Current Affairs Today – July 23 2015

Dear Readers, We cover some important news in Current Affairs Today Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News, More Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exam.

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Indian Affairs 

India Ranked 3rd In Top 10 List For LEED Green Building

• India(1,883 projects) ranked third on USGBC’s(U.S. Green Building Council) second annual rating of the Top 10 nations for LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-the world’s most generally used and recognised inexperienced constructing score system.
• India has dominant position in the green building movement is significant due to the country’s aggressive plans to expand access to electricity, it explosive economic growth projections and its unprecedented and rapid urbanisation
• Canada(4,814 Projects)and China(2,022 projects) are on the top two positions in this list and U.S(53,908)- birthplace of LEED, is not included in this list.
• The analysis used to develop the list ranks countries in terms of gross square meters and numbers of LEED projects to date.

India Earns $100 Million By Launching 45 Foreign Satellites: Government

• India has earned nearly 100 million USD (Rs 637.35 Crore) in revenue by launching 45 foreign satellites into space. ISRO has launched 45 foreign satellites from 19 countries till date and earned about 17 million USD and 78.5 million Euros (85 million USD).
• The revenue details earned by Antrix – the commercial arm of ISRO – from launching foreign satellites into orbit. This was said by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh in the Lok Sabha.
• ISRO’s space mission is ready grow further as 28 more foreign satellites are being planned for launch between 2015 and 2017. Antrix has signed the agreement with six countries namely Algeria, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore and the US, for these future launches.

India Ranks 12th In Terms Of Power Generation From Nuclear Source

• According to the data published by Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), India ranked at 12th position in terms of power generation out of 31 countries.
• However, it stood at 6th position in terms of number of reactors in operation. The current installed nuclear power capacity is 5780 MW, which is expected to increase to 10080 MW by 2019.
• India signed Nuclear agreements with USA, France, Russia, Namibia, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Argentine Republic, United Kingdom, Republic of Kazakhstan, Canada, Sri Lanka and Australia.

Puducherry City First To Get Smart City Nomination

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Smart City initiative got its first nomination from Puducherry, a former French colony, which was awarded 75 out of a potential 100 points by the High Powered Steering Committee in less than a month since the launch of the ‘Smart City’ Mission on June 25.
• As per the criteria for assigning Smart City slots for each State and UT based on equal weightage for urban population and number of urban local bodies and to ensure geographical equity.

Required To Participate:

• Puducherry has increased internal revenue generation by 14% over the period 2012-13 to 2014-15.
• The city has met 80% operation and maintenance cost of water supply through user charges and met 23% of capital expenditure from internal resources.
• Puducherry has paid staff salaries till last month.

10 Indian companies in Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 list

• Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 list released on July 23,2015.India has the second-highest number of companies on the list and dominated by China with 25 companies.
• Indian Companies in Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 list

• Forbes further said that the Fab 50’s brightest star, over the decade, was India’s HDFC Bank. The bank has made to the list nine times.
• For the fifth year in a row, India claims the second-highest number of companies,10 this time.South Korea is next with four. Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore have two each and Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia one each.

International Affairs

• Pipavav Defence inks pact with Russian firm

Conakry Named As World Book Capital For 2017 By UNESCO

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that Conakry(17th City)-capital of Guinea in west Africa was picked as World Book Capital for 2017.
• Seeks to promote books and reading and the dedication of all players in the book industry. The designation runs for 1 year starting from UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day (April 23) till April 22 of the following year.
• Spain-2001 was the first city to be recognised as World Book Capital India, New Delhi was recognised as World Book Capital in 2003. Wrocław city of Poland has been chosen as World Book Capital for year 2016.

Awards

Higgs Boson Theorist Peter Higgs Received World’s Oldest Scientific Prize

• Professor Peter Higgs Boson received the world’s oldest award for scientific research, known as the “Copley Medal” from Royal Society for his Higgs Boson theory.
• His contribution to particle physics with his theory explaining the origin of mass in elementary particles,confirmed by the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, in 2012.
• Boson theory-the mass of the particles came from its interaction with a field that is diffused in the entire universe.

