Establishment – 1991
Headquarters – New Delhi
Director General – Omkar Rai
About Bank of Baroda:
It is the 2nd largest bank in India.
Establishment – 1908 (Nationalised in 1969)
Headquarters – Vadodara, Gujarat
MD & EO – Shri Sanjiv Chadha

NIIT, Axis Bank Launched ‘Digital Banking Academy’; Axis Direct Launched ‘Super Options’NIIT Institute of Finance Banking and Insurance (NIIT IFBI), a subsidiary of National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) Limited, and Axis Bank have made a partnership and launched an 18-week fintech professional programme under the ‘Axis Bank – NIIT Digital Banking Academy’.

• It is the 1st first Fintech programme being launched under the Axis-NIIT Digital Banking Academy and it would build future-ready professionals for Axis bank.
• It also offers an opportunity for graduates with 0-3 years of experience to join Axis Bank as Deputy Manager (IT). After the completion of the Programme, the candidate would also be deployed at other Axis Bank’s different FinTech roles.

-Axis Direct Launched ‘Super Options’
Axis Direct – the flagship brand of Axis Securities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank, has launched a brokerage plan for traders named ‘Super Options’ to place an option order at Rs 10.

• By using the ‘Super Options’, the traders could enjoy low-cost trading and also could have free access to trading tools that are powered by Axis Direct’s RING Technology, such as scanners, advanced 90+ indicators, price bands, and overlays.

About NIIT Institute of Finance Banking and Insurance (NIIT IFBI):
Establishment – 2006
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
About Axis Direct:
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO – B Gopkumar

Debit, Credit Cards Contain ‘Accident Insurance Cover’Debit and credit cards issued by banks will have a complimentary ‘Personal Accident Insurance Cover’.

• General Condition: To claim the insurance, the card should be in active use and the claims should be made within a particular time frame.
• Example: To claim insurance under the Rupay insurance programme, the insured person needs to intimate within 90 days from the date of the accident and the card should have active transaction before 90 days of the accident.

Different Scenarios:
Each bank would offer different kinds of insurance cover with distinct procedures and conditions for the insurance claims.
a.Indian Bank:
ii.Based on card variants under debit and credit cards, its insurance coverage ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh.
ii.It provides insurance cover for debit cards under the RuPay card programme (as it is issuing only RuPay Debit cards by default), and all the credit card variants issued by the bank are eligible for insurance coverage.
iii.The personal accident policy under the cards will cover for death occurring only due to accidents or accidental injuries, it should not be intentional or self-inflicted.
b.HDFC Bank: Its insurance coverage varies from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for both debit and credit cards, based on the kind of relationship that the customer has with the bank.
Note – Such accident insurance benefits under credit/debit cards are unknown by many of the customers.

SEBI Revised the Timelines for Stock Exchanges to Modify CDCsOn July 08, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the ‘Advance Intimation timelines’ for Stock Exchanges to make modifications in the contract specifications of ‘Commodity Derivatives Contracts’ (CDCs).
Key Points:
i.Categories: In November 2019, based on materiality, SEBI has categorized the Contracts’ modifications of CDCs into three categories viz, Category A, Category B, and Category C.
ii.Intimation: Before making any modification, the Stock exchanges need to inform SEBI and market participants along with reasons for the modifications.
iii.Timeline: For such intimation, SEBI has provided ‘Advance Intimation Timeline’ i.e. the number of days for prior intimation as 10 days for Category A and 30 days for Category B and Category C.
iv.Change: Now, the timeline for all the three categories i.e Category A, Category B and Category C, was reduced to 10 days to bring uniformity.
v.These modifications were made in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11 (1) of SEBI Act, 1992, read with Section 10 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment – 1992
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Ajay Tyagi

RBI Imposed Penalty on 14 Banks for Non-compliance with Rules

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty aggregating Rs 14.5 crore on 14 banks for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued by it.

• RBI imposed Rs 2 crore penalty on the Bank of Baroda and Rs 50 lakh on State Bank of India (SBI).
• RBI imposed Rs 1 crore penalty each on 12 other banks viz, Bandhan Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Credit Suisse AG, Indian Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karnataka Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, South Indian Bank, The Jammu & Kashmir Bank and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Syed Osman Azhar Maqsusi wins United Kingdoms Commonwealth Points of Light award

Syed Osman Azhar Maqsusi(41), a hunger activist from Hyderabad has been awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Points of Light award by the United Kingdom(UK) Government. He had launched the #HungerHasNoReligion initiative through his NGO ‘Sani Welfare Foundation’, which has helped to feed over 1,500 people a day.

• The Points of Light award recognizes outstanding individual volunteers – people who are making a change in their community.
• This award was first established by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Manu Sawhney resigns from the CEO Post of ICC

Manu Sawhney, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has resigned from his post with immediate effect following the report against his “abrasive behaviour” with his colleagues.
Geoff Allardice will continue as the acting CEO of ICC.
Background:
i.In March 2021, Manu Sawhney was sent on leave after the allegations against him emerged during the internal investigation conducted by the audit firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
ii.In the absence of Manu Sawhney, Geoff Allardice was appointed as the acting CEO.
About Manu Sawhney:
i.Manu Sawhney was appointed as the CEO of ICC in July 2019 for a tenure till 2022.
He took over from Dave Richardson after the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup.
ii.Manu Sawhney has served as the CEO of the Singapore Sports hub and as the Managing Director of ESPN Star Sports.
iii.He is a non-executive director and a member of the Audit Committee of Manchester United Limited.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman– Greg Barclay
CEO– Geoff Allardice(Acting CEO)
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE)

Former West Indies Cricketer Daren Sammy named Brand Ambassador of Fun88Fun88, a leading online gaming operator, has named Saint Lucian cricketer and Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy as its brand ambassador. Fun88 is a renowned brand in the sports sector that offers real-time news and analysis on various sports like cricket, kabaddi, football and others.
Daren Sammy’s Role as Ambassador:
i.As the brand ambassador of Fun88, Daren Sammy will feature in the series of Fun88’s brand films targeting sports fans in India.
ii.This series will be a part of Fun88’s integrated branding and marketing campaign #LagiShart. 

• The number 88 has been his jersey number for around 20 years.

About Daren Sammy:
i.Daren Sammy was the first Saint Lucian cricketer to play for the West Indies.
ii.He is the only captain to have won the World T20 twice. He led the West Indies team which won the 2012 ICC T20 World cup against Sri Lanka and the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup against England.
iii.He has played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League(IPL).
About Fun88:
Fun88, the online gaming company, has its presence across the United Kingdom and Asia offers a wide range of products like Sportsbook, in-play sports betting, live casino, slot games.

• Fun88 was launched in India in august 2020.
• The brand ambassadors of fun88 include football legend Robbie Fowler, Canadian basketball player Steve Nash and American basketball player Kobe Bryant.

Satish Agnihotri Appointed as new MD of NHSRCL

Satish Agnihotri, retired Indian Railways Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer(1982 batch), has been appointed as the new Managing Director(MD) of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd(NHSRCL). He succeeds Achal Khare, the first MD of NHSRCL(2017 to 2021).

• He has served as the Chairman and MD of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited(RVNL), schedule A Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) under the Ministry of Railways.
• He has also served as the Chairman, High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (HSRC), a fully owned subsidiary of RVNL.

NHSRCL was incorporated on 12th February 2016 with an aim to finance, construct, maintain and manage the high-speed rail corridor in India.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MoD implemented Web-based SPARSH for Sanction & Disbursement of Defence Pensioni.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) headed by Union Minister Rajnath Singh implemented SPARSH, an acronym for System for Pension Administration (Raksha), for automation of sanction and disbursement of defence pension.
ii.As a part of SPARSH, service centres will also be set up for the pensioners who are unable to directly access the SPARSH portal. In this regard, an agreement was signed between MoD, State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) under which both banks will co-opt as service centres.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister– Raj Nath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS)– General Manoj Mukund Naravane
Headquarters– New Delhi
>>Read Full News

France Tests ‘HELMA-P’ Laser-Powered Anti-Drone SystemThe French Armed Forces used ‘HELMA-P (High-energy Laser for Multiple Application – Power)’, a Laser-Powered Anti-Drone System to destroy a drone during a test of technology conducted near the Atlantic coast in Southwestern part of France.

• HELMA-P which is manufactured by a French startup ‘CILAS’ is capable of detecting lightweight commercial drones from a distance of up to 3 Km (1.8 miles). It can track & destroy drones once they are within 1 Km radius of the system.
• The laser ray produced by the prototype is one million times more powerful than the one used by QR code readers.
• The system can be used to protect military bases and nuclear plants, as well as major events, against small low-flying drones that can escape radar detection.
• France is aiming to use the technology to protect the Paris 2024 Olympic games.

About France
President –  Emmanuel Macron
Capital – Paris
Currency – Euro,CFP franc

SPORTS

Indian Chess Grandmaster Nihal Sarin wins Serbia OpenOn 8th July 2021, Indian Chess Grandmaster Nihal Sarin won the Serbia Open Chess Championship in Belgrade, Serbia. This is the 2nd consecutive win for the 16-year-old from Kerala, after he won the Silver Lake Open Chess Tournament in June 2021.
i.In the Serbian Open, he secured top position with 7.5 points out of 9, which is 0.5 points higher than his nearest competition.
ii.He won the Tournament without a single loss and a draw in the finals, which led him to break into the World’s Top 100 ranking (88th position).
Other Indian Players:

• Arjun Erigaisi finished in 7th position with 7 points.
• Aditya Mittal, ended at 10th position with 7 points, earning his maiden Grandmaster (GM) norms
• V Pranav, earned his 1st GM norm and became an International Master (IM).

About All India Chess Federation:
President – Sanjay Kapoor
Founded – 1951
Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, was the 1st recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

Germany’s Toni Kroos announces retirement from International football

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has announced his retirement from international football after the European Championship 2020 (due to pandemic it postponed to 2021) but he will continue his club career with Real Madrid. He made his international debut in January 2010 against Argentina, Kroos was an integral part of the German team that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shivam Shankar Singh & Anand Venkatanarayanan Authored a New Book “The Art of Conjuring Alternate Realities”Shivam Shankar Singh and Anand Venkatanarayanan have co-authored a new book titled “The Art of Conjuring Alternate Realities: How Information Warfare Shapes Your World”.
The book is published by HarperCollins India, explains how the art of perception management is used to shape reality.
About the book:
i.The book explains the operation of political parties, cyber-criminals, godmen, nation-states and intelligence agencies across the globe in order to explain how the power to manipulate people’s thoughts are being used, and the role of information warfare in shaping life and the world.
ii.The book also explains the use of Indian epics and pop culture in explaining the information warfare concepts like reflexive control, cybercriminal psychology and others.
About Shivam Shankar Singh:
i.Shivam Shankar Singh has led the data analytics and campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Manipur and Tripura Assembly elections.
ii.He was a Senior Research Fellow at India Foundation and a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow.
Other books: How to Win an Indian Election: What Political Parties Don’t Want You to Know
About Anand Venkatanarayanan:
i.Anand Venkatanarayanan, a cybersecurity and privacy researcher, has more than 2 decades of experience in designing and developing system software.
ii.He was the expert witness before the Supreme Court of India for the Aadhaar case and has deposed before the Kenyan High Court for the country’s Digital Identity project called Huduma Namba.

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