July 2018 Compendium PDF

CURRENT AFFAIRS COMPENDIUM - JULY 2018
INTERNATIONAL
UNESCO to set up Gaming University in Andhra Pradesh
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will be
setting up a 'Design University for Gaming' in Visakhapatnam. UNESCO delegation
entered into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board
(APEDB) for the establishment of 'Gaming Digital Learning Hub'. The UNESCO
delegation asked the Chief Minister for an allocation of 100 acres of land in
Visakhapatnam.
About UNESCO:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO is
a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris. Its declared purpose
is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration
through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal
respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental
freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. It is the successor of the League
of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.
UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural
sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information.
Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training
programs, international science programs, the promotion of independent media
and freedom of the press, regional and cultural history projects, the promotion of
cultural diversity, translations of world literature, international cooperation
agreements to secure the world's cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage
sites) and to preserve human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital
divide. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group.[6]
Formation: 4 November 1946
Headquarters: Place de Fontenoy, Paris, France
Membership: 195 member states & ten associate members
Head: Audrey Azoulay
Global Innovation Index

The Global Innovation Index (GII) has ranked India as the 57 th most innovative
nation in the world. The country has improved its ranking from 60th position last
year. India has been improving steadily since it was ranked 81st in 2015.
Switzerland ranked for 8th straight year.
About Global Innovation Index:
The GII global ranking is published by World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO) – a specialized agency of United Nations in association with Cornell
University and graduate business school INSEAD. It ranks nations based on 80
indicators, ranging from intellectual property filing rates to R&D, online creativity,
mobile application creation, computer software spending, education spending,
scientific & technical publications and ease of starting business.
BIMSTEC Summit
Nepal is set to hold a two-day Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, starting from August 31, in
Kathmandu. Nepal, the host nation and the current chair of the BIMSTEC, has
made preparations to discuss over the trans-border crimes, terrorism, natural
calamities, extremism, and illegal trade of arms, ammunition and drugs.
About BIMSTEC:
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and
COMPILED BY CLATPREP EDUCATION Page 1

South East Asia, housing 1.5 billion people and having a combined gross domestic
product of $2.5 trillion (2014). The BIMSTEC member states—Bangladesh, India,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal are among the countries
dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
India becomes vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs
Organisation
India has become the Vice-Chair (Regional Head) of the Asia Pacific Region of World
Customs Organisation (WCO) for a period of two years, from July, 2018 to June,
2020. The WCO has divided its Membership into six Regions. Each of the six
Regions is represented by a regionally elected Vice-Chairperson to the WCO
Council. Being the Vice Chair of AP Region of WCO will enable India to take on
leadership role. WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe
that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade.
8th India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting Begins in Muscat

The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, co-
chaired 8th session of India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) along with
Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy of Oman, Dr. Ali bin
Masoud Al Sunaidy. Addressing the Joint Commission Suresh Prabhu invited
Omani companies to build on their success in India and make investments to
benefit from ‗Make in India‘ and ‗Invest India‘ programmes which are aimed to
encourage manufacturing. Areas of discussion in the JCM include cooperation in
space, renewable energy, start-up, SMEs, food security, including durable foods
and packaging, services sector, tourism sector, exchange of ideas and visit of young
entrepreneurs.
Iceland takes up US seat at UN rights council

Iceland was elected to take up the seat left vacant at the United Nations Human
Rights Council after the United States quit the body over what it charges was anti-
Israel bias. In a vote at the General Assembly, Iceland picked up 172 votes during a
secret ballot as the candidate put forward by the regional grouping for that seat.
BRICS Media Forum opens in Cape Town, South Africa

Leaders of media organizations from BRICS countries met to discuss cooperation at
the BRICS Media Forum that opened in Cape Town, South Africa. The 3rd BRICS
Media forum is being held under the theme of ―BRICS Media Cooperation-
Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order‖.
India, US to hold first '2+2 dialogue' on September 6

The inaugural 'two-plus-two dialogue' between India and the US will be held on
September 6 in New Delhi, the State Department announced. Last month, the US
had postponed the dialogue due to "unavoidable reasons". '2+2 dialogue' is an
interaction between the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries.
Facebook to Launch Its Own Internet Satellite In 2019

As part of its plan to connect billions of people who are still offline, Facebook is
working on launching Athena, its own Internet satellite, early in 2019. Facebook
appears to have filed with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
under the name Point View Tech LLC.

PM Modi Flags off Emergency Ambulance Service in Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated first phase of the India-assisted
emergency ambulance service over Sri Lanka, through video conferencing from New
Delhi. The inaugural function was held in Jaffna of the Northern Province, in the
presence of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The service has been
introduced in two provinces of Sri Lanka with assistance from India and is being
expanded to the remaining seven provinces.
PM gifts cows to villagers at Rweru Model Village

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted 200 cows to villagers who do not yet own a
cow, under the Rwandan Government's Girinka Programme. The word Girinka can
be translated as ‗may you have a cow‘ and describes a centuries-old cultural
practice in Rwanda whereby a cow was given by one person to another, as a sign of
respect and gratitude.
Indian Air Force Participates for the First Time in Exercise Pitch Black – 18
An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of four Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X
C-17 aircraft, landed at Darwin Air Force Base, Australia for the Exercise Pitch
Black – 18. This is the first time that an IAF contingent is participating in a
multinational air exercise in Australia with Royal Australian Air Force. This
exercise involves over 100 aircraft from around the globe and will provide a unique
opportunity to the air-warriors to operate in a dynamic warlike environment.
Gandhi Heritage Centre to be built in Uganda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to build a Gandhi Heritage Centre in
Uganda's Jinja, where a statue of Mahatma Gandhi now stands.
BRICS Summit 2018 begins in Johannesburg

The 10th edition of BRICS Summit began in Johannesburg, South Africa. Theme of
BRICS Summit 2018 is ‗BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for inclusive growth and
shared prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution'.
Action Plan:
 Strengthening Multilateralism, Reforming Global Governance and Addressing
Common Challenges
 Strengthening and Consolidating BRICS Cooperation in International Peace And
Security
 BRICS Partnership For Global Economic Recovery, Reform Of Financial And
Economic Global Governance Institutions, And The Fourth Industrial
Revolution
 People-to-People Cooperation
About Fourth Industrial Revolution:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the fourth major industrial era since the initial
Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. It is characterised by a fusion of
technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological
spheres.
4 Indian-origin persons in Fortune's 40 under 40 list

