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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Minister of State for Culture (I/c) Dr. Mahesh Shrama Inaugurates exhibition titled “Arth – art for earth” at IGNCA, New Delhi
On 5th July 2018, Union Minister of State for Culture (I/c), Dr. Mahesh Shrama, inaugurated an exhibition named “Arth – art for earth” at IGNCA, New Delhi.
Arth – art for earth:
i. ‘Arth – Art For Earth’ by Manav Gupta comprises “Excavations in Hymns of Clay”. It is a suite of environmental art installations created by Manav Gupta with a storyline and poetry.
ii. Manav Gupta has used Indian potter’s produce of clay objects like the earthen lamps (diyas), local cigar (chilam), earthen cups (kullar) etc. The exhibition will be available for public view till 22nd October 2018.
Some important museums in India:
♦ Kaba Gandhi No Delo – Rajkot, Gujarat
♦ Kirti Mandir – Porbandar, Gujarat
♦ Kutch Museum – Bhuj, Gujarat
Design University for Gaming to come up in Vishakhapatnam: UNESCO
On July 6, 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) entered into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) for setting up a ‘Design University for Gaming’ in Visakhapatnam.
ii. The hub would be established on a land of 100 acres in Vishakhapatnam.
iii. Gaming Technology will be the best source of income in future and IT giants like UBSoft, Samsung, Microsoft etc are ready to establish their centres in Visakhapatnam.
iv. This will help develop edutech gaming in the state, with the target of providing 50,000 jobs in 10 years.
Other achivements by the Andhra Pradesh govt:
i. Andhra Pradesh would be developed as a knowledge economy – innovation valley.
ii. CM Naidu inaugurated and flagged off a mobile cancer screening vehicle launched by the Manipal Hospital in Andhra secretariat.
iii. The vehicle will be used to provide free services. Facilities for testing oral, breast and general cancers are available in this vehicle. It will move around all 13 districts of the state and provide free service.
About Andhra Pradesh:
♦ Chief Minister: N Chandrababu Naidu.
♦ Governor: E.S.L Narasimhan.
Diarrhoea control campaign to be launched on July 15 to 30,2018 by Haryana Health Dept.
On July 6, 2018, The Haryana Health Department announced the launch of an intensive diarrhoea control campaign from July 15 to 30.
i.The decision was taken at a steering committee meeting of different state departments under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Health Department, Raja Sekhar Vundru.
Dignitaries present in the meeting:
Managing Director, National Health Mission, Haryana, Amneet P Kumar, Director of General Health Services, Dr Satish Agarwal, and several other senior officers of various departments.
Key Points:
i. Under this scheme, ORS and zinc packets would be distributed to about 26.5 lakh children below five years of age across the state.
ii. High risk areas such as construction sites, slums and far flung areas are the focus areas.
iii. A special inspection and monitoring plan would be framed for the campaign’s success.
iv. Officers of Panchayati Raj institutions, Women and Child Development and Education and Public Health Engineering are involved in the campaign.
Haryana:
♦ Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar.
♦ Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki.
♦ National Parks: Kalesar National Park, Sultanpur National Park.
Release of Rs 500 cr to SCI to promote cruise tourism under Centre’s ‘Sagarmala Project’: Nitin Gadkari
On July 6, 2018, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said, under Sagarmala project, Centre will provide 500 crore rupees to Shipping Corporation of India(SCI) to lease out cruises to promote cruise tourism.
i. This was announced at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Annual Awards event in Mumbai.
About Cruise Tourism:
i. No GST may be applied for first 5 years in order to give a boost to cruise tourism business.
ii. The Government is promoting use of methanol and ethanol fuels to be used in cruise to bring down fuel cost. For that state-run Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers is setting up a dedicated facility in Thal in Maharashtra.
iii. For the sea trade to shift to the cleaner fuels, Cochin Shipyard is setting up a facility in the financial capital where such reconstruction will be carried out.
iv. Cruise tourist companies were suggested to bring cruises from abroad and refurbish them in India which will be cost-effective for them.
v. Furthermore, the Government of India has formed a task force of the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Shipping and appointed an international consultant who has given a roadmap on how to develop cruise tourism in the country.
vi. The roadmap would focus on ease of doing business, immigration system, carrier security fee system, customs and port regulations need to improve. The second is marketing of cruise tourism and the third is general port infrastructure.
vii. The Government is looking towards doubling the foreign tourist arrivals in three years.
viii. It may attract up to 700 vessels from its present strength of 70 vessels a year.
ix. The government is focussing on five ports: Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai and Kochi, to be developed as cruise hubs.
x. Accordingly close to 4 million passengers are expected to visit India in the coming years, and 3 million passengers are expected to take cruises from Mumbai Port.
xi. Additionally for the switch to cleaner fuels, on a pilot basis, 10 buses each will be run on the cleaner and cheaper fuels in Guwahati and Mumbai.
