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Current Affairs 17 July 2024

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

NITI Aayog Launches GearShift Challenge to Accelerate Zero-Emission Truck Adoption in IndiaNITI Aayog Unveils GearShift Challenge to Accelerate Zero-Emission Truck Adoption in IndiaThe NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) launched  NITI GearShift Challenge as part of the e-FAST India initiative. This aims to foster innovative business models for the adoption of Zero-Emission Trucks (ZETs) in India.

  • The challenge was launched in collaboration with Operations Management Club (OMC) of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore (Bengaluru, Karnataka), Smart Freight Centre India, CALSTART/Drive to Zero, and WRI India.

Note: The NITI GearShift Challenge invites students, transport service practitioners, academics, and researchers, to join the hackathon organised as part of Vista 2024: IIM Bangalore’s International Business Summit.
About NITI GearShift Challenge
Objective and Focus:
i.This hackathon aims to foster innovative business models for adopting ZETs in India’s freight sector.
ii.It focuses on developing business models to address financial, technical, and operational challenges in electric truck adoption.
Hackathon Structure:
i.Round 1: Teams submit initial business models addressing specific barriers (technical, operational, or financial) with high-level strategies and research.
ii.Round 2: Shortlisted teams present detailed models with an implementation roadmap, mentored by industry leaders.
Significance for India’s Freight Sector:
i.The freight sector in India is critical for delivering goods to over 1.4 billion people.
ii.Road freight accounts for 55% of India’s annual diesel consumption and nearly 40% of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
iii.Transitioning to electric trucks is essential for reducing emissions, improving air quality, and enhancing energy security.
About NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India):
The NITI Aayog was formed in 2015 and is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India (GoI).
NITI Aayog replaces the Planning Commission instituted in 1950 to better serve the needs and aspirations of the people of India.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– B.V.R. Subrahmanyam
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

MDoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Launches NERACE Portal, Mobile App for Farmers in NERScindia launches NE-RACE portal, mobile app for farmers in northeastThe Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), launched the North East Region Agri Commodity E-Connect (NERACE) App and Web Portal (https://nerace.in/) to integrate farmers and sellers, enhancing agricultural connectivity in the North Eastern Region (NER).

  • The initiative aims to connect 50,000 farmers and 5,000 buyers over the next five years.
  • The launch took place during his visit to Shillong, Meghalaya, where he chaired a review meeting with Meghalaya’s Chief Minister (CM) Conrad Sangma and other state officials, focusing on regional development projects.

Note: NE region boasts 20 Geographical Indication (GI) products that are exotic, high-value, and rich in health benefits.
About NERACE App:
i.It operates as a unique Farm to Business (F2B) marketplace, facilitating price negotiation, bookings, and real-time product availability cross over 50 crop categories.

  • It promotes Northeast India as a reliable partner in the international agricultural value chain.

ii.It supports agricultural and horticultural products, enhancing profitability of high-value agro-horticultural products.

  • It will feature local specialities like Black Rice, Kiwi, Large Cardamom, and medicinal plants in domestic and international markets.

iii.It supports English, Hindi, Assamese, Mizo, Manipuri, Nepali, and Khasi languages.
iv.It will address challenges like limited market access, perishability concerns, and dependency on intermediaries.
Key Points:
i.During a review meeting on ongoing schemes and projects, the NER Vision 2047 was also presented by Angshuman Dey, Secretary of North Eastern Council (NEC), with contributions from Professor Mahendra Lama, Chairman of the Drafting Committee for NER Vision 2047.
ii.The vision document outlines eight goals for the development of the Northeast region, including establishing it as a South Asian power hub, leveraging border areas as opportunities, promoting it as a green destination, creating an economic corridor, becoming a centre for climate studies for the Indian Himalayan region, developing medical and adventure tourism, serving as a melting pot of youth and culture, and achieving a peace dividend.
iii.A tree plantation ceremony was also held, under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (One Tree in the Memory of Mother) program.

MSDE Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Skill India Mission10th anniversary of Skill India MissionMinistry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI) commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Skill India Mission on 15th July, 2024. 

  • Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary attended an open house dialogue, Kaushal Samwaad organised by MSDE, to celebrate World Youth Skills Day(WYSD), coincided with anniversary of the Skill India Mission.
  • During the event, Atul Tiwari highlighted that over 1.40 crore youth under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) have been trained and over 33 lakh candidates have engaged as apprentices.

Note:World Youth Skills Day is observed annually  across the world on 15th July. Theme for WYSD 2024: “Youth Skills for Peace and Development”.
About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE):
Minister of State (MoS)- Jayant Chaudhary(Rajya Sabha member- Uttar Pradesh (UP))
>> Read Full News

CBIC Notified GSTR-1A Form To Amend Sales Return
On July 10 2024, The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance (MoF) notified the Goods and Services Tax Return (GSTR)-1A form, allowing taxpayers to amend their outward supply or sales return form.

  • In June 2024, The 53rd GST Council recommended a new optional facility in the form of GSTR-1A, which would allow taxpayers to make amendments to the details in form GSTR-1 for a given tax period and/or submit additional details.

i.GSTR-1A must be filed prior to filing a return in GSTR-3B for the appropriate tax period.
ii.It ensures that the relevant tax liability is auto-populated in form GSTR-3B, avoiding manual errors and fostering a quicker compliance process.
iii.It minimises the risk of penalties and interest due to incorrect filings and reduces the compliance burden.
Note :  GSTR-1 is a sales return that is required to be filed by every GST registered person. Taxpayers with an annual turnover of up to ₹5 crore can file GSTR-1 quarterly.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UN World Population Prospects 2024: India’s Population to Peak at 1.7 Billion in 2062India’s population to peak in 2062 UN Population report 2024 According to the World Population Prospects 2024 published by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), India‘s population is expected to peak at about 1.701 billion in 2062 and then decline by 12% between January and July 2062.

  • Currently, India is the most populous country in the world with 1.45 billion people and is likely to remain so until 2100.
  • India is followed by China at the 2nd place with a population of 1.419 billion and the United States of America (USA) at the 3rd place with a population of 345 million.

About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, The United States of America (USA)
Established- 1945
>> Read Full News

16 lakh Indian Children Missed Vital Vaccines in 2023: WHO-UNICEF report16 lakh Indian kids missed vital vaccine shots in 2023On July 15, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released the ‘WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC)‘, stating that India’s national immunization program missed 1.6 million (16 Lakh) children for DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) and measles shots in 2023.

  • With this data, India had the second highest number of children who received no vaccines at all i.e. zero-dose children, following Nigeria with 2.1 million.
  • The report also flagged India as one of 52 nations not including HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination in their immunization package, despite cervical cancer being a significant concern for women in the country.

About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment– 1948
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director– Catherine Russell
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)
Establishment– 1946
>> Read Full News

India Signs MoU with Marshall Islands for 4 Community Development Projects in Marshall IslandsIndia Signs MoU For 4 Infra Projects With Marshall Islands In Pacific, Countering China's InfluenceOn 15 July 2024, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on the annual Grant-In-Aid (GIA) for the Implementation of 4 Community Development Projects (CDPs) in the RMI, at the Embassy of India in Tokyo, Japan.

  • It is the part of New Delhi’s pacific outreach and New Delhi is also working on providing desalination and dialysis units to address healthcare needs in the Pacific nation.
  • The MoU marks a milestone in expanding bilateral ties under the Forum of India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), which serves as a platform for India to engage with the Pacific Island nations.

Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Kalani R. Kaneko, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) of RMI, and Mr. Sibi George, Ambassador of India to Japan and RMI, in the presence of Dr. Hilda C. Heine, President of RMI.
Key Attendees:
i.The RMI delegation comprised Alexander Carter Bing, Ambassador of RMI to India; Isabela Silk, Secretary, MFAT of RMI; Emma Kabua-Tibon, Chief of Staff (CoS) for the President of RMI; Winder Loeak, Assistant Secretary, MFAT of RMI.
ii.Indian officials include Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Projects and Focus:
i.The MoU covers projects including a community sports center in Ailuk Atoll, an airport terminal on Mejit Island, and community centers at Arno and Wotje Atolls.
ii.These projects are aimed at improving the lives of RMI citizens through India’s grant assistance.
iii.The focus areas of the cooperation emphasise healthcare, affordable medicines, education, capacity building, renewable energy, and clean water facilities.
About the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI):
Capital– Majuro
Currency– The United States dollar (USD)