Four persons of India-origin, including three women, have been named by Fortune
among 40 of the most influential and inspiring young people in business under the
age of 40. Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom and Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg, both 34, are tied for first place on the Fortune '40 Under 40' list.
Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the US' largest automaker, General Motors Dhivya
Suryadevara comes in at the 4th spot, followed by Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud (14), co-

founder and co-CEO of Robinhood Baiju Bhatt (24) and Female Founders Fund
founding partner Anu Duggal (32).
India, Bangladesh Coast Guards conducting exercise on pollution

The Indian Coast Guard is conducting a bilateral table-top exercise on maritime
pollution response with Bangladesh Coast Guard at the regional headquarters
(North East) of the ICG. ICG (NE) commander Inspector General said the two-day
exercise is being conducted in the backdrop of the MoU signed between India and
South Asian Cooperation for Environment Protection (SACEP). The Bangladesh
Coast Guard delegation was led by Captain M Ehsanullah Khan, Commanding
officer, BCGS.
Resolution 2427: to protect children in armed conflict adopted by UN

Security Council
The 15 member UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2427 aimed at
formulating a framework for protection, rights, well-being and empowerment of
children throughout the conflict cycle at the UN Headquarters in New York City.
The adoption of the resolution preceded a high-level open debate on children and
armed conflict, which was chaired by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, whose
country holds the presidency of the Security Council for July. It also condemns
attacks against schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access by
parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law committed
against children in situations of armed conflict.
Portugal parliament approves new gender change law

The Portuguese parliament approved a law that will allow citizens to change their
gender and name from the age of 16 without a medical report showing identity
disruption. Portugal has become the sixth European country to grant the right to
self-determination of transgender identity without the guardianship of a third party
and without a diagnosis of identity disruption following Denmark, Malta, Sweden,
Ireland and Norway.
The change of gender and name will be independent from any possible sex change
operation. A law that was in force since 2011 required transgender citizens to have
a medical diagnosis that reported gender dysphoria, when gender does not
correspond to biological sex. Now, the new law must be signed by Portugal
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The head of state wanted a medical report
requirement for cases in which minors aged 16 to 18 were involved to back their
decision. The law also prohibits surgical procedures on inter-sex babies, who are
born with male and female reproductive organs. That will let them choose their
gender later in life.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2018

According to Bloomberg Billionaires index 2018, Jeff Bezos, The Amazon com Inc.
founder, is the richest man in modern history with a net worth of $152 billion. He
holds the position of the richest man since 1982. His net worth is $55 billion more
than that of Bill Gates. His net worth increased by $52 billion in 2018 and over all
it is very close to the Walton Family (World‘s richest family)‘s fortune which is
$151.5 billion.Bill gates is in the second position with $95.5 billion followed by
Mark Zuckerberg with $83.5 billion.
Among the billionaires in Asia, Jack Ma of Alibaba (China) ranked 14th with a net
worth of $44.1 billion. Following him is Mukesh Ambani (India) ranking 15th in the
list with a net worth of $43.9 billion.

About Bloomberg Billionaires Index:

 The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world‘s richest
people. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.
 It ranks top 500 billionaires of the world.
Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance

Myanmar, after joining International Solar Alliance (ISA), became the 68th member
of the association. The ISA Framework Agreement was signed by Myanmar Minister
for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin at the Delhi Dialogue in New Delhi.
About International Solar Alliance:
 The International Solar Alliance was launched by PM Narendra Modi and
French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015.
 Objective: aimed at optimum utilisation of solar energy.
 For: solar resource-rich countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn.
 Membership: open to 121 countries.
 Headquarters: Gwal Pahari, Gurugram, Haryana.

NATIONAL
India Gets Its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE
At the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in
Bahrain, India‘s nomination of the ―Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai‖
was inscribed on UNESCO‘s World Heritage list. As recommended by the World
Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as ―Victorian
Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai‖.
This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmadabad to be inscribed
on the World Heritage List. India has managed to get inscribed seven of its
properties/sites on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. India now has overall 37
World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites.
In addition, 42 sites from the country figures in the Tentative List of World Heritage
and the Ministry of Culture would be recommending one property every year for
nomination to UNESCO. India stands second largest in number after China in
terms of number of World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region; it
is overall sixth in the world.
Indian Army Motorcycle Expedition to Commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas

A motorcycle expedition comprising of ‗SHWET ASHW‘ the elite Motorcycle Display
Team of the Corps of Military Police, was flagged off‘ to commemorate the victory of
Indian Army in Operation Vijay 1999. The ‗SHWET ASHW‘ was raised in the year
1952 at CMP Centre & School, Faizabad. Since its raising the team has performed
at various National and International events and holds Three Guinness Book World
Records in its name.
Election Commission of India launches Mobile App “cVIGIL”

The Chief Election Commission launched a mobile app, called ‗cVIGIL‘, for citizens
to report any violation of the model code of conduct during elections. ―cVIGIL" is a
user-friendly and easy to operate Android application. It will be operational only
where elections are announced. Upon successful completion of the trial that is
underway, the application will be made available for general use by all, right from
the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Mizoram and Rajasthan.
Country‟s first Khadi mall to come up in Jharkhand

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced that Jharkhand will have the
first ‗Khadi Mall‘ of the country. This was announced while addressing the ‗Karigar
Panchayat‘ organized by the Khadi Board at the Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium.
About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC):
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed by
the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, ‗Khadi and Village Industries
Commission Act of 1956‘. It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to Khadi and village industries within
India, which seeks to: ―plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the
establishment and development of Khadi and village industries in the rural areas in
coordination with other agencies
Cabinet approves Umbrella Schemes for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants

and Repatriates
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval
for continuance of the 8 existing schemes of the Ministry of Home Affairs up to
March 2020 for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates under the

Umbrella scheme "Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates". The

schemes will provide relief and rehabilitation assistance to the refugees, displaced
persons, civilian victims of terrorist/communal/LWE violence and cross border
firing and mine/IED blasts on Indian Territory etc.
Ishwar Sharma: 8-year-old yoga champion named „British Indian of the Year‟
Ishwar Sharma has been named the ―British Indian of the Year‖ for his
achievements in Yoga. He is an Indian-origin school kid. He is the under-11 UK
national yoga champion. He has bagged various titles in individual and artistic
yoga. He has won gold medal representing Great Britain at the World Student
Games 2018 held in Winnipeg, Canada, in June 2018. He was named British
Indian of the Year in the Young Achiever category at the 6th annual awards
ceremony held in Birmingham. He had also won a gold medal at the Euro Asian
Yoga Championships in Turkey in May 2018.
Cabinet approves DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved The
DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018. The primary intended
purpose for enactment of "The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation
Bill" is for expanding the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support
and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country. The utility of DNA based
technologies for solving crimes, and to identify missing persons, is well recognized
across the world.
Cabinet approves renaming of Agartala Airport