About SAGARMALA project:
♦ Launch Year: 2015
♦ The Sagarmala Programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways.
♦ Purpose: setting up of new mega ports, modernization of India’s existing ports, development of 14 Coastal Employment Zones (CEZs) and Coastal Employment Units, enhancement of port connectivity via road, rail, multi-modal logistics parks etc, boosting merchandise exports by US$110 billion, generation of around 10,000,000 direct and indirect jobs.
♦ Investment: Rs.8.5 trillion (US$130 billion or €110 billion).
Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) to be set up in Hyderabad by AAI for Rs.1200 crore
On July 6, 2018, The Airport authority of India has allocated Rs.1200 crores, spread over 12 years for the establishment of Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.
Objective:
With an aim to start Research and Development infrastructure, procurement of tools, skill development and knowledge transfer.
Key points:
i. CARO will cater to Air Navigation Systems (ANS) and Airport Engineering research to keep in pace with the exponential growth in Air Traffic in India.
ii. The foundation stone of the organization was laid by the Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu..
iii. This would enable air travel accessibility and affordability with special focus on the safety and convenience of passengers.
About Ministry of Civil Aviation:
♦ Union Minister: Suresh Prabhu.
♦ Mission: To prepare a comprehensive plan for the aviation sector with a vision for 2035.
Telangana allots 200 acres to women entrepreneurs
On 6th July 2018, the Telangana government allotted 200 acres to 3 women entrepreneurs’ associations in Telangana.
Telangana allots 200 acres to women entrepreneurs:
i. This announcement was made by Telangana Industries and IT Minister K T Rama Rao at an event in which the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation offered allotment letters to 18 women entrepreneurs of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) at the FLO TSIIC Industrial Park, Sultanpur near Hyderabad.
ii. 50 acres has been allotted to FLO at Sultanpur. 30 acres has been allotted to Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs (COWE) at Toopran.
iii. 120 acres has been allotted to the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP). Also 10 % of land in all the 140 industrial parks in Telangana were earmarked for women entrepreneurs.
About FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry):
♦ President – Rashesh Shah
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo: World’s First All-Digital Psychedelic Art Museum
MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, has become the world’s first all-digital museum.
i. The MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo is a collaboration between the developer and art collective TeamLab.
ii. In this museum light and space is the art. There are no guide maps, no descriptions, and no signs warning viewers to not touch the art work.
iii. Visitors walk through darkness and empty rooms. There are nearly 50 kaleidoscopic installations that are triggered by motion sensors and projected across every surface of the museum.
iv. The museum has 100,000-square-foot exhibit space. Without lights the museum will look like empty halls with black walls.
v. The artworks react to movement and touch due to projection-mapping technology.
vi. In a room named the “Forest of Lamps,” hundreds of lamps are hung at various heights over a mirrored floor. When visitors enter, light spreads from lamp to lamp like fire.
Some important dams in India:
♦ Ranjit Sagar Dam – Ravi River
♦ Baglihar Dam – Chenab River
♦ Chemera I Dam – Ravi River
Russia offers to jointly design, build submarines
India has received a joint submarine design and construction proposal from Russia to build on the technology transfer acquired while building the nuclear fleet. It is said to reduce the cost of Indian Navy’s next-generation vessel plan.
