Daily Current affairs - July 18th, 2017 for all competitive exams
Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday.
- The Nelson Mandela Foundation is dedicating this year's Mandela Day to Action Against Poverty, honouring Nelson Mandela's leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all.
National Board for Promotion and Development of Yoga and Naturopathy constituted
The Ministry of AYUSH has constituted a National Board for Promotion and Development of Yoga & Naturopathy (NBPDYN) for regulation of education & practice of Yoga & Naturopathy.
- Also, Ministry of AYUSH has in association with Quality Council of India (QCI) has developed a scheme for voluntary certification of Yoga professionals.
Government launched Sohum:
The government has launched a low-cost indigenously developed hearing screening device for newborns called Sohum to cater to nearly 26 million babies born every year in India.
- This device, which allows screening without requiring babies to be sedated, once available across the country can help minimise hearing impairment or even reverse the damage.
- The battery-operated noninvasive Sohum uses brainstem auditory evoked response technology.
GST Council okays higher cess rates for cigarettes
The Goods and Services Tax Council, decided to increase the cess applied on cigarettes by as much as 31% in certain categories, effective from July 18.
- The cess on these items is over and above the 28% GST rate applied to them.
Conversion of Sea Water Into Drinking Water
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has indigenously developed and demonstrated Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology for conversion of sea water to drinking water.
- Three desalination plants each with a capacity of 1 lakh litre of potable water per day, based on LTTD technology have been successfully commissioned by NIOT one each at Kavaratti, Minicoy, and Agatti islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
- Recently, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has approved the proposal of Lakshadweep Administration for establishment of 6 LTTD plants each with capacity 1.5 lakh liters per day in the islands of Amini, Androth, Kadamat, Chetlat, Kalpeni and Kiltan of Lakshadweep.
National strategic plan for malaria elimination
The ambitious National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Malaria Elimination (2017-22) has been launched. The NSP, a year-wise roadmap for malaria elimination across the country, is based on last year’s National Framework for Malaria Elimination, which was, in turn, spurred by World Health Organisation’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, 2016-2030.
- The NSP divides the country into four categories, from 0 to 3. Zero, the first category, has 75 districts that have not reported any case of malaria for the last three years.
GM mustard policy: SC gives govt. time
The government has informed the Supreme Court that a policy decision on the commercial release of the Genetically Modified (GM) mustard crop is yet to be finalised. It said it was poring through the various suggestions on and objections to the commercial rollout of the GM crops.
- The court has granted the government one week to report back on when the policy would be finalised. It said the policy should be good-intentioned and well-informed.
- A GM or transgenic crop is a plant that has a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.
- The GM mustard, developed by a Delhi University institution, is only the second food crop which got its clearance from the central regulator.
Centre seeks debate in SC on J&K special status
The Centre has asked the Supreme Court to debate on the special status granted to the State of Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was both a sensitive and constitutional matter. The court agreed to schedule the case before a three-judge Bench.
- Jammu and Kashmir High Court had previously ruled that Article 370 assumed a place of permanence in the Constitution and the feature was beyond amendment, repeal or abrogation. The court said Article 35A gave “protection” to existing laws in force in the State.
- The centre’s response came on a PIL plea filed by a Delhi-based NGO, We the Citizens, contending that the J&K government, given the State’s special autonomous status under Articles 35A and 370, was discriminatory against non-residents as far as government jobs and real estate purchases were concerned.
Uber bikes to be launched in Punjab on July 24
Punjab is all set to get its first set of 100 Uber bikes after govt gives them a go-ahead on July 24 as part of the ‘ ApniGaddi,ApniRozgar ’ scheme.
- The govt. had approved the launch in May as part of the State’s government programme that looks to create jobs for the youth.
Eco-bridges for the movement of tigers
Telangana State is planning to construct eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
- The Telangana Irrigation Department has given its consent for the construction of the eco-bridges. Recommendations on the size and locations of the bridges are awaited from the National Board of Wildlife.
- The ‘eco-bridges’ will be constructed at key spots along the 72 km-long, and at some places over a kilometre wide. The plan involves laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
Kolkata to host global business meet in November
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in association with the West Bengal government, will host Horasis Asia Meeting, a global business meet, in the city in November.
- The two-day business meet, starting November 26, will focus on sustainable business practices in various areas, including power and energy.
China holds live drills near Arunachal border
China held live-fire exercises in Tibet, in an area facing Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls South Tibet, escalating its “mind games” with India amid the standoff in the Doklam area.
- The exercise was conducted by one of the two brigades, which are part of the Tibet Military Command of the People’s Liberation Army. The brigade is responsible for frontline combat missions.
Disney villains feature on new US postage stamps
The US Postal Service released a sheet of 20 new stamps this featuring 10 Disney villains. The classical characters featured on the stamps include the Evil Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, Captain Hook from “Peter Pan”, Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” and Scar from “The Lion King”
1. Each stamp showcases one Disney villain set against a blue background, with his/her name on the left edge.
SBI Life files prospectus for IPO
SBI Life Insurance has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for an initial public offering (IPO) for issuing 12 crore equity shares.
- SBI Life is joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and BNP Paribas Cardif. SBI holds 70.1% stake in the life insurer with Cardif holding 26%. According to the draft prospectus, SBI will sell 8% stake and BNP Paribas Cardif 4%.
- SBI Life had received nod from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) for the IPO. It will be the second life insurance company after ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to go for an IPO. In September 2016, ICICI Pru raised more than Rs. 6,000 crore from the offering.
Venkaiah Naidu is NDA pick for VP
The BJP’s parliamentary board picked Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu as the party’s nominee for the post of Vice-President, and his name has been endorsed by the NDA as well.
- Mr. Naidu resigned from the Cabinet later.
The Wimbledon 2017- Complete list of Winners
Category
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Winner
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Runners-up
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Men’s Singles
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Roger Federer (Switzerland)
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Marin Cilic (Croatia)
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Women’s Singles
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Garbine Muguruza (Spain)
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Venus Williams (US)
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Men’s Doubles
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Lukasz Kubot (Poland) & Marcelo Melo (Brazil)
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Oliver Marach (Austria) & Mate Pavic (Croatia)
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Women’s Doubles
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Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) & Elena Vesnina (Russia)
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Monica Niculescu (Romania) & Chan Hao-ching (Chinese)
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Mixed Doubles
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Jamie Murray (UK) & Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
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Heather Watson (UK) & Henri Kontinen (Finland)
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Pioneer of zombie genre George Romero dies at 77
U.S. filmmaker George A. Romero, whose 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead spawned the zombie movie genre, died.
- Night of the Living Dead was added by the Library of Congress in 1999 to its National Film Registry for works considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