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gave its
approval to rename the Agartala Airport in Tripura as ‗Maharaja Bir Bikram
Manikya Kishore Airport, Agartala. The decision comes in the wake of the long
pending demand of people of Tripura as well as the Tripura Government for paying
tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.
Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore, who ascended the throne of the erstwhile
Tripura Princely State in 1923, was an enlightened and benevolent ruler. Agartala
Airport was constructed in 1942 on the land donated by Maharaja Bir Bikram
Manikya Kishore.
Vaccine-preventable rabies is India‟s most fatal infection

Rabies is the only disease that had a 100% death rate in India in 2017, compared
to 12% for Japanese encephalitis and 6% for H1N1, popularly known as swine flu,
according to data from the National Health Profile 2018. There were 4,370 rabies
deaths in India in 2016, which accounted for one in three of the world‘s 13,340
rabies deaths. Only six persons have survived rabies infection in India since 2010.
Successful flight testing of Crew Escape System - Technology Demonstrator

ISRO carried out a major technology demonstration, the first in a series of tests to
qualify a Crew Escape System, which is a critical technology relevant for human
spaceflight. The Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure designed to
quickly pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the
launch vehicle in the event of a launch abort. The first test (Pad Abort Test)
demonstrated the safe recovery of the crew module in case of any exigency at the
launch pad.

ICAT releases First BS-VI engine certificate

ICAT has completed the first BS-VI certification for a heavy duty engine model for
M/s Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle Limited. The engine has been developed and
manufactured indigenously by Volvo Eicher in India. The successful completion of
the compliance test of the engine, much ahead of the implementation date of 1
April, 2020, gives sufficient time for product stabilization in terms of making it
more robust and cost competitive for the end consumers.
NTA to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions

The Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar has said that
the National Testing Agency (NTA) has started its work and will be conducting
various entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions from next
academic sessions onwards.
M. Venkaiah Naidu becomes first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign an MOU

Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting
inter-parliamentary dialogue. Venkaiah Naidu, has, in the process, become the first
Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with
the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Bernard
Makuza.
The MOU with 6 articles of cooperation seeks to promote Inter-Parliamentary
dialogue, Capacity building of parliamentary staff, Organisation of conferences,
forums, seminars, staff attachment programmes, workshops and exchanges,
Collaboration in mutual interest in regional and international multilateral
parliamentary bodies in furtherance of bilateral relations and friendship between
the two countries.
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana Top Rankers in Ease of Doing

Business
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, released the final rankings of States in Ease of Doing Business in New
Delhi. The top rankers are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana. Jharkhand
and Gujarat stood fourth and fifth respectively. DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry in collaboration with the World Bank conducted an annual reform
exercise for all States and UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP).
The aim of this exercise is to improve delivery of various Central Government
regulatory functions and services in an efficient, effective and transparent manner.
Rajasthan has slipped by one spot in the ease of doing business rankings to 9th
position.
INS Tarangini Visits Sunderland to Participate in Tall Ship Races – 2018

INS Tarangini arrived at her seventh port, Sunderland in the UK, during her
Lokayan-18 voyage and also to participate in the prestigious ‗tall ship races - 2018‘.
The ship is part of the first Training Squadron based at Kochi, under the Southern
Naval Command of the Indian Navy. The name ‗Tarangini‘ is derived from the Hindi
word ‗Tarang‘ meaning waves; thus, Tarangini means ‗the one that rides the waves‘.
INS Tarangini is the first ship of the Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe
in the year 2003-04 and has participated in tall ship races conducted around the
world in 2007, 2011 and 2015. This beautiful ship, in her 21st year of service, is
once again ready to create history with Lokayan-18. Lokayan is a combination of
two Sanskrit words: ‗Lokya‘ meaning worldwide and ‗Yana‘ meaning travel, thus
literally meaning, ‗travel around the world‘.

Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launches the Swachh Survekshan
Grameen 2018 (SSG 2018) in the capital. An independent survey agency will
conduct the survey in all districts from 1st to 31st August 2018, and the results
will be announced in the form of a ranking of all districts and states on the basis of
quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters. The top performing
states and districts are expected to be awarded on 2nd October 2018.
IAF participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2018

The Indian Air Force for the first time is participating with fighter aircraft in
Exercise Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18), which is held in Australia. Pitch Black is a
biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The IAF contingent consists of 145 air-warriors
including Garud team, 04 X Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17.
Udaipur ranked 3rd among world's best cities

The city of Udaipur has once again in 2018 been ranked among the World's Best
Cities by Travel + Leisure. Udaipur, the heritage-city built by the Maharanas of
Mewar in the 16th century, is on the third place among the 15 of the world's best
cities. The top 2 cities are both in Mexico: San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca.
Samagra Shiksha Scheme to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education

The Department of School Education and Literacy has formulated the Samagra
Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for School Education as a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme and it is being implemented throughout the country with effect from the
year 2018-19. This programme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored
Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
(RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
It is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-
school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at
all levels of school education.
September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month every year

Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has organized 2nd
meeting of National Council on India‘s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN
Abhiyaan in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
September, 2018 will be celebrated as National Nutrition Month and this will be
celebrated every year. The Government of India has set-up POSHAN Abhiyaan
(National Nutrition Mission) which was launched by the Honourable Prime Minister
from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
International Children's Film Festival inaugurated

West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi inaugurated the 18th International Children's
Film Festival in which 36 films from 17 countries would be screened. The Governor
also called for screening of one children's film in every cinema hall of the state
every month. The festival was being organised by Cine Central, one of the oldest
cine clubs of the country in collaboration with the UNICEF.
Srikrishna Committee suggests amendments in Aadhaar Act

The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has suggested
amendments to various laws including the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of
penalties on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of

the data protection law. The 213-page report, prepared by a 10-member committee
set up last year under the chairmanship of the retired Supreme Court judge, was
submitted to Law and Electronics Minister Ravishankar Prasad who said that the
government will go through the draft bill and take stakeholder comments before
taking Cabinet approval for finalising the legislation.
Museum for All Former Prime Ministers

A museum for all former prime ministers of the country will be built in the Teen
Murti Bhavan complex housing the Jawaharlal Nehru memorial. The decision was
taken at the 43rd annual general meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and
Library (NMML) chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The NMML at the
Teen Murti Bhavan was set up in the memory of the country's first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.
Hyderabad to host India‟s first-ever international blockchain Congress

The inaugural edition of the International Blockchain Congress in India will be held
on August 3 & 4 at, Novotel & HICC Complex, Hyderabad. In collaboration with
NITI Aayog, and governments of Telangana and Goa, the International Blockchain
Congress is aimed at bringing thought-provoking conversations on blockchain for
next-generation financial services.
PRANAM Act: Country‟s first of a kind act launched by Assam Government