Russia offers to jointly design, build submarines:
i. The proposal is said to have been discussed during the Sochi summit in May 2018. It provides an alternative to an upcoming $10 b P 75I tender for 6 new diesel electric submarines required by the Indian Navy.
ii. They will be fitted with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that will increase their ability to stay underwater.
iii. Russia has offered to transfer all intellectual property for the design and prototype construction.
iv. This official proposal from Moscow is for a government-to-government deal for joint design with the Advanced Technology Vessel Project (ATVP).
v. This is the project that provided India its first nuclear armed submarine, the INS Arihant. INS Arihant was constructed in Vizag with assistance from Russia.
vi. The design consultancy for the project is marked at under $200 million. The proposal offers to design the submarine as per Indian requirements, including installation of Brahmos missiles on board and a jointly developed AIP system with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
♦ Chairman – Sanjay Mitra
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
Mattala International Airport the world’s emptiest airport to operate through India-Sri Lanka joint venture
On July 6, 2018, India goes on a joint venture to operate the loss-making Mattala international airport in southern Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan government.
i. Mattala airport, named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was a China-supported infrastructure project in his home district of Hambantota.
ii. It is a USD 210 million facility and is named the ‘world’s emptiest airport’ due to a lack of flights. The only international flight operating from there was halted in May due to recurrent losses and flight safety issues.
iii. The government in 2017 invited investors to turn the airport into a profit-sharing joint venture. However no proposals were received to operate, manage and maintain the airport.
iv. Currently it is running a massive loss of Rs.20 billion.
Other Projects of Sri Lanka:
i. The seaport built in Hambantota, another Rajapaksa pet project, has been leased to China to set off Chinese loans as equity.
BANKING & FINANCE
Bank credit grows at 12.84%, deposits at 7.59% ending in June 22 fortnight: RBI data
On July 6, 2018, According to RBI data in the fortnight ending in June 22, the bank credit grew by 12.84 per cent to Rs 86,16,408 crore and bank deposits had risen by 7.59 per cent to Rs 113,53,525 crore.
About Bank Credit:
i. In the year-ago fortnight, bank loans stood at Rs 76,35,689 crore.
ii. In June 22 it had risen by 12.67 per cent to Rs 85,98,703 crore from June 8.
iii. In May, non-food bank credit increased by 11.1 per cent year-on-year, compared with an increase of 4.1 per cent in May last year.
Reasons for bank credit rise in May:
i. Loans to industry rose by 1.4 per cent in May 2018, against a contraction of 2.1 per cent in May 2017.
ii. Advances to agriculture and allied activities increased by 6.4 per cent in May 2018, compared with an increase of 7.4 per cent in May 2017.
About Bank Deposits:
i. In June 23,2017, it was Rs 105,51,910 crore.
ii. The growth in deposits was slower than the period ended June 8, when it had increased by 8.35 per cent to Rs 114,04,303 crore.
NPCI awaiting RBI’s nod for UPI 2.0 ‘standing instruction feature’; Transaction cap may be doubled to Rs 2 lakh in upgrade
On July 6, 2018, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will get a major upgrade with new features and a doubling of the transaction limit to Rs 2 lakh and is awaiting RBI’s approval. It is the apps most awaited ‘standing instruction feature’.
i. Reason for RBI’s delay in approval for the feature could be the fact that this feature is contrary to the two-factor authentication that RBI has mandated to for digital payments in India.
Features in the UPI 2.0:
i. Consumers will get a range of new features on UPI, starting with an overdraft facility to getting invoices attached with payment requests.
ii. One prominent feature on the upgraded UPI application would be the ‘block payment’ option, which consumers can adopt for cab rides, ecommerce deliveries, buying stocks during IPOs and other transactions.
iii. With this the service providers can block a certain amount in the customer’s bank account and debit it on successful completion of the service.
iv. Doubling of limit of transaction to Rs.2 lakh.
Benefits of the standing instruction feature:
i. This would enable consumers to instruct banks to debit their accounts regularly for repeat transactions, much like the auto-debit facility for loan repayments or mutual fund investments.
ii. This would save users the hassle of manually authorizing such payments repeatedly.
About UPI:
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is the instant inter-bank fund transfer mechanism operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The facility was launched in 2016 by then RBI governor Raghuram Rajan.
HDFC Bank most valuable bank in the emerging market outside China : World’s 500 biggest companies
On July 6, 2018, HDFC Bank overtook Russia’s Sberbank to become the most valuable bank in the emerging market outside China.
Position of Banks on a global level:
| Bank name | M-Cap |
| JPMorgan Chase (USA) | $353 billion |
| Bank of America | $282 billion. |
| Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (China) | $273.4 billion |
| China Construction Bank (China) | $225.1 billion |
ii. There are 11 Indian companies among the world’s 500 biggest firms in terms of market cap and among them there are four lenders from India that now rank among the world’s 500 most valuable companies.
iii. There are a total of 65 banks in the list of world’s 500 biggest firms by market cap.