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Introduced New Rules for Passive Mutual Fund Schemes to Reduce Sponsor BiasSebi cracks down on sponsor bias New rules for passive funds in IndiaThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced new rules impacting investments by passively managed Mutual Fund(MF) schemes in the group companies of their sponsors.

  • Aim: To simplify and ease compliances by MF by streamlining norms related to passive schemes with respect to exposure to securities of group companies of the sponsor.

A working group which was constituted by SEBI proposed amendments to SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996 (hereinafter also referred to as “MF Regulations”).
Key Changes:
i.Investment Limit for Passive Mutual Funds: As per SEBI new rules, passive MF, except for equity-oriented Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and index funds, are now restricted from investing more than 25% of their net assets in listed securities of companies belonging to the sponsor group.
ii.Investment Limit for equity-oriented ETFs and Index Funds: For equity-oriented ETFs and index funds based on widely tracked and non-bespoke indices can now invest up to 35% of their Net Asset Value (NAV) in the sponsor’s group companies only if the investments align with weightage of the constituents of the underlying index.
iii.Widely Tracked and Non-bespoke Indices: SEBI has defined ‘widely tracked ’ and ‘non-bespoke indices’ as those indices which are tracked by passive funds or serving as primary benchmarks for actively managed funds with collective Assets Under Management (AUM) of Rs 20,000 crore and above.
iv.Approved Indices: As per new rules, the Association of Mutual Funds in India(AMFI) will be responsible for updating and publishing a list of SEBI approved indices biannually i.e. on April 15 and October 15, each year, base the list of approved indices on AUM data as of March 31 and September 30, respectively.

  • As of 30th June 2024, SEBI has identified 21 such indices based on AUM which includes popular benchmarks such as: Nifty 500, Nifty 50, Nifty Midcap 150, and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 500.

v.Re-balancing of Passive Schemes: It will be mandatory for passive schemes that are not currently in line with these approved indices to rebalance their portfolios within 30 business days with approval from the investment committee.
vi.Extension of time for Re-balancing of Passive Schemes: If a fund fails to rebalance its portfolio within the initial 30 days, then, the Asset Management Company (AMC) will required to provide explanation to their Investment Committee, detailing efforts made towards rebalancing.

  • The Investment Committee may extend the rebalancing timeline by up to an additional 60 business days.

vii.Consequences for non-compliance: Incase, a fund fails to rebalance within the mandated timeframe which includes any extension granted, then , SEBI will prohibit the concerned AMC from launching any new schemes until the existing scheme is rebalanced.

  • Also, the AMC cannot levy exit loads (i.e. fees charged when investors redeem their units) on existing investors in the non-compliant schemes.

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairman- Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarter- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established- 1992

NABARD Launches Rs 750-Crore Agri-SURE Fund to Boost Agri StartupsNABARD Launches Rs 750-Crore Agri-SURE Fund to Boost Agri StartupsThe National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), India’s apex development bank, unveiled an agri fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (Agri-SURE) to support start-ups and agripreneurs through investments in sector-specific, sector-agnostic, and debt AIFs.

  • Rs 750 crore Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) will be establisehd under this initiative to promote innovation and sustainability in the agricultural sector of India.
  • The fund was unveiled during the Pre-Launch Stakeholder meeting held at NABARD Headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • NABARD also launched a hackathon “AgriSURE Greenathon 2024” during the event.