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a first-of-its-kind
legislation- the Assam Employees PRANAM Act would be implemented in the state
from October 02, the day of Gandhi Jayanti celebration in 2018. The Act will
deduct 10% of an employee‘s pay and transfer it to the account of the relatives
concerned. Another 5% would be deductible if the employee has a differently abled
sibling. Thus it will compel Assam government employees to take care of their
respective parents. It also has provisions to help siblings with physical or mental
disabilities. Although before enforcing the Act, a three members commission would
be constituted which will be headed by a retired employee with rank of additional
chief secretary.
Varanasi would be the host of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019

It was announced that the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city
of Varanasi in January 2019. The theme of the three-day event will be the ‗Role of
Indian Diaspora in building a New India‘. Events scheduled to happen on that day :
Ganga aarti in Varanasi, Kumbh Mela in Allahabad and Republic Day celebrations
in New Delhi.
About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebratory day observed on 9 January by the
Republic of India to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community
towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma
Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
Established in 2000, it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the
Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region. A celebratory event is held on 7–9 January
every other year in an Indian city: a forum for issues concerning the Indian
Diaspora is organised and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given.

ECONOMICS
Bank of China soon to operate in India; RBI gives nod to the second bank
from China
The RBI has issued licence to Bank of China to launch operations in India. This
was done in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a
commitment to Chinese President Xi Jinping to allow Bank of China to set up
branches in India when they met on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Chinese
city of Qingdao.
This is the second Chinese lender to secure a licence to open a branch in India. In
2011, RBI gave approval to Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to
open a branch in India. It currently has a branch in Mumbai.
About Bank of China:
 Bank of China is a 106-year old bank and one of the largest banks in China. Its
market capitalization id $165 billion. It has branches in 51 countries.
 CEO: Gao Yingxin.
 Headquarters: Beijing, China.
RBI cancels licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank

The RBI said the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has
been cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when
their claims accrue, among other reasons. The present financial position of the
bank leaves no scope for its revival, the RBI said, adding that the cancellation of
the licence is effective from the close of business on July 5.
India pips France to become world‟s 6th largest economy

India has now become world‘s sixth-largest economy, pushing past France,
according to the updated World Bank figures for 2017. France has been pushed to
seventh spot in the list, AFP reported. When compared with $2.582 trillion for
France, India‘s GDP stood at $2.597 trillion at 2017 end. The US remains the
world‘s largest economy followed by China, Japan, Germany and Britain.
BSNL starts first internet telephony service in India

State-run telecom firm BSNL has unveiled first internet telephony service in the
country that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its
mobile app. Now BSNL customers will be able to make calls using the company‘s
mobile app ―Wings‖ to any phone number in the country.
Mukesh Ambani becomes richest man in Asia

Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries chairman has beaten Alibaba founder Jack
Ma to become the richest man in Asia, according to a report by Bloomberg. As per
the report, Ambani's estimated wealth rose to a whooping 44.3 billion dollars.
Alibaba Group founder Ma's wealth stood at 44 billion dollars.
Google hit with €4.3bn Android fine from EU

Google has been fined a record €4.34bn (nearly 34 Crore) over Android. The
European Commission said the firm had used the mobile operating system to
illegally "cement its dominant position" in search. The firm's parent Alphabet has
been given 90 days to change its business practices or face further penalties of up
to 5% of its average global daily turnover.

RBI to issue new 100 Rupee notes with motif of „Rani Ki Vav‟
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would issue new Rs. 100 note with motif of ‗Rani
Ki Vav‘. This note is part of the revised design series introduced after
demonetization in November 2016. This note will have Gujarat‘s ‗Rani Ki Vav‘
(queen‘s step well) along with the Swachh Bharat logo and slogan on its reverse.
Gandhi Ji‘s placement will be the same.
The base colour of the note is lavender. Dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x
142 mm. All the Rs. 100 notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India in the earlier
series will continue to be legal tender. The new note is little smaller than the
existing one and bigger than the Rs. 10 note.
In 2014, UNESCO had recognised Gujarat‘s ‗Rani-ki-Vav‘ as a World Heritage Site.
It is an 11th-century wonder in Patan, Gujarat.
Government slashes minimum yearly deposit for Sukanya Samriddhi account

to Rs 250
Under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the government has cut the minimum
annual deposit requirement for accounts to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier. It will
enable more number of people to take advantage of the girl child savings scheme.
Sukanya Samriddhi scheme was launched in 2015. Till November 2017, more than
1.26 crore accounts were opened across the country securing an amount of Rs
19,183 crore. Under the scheme, a parent or legal guardian can open an account in
the name of the girl child until she attains the age of 10 years. As per the scheme,
the account will be valid for 21 years from the date of opening, after which it will
mature and the money will be paid to the girl child in whose name the account has
been opened. The minimum deposit that needs to be made every year is now Rs
250, while the maximum is Rs 1.50 lakh.
Government gives final nod to Vodafone-Idea merger; India‟s largest mobile

operator – “Vodafone Idea Limited” created
The government gave the final approval for the merger of Vodafone and Idea
Cellular that will result in the creation of India‘s largest mobile operator with 35%
market share and nearly 430 million subscribers. This move has been made days
after Idea Cellular and Vodafone India made a joint payment of Rs 7,268.78 crore
‗under protest‘ to the Department of Telecom (DoT) for merging their mobile
businesses. Vodafone Idea Limited is estimated to be worth more than USD 23
billion. Kumar Mangalam Birla will be the non-executive Chairman and Balesh
Sharma will be the new CEO of Vodafone Idea Limited. Vodafone will own 45.1 %
stake in Vodafone Idea Limited. Aditya Birla Group will own 26 % and Idea
shareholders will own 28.9 %.