The Indian Companies under the list are:
| Company | M-Cap |
| Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) | $103 billion |
| Reliance Industries |
Among the Banks in India:
| Bank Name |
| HDFC Bank |
| HDFC |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank |
| SBI |
About HDFC:
i. HDFC Bank has also been one of the top performing major banks globally last year. It has given 14.3 per cent return to its shareholders or equity investors in the past 12 months.
ii. HDFC Bank reported revenues of $15.7 billion in FY18 and net profits of $2.8 billion.
iii. It is currently trading at 4.7 times its latest annual book value, against a global average valuation of 1.3 times. Chinese banks are even cheaper, trading at 0.8 times their book value on an average making it one of the most expensive banking stocks in the world.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
RIL, by paying Rs.9844 crore in FY18 ,becomes India’s largest tax payer in the private sector
On July 6, 2018, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani at the Reliance Industries’ 41st Annual General Meeting said that Reliance is India’s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the private sector paying Rs.9844 crore in FY18.
Key Points:
About Reliance Jio:
i. Jio’s subscribers grew from 124 million at the end of last year to 210 million at the end of FY18.
ii. There are more than 25 million JioPhone users in India.
About the RIL’s achievements:
i. RIL’s consolidated net profit for the fourth-quarter (January-March) of fiscal 2017-18 stood at Rs 9,435 crore, up by 17.3 percent on a year-on-year basis.
ii. The company’s consolidated revenue stood at Rs 1,29,120 crore, up 39 percent during Q4 FY 18, compared to the Rs 92,889 crore posted in the corresponding quarter a year ago.
iii. Reliance has become the first Indian company to record PBDIT (Profit Before Depreciation Interest and Taxes) of over $10 billion.Jio and retail’s share in overall EBITDA from 2 percent to 13 percent.
Other Businesses Reliance Industries have are: refining, petrochemicals, retail and digital services.
Code name Train 18: Made-in-India by Integral Coach Factory to run from September 2018
On July 6, 2018, Integral Coach Factory (ICF) of Chennai announced the launch of indigenously manufactured semi high-speed train, code-named Train 18 in September,2018.
i. The train has been built in record time of 16 months which usually takes about 2 to 3 years .
ii. Train 18 doesn’t require an engine to run as it will be self-propelled on electric traction like the metro trains. It will replace existing intercity express trains including Shatabdis.
iii. ICF will make six such train sets, out of which two will have sleeper coaches.
Features of Train 18:
i. It is capable of running at a speed of 160 km per hour.
ii. Automatic doors with retractable footstep.
iii. Onboard Wi-Fi and infotainment.
iv. GPS-based passenger information system.
v. Modular toilets with bio-vacuum system.
vi. Improved centre couplers to lessen jerk impact.
vii. Electro-pneumatic brake system with brake discs mounted directly on wheel discs to reduce the braking distance.
viii.All coaches are AC chair-car type (executive class as well as second class) including the driving cab.
ix. Continuous window glasses for contemporary look.
x. The executive class will have rotating seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel.
xi. Modular luggage rack with glass bottom.
xii.New bogie design with fully suspended traction motors.
xiii. Roller blinds and diffused LED lighting.
xiv. Halogen-free rubber-on-rubber flooring.
xv. Space for wheelchair.
xvi. Accessible toilets for Person with Disabilities.
About Integral Coach Factory(ICF):
Integral Coach Factory is a manufacturer of rail coaches located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1952, is owned and operated by the Indian Railways.
BHEL to partner Ukraine’s Zorya for overhaul of warship turbines
On July 6, 2018, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is setting up a joint venture (JV) in India with the manufacturer, Zorya Mashproekt, to overhaul turbines in India.
ii. There will also be a stock of six-eight spare turbines. A turbine is overhauled after running 30,000 hours. This is currently a costly and time-consuming process since it involves sending the turbine back to Ukraine.
iii. A propulsion package of four Zorya turbines powers each of the following Indian Navy warships: 5 Rajput-class destroyers, 3 Delhi-class destroyers , 16 fast missile corvettes of the 1241RE class,6 Russian-built Talwar-class 1135.6 frigates and 4 Talwar-class frigates are being purchased.
iv. Basic repair and maintenance of Zorya turbines, though not overhaul, is already being done at the Marine Gas Turbine Overhaul Centre (MGTOC) at INS Eksila, in Visakhapatnam. Now the BHEL-Zorya JV will entirely indigenise maintenance and service support to Zorya turbines.
v. While BHEL already has overhaul Siemens and General Electric gas turbines, Zorya will expand our portfolio.
