Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 July 2023

Topic: Sports

1. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy set Guinness World Record for the fastest badminton smash.

• Indian badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy sets a new record for the fastest badminton smash at a speed of 565 km/h.
• He achieved this feat in the ongoing Korea Open 2023.
• He broke the earlier record of smash at a speed of 493 km/h by Malaysian shuttler Tan Boon Heong.
• Indian men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty defeated Supak Jomkoh/Kittinupong Kedren of Thailand by 21-16, 21-14.
• They have entered into the pre-quarterfinals with this win.
• Backcourt, Rally, Smash, Shuttlecock, Fault, and Drive are some important terms related to Badminton.

Topic: National News

2. Government amended rules for retired All India Service Officers.

• The Union government has empowered itself solely to either withhold or withdraw the retirement benefits of officers who served in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) without consulting with the state governments.
• Till now, the Union government take reference from the state government for any action against a retired bureaucrat, who is found guilty of grave misconduct or convicted of a crime by a court.
• The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a notification for amendments to the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.
• As per the amended rules, ‘grave misconduct’ includes communication or disclosure of any document or information mentioned in the Official Secrets Act.
• A ‘serious crime’ includes any crime involving an offence under the Official Secrets Act.
• The decision of the Central Government on withholding or withdrawing the pension will be final as per the new rules.
• The Central government has taken this step because sometimes state governments do not send a reference for action against retired officials even after conviction by courts of law.
• As per the new rule, a person retired from any Intelligence or security-related organization couldn’t publish anything related to the domain of the organization, without prior clearance from the Head of Organization.
• This means that writing in the media and writing books which disclose sensitive information could result in action against the concerned person.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. An agreement signed between India and Argentina to further enhance defence ties and boost industrial cooperation.

• On July 18, Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Taiana held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Rajnath Singh.
• They announced the signing of an MoU between the two countries and a Specific Agreement on Academic Cooperation for peacekeeping.
• Tri-service Guard of Honour was also presented to the visiting dignitary before the meetings.
• Mr. Jorge Enrique Taiana arrived in New Delhi on July 17, 2023 on a four-day visit to India.
• Jorge Taiana also invited Rajnath Singh to the 2^nd Latin American Conference of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (ALCONU) to be held in Argentina on 12 September.
• During the meeting, issues related to defence cooperation and exchange in areas of training and training of officers and cadets were discussed.
• India-Argentina relations were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2019.
• India and Argentina are working together to make defense ties an important aspect of their strategic partnership.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointment

4. Rajya Kumar Sinha appointed as MD & CEO of SBI Capital Markets.

• Rajay Kumar Sinha has been appointed as SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from July 14.
• Sinha succeeded Amitava Chatterjee who has been appointed to SBI, Corporate Centre as Deputy Managing Director, in charge of the Commercial Clients Group.
• Previously, he was in charge of treasury operations of SBI and manage the bank's investment portfolio, money market, equity, private equity, and foreign exchange operations.
• In 1991, Sinha had joined SBI as a Probationary Officer and has worked in banking sectors such as Treasury, International Banking, and Retail Banking.
• SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS):
  • SBICAPS is a wholly owned subsidiary and investment banking arm of the State Bank of India (SBI).
  • It is headquartered in Mumbai. SBICAPS was established in August 1986.
  • SBICAPS has six regional offices across India and three subsidiaries: SBICAP Securities Limited, SBICAP Trustee Company Limited, and SBICAP Ventures Limited.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

5. Surat Diamond Bourse became the largest office building in the world.

• In a significant achievement, this building of India has surpassed the US Pentagon as having the world's largest office building.
• This record has been achieved by Surat where 90% of the earth's diamonds are cut.
• The newly-opened Surat Diamond Bourse comprises a 15-storey complex, built over 35 acres of land.
• This building has over 7.1 million square feet of floor space, surpassing the US Pentagon as the world's largest office building.
• It will be known as the "one-stop destination" for over 65,000 diamond professionals including cutters, polishers, and traders.
• This building is all set to start in November.
• The Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis masterminded the building.
• This project cost ₹32 billion, which includes 131 lifts and many facilities for workers.

Topic: International News

6. India presented candidature to the IMO Council for the biennial elections 2024-25.

• India presented its candidature under Category-B for the 2024-25 biennial International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council elections at its assembly in London.
• The IMO's Category B consists of the 10 countries with the "greatest interest in international seaborne trade".
• Its current members are India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• In 1959, India became a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• International Maritime Organization (IMO):
  • It is a specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
  • It was founded in 1958. It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its Secretary-General is Arsenio Dominguez.

Topic: Sports

7. Indian Surf Team won the bronze medal at the Asian Surfing Championship.

• 18 countries from Asia participated in this championship held at Thulusdhoo Island in Maldives. Japan won the gold medal.
• Indian Team comprised 4 senior Surfers in the men’s category. It comprised 2 Surfers in the Under 18 category. Out of the 6 surfers, five were from Tamil Nadu.
• Srikanth from Tamil Nadu reached the semi-finals in the Men’s Category.
• Indian Surf Team finished overall 3rd with a bronze medal.
• Indian Surfers will now prepare for the first-ever World Surfing League event in India.
• World Surfing League will be held in Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu from 14 August to 20 August 2023.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

8. INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata reached Jakarta, Indonesia to take part in the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with the Indonesian Navy.

