Daily Current Affairs and GK | 22 July 2023

Topic: Personality in News

1. Renowned hacker Kevin Mitnick passes away at the age of 59.

• Computer hacker Kevin Mitnick passed away after battling pancreatic cancer.
• Kevin Mitnick began his hacking journey at the young age of 12 years in 1979.
• He became a White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant after serving a five-year term in Prison.
• Kevin Mitnick established the Mitnick Security Consulting firm in 2003. He provided cybersecurity advice to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.
• He became the part owner of KnowBe4, a company offering phishing security awareness training.
• His memoir is "Ghost in the Wires” in which he claimed that he never used his skills to steal information for financial gain.

Topic: Sports

2. Virat Kohli becomes the first batter to score a century in his 500^th international match.

• Virat Kohli scored his 15th overseas Test hundred and his 76th international century in his 500th international match against West Indies.
• Virat Kohli scored a century in 180 balls in the 2nd Test in Port of Spain.
• He also becomes the 10th cricketer to play 500 international matches.
• Kohli is the fourth Indian to play 500 international matches after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni.
• Kohli has represented India in 274 ODIs and 115 T20Is and 111 Tests.
• Sachin Tendulkar has appeared in 664 International matches, the highest number.
• Virat Kohli equals Sir Don Bradman's record of most test centuries after smashing his 29th ton.
• Bradman had scored 29 centuries in 52 tests while Kohli achieved this milestone in the 111th test match.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. Japan has signed an agreement with India for the development of the semiconductor ecosystem.

• It has become the second Quad partner after the United States to sign such an agreement with India.
• Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura signed the agreement on 20 July 2023.
• Japan and India will create an “implementation organisation”.
• This will work on government-to-government and industry-to-industry cooperation.
• Japan is one of the top five semiconductor ecosystem countries, with approximately 100 semiconductor manufacturing plants.
• Vaishnaw was asked about the impact of China's restrictions on the export of essential semiconductor materials gallium and germanium.
• He stated that the measure has very little influence because there are many other suppliers of these critical elements across the world.

Topic: Books and Authors

4. Former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a book named “As the wheel turns”.

• M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice President of India, released the memoir of Ranjit Pratap “As the wheel turns”.
•  Ranjit Pratap is the Managing Director of the Rayala Corporation.
• This book mentions the remarkable 50-year journey of Ranjit Pratap in the world of business.
• Each chapter of the book portrays the highs and lows, personal growth and business achievements of Ranjit Pratap.
• The title of the book is a metaphor for the cyclic nature of life and business. It highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience.
• Rayala Corporation is celebrating its 75th year of foundation.

Topic: Sports

5. Indian football team enters sub-100 FIFA ranking again after 2018.

• After defeating Lebanon and Kuwait in penalty shoot-out in the semifinal and final of SAFF Championship held in Bengaluru, India moved up to 99th rank in FIFA rankings.
• Lebanon is now on 100th spot and Kuwait is on the 137th spot as per the latest FIFA rankings.
• Till now, the best spot achieved by the Indian team was in 1996 i.e. 94th spot.
• India has earlier reached 99th spot in 1993, 96th in 2017 and 2018.
• In June 2023, India ranked 100th.
• The top spot has been retained by Argentina, followed by France, Brazil, England and Belgium.
• In Asia, Japan is at the top (20th rank), followed by Iran (22), Australia (27), Korea (28) and Saudi Arabia (54).
• Some terms related to Football game- Cross, Center spot, Dribble, Corner Kick, Penalty shootout, In swinger, Striker, Toe Poke.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

6. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched “Sashakt Mahila Rin Yojana”.

• Himachal government has launched “Sashakt Mahila Rin Yojana”, a collateral-free loan scheme for women that will empower them.
• It is an initiative of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (HPSCB), which will provide loans to women for self-employment and livelihood activities, fulfill their day to day needs, help in becoming financially independent and uplift their socio-economic status.
• Under the scheme, the women applicants need not to provide any collateral as security against the loan amount.
• Under the scheme, the bank offers a loan of Rs 21,000, Rs 51,000 and Rs 1,01,000 at a relatively low-interest rate of 8.51%.
• Himachal government has also sought immediate assistance from the centre for the losses in the state that occurred due to flash floods and landslides.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. India and Sri Lanka exchanged five agreements.

• These agreements cover crucial areas of economic cooperation, renewable energy and tourism.
• The agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy and a Memorandum of Cooperation for economic development projects in Trincomalee district of Sri Lanka.
• The agreements also include an agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lanka Pay for UPI application acceptance in Sri Lanka.
• India is presently the largest source of inbound tourism in Sri Lanka.
• India will be implementing a development package exclusively centered on the India-origin Tamil community.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. An MoU has been signed by the Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy.

• This MoU aims to revive the “ancient stitched shipbuilding method (Tankai method)”.
• Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy have entered into MoU to revive and preserve the 2000-year-old technique of shipbuilding known as the ‘stitched shipbuilding method’.
• The MoU signing ceremony was held on July 18, 2023.
• The implementation and execution of the entire project will be overseen by the Indian Navy.
• The stitched ships are constructed by stitching wooden planks together rather than using nails.
• They are less susceptible to damage from shoals and sandbars.
• The art of stitching ships has persisted in a few coastal locations of India, particularly for small local fishing boats.

Topic: Indian Polity

9. Supreme Court issued new guidelines on designating lawyers as ‘Senior Advocates’.

• The new guidelines titled ‘Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India, 2023’ will replace the earlier guidelines issued in 2018.