BHEL:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ CEO: Atul Sobti.
♦ Founded : 1964.
MindSphere: cloud based OS developed by Infosys & Siemens PLM Software
On July 6, 2018, Infosys said that it has partnered with Siemens PLM Software to develop applications and services for the open cloud-based IoT operating system called MindSphere.
About the Partnership:
i. The partnership would help customers to use the power of data generated by their devices and improve competitiveness in the digital world.
ii. The initial focus will be on customers in the manufacturing, energy, utilities, healthcare, pharmaceutical, transportation and logistics industries.
iii. Data analytics will enhance efficiencies through capabilities like predictive maintenance and end-to-end factory visibility.
From Siemens end:
MindSphere is a Siemens operating system which connects industrial machinery and equipment to the digital world.
From Infosys’ end:
i. Infosys will offer end-to-end implementation services for Mindsphere, as well as post-implementation support .
ii. It will leverage its repository of Industry 4.0 accelerators and platform tools to quickly onboard customers onto the platform, thereby accelerating the value that customers reap from their assets.
Infosys:
♦ Headquarters: Bengaluru.
♦ CEO: Salil Parekh.
Siemens PLM Software
♦ Headquarters: Texas, USA.
♦ Founded : 2007.
♦ CEO: Tony Hemmelgarn
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
NHRC announces winners for silver jubilee logo, slogan-tagline contests
On 6th July 2018, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) announced the winners for the logo design contest and slogan/tagline contest conducted regarding the 25th year anniversary celebrations of NHRC.
NHRC announces winners for silver jubilee logo, slogan-tagline contests:
i. Various contests were conducted online through the MyGov portal involving people’s participation in the promotion and protection of human rights, commemorating the 25th year anniversary celebrations of NHRC.
ii. Bansi Lal Ketki of Mumbai, Maharashtra bagged the first prize of Rs 50,000 and a certificate in the logo design contest.
iii. His design adds the numerals ’25’ to the existing logo of the NHRC, using the tricolor theme.
iv. Tabrej Qureshi of Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh won the first prize in the slogan/tagline contest.
v. His tagline was: ‘Awaaz Aapke Adhikar Ki’ and slogan was: ‘Desh may vikas ki aayge bahar, jab hoga surakshit manav adhikar’. He will receive a prize of Rs 20,000 and a certificate.
About National Human Rights Commission (NHRC):
♦ Secretary General – Ambuj Sharma
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Established – October 12, 1993
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scientists discover new method to view proteins in human cells
Scientists of the University of Warwick have produced a new method of microscopy that enables to view proteins under human cells.
New method of microscopy that enables to view proteins under human cells:
i. Scientists have procured a tagging device called FerriTag. FerriTag utilizes a protein shell used to contain iron cells in human bodies.
ii. This device uses electron microscopy to enable proteins to be viewed at a precise scale.
iii. This device is helpful in allowing the cell to tag itself without creating any unnecessary harm by placing it outside the cell.
iv. The scientists experimented on clathrin-coated pits. They narrowed down the location of the protein in the pit and on the inside of the cell’s surface. This study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Some important lakes in India:
♦ Largest saline water lake in India – Chilika Lake, Odisha
♦ Longest lake in India – Vembanad Lake, Kerala
♦ Highest Lake in India – Cholamu Lake, Sikkim
ENVIRONMENT
Rising sea levels could cost world $14 trillion annually by 2100
Scientists have warned that, rising sea levels would cost $14 trillion worldwide annually by 2100.