Sports 

Indian-American Amitoj Chhabra Wins Junior Title At US Powerlifting Championships

• Amitoj Chhabra(20-year) lifted 628 kg, a total of 1,383 pounds at the US Powerlifting Association National Championships in Las Vegas this week to win the junior title on July 23,2015.
• Kolo reported Chhabra has been dominating the Junior circuit.He now competes in the 20-23 age group, where he still holds those same records. He currently has 7 Nevada state records.
• Chhabra, who began powerlifting in December 2013 and began competing in May 2014, is training with Adam Lauritzen of Silverback Strength and Conditioning in Reno.
• Chhabra, who works part-time at United Parcel Service, began training to get stronger for competitive Crossfit, but enjoyed powerlifting more, reported the Gazetta-Journal.

Hockey Legend Dhyan Chand To Be Honoured In British Parliament

• Major Dhyan Chand will be confered with the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ Lifetime Achivement Award by NRI orgainsation Sanskriti Yuva Sangstha at the House of Commons inside the British Parliament of July 25.
• On behalf of Dhyan Chand, his son and former Indian hockey player Ashok Kumar will receive the award.
• Dhyan Chand had helped India win three successive gold medals in Olympics. To his credit, he had scored over 400 goals in his international career.
• In 1936, when India won the gold medal in Berlin Olympics, Hitler offered Dhyan Chand to join the German team but he denied the offer.
• Dhyan Chand was one of the nominees in 2014 for the prestigious Bharat Ratna, an award which cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist C N Rao eventually received.

Indian Super League 2015: Goa to host ISL final

• Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL) – the promoters of ISL – announced that the 2015 Indian Super League’s second season final will be held in Goa on December 20, 2015 at the Fatorda Stadium, home of FC.
• The second season scheduled for October 3, 2015 kicks off with the opening match between defending champions Atletico de Kolkata and Chennaiyin FC in Chennai.
• The league stage will witness 56 games followed by a two-legged knock-out round to finally culminate in Goa.
• Founder & Chairperson of FSDL: Mrs. Nita Ambani.

Books & Authors

R.D. Burman: The Prince of Music by Khagesh Dev Burman

• The music world celebrated the 76th birth anniversary of Rahul Dev Burman on June 27, along with a documentary and a Rs.5 .
• Khagesh Dev Burman’s written a book RD Burman: The Prince of Music Published by Rupa Publications.
• This book looks at his childhood in Kolkata, his failure in studies, his beginning as an assistant to his father, SD Burman, his rise as a musician and his eventual downfall due to ill-health and some bad decisions.
• The book also talks about the role of the film director in shaping its music, especially those that shaped RD’s career.

Obituary

Archie Comics Cartoonist Tom Moore Dies At 86

• The “Archie” cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of the freckled- face, red-haired character, has died in Texas.
• He began drawing cartoons while in the US Navy during the Korean War.
  Moore drew Archie Andrews and his friends on and off from 1953 until he retired in the late 1980s. Annual sales of the comic regularly surpassed half a million during the 1960s, according to the El Paso Times.
• After retiring, Moore kept tabs on Archie, and disagreed when the comic book company decided to kill off the character.The El Paso Museum of Art displayed some of Moore’s work and his vast comic collection about 20 years ago.

Important Days

National Broadcasting Day Observed Across The Country

• National Broadcasting day observed on July 23 every year.On this day All India Radio (AIR) organized a symposium on the subject Creation of New India and Broadcasting Medium in New Delhi.
• On this day in 1927, Indian Broadcasting Company(IBC) began organized radio broadcasting from Bombay station.
• In 1923 India began Radio Broadcasting in Mumbai and in 1927 British Government to operate two radio stations in Mumbai and Kolkata.
• In 1930,Government took over radio broadcasting and started the Indian State Broadcasting Service(ISBS). Later it was changed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957.