APPOINTMENTS
Sriram takes charge as MD and CEO of IDBI Bank
B Sriram has assumed charge as Managing Director and CEO of IDBI Bank. Sriram
was appointed MD and CEO in place of Mahesh Kumar Jain who recently took
charge as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
S. Ramesh takes over as Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and

Customs
S. Ramesh has taken over as Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and
Customs [CBIC], on superannuation of Smt. Vanaja N. Sarna. Prior to his
elevation, he was Member (Administration) in the Board.
Ravindra Dholakia committee: Government forms panel to upgrade norms for

state, district level economic data collection
The government has set up a 13-member committee for Sub-National Accounts will
be headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a retired professor of IIM Ahmadabad. With an
Objective to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and
districts level to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) will change the
base year to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers from the current
2011-12 with an aim to capture changes in the economy. It would review the
concepts, definitions, classifications, data conventions, data sources and data
requirements for preparation of State Domestic Product (SDP) and District
Domestic Product (DDP).
About Central Statictics Office (CSO):
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), MOSOPI, revises the base year of the
macroeconomic indicators, as a regular exercise, to capture structural changes in
the economy and improve the quality and representativeness of the indices. The
CSO had last updated base year for GDP calculation to 2011-12 from January
2015, replacing the old series base year of 2004-05
Rajat Sharma elected as DDCA president

Senior journalist Rajat Sharma beat Indian cricketer Madan Lal by 517 votes to
become the new president of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association. Sharma‘s
group swept the elections, winning all 12 seats. Sharma got a total of 1,531 votes
while former Test cricketer Lal could only poll 1,004 votes.
Vishwas Patel appointed Payments Council of India Chairman

Payments Council of India (PCI), an apex body representing companies in payments
and settlement system, has a new Chairman in Vishwas Patel. Patel, who is
Director at Infibeam Avenues, has been associated with PCI since its inception in
2013 and was serving as the co-Chairman of PCI. He takes over from Naveen
Surya, who has been elevated to the post of Chairman Emeritus.
Former Patna HC CJ L. Narasimha Reddy appointed as CAT Chairman

The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Former Chief Justice of Patna High
Court, Justice L. Narasimha Reddy as the Chairman of the Central Administrative
Tribunal (CAT). He served as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court from 2 January,
2015 to 31 July, 2015. He was the one-man judicial commission appointed by the
Centre to look into the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.

Mukesh Ambani gets another 5 years as Reliance Chairman

Shareholders of Reliance Industries have approved giving Mukesh Ambani another
five years as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company. Ambani has
been on the board of Reliance Industries Ltd since 1977 and was elevated as
Chairman of the company after the death of his father and group patriarch
Dhirubhai Ambani in July 2002.
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel appointed NGT chairperson

Supreme Court judge Adarsh Kumar Goel was appointed as the chairperson of
National Green Tribunal (NGT). He is best remembered for passing the controversial
judgment on diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act.
About NGT:
The post of the chairperson of the green tribunal, which disposes cases relating to
environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources,
had been vacant for the past eight months after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired
on December 19.
Dipika Pallikal to represent Asia in CGF AAC

Squash player Dipika Pallikal has been appointed as Asia‘s representative in the
prestigious Athletes Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation
(CGF). The appointment was made by the CGF. The CGF Athletes Advisory
Commission was proposed in August 2017. Each continent is represented by one
athlete in CGFAAC.
Vice President appoints Director General of ICWA

The Vice President of India and the President of ICWA, M. Venkaiah Naidu has
appointed Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan as the Director General, ex officio Member-
Secretary of the Council, ICWA. The decision was taken in the meetings of the
Governing Body and Governing Council of the Indian Council of World Affairs held.
Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan has served as India‘s High Commissioner to Islamabad and
Singapore and has served in our missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait.
MCA constituted Committee to review the offences under the Companies Act,
2013
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has constituted a 10 Member Committee,
headed by the Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, for review of the penal
provisions in the Companies Act, 2013. The MCA seeks to review offences under
the Companies Act, 2013 as some of the offences may be required to be
decriminalised and handled in an in-house mechanism, where a penalty could be
levied in instances of default. This would also allow the trial courts to pay more
attention on offences of serious nature.
Centre Forms Panel to Tackle Industrial Pollution near Taj Mahal

The government has formed a committee comprising officials of the environment
ministry, experts from NEERI, IITs and various other forums to look into the issue
of industrial pollution around the iconic Taj Mahal. The committee will be headed
by C K Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
UGC Committee on examination Reforms

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has intimated that it has constituted a
committee under the Chairpersonship of Prof. M.M. Salunkhe, former Vice
Chancellor, Central University, Rajasthan to look into the matters related to

examination reforms. The Committee has been asked to submit its report by
October, 2018.
Government set up high level committee to check mob lynching

Government is concerned at the incidents of violence by mobs in some parts of the
country. Government has set up a high level committee chaired by the Union Home
Secretary Rajiv Gauba to deliberate in the matter and make recommendations. The
Secretary (Department of Justice), Secretary (Department of Legal Affairs),
Secretary (Legislative Department) and Secretary (Social Justice and
Empowerment) are the members of the committee.
The National Green Tribunal formed a monitoring committee on cleaning of

the Yamuna
The National Green Tribunal formed a monitoring committee for Yamuna
Rejuvenation Project. B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja
Chandra has been appointed as members of the committee. This decision was
taken by a bench headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson A K Goel.
Parliamentary panel to probe U.K.-India relations

A British parliamentary committee is set up for looking into relations between
Britain and India including the impact of Britain‘s visa regime. The committee will
look at the issue of bilateral trade as well as the impact of Britain‘s visa policy, and
cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism, technology, innovation and
multilateral institutions. Thomas Tugendhat is the Chairman of this Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican Leftist elected as Mexico‟s new

President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won Mexico‘s presidency with the widest margin in a
presidential election since the 1980s.He replaced President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Brij Bhushan Saran Singh to be named India‟s Chef de Mission at Asian Games
Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh would be named
the Chef de Mission of the Asian Games-bound Indian contingent. The 4 deputy
Chef de Mission to be appointed are:
 B S Kushwaha (former secretary of Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Federation)
 R K Sacheti (Executive Director of Boxing Federation of India
 D K Singh (Uttarakhand Olympic Association)
 Colonel R K Swain (Secretary of Equestrian Federation of India)
The IOA had announced a 524-member contingent of athletes for the Asian Games
that is to be held from 18th August to 2nd September 2018, in Indonesia.
Justice Tahira Safdar to be first woman chief justice of any court in Pakistan
Justice Tahira Safdar was made the Chief Justice of the Balochistan high court,
Pakistan, by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar. This makes her the first woman chief
justice of any court in Pakistan. She will take charge as Chief Justice of the
Balochistan high court following the retirement of incumbent Mohammad Noor
Muskanzai. Mohammad Noor Muskanzai superannuates on 31st August 2018.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India‟s most potent missile Agni-V to be inducted soon
India is currently in the process of inducting the first batch of its intercontinental
ballistic missile system Agni-V. Agni-V will bring targets across China within its
range. Agni-V missile system has a strike range of 5,000 km. It has the capacity to
carry nuclear warhead. They are inducted into the elite Strategic Forces Command
(SFC). User trials are being conducted before it is handed over to the SFC. The
missile can bring targets across China including cities like Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Hong Kong under its range. Agni-V was successfully test-fired off
the coast of Odisha.
Very few countries like US, China, Russia, France and North Korea have
intercontinental ballistic missiles. At present India has Agni-1 with 700 km range,
Agni-2 with a 2,000-km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500 km to more than
3,500-km range. Indian government is also working on integrating the Brahmos
supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft. The air-launched variant
of the Brahmos is the world‘s fastest supersonic cruise missile. It was successfully
test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet on 22nd November 2017. The fleet of 40
Sukhoi jet is going through structural modifications at the Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd (HAL).
India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic missile

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from an
Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. This test was done under
extreme weather conditions like high speed wind against the missile system and
various other extreme conditions. The success of the test increased the life of the
missile by 2 to 5 years. Range of the missile is up to 290km with supersonic speed.
Cruising speed is up to Mach 3.0 that is 3 times the speed of sound.
Brahmos is a supersonic missile. It has been produced together by India and
Russia. It was named Brahmos after the rivers Brahmaputra of India and Moskva
of Russia. BrahMos is a joint venture of Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPOM of Russia. BrahMos has been
operationalised in the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. BRAHMOS is
an important force multiplier in battlefields. It has great land-attack, anti-ship
capabilities with multi-role and multi-platform abilities.
In a first, Indian Naval aircraft (IN P8I) deployed for RIMPAC exercise
Indian Navy‘s P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft from Indian Naval
Ship (INS) Rajali has inducted at Hawaii to take part in the Rim of Pacific
Multinational Naval exercise (RIMPAC-18) for the first time. This is the first time,
an Indian Naval aircraft has entered so far east into the Pacific. Also, it has become
the first Indian Naval aircraft to cross the International Date Line, undertaking the
longest ferry of around 3300 nm from Guam to Hawaii. It is also the first Indian
Naval aircraft to participate in RIMPAC.
26 nations are taking part in RIMPAC 18. Tactical exercises like Anti-Submarine
Warfare and Maritime Reconnaissance missions will be conducted in RIMPAC 18.
This will help in improving the interoperability skills of the Indian Navy.
Indian naval ship INS Sumitra becomes first-ever warship to enter port of
Sabang in Indonesia
Indian naval ship INS Sumitra became the first-ever warship to enter port of
Sabang in Indonesia. INS Sumitra was received by traditional dancers and
Indonesian traditional band. It was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to Indonesia

PK Rawat, Indonesian foreign affairs officials, Indian embassy officials, Indian

businessmen and Indonesian naval and air force officers. INS Sumitra was
deployed in Malacca Straits. In May 2018, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi‘s visit to Jakarta, he met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and it was
decided that New Delhi will develop the Indonesian port Sabang in the Indian
Ocean. This port is strategically important and it is close to the Andamans.
Already, India is building up the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a tri-service
command to watch over the eastern Indian Ocean, mainly the Malacca Strait.
The Malacca Strait is the main international shipping route through which
merchant and military vessels transit between the Indian Ocean and the South
China Sea.
Exercise Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18) to be held in Australia from 24 Jul 18 to 18

Aug 18; Indian Air Force to participate for the first time
The Ministry of Defence announced that the Indian Air Force for the first time is
participating with fighter aircraft in Exercise Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18), which is to
be held in Australia from 24 Jul to 18 Aug, 2018. The mega exercise will involve
over 100 aircraft from around the globe. With an objective to undertake simulated
air combat exercises in a controlled environment and mutual exchange of best
practices and enhancing IAF capability. The IAF contingent consists of 145 air-
warriors including Garud team, 04 X Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17. It
would be led by Group Captain CUV Rao VM .The contingent will assemble at Air
Force Station Kalaikunda and depart for the exercise on 19 Jul 18 from India to
Australia via Indonesia. During the flight from India to Australia and back, Su-30
MKI will carry out air to air refueling with IL-78 tankers. And on its return leg from
Darwin to Subang, Su-30 MKI will be refueled in air for the first time by RAAF KC-
30A. vi. During the transit to Australia, IAF contingent will also have constructive
engagement with Indonesian and Malaysian Air Forces.

AWARDS
Artist Anjolie Ela Menon conferred the Kalidas Award
Noted artist Anjolie Ela Menon received the National Kalidas Samman for visual
arts from the Madhya Pradesh government. The award was conferred in recognition
of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through
her meaningful paintings in a variety of media. Artist A. Ramachandran was also
conferred with the Kalidas Award.
Himachal Pradesh gets national award for best performance under PMSMA
Himachal Pradesh has been named first among states for its performance under
the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritav Abhiyan (PMSMA) in India. Union Health
Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda presented the award and it was received by
Additional Chief Secretary, Health, BK Agarwal on behalf of Himachal Pradesh, at
an event in New Delhi. Himachal Pradesh has been given this award for bringing
maximum number of women for ante-natal check-up to the PMSMA clinics.
Himachal Pradesh government had launched PMSMA in August 2016. Nearly 495
clinics were established in which ante-natal check-ups were conducted by doctors.
'The English Patient' voted best-ever Man Booker Prize winner in 50 years
Michael Ondaatje's 'The English Patient' was named the greatest-ever winner of the
Man Booker Prize at an event celebrating five decades of the prestigious literary
award. 'The English Patient' won the Booker in 1992 and was made into a 1996
movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche that won nine Academy Awards.
Sangita Kalanidhi award for Aruna Sairam

Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam has been selected for this year‘s Sangita Kalanidhi
award of the Music Academy. The executive committee of the Academy
unanimously selected her for the award.
Kochi airport first in world to get top UN environmental award

The United Nations has honoured the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) with
'Champion of Earth' award for being the first airport in the world to be completely
powered by solar energy. CIAL is the first airport in the world to receive the highest
environmental award issued by the United Nations.
Ramon Magsaysay Award: Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk
are among six individuals declared winners
Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk were named winners of 2018
Ramon Magsaysay Award. A total of 6 persons were declared winners of 2018
Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Bharat Vatwani is awarded for leading the rescue of thousands of mentally ill
destitute people and reuniting them with their families.
Sonam Wangchuk is awarded for his contribution in the field of education, culture
and progress of communities in remote northern India.
Other winners of the award are:
 Youk Chhang from Cambodia
 Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz from East Timor
 Howard Dee from the Philippines
 Vo Thi Hoang Yen from Vietnam
About Ramon Magsaysay Award:
 Established: 1957
 Named after: Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of Philippines

 Awarded to individuals who exhibit selfless service and transformative

influence
 President of Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation: Carmencita Abella
Major General VD Dogra becomes first serving Indian Army officer to complete
Ironman competition
Major General VD Dogra became the first serving Indian Army officer and the only
General in the world to have completed ‗Ironman‘ competition held in Austria.
The Ironman is an international triathlon comprising 3 consecutive events: 3.8 km
of swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km of running (a full marathon). It is
considered the toughest one day sport event in the world. The competitors have to
finish the events in sequence within 17 hours to win ‗Ironman‘ title.
Major General VD Dogra finished the event in 14 hours and 21 minutes. The
Ironman Austria was held on 1st July in Klagenfurt. He has also cycled from
Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, Sela Pass to Bumla Pass in Arunachal Pradesh and from
Akhnoor to Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. He has participated in various
triathlons like the Sprint category (500 metres swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km
running), the Olympic category (1500 metres swimming, 40 km cycling, 10 km
running), the half Ironman etc.

SPORTS
Australia wins Champions Trophy Hockey
World Champions Australia defeated India 3-1 via shoot-off to clinch its second
consecutive Champions Trophy hockey title. It was a keenly-contested battle
between the two finalists of last edition but once again Australia came out on top in
the shoot-out to clinch its 15th Champions Trophy title. Host Netherlands clinched
the bronze medal defeating Olympic champions Argentina 2-0.
Dravid, Ponting, Taylor inducted in ICC Hall of Fame

Former India captain Rahul Dravid and Australian legend Ricky Ponting have been
inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame for their stupendous achievements in
international cricket. Along with Dravid and Ponting, retired England woman
wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor was also named in the 'Hall of Fame' during a
ceremony in Dublin.
Dravid is the fifth player from India to be inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame. Ponting
is the 25th Australian to get the honour. Taylor is the seventh woman and the third
female player from England to join the greats.
Sports Authority of India will now be Sports India

More than 34 years after coming into existence, the Sports Authority of India (SAI)
is set to be renamed as Sports India, Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh
Rathore announced.
The sports body, established in 1984, organised its 50th governing body meeting,
where it was also decided that coaches will be given a say in decision making and
the food expenses of athletes will also be increased.
Anju Khosla becomes Oldest Indian woman to complete Ironman Triathlon

At 52, Anju Khosla has just become the oldest Indian woman to complete an
Ironman Triathlon – one of the toughest one-day sporting events. The New Delhi
resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria, in 15
hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.
Mohammad Kaif Announces Retirement from Competitive Cricket

Mohammad Kaif announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket,
almost 12 years after he last played for the Indian team.
37-year-old Kaif played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs for India and will always be
remembered for his match-winning knock of 87 at the Lord's during the epic
Natwest Trophy final in 2002. He was a part of the Indian team that reached the
2003 World Cup final in South Africa.
Tokyo 2020 committee officially unveils Olympic mascots

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee officially presented its Olympic mascots
Miraitowa and Someity at a massive event.
The name of the blue-checked Olympic mascot Miraitowa is derived from a
combination of the Japanese words for future and eternity. Someity, the pink-
checked Paralympic mascot owes its name to a type of cherry tree blossom.
Hima Das wins India's first ever gold in U-20 Athletics championship
Sprinter Hima Das, from Assam, scripted history by becoming the first Indian
woman to win gold in the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF)
World U-20 Athletic Championships. She became the first woman to clinch gold for
India at the IAAF in women's 400 m final race in Finland recently.

AIFF declares Sunil Chhetri player of the year

The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the governing body of football in India
named India and Bengaluru FC Captain Sunil Chhetri as the AIFF Player of the
Year in the Federation‘s Executive Committee Meeting in Mumbai. The meeting was
chaired by AIFF President Praful Patel. Kamala Devi bagged the 2017 AIFF Woman
Player of the Year.
Egypt beat England to win World Junior squash team title

In the final of the World Junior squash world cup, Egypt inflicted a 2-0 defeat over
England to claim its sixth men's team title. Czech Republic and USA finished third
and secured the bronze medal. Host India finished 11th overall.
Hamilton wins 6th Hungarian Formula 1 GP

Reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain (Mercedes) won the
Hungarian Grand Prix for the sixth time of his career. Four-time world champion
Hamilton started from pole and finished with a commanding 17.123-second lead
over Vettel.
Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix in Austria

Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix in Austria. Ferrari‘s Kimi
Raikkonen finished in the second spot. Following him Ferrari‘s Sebastian Vettel
finished in the third spot. Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton retired from the race due to a
mechanical issue in his car. Mecredes‘ Valtteri Bottas also retired from the race due
to mechanical issues with his Mercedes car.
Law Commission recommends regulated and taxable gambling, betting on

sports
The Law Commission recommended that gambling and betting on sports, including
cricket, to be allowed as regulated activities taxable under the direct and indirect
tax regimes and used as a source for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
The commission‘s report, Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting including
Cricket in India has recommended various changes in the law for regulating betting
and generating tax revenues from it. The Parliament might also enact a model law
for regulating gambling that would be adopted by the states or Parliament might
legislate in exercise of its powers under Articles 249 or 252 of the Constitution. If
legislation is made under Article 252, states other than the consenting states can
freely adopt the same.
The commission has also recommended linking Aadhar or PAN card of an
individual indulging in betting and gambling. This would make the transaction
cashless and regulate illegal activities like money laundering. The commission has
also recommended amending the laws regulating forex and India‘s FDI policy to
allow investments in the casino and online gaming industry.
About Twenty-First Law Commission:
 Tenure: 1st September 2015 – 31st August 2018
 Chairman – Dr. Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan
FIFA World Cup 2018

FIFA World Cup, an international football tournament, is contested by the men‘s
national teams of the member associations of FIFA once every four years. FIFA
2018 was the 21st edition of the tournament. This was the first World Cup to be
held in Eastern Europe.
Logo: The Official Emblem was designed by Brandia Central, a brand consulting
agency based in Lisbon, Portugal. The shape of the Official Emblem of Russia 2018

has an outline of World Cup trophy and has bold use of red, gold, black and blue
representing Russian art and Russian Flag.
Mascot: Zabivaka – ―the one who scores‖ (in Russian) is a wolf who radiates fun,
charm and confidence was the Official mascot of FIFA World Cup 2018.It has
brown and white fur, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words ―RUSSIA 2018‖
and orange sports goggles. This was designed by Ekaterina Bocharova.
Venue: It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018 in 12 venues from 11
Russian cities. There were 32 teams from 5 confederations. Finals took place on
15th July at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with France and Croatia competing
for the World Cup. FIFA World Cup-2022 will be hosted by Qatar.
Winners:
 Champions: France (2nd title)
 Runners-up: Croatia
 Third place: Belgium
 Fourth place: England
 France won the title with a 4-2 goal against Croatia. This is their second world
cup title since 1998. This result marked the first time that nations from the
same continent won four consecutive tournaments (following Italy in 2006,
Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014).
Awards:
 Golden Ball: Luka Modrić (Croatia)
 Silver Ball: Eden Hazard (Belgium)
 Bronze Ball: Antoine Griezmann (France)
 Golden Boot: Harry Kane (6 goals) (England)
 Silver Boot: Antoine Griezmann(4 goals, 2 assists) (France)
 Bronze Boot: Romelu Lukaku (4 goals, 1 assist) (Belgium)
 Golden Glove: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
 Best Young Player: Kylian Mbappé (France)
 FIFA Fair Play Award: Spain
Important Facts:
 This was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe and 11th time to
have been held in Europe.
 For the first time, the tournament took place on two continents – Europe and
Asia.
 All but two of the stadium venues, Sochi and Yekaterinburg, were in European
Russia.
 At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it is the most expensive World Cup
ever.
 It was also the first World Cup to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
 Iceland and Panama made their first appearances at a FIFA World Cup.
 64 matches were played.
 169 goals were scored
2018 Wimbledon Championships

The 2018 Wimbledon Championships was the 132nd edition of the championship.
The Event took place in All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon,
London, United Kingdom from 2nd July to 15th July 2018.
Men‟s Singles:
Novak Djokovic of Serbia beats Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the finale of
Wimbledon title for Men‘s Singles. Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon title. Djokovic is

a Grand Slam champion for the first time since winning the 2016 French Open.
Overall it is his 13th career Grand slam.
Women‟s Singles:
Angelique Kerber of Germany beats Serena Williams of USA in the finale of
Wimbledon title for Women‘s Singles. Angelique Kerber became the first German
player since Steffi Graf in 1996 to lift the crown at the All England Club.
IOC adds 7 medal events to 2022 Beijing Winter Games; total no of events add
up to 109
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its Tokyo 2020 Olympics schedule
announced that it had added 7 medal events to its 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
These events include: women‘s monobob, Big Air freestyle skiing for men and
women, plus mixed team events in short track speed skating, ski jumping, ski
aerials and snowboard cross.
The addition of gold medals to a 109-event program caused a reduction in 41
athletes as compared to 2,933 competitors in Pyeongchang Olympics.
An improved gender balance will be seen with 45.4 percent female athletes in
Beijing, rising from 41.1 percent in Pyeongchang. Women‘s ice hockey will become
a 10-team line-up instead of eight, adding 46 athletes.

DAYS
11 July: World population day
Purpose: To increase people‘s awareness on various population issues such as the
importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and
human rights
Organization: UNDP
Theme: Family Planning is a Human right
12 July: Malala Day

Purpose: To raise awareness and to help girls get their right to education. Malala
Yousafzai is a global symbol of every girl‘s right to an education.
Organization: UN
15 July: World Youth Skills Day

Purpose: To highlight the fundamental rights of the youth.
Organization: UN, UNESCO, ILO
Theme: Improving the image of TVET (Technical & Vocational Education and
Training)
17 July: International Justice Day

Purpose: To marks the 19th anniversary of the 1998 Rome Statute, the founding
treaty that created the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Organization: ICC
18 July: Nelson Mandela International Day

Purpose: To remembers Mandela‘s achievements in working towards conflict
resolution, democracy, human rights, peace, and reconciliation.
Organization: UN
26 July: Kargil Vijay Diwas

Purpose: It was celebrated throughout India to commemorate India‘s victory over
Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil War
Organization: Government of India
28 July: World Hepatitis Day

Purpose: To mark the awareness of hepatitis and to boost prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of the decease.
Organization: WHO
Theme: Test. Treat. Hepatitis

BOOKS
Ramachandra Guha pens “Gandhi: The years that changed the world (1914-
1948)” book
A book titled ―Gandhi: The years that changed the world (1914-1948)‖ has been
written Ramachandra Guha. This book will be released in September 2018. i. This
book will be published by Penguin Random House India. Ramachandra Guha is a
popular historian and author. He has written several bestselling books like ―India
after Gandhi‖ and ―Gandhi Before India‖.
―Gandhi: The years that changed the world (1914-1948)‖ is said to be the most
definitive new biography of Gandhi. This book will narrate the story of Gandhi‘s life,
from his departure from South Africa to his assassination in 1948. It will also tell
the history of Indian freedom movement. This book also contains Gandhi‘s
arguments with B.R. Ambedkar, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Subhas Chandra
Bose, etc. This book is a follow up to ―Gandhi Before India‖ (2013).

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CURRENT AFFAIRS COMPENDIUM - JULY 2018

Global Innovation Index

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8th India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting Begins in Muscat

Iceland takes up US seat at UN rights council

BRICS Media Forum opens in Cape Town, South Africa

India, US to hold first '2+2 dialogue' on September 6

Facebook to Launch Its Own Internet Satellite In 2019

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PM Modi Flags off Emergency Ambulance Service in Sri Lanka

PM gifts cows to villagers at Rweru Model Village

Gandhi Heritage Centre to be built in Uganda

BRICS Summit 2018 begins in Johannesburg

4 Indian-origin persons in Fortune's 40 under 40 list

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India, Bangladesh Coast Guards conducting exercise on pollution

Resolution 2427: to protect children in armed conflict adopted by UN

Portugal parliament approves new gender change law

Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2018

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Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance

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Indian Army Motorcycle Expedition to Commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas

Election Commission of India launches Mobile App “cVIGIL”

Country‟s first Khadi mall to come up in Jharkhand

Cabinet approves Umbrella Schemes for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants

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Umbrella scheme "Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates". The

Cabinet approves renaming of Agartala Airport

Vaccine-preventable rabies is India‟s most fatal infection

Successful flight testing of Crew Escape System - Technology Demonstrator

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ICAT releases First BS-VI engine certificate

NTA to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions

M. Venkaiah Naidu becomes first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign an MOU

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana Top Rankers in Ease of Doing

INS Tarangini Visits Sunderland to Participate in Tall Ship Races – 2018

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Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018

IAF participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2018

Udaipur ranked 3rd among world's best cities

Samagra Shiksha Scheme to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education

September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month every year

International Children's Film Festival inaugurated

Srikrishna Committee suggests amendments in Aadhaar Act

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Museum for All Former Prime Ministers

Hyderabad to host India‟s first-ever international blockchain Congress

PRANAM Act: Country‟s first of a kind act launched by Assam Government

Varanasi would be the host of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019

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RBI cancels licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank

India pips France to become world‟s 6th largest economy

BSNL starts first internet telephony service in India

Mukesh Ambani becomes richest man in Asia

Google hit with €4.3bn Android fine from EU

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Government slashes minimum yearly deposit for Sukanya Samriddhi account