• During the port call, personnel from Indian and Indonesian navies will engage in interactions aimed at strengthening mutual cooperation and understanding between the two navies.
• Both ships will then take part in MPX at sea with the Indonesian Navy to further increase the interoperability that already exists between the two navies.
• INS Sahyadri is the 3rd indigenously designed and built Project-17 class stealth frigate.
• INS Kolkata is the first indigenously designed and built Project-15A class stealth destroyer.
• INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata have been built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai.
• Indo-Indonesia recently concluded bilateral Exercise Samudra Shakti-23 in the South China Sea.

Topic: State News/ Rajasthan

9. Rajasthan Government tabled a bill to guarantee minimum income.

• Rajasthan Government has presented the Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023 in Assembly.
• The Bill covers three areas: Right to Minimum Guaranteed Income, Right to Guaranteed Employment and Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension.
• The bill is part of the initiative started by the state government to provide relief to citizens from inflation.
• For the first time, the Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme in a state will get legislative backing.
• The Government will provide a minimum guaranteed income to eligible persons by providing them employment in urban areas through the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (IGUEGS) and in rural areas through the Chief Minister Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (CMREGS).
• Every adult person residing in the rural areas of the State shall have a right to get guaranteed employment for doing permissible work of at least additional 25 days in a financial year on completion of the maximum days of the MNREGA scheme.
• As per the bill, every adult person living in urban areas will have a right to get guaranteed employment for doing permissible work of at least 125 days in a financial year.
• The Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension will make a person falling in the category of old age/specially abled/widow/single woman eligible for pension.
• This is the first time that social security pensions will become a legal guarantee.
• As per the legislation, the Pension will be increased at the rate of 15% per annum.

Topic: National Appointments

10. Rakesh Pal appointed as the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.

• Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• He joined Indian Coast Guard in 1989 and is an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy.
• He has received professional expertise in gunnery and weapon systems from the Indian Naval School Dronacharya, Kochi.
• In 34 years career, he held several positions including Commander Coast Guard Region (North West), Additional Director General Coast Guard, etc.
• He was given the additional charge of Director General Coast Guard in February 2023.
• He was awarded with Tatrakshak Medal in 2013 and President Tatrakshak Medal in 2018.
• Indian Coast Guard:
  • It works under the Ministry of Defense.
  • It is an armed force, maritime, search and rescue, and law enforcement agency.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

11. TCRM Matrix Framework unveiled by NITI Aayog to revolutionize technology assessment and drive innovation in India.

• On 18 July, the Techno-Commercial Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix (TCRM Matrix) Framework has been released for Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India in New Delhi.
• TCRM Matrix Framework is a pioneering assessment tool designed to revolutionize technology assessment in India, drive innovation and foster entrepreneurship.
• The Action Plan paper highlights the historical evolution of the Technology Framework, including the Technical Readiness Level (TRL), Commercialization Readiness Level (CRL), and Market Readiness Level (MRL) scales.
• Building on the core principles of these frameworks, the TCRM Matrix Framework presents an integrated assessment model.
• It provides deep insights and actionable intelligence to stakeholders at every stage of the technology development cycle.
• The Action Plan paper provides clear guidelines for integrating the TCRM Matrix framework within the wider innovation ecosystem.
• By doing so, policy makers, strategists, academics, and investors can harness its full potential and drive meaningful change.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

12. International Chess Day 2023: 20 July

• Every year on July 20, International Chess Day is celebrated by people around the world.
• The day highlights chess players like Viswanathan Anand, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhan, and Magnus Carlsen and their positive impact on society.
• UNESCO proposed the idea of celebrating 20 July as International Chess Day.
• The day is being celebrated since 1966 to commemorate the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
• The date of July 20 was chosen because the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded on this date in 1924 in Paris.
• On December 12, 2019, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared International Chess Day as an international event.
• The International Olympic Committee recognized FIDE in 1999.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

13. UNDP and ‘Absolute’ signed MoU to strengthen the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Absolute, a bioscience company, have signed a MoU for strengthening Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
• The pact between UNDP India and Absolute will foster the implementation of the PMFBY and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).
• They will work on building technical capabilities of the scheme and digitalizing service delivery of crop insurance.
• They will also promote credit profiling of farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, and farmer producers organisations (FPOs) for accurate crop loss assessment.
• They will also use advanced technology and data-driven solutions to enhance farm monitoring and farmland identification.
• It is a step towards mitigating increasing risk in agriculture which can impact more than 120 million farmers across India.
• This partnership is a move towards strengthening the risk and credit ecosystem for agriculture in India.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana:
  • The main objective of this scheme is to provide comprehensive insurance cover against the failure of the crop.
  • Under this scheme, farmers are encouraged to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
  • It covers yield losses, post-harvest losses, and losses from the local calamities.

Topic: Personality in News/

14. Renowned mathematician Dr Mangala Narlikar passed away at the age of 80.

• Mathematician and scientist Dr Mangala Narlikar passed away at her residence at the age of 80 years.
• She was suffering from cancer for the past few months.
• She worked as an associate researcher in the Mathematics School of the Institute of Fundamental Research between 1964 to 1966.
• She also taught mathematics at Cambridge University in England.
• She married mathematician and astronaut Dr Narlikar in 1965.
• She has authored several books in English and Marathi.
• A Cosmic Adventure, An easy Access to Basic Mathematics (book for school students), Ganit Gappa (Part 1, 2), Easy access to mathematics (book for school students), are some famous book of her.