Rising sea levels could cost world $14 trillion annually by 2100:
i. Scientists have warned that failing to limit global warming to 2 degree Celsius will lead to global economic consequences.
ii. Researchers from UK National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) also stated that upper-middle income countries like China will witness the largest increase in flood costs.
iii. The highest income countries will suffer the least due to existing high levels of protection infrastructure.
iv. Over 600 million people live in low-elevation coastal areas, less than 10 metres above sea level.
v. In warm climate, global sea level will increase due to melting of land-based glaciers and ice sheets, and from the thermal expansion of ocean waters.
vi. Sea level rise is one of the most damaging aspects of warming climate. A study regarding this has been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
vii. Sea level projections prevail for emissions and socio-economic scenarios. There are no scenarios covering limiting warming below the 2 degrees Celsius and 1.5 degree Celsius targets in the 21st century and beyond.
viii. The researchers studied the consequences of global and regional sea level rise with restricted warming of 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.
ix.They compared them to sea level projections with uncontrolled warming following emissions scenario Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5.
x. Using World Bank income groups (high, upper middle, lower middle and low income countries), they studied the impact of sea level rise in coastal areas from a global view.
xi. They also used the Dynamic Interactive Vulnerability Assessment modelling framework for some individual countries.
xii. They said that if warming is not controlled and follows the RCP 8.5 sea level rise projections, the global annual flood costs without adaptation will raise to $14 trillion per year for a median sea level rise of 0.86 metres.
xii. It will raise to $27 trillion per year for 1.8 metres. This will account for 2.8 % of global GDP in 2100. It is also said that tropical areas will witness extreme sea levels more often.
Some bird sanctuaries in India:
♦ Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary – West Bengal
♦ Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary – West Bengal
SPORTS
Rani Rampal to lead Indian women’s hockey team in Asian Games
Rani Rampal will lead the Indian women’s hockey team at the Asian Games that will be held in Indonesia from 18th August to 2nd September 2018.
Rani Rampal to lead Indian women’s hockey team in Asian Games:
i. The teams consists of 18 members. Goalkeeper Savita has been named the vice captain. Rajani Etimarpu has been made the reserve goalkeeper.
ii. Indian women’s hockey team for Asian Games:
- Goalkeepers: Savita (Vice-Captain), Rajani Etimarpu
- Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Sunita Lakra, Deepika, Gurjit Kaur, Reena Khokhar
- Midfielders: Namita Toppo, Lilima Minz, Monika, Udita, Nikki Pradhan, Neha Goyal
- Forwards: Rani Rampal (Captain), Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur.
Some important stadiums in India:
♦ JSCA International Cricket Stadium – Ranchi, Jharkhand
♦ Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium – Ranchi, Jharkhand
♦ JRD Tata Sports Complex – Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
Bajrang Punia claims gold at Tbilisi Grand Prix, Deepak wins bronze
On 5th July 2018, Bajrang Punia won gold medal in the 65kg category at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia.
i. Bajrang Punia defeated Iranian wrestler Mehran Nasiri in the finals and won gold medal in the 65kg category.
ii. Bajrang Punia recorded a 9-3 win over Mehran Nasiri. Bajrang Punia will represent India in the 65kg after Wrestling Federation of India exempted him from trials.
iii. In the 86kg category, Deepak Punia won a bronze medal with 5-3 win over Osman Gosen of Turkey.
iv. India’s Sushil Kumar faced his first defeat in over 4 years and moved out of 74kg category.
About Wrestling Federation of India (WFI):
♦ President – Brijbhushan Sharan Singh
♦ Location – New Delhi
Shardul Thakur to replace Jasprit Bumrah in India’s ODI squad
Shardul Thakur will replace Jasprit Bumrah in India’s One-Day International squad for the upcoming ODI series against England.
Shardul Thakur to replace Jasprit Bumrah in India’s ODI squad:
i. Shardul Thakur is a fast bowler. This decision was made by All-India Senior Selection Committee after Jasprit Bumrah injured his left thumb during the first Twenty-20 International match against Ireland in Dublin.
ii. Jasprit Bumrah was moved out of the ongoing T20I series against England. He has undergone surgery. The ODI series will start on 12th July 2018 in Nottingham.
iii. India’s squad for ODIs against England consists of:
Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
♦ CEO – Rahul Johri
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
OBITUARY
World Zoonoses Day – July 6
On 6th July 2018, World Zoonoses Day was observed all over the world.
i. World Zoonosis Day is observed on 6th July every year. It commemorates 6th July 1885, the day on which Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first vaccine against, a zoonotic disease, to Joseph Meister after he was attacked by a rabid dog.
ii. World Zoonoses Day aims to create awareness on the zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases can be spread from animals to humans.
iii.Zoonoses are viral diseases like rabies and influenza, bacterial diseases like Lyme disease and brucellosis, or parasitic diseases like tapeworms. These diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
♦ Director-General – Tedros Adhanom
♦ Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