Key People: Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW); Shaji Krishnan V, Chairman of NABARD; Goverdhan Singh Rawat, and Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, Deputy Managing Directors (DMDs), NABARD were present during the event.
About Agri SURE:
Fund Manager: NABVENTURES Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NABARD .
Note: NABVENTURES is the alternative investments arm of NABARD incorporated under Companies Act, 2013 on 23rd April 2018.
Initial Corpus Breakup:
i.Fund will be set up with an initial corpus of Rs 750 Crore with Rs 250 crores each from NABARD and MoA&FW, and 250 crores from other institutions.
ii.The fund is designed to operate for 10 years, extendable by 2 or more years.
Key Points:
i.The fund will offer both equity and debt support, specifically targeting high-risk, high-impact activities in the Agriculture Value Chain (AVC).
ii.Investments will be sector-agnostic, including debt AIFs and direct equity support for startups in agriculture and allied sectors.
iii.The fund focuses on innovation in agriculture, enhancing the farm produce value chain, creating rural infrastructure, generating employment, and supporting Farmers’ Producer Organizations (FPOs).

  • It also encourages Information Technology (IT)-based solutions and machinery rental services for farmers.

AgriSURE Greenathon 2024:
The hackathon aims to address the following 3 problem statements:
i.‘Smart Agriculture on a Budget – tackling the high cost of advanced technologies for small and marginal farmers.
ii.‘Turning Agri-Waste into Profitable Business Opportunities – transforming agricultural waste into profitable ventures.
iii.‘Tech Solutions Making Regenerative Agriculture Remunerative– to overcome economic hurdles in adopting regenerative practices.
About the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
NABARD was established on 12 July 1982 under an Act of Parliament to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural development. It is an autonomous institution of the Government of India (GoI).
Chairman– Shaji Krishnan V
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Kotak Mahindra Bank Revamps Kotak811 Banking App with Enhanced User Interface & New FeaturesKotak revamps Kotak811 mobile banking app with enhanced user interface and new featuresKotak Mahindra Bank Limited(KMBL), a leading Indian private sector bank, has revamped its Kotak811 banking application with enhanced User Interface (UI) and introduced various new features for secure Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments, transaction monitoring, among others.

  • Aim: To transform UPI transactions and other important banking features and will offer seamless, safe and convenient banking services for millions of customers across the country.

Note: Kotak811 app was initially launched on 8th November 2017 as a digital bank within Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Key Features:
i.Safe and Secure UPI transactions: It also has high level of safety and security features which enable the customers to make secure UPI transactions ranging from fund transfers to bill payments to online purchases.
ii.Monitoring of Transactions: The app has unique feature of extensive transaction history which makes it simple for users to monitor their transactions and help for staying up-to-date about their account status as well as making informed budgeting choices.
iii.Seamless Money Transfers: By using Kotak811 app, users can transfer money with just recipient’s information and transaction confirmation.
iv.Easy FD bookings: The app enables the customers to easily book Fixed Deposits (FDs) from within app.
v.Easily Manage Credit Cards: Customers can seamlessly manage their credit cards through the Kotak811 app which will further help them to make payments, check statements, set transaction limits, and more.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL):
i.It was initially incorporated as ‘Kotak Mahindra Finance Limited’ in 1985 and received banking licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2003 and was then renamed as “Kotak Mahindra Bank”.
ii.It became the 1st Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in India to converted into a bank.
Managing Director (MD)& Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Ashok Vaswani
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

BranchX Becomes India’s 1st Neobank to Launch ONDC Loans For Financial Inclusion
Mumbai (Maharashtra) based BranchX India Private Limited, a leading neobank innovator, has launched India’s first personal loan solution through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) which marks the significant step towards financial inclusion for India’s 1.4 billion people.

  • It mainly focuses on the young professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who face hurdles in acquiring loans from traditional ways, replaced with a paperless experience.

i.The ONDC framework is an initiative by the Indian government to democratise digital commerce which forms the backbone of BranchX’s cutting-edge lending solution.
ii.BranchX’s personal loan product stands out with its digital-first approach, which ensures a paperless, transparent procedure from application to disbursement.
iii.It improves affordability, empowers borrowers to manage their finances more swiftly and enhances financial literacy using voice Artificial Intelligence (AI) Banking, providing customers with educational resources and financial guidance.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Indian Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Golden Sand Master Award At International Championship In Russia
Sudarsan Pattnaik (Odisha), Indian Sand Artist has won the Golden Sand Master Award with a gold medal at the International Sand Sculpture Championship/Festival 2024 held in St. Petersburg, Russia. 
i.The International Sand Sculpture Championship, held between July 4th to 12th 2024, had a theme of ‘History, Mythology, and Fairy Tales’.

  • A total of 21 World Sand Masters around the world participated in the Championship, with Pattnaik being the sole participant from India.

ii.Pattnaik has created a 12-foot depiction of a Sand Ratha (chariot) carrying Mahaprabhu Jagannath and his devotee Balaram Das, a 14th-century poet at the International Championship in St. Petersburg. He received a gold medal for his sculpture.
iii.He has participated in more than 65 international sand art championships and festivals around the world.
Note: In 2014, he was awarded Padma Shri by Government of India(GoI) for his contribution in Sand Arts.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Sumant Sinha Appointed as Co-chair of Global CEO Climate Leaders AllianceSumant Sinha appointed co-chair of global CEO climate leaders allianceSumant Sinha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Renewable energy solutions provider ReNew Energy Global PLC (ReNew) has been appointed as co-chair of Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders in the world.

  • Sinha has also been Co-Chair of the India part of the Alliance since 2022. He joins a group of international business leaders in this role, collaborating with eminent figures such as: Ester Baiget, CEO of Novonesis, and Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group Ikea.
  • He will work closely in an alliance comprising 130 member CEOs from 12 different industries across 26 different countries.

Note: Sinha is a founding member of the Forum’s First Movers Coalition and currently serves as Board Chair of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Colorado, the United States of America(USA).
About Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders:
i.It is a flagship initiative of World Economic Forum (WEF) which was launched in 2014. It is the largest CEO-led climate alliance in the world.

  • Aim: To form an influential network of business leaders from various industry sectors and regions to support and implement climate action by setting ambitious targets and taking collective efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

ii.The Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders represents USD 4 trillion in revenues and 5.2 Gigatonne (GT) of carbon emissions, equivalent to 10% of global emissions.
iii.The Alliance plays a pivotal role in driving systemic action and fostering public-private collaboration in the global energy transition.
Key Points:
i.ReNew which has been a member of the Alliance since 2019, is recognized for its commitment to net-zero targets and innovative decarbonization solutions.

  • It is specially recognized for achieving a 1.5 degree Celsius aligned science-based target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with a target of net zero by 2040.

ii.Also, ReNew has successfully reduced over 21 million tons of carbon emissions over the last 2 years, with an overall portfolio of 21.4 GW, covering both contracted projects and those in the pipeline.
About ReNew Energy Global PLC(ReNew):
Founder, Chairman & CEOSumant Sinha
Headquarters-Gurugram, Haryana
Establishment 2011
About World Economic Forum (WEF):
Founder- Prof. Klaus Schwab
Managing Director (MD)- Saadia Zahidi
Headquarters- Cologyny, Geneva Canton, Switzerland
Established – 1971

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Europe’s Ariane 6 Rocket Blasts off For the First Time
Ariane 6, European Space Agency(ESA)’s new heavy-lift rocket, has been launched into space for the first time from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, an overseas department of France in South America.

  • The 63 metres tall rocket was developed at an estimated cost of 4 billion euros by ArianeGroup, a joint venture of Airbus and Safran.

i.Ariane-6 is a project of the 13 member states of ESA, led by France 56% and Germany 21%. The 13 partners have offered annual subsidy payments of up to 340 million euros to help the early stages of Ariane-6 exploitation.
ii.The rocket is carrying many new satellites and experiments into orbit, including a smart-farming satellite, a radio beacon demonstrator, and even capsules designed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and test new materials.
iii.Ariane-6 is intended to be a workhorse rocket which gives European governments and companies access to space independently from the rest of the world.
Note: Ariane 6 is scheduled for another launch by this year (2024), six in 2025, eight in 2026 and 10 in 2027.

ENVIRONMENT

Habrocestum swaminathan and Habrocestum benjamin’: New Jumping Spider Species Found in Western GhatsTwo new species of jumping spiders discovered from Western GhatsA team of researchers from Christ College, Irinjalakuda (Thrissur, Kerala), have discovered 2 new species of litter-dwelling jumping spiders named, Habrocestum swaminathan and Habrocestum benjamin, from the evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala.

  • The details of the discovery are highlighted in a paper published in the taxonomy journal Zootaxa.

About Habrocestum swaminathan:
i.Habrocestum swaminathan was discovered from the banks of the river Kunthi, Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad, Kerala.
ii.It was named after M.S. Swaminathan, Father of the Green Revolution, recognising his contributions to research and conservation efforts in the Silent Valley, where the Kunthi River originates.
About Habrocestum benjamin:
 i.Habrocestum benjamin was collected from Thusharagiri, one of the foothills of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (BR), in Kozhikode, Kerala.
ii.It was named after Suresh P. Benjamin, a Sri Lanka-based jumping spider specialist who has made significant contributions to the study of the genus Habrocestum.
iii.These spiders are attractive with beautiful colour patches.
About the Research:
i.The research team, comprising arachnologists Athira Jose and John T.D. Caleb under the leadership of A.V. Sudhikumar, Associate Professor and Head of Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE).
ii.This research was funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
About Jumping Spiders:
i.Jumping spiders are the largest family of spiders with over 5,000 species, and are known for their remarkable vision and ability to jump which helps them hunt and evade threats.
ii.They are the unsung heroes of natural pest control and important indicators of ecosystem health.
iii.All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes, and the anterior median pair is notably big.

SPORTS

137th Edition of Wimbledon Championships: Carlos Alcaraz Retains his Men’s Singles Title; Barbora Krejcikova won the Women’s Singles title137th Edition of The Wimbledon Championships 2024The 137th edition of the oldest tennis grand slam event “The Wimbledon Championships (Wimbledon) 2024” was held from 1st July to 14th July 2024 on the grass courts at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom (UK). 
i.Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz won the 2024 Gentlemen’s Singles title defeating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic (Serbia), this marks his 2nd consecutive Wimbledon title.
ii.Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic won the 2024 Ladies Singles title by defeating Jasmine Paolini (Italy). This marks her second Grand Slam singles victory. She won her first Grand Slam (singles) at the French Open 2021.
iii.Great Britain’s Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara won the 2024 Men’s doubles title by defeating Australia’s Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the final. This marks the duo’s first doubles grand slam title.
iv.Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the United States of America (USA) won the 2024 ladies’ doubles title at the Wimbledon Championship by defeating Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) in the finals.
v.Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) and Jan Zielinski (Poland) won the 2024 mixed doubles title at the Wimbledon championship by defeating Mexican duo Santiago Gonzalez and Giuliana Olmos in the finals.
>> Read Full News

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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)

Current Affairs 17 July 2024
NITI Aayog Launches GearShift Challenge to Accelerate Zero-Emission Truck Adoption in India
MDoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Launches NERACE Portal, Mobile App for Farmers in NER
MSDE Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Skill India Mission
CBIC Notified GSTR-1A Form To Amend Sales Return
UN World Population Prospects 2024: India’s Population to Peak at 1.7 Billion in 2062
16 lakh Indian Children Missed Vital Vaccines in 2023: WHO-UNICEF report
India Signs MoU with Marshall Islands for 4 Community Development Projects in Marshall Islands
SEBI Introduced New Rules for Passive Mutual Fund Schemes to Reduce Sponsor Bias
NABARD Launches Rs 750-Crore Agri-SURE Fund to Boost Agri Startups
Kotak Mahindra Bank Revamps Kotak811 Banking App with Enhanced User Interface & New Features
BranchX Becomes India’s 1st Neobank to Launch ONDC Loans For Financial Inclusion
Indian Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Golden Sand Master Award At International Championship In Russia
Sumant Sinha Appointed as Co-chair of Global CEO Climate Leaders Alliance
Europe’s Ariane 6 Rocket Blasts off For the First Time
‘Habrocestum swaminathan and Habrocestum benjamin’: New Jumping Spider Species Found in Western Ghats
137th Edition of Wimbledon Championships: Carlos Alcaraz Retains his Men’s Singles Title; Barbora Krejcikova won the Women’s Singles title

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