• The fresh guidelines have been issued by the court following the judgment delivered by a three-judge bench headed by Justice SK Kaul in a case seeking amendment of the 'Senior Advocate' designation guidelines.

• As per the new guidelines, a candidate must be at least 45 years of age to apply for the post of 'Senior Advocate'. This age limit can be relaxed in some cases.

• He has qualified for a place in the Guinness World Records.
• Anshuman Jhingran is an open sea swimmer. He is from Navi Mumbai. He is the 114th person to cross the North Channel since 1947.
• The age limit can be relaxed by the Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates or if the name has been recommended by the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge.
• All matters relating to the designation of Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court of India will be dealt with by a Permanent Committee to be known as the "Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates”.
• As per the new guidelines, the conditions on which Advocates will be eligible for designation as Senior Advocates are:
  • Experience of ten years' standing as an Advocate or ten years' combined standing as an Advocate and as a District and Sessions Judge or as a Judicial Member of any Tribunal in India.
  • The practice of the candidate should be mainly before the Supreme Court.
  • Attainment of the age of 45 years.
• The new guidelines have also revised the point system for evaluating candidates.
• An Applicant will get a maximum of 20 points and 10 points for 10 years of practice and 1 point each for every additional year of practice.
• The applications will be invited once a year and the committee will meet twice a year.

Topic: National News

10. NITI Aayog released Analytical Tools for managing Climate Change and exploring Net Zero Pathways.

• NITI Aayog released a revamped India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047.
• Its main aim is to assess the integrated impact of various green energy policies of the Government.
• IESS is an open-source tool which incorporates several policies related to alternative energy resources like Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, and Renewable Purchase Obligations.
• IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive-based tool that can help Ministries/Departments to develop scenarios involving adoption of various energy sources to achieve Net-Zero.
• This version of IESS will help researchers and think tanks in developing user-specific scenarios.
• It has been designed by IIT Bombay and will be updated every year.
• It is flexible enough to provide many permutations and combinations of net-zero pathways.

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

11. ‘One District One Product’ Wall launched jointly by DPIIT and Govt. of Gujarat at Garvi Gujarat Bhawan on 20 July.

• One District One Product (ODOP) programme, an initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, launched its first collaboration with the Government of Gujarat in New Delhi.
• The aim of this collaboration is to promote indigenous crafts and artisans of the state.
• Gujarat, with its 33 districts, exemplifies the vast geographical area and potential for the state's diverse products.
• ODOP-Gujarat has a rich collection of 68 exclusive products, ranging from traditional crafts like Gamthi Block print and Mata-ni-Pachedi to agricultural goods such as groundnuts and cumin.
• In a significant collaboration, ODOP has partnered with the Government of Gujarat to implement product tagging and story cards for Gujarat specific products and enhance publicity and recognition.
• The objective of this collaboration is to encourage consumers to visit the emporia, increase sales, and increased the visibility of Gujarat products at a national level.
• The ODOP program in Gujarat has been particularly focused on a few products to expand its market presence.
• For example, there has been a drive to include Sujani Handloom, Jamnagari Bandhini, and Patan Patola on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

12. Pi Approximation Day 2023: 22 July

• Every year on July 22, Pi Approximation Day is observed around the globe.
• It is dedicated to the Mathematical Constant Pi.
• This day is celebrated on 22 July because the approximation value of pi (22/7) is equal to 22/7 date.
• Mathematician Leonhard Euler designed the symbol of Pi in 1706.
• Pi Day is also observed every year on 14 March (3.14).
• Pi:
  • This is a mathematical constant. It is represented by a Greek letter π.
  • In 1706, pi use was introduced by William Jones.
  • It is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
  • Its value is 22/7 or 3.14. A pi is an irrational number and cannot be expressed as a ratio of whole numbers.
  • The value of pi is a never-ending and never-repeating number.

Topic: Art and Culture

13. Unique Ramayana fresco from the Kakatiya-era found in a natural rock shelter at Rudragiri hillock.

• Prehistoric rock paintings from the Mesolithic period and exquisite artwork from the Kakatiya dynasty have been discovered at the Rudragiri hillock.
• Rock shelters at Rudragiri served as living quarters for people during the Mesolithic age around 5000 B.C.
• An mrunal painting in the first cave depicts the Vanara brothers Vali and Sugriva engaged in a fierce battle. Rama, positioned behind Sugriva, shoots arrows at Vali.
• The middle cave has a grand sketch of Hanuman with sacred symbols of the conch (Sankha) and the fire altar (Yagna Vedi).
• Hanuman is depicted carrying the Sanjivani hill in his right hand.
• The third cave has prehistoric rock paintings from the Mesolithic era.
• Rudragiri hillock is situated in the Orvakallu village of Andhra Pradesh.
• Ganapati Deva Maharaja (1199-1262 AD), a prominent figure of the Kakatiya dynasty, had patronised the rich ancient mural heritage found at Rudragiri.
• Kakatiya dynasty:
  • It was a dynasty in southern India that ruled the eastern Deccan region of the present-day from12th-14th centuries.
  • Their capital was Warangal.
  • Rudradeva I was the first independent ruler of the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal.

Topic: National Appointment

14. Sat Pal Bhanoo has been appointed as Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation.

• Government has appointed Sat Pal Bhanoo as Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation.
• He has taken the place of Siddhartha Mohanty, who has been appointed as chairman of LIC in April.
• Sat Pal Bhanoo has been appointed up to the date of his superannuation on December 31, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• LIC has registered more than five-fold jump in consolidated net profit for Q4FY23 to Rs 13,191 crore.
• The total income of the insurance company during the March quarter declined to Rs 2,01,022 crore from Rs 2,15,487 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal.