Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 July 2021

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. Department of Justice launched “Enforcing Contracts Portal”.

• On 28^th June 2021, the Department of Justice has launched Enforcing Contracts Portal.
• It has been launched to promote ease of doing business and improve the ‘Contract Enforcement Regime’ in the country.
• The portal will have comprehensive information on legislative and policy reforms regarding “Contract Enforcement” parameters.
• The portal will provide the latest information on commercial cases in Dedicated Commercial Courts of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.
• It will also provide information about commercial laws. In this portal, online reports will also be given by all the High Courts about the Arbitration and Arbitration Centers attached to the commercial courts.
• The Department of Justice monitors legislative and policy reform to strengthen the Enforcing Contracts regime.
• The Contract Enforcement Indicator measures the cost and time taken to settle trade disputes.

Topic: Important Days

2. National Doctor’s Day: 1 July

• In India, 1 July is celebrated as National Doctor's Day by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
• It is observed to commemorate the birth and death anniversary of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
• The First Doctor’s Day was celebrated in India in the year 1991 in honour of former Bengal’s Chief Minister Dr. BC Roy.
• National Doctor's Day is dedicated to all doctors and healthcare professionals. The role of doctors during the current global pandemic is praiseworthy.
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy played a significant role in establishing medical institutions like Jadavpur T.B. Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, etc. He was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1961.

Topic: Sports

3. Sajan Prakash becomes first Indian swimmer to qualify for upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

• Sajan Prakash has become the first Indian swimmer to qualify for upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
• He also became the first Indian swimmer ever to achieve the Olympic 'A' qualification time in 200m butterfly event at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.
• He clocked 1:56:38 in men's 200m butterfly at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. Qualification cut off was 1:56:48.
• Last week, he had won 200m butterfly race at the Belgrade Trophy swimming championships.
• Srihari Nataraj came close to securing the A-mark Olympic Qualification Time in a 100m backstroke event.
• Swimming Federation of India announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for Sajan Prakash.

Topic: Important Days

4. National Chartered Accountants Day: July 1.

• National Chartered Accountants Day is celebrated every year in India on July 1.
• National Chartered Accountants Day is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) by Parliament in 1949.
• 73^rd Chartered Accountants Day is being celebrated this year.
• ICAI is the only licensing and regulatory body for the financial audit and accounting profession in India.
• ICAI is also considered the second biggest accounting organization in the world.
• ICAI is a statutory body. Nihar N Jambusaria is its President. It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Topic: Sports

5. Indian- origin Abhimanyu Mishra becomes youngest chess Grandmaster.

• Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest chess Grandmaster in the world. He breaks the record of 12 years and seven months set by Sergey Karjakin.
• Abhimanyu Mishra becomes the youngest chess Grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 4 months and 25 days. He achieved this feat at the Vezerkepzo GM Mix in Budapest.
• He had become the youngest National Master in the US at the age of nine.
• Two years ago, he had broken the record of India's R Praggnanandhaa of the youngest international master.
• Viswanathan Anand is the first Chess Grand Master of India.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. Digital India completed six years on 1 July 2021.

• Digital India initiative has completed its six years on 1 July 2021.
• Digital India is a government's flagship scheme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015.
• In the past 6 years, the government has launched many digital initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer, Common Services Centres, DigiLocker and mobile-based UMANG services.
• With the help of Aadhaar, Government has provided digital identity to 129 crore people of India.
• Jandhan bank Accounts, mobile phones, and Aadhaar (JAM) helped the government in providing benefits of the different schemes through digital platforms.
• The Digital India programme is centred on three key vision areas:
  • Digital Infrastructure as a Core Utility to Every Citizen
  • Governance & Services on Demand
  • Digital Empowerment of Citizens

(Source: Digital India)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. Union Cabinet approved MoU for cooperation in the field of Health Research.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) has been approved by the Union Cabinet.
• The main objective of this MoU is to collaborate on joint research activities of mutual interest like Ayurveda/traditional medicine, climate change and health, non-communicable diseases, health research ethics, etc.
• It will also help in capacity building through the exchange of knowledge, skills tools, and best practices related to health research.
• Both countries will fund the research approved under this MoU and will exchange scientists for collaborative projects.
• Cabinet has also approved MoU between India and Myanmar in the field of health research.
• The main objective of this MoU is to build a health research relationship. Both countries will collaborate in the field of elimination of infectious diseases, Harmonization of the regulatory mechanism, and capacity building in research.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Cabinet approves Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.

• Union Cabinet has approved Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme. It has been launched to improve the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of all DISCOMs/ Power Departments.
• It will provide financial assistance to DISCOMs for strengthening supply infrastructure. It has been launched with an outlay of Rs.3,03,758 crore.
• The Scheme would be available till the year 2025-26. The annual appraisal will be also provided on the performance of DISCOM.
• It will focus on improving electricity supply to farmers and providing electricity through the solarization of agricultural feeders.
• The main key feature of the scheme is to empower consumers through prepaid smart metering. It will help consumers in regular monitoring of their electricity consumption.
• REC and PFC will be the nodal agencies for the implementation of the scheme.
• Under this scheme, 10,000 agriculture feeders will be separated with an outlay of almost Rs 20,000 crore.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. Regional Conference on Good Governance Practices organized in Srinagar.

• A two-day Regional Conference is being organized in Srinagar under the theme of “Replication of Good Governance Practices”.
• It is scheduled to be organized from 1-2 July 2021 in Srinagar. Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is organizing the conference.
• The conference is organized at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in a semi-virtual medium.
• Delegations from 10 States/Union Territories will participate in this Conference. The e-Magazine titled ‘MINIMUM GOVERNMENT, MAXIMUM GOVERNANCE’ (MGMG) will be also launched during the conference.
• The main aim of this conference is to share experiences in Administrative Innovations, Welfare Programs, Digital Governance, Citizen-Centric Governance and Capacity Building and Personnel Administration, etc.

Topic: Reports and Indices

10. India achieved a rank among top 10 countries in Global Cybersecurity Index 2020.

• India has achieved a rank among top 10 countries in Global Cybersecurity Index 2020 released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 29 June 2021.
• India has moved up by 37 places. It is now ranked tenth in the world in Global Cybersecurity Index 2020. India is ranked at 4th position in Asia Pacific region.
• US is ranked at first place in the index. UK and Saudi Arabia share the second rank. Estonia is ranked in third place.
• GCI assessment is done on the basis of five parameters- legal measures, technical measures, organisational measures, capacity development, and cooperation. India scored a total of 97.5 points from a possible maximum of 100 points.

Topic: Defence

11. Indian Navy warship conducted military drill with South Korean vessel in the East China Sea.

• Indian Navy warship conducted military drill with South Korean vessel in the East China Sea.
• The drill was aimed at enhancing interoperability and facilitating the exchange of best practices between the two navies.
• Indian Navy's indigenous ASW Corvette INS Kiltan undertook the exercise with Republic of Korea's Ship ROKS Gyeongnam, a Daegu-class frigate, on June 28.

Topic: Appointments

12. Justice (Retd.) Shambhu Nath Srivastava appointed as chairman of IFUNA.

• Justice (Retd.) Shambhu Nath Srivastava has been appointed as chairman of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations (IFUNA).
• He is a former judge of the Allahabad High Court and former chief Lokayukta of Chhattisgarh.
• He succeeds Mukul Sangma, a former chief minister of Meghalaya. 

Topic: Defence

13. India’s 1^st indigenous drone defence dome – ‘Indrajaal’ developed by Grene Robotics.

• India’s 1st indigenous drone defence dome – ‘Indrajaal’ has been developed by Hyderabad-based Grene Robotics.  
• As per the company, the drone defence dome – ‘Indrajaal’ is capable of autonomously protecting an area of 1000-2000 sq km against aerial threats.
• It protects the area by assessing and acting on aerial threats such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and Low- Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets.
• The company said that cutting-edge technologies such as UAVs, Smart Swarms, etc. have been for the first time used in India to drop explosives next to the Mi-17 hangar at Jammu Air Base on June 27.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

14. Researchers discovered Black-bellied Coral snake in forests of Uttarakhand for the first time in history.

• Researchers have discovered Black-bellied Coral snake in forests of Uttarakhand for the first time in history.
• The snake is related to the Elapidae family and Sinomicrurus genus. Its scientific name is S. nigriventer.
• It was found in Bhadraj Block of Benog Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in Mussoorie Forest Division on September 20, 2020.
• There are currently 107 species of coral snakes in the world. In India, only seven coral snake species are found.
• As per the report of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on the management of snakebite, there are more than 2000 species of snakes in the world.
• About 300 of these species are found in India, of which 52 are venomous.
• India’s venomous snakes belong to three families ‘Elapidae’, ‘Viperidae’ and Hydrophidae’ (sea snakes).

• Naja naja (Indian Cobra) and Bungarus caeruleus (Indian Krait), Daboia russalie (Russells’ Viper) and Echis carinatus (Saw scaled viper) are the most common Indian elapids. They are called big four.
• All snakes are protected by the law. Cobra, Rat snakes, and Checkered keelback are protected in Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the rest are protected by Schedule IV.
• Snakes are important for medical reasons and ecological regions. They keep the food web in balance and their venoms are used to make antivenoms.

(Source: News on AIR)