Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 July 2024

Topic: Sports

1. Abhinav Bindra has been awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

• He has been awarded for his outstanding contributions to the Olympic movement.
• He is the first Indian to win an individual gold at the Olympics. He won the gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the men’s 10-meter air rifle event.
• Bindra is a member of the IOC Athletes Commission. He is the first Indian to receive this award.
• The Olympic Order is the highest award presented by the IOC for exceptional service to the Olympic Movement.
• It was established in 1975. It can be bestowed upon IOC members, athletes, and other individuals.
• The award comes in three grades: gold, silver, and bronze. The gold medal is the most prestigious.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has signed 72 MoUs with private institutions and start-ups.

• DEPwD has signed these MoUs to empower persons with disabilities socially, educationally and economically.
• During the signing of the MoUs, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar and Minister of State in the Ministry, B.L. Verma were present.
• The MoUs show the government’s commitment to persons with disabilities.
• Dr. Virendra Kumar said that the persons with disabilities have immense potential, they only need opportunities.

Topic: National News

3. As per the economic survey, mental health disorders are related with significant productivity losses.

• The Economic Survey highlighted the mental health issue and its significance and implications on policy recommendations for the first time.
• It mentioned that aggregate economic level and mental health disorders are related to productivity losses due to absenteeism, decreased productivity, disability, and increased healthcare costs.
• According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16, 10.6% of adults in India suffered from mental disorders.
• The treatment gap for mental disorders is between 70% and 92% for different disorders.
• The mental morbidity prevalence was higher in urban metropolitan regions (13.5%) compared with rural areas (6.9%) and urban non-metro areas (4.3%).
• The Survey highlighted the increased prevalence of poor mental health among adolescents, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• National Mental Health Programme, National Tele Mental Health Programme, etc. are some of the initiatives started by the government to resolve issues related to mental health.

Topic: State News/ Sikkim

4. Sikkim makes it mandatory for tourist vehicles to carry garbage bags.

• As per the Sikkim government directive, all tourist vehicles entering Sikkim will now have to carry a large garbage bag mandatorily.
• This decision has been made to ensure community participation in achieving the goal of environmental sustainability.
• It will be the responsibility of the tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to inform the travelers about using garbage bags for waste disposal.
• Awareness campaign will be carried out to educate tourists about waste management and environmental sustainability.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

5. Azerbaijan, the host of COP29 climate summit, launched a climate finance action fund.

• The “Climate Finance Action Fund" (CFAF) will receive annual contributions from fossil fuel-producing countries and companies.
• This fund will help developing countries as well as other countries to reach the 1.5C temperature target.
• Initially, $1 billion will be raised through members with annual contributions as fixed sums or based on production volume.
• The COP29 is set to be held in Baku between November 11 and 22 in 2024.
• The 50 per cent of the fund will go to climate projects in developing countries focused on clean energy, energy efficiency, climate resilience, and new technologies.
• The remaining 50% will help countries NDC target to achieve the 1.5-degree-Celsius target.
• Twenty per cent of revenues will be directed to a Rapid Response Funding Facility for immediate, highly concessional, and grant-based disaster response support.
• The COP29 Presidency's plan for the climate summit will aim to phase out fossil fuels.

Topic: National News

6. By 2026, Airbus plans to introduce the first Made in India H-125.

• Along with its Indian partner Tata, Airbus announced that it will begin work to build up the Final Assembly Line (FAL) for H-125 helicopters in the upcoming winter.
• Airbus has so far chosen eight locations, and it will soon decide where the final manufacturing line will be located.
• In 2026, the first Made-in-India helicopter will be delivered.
• At the final assembly line in India, 10 helicopters will be produced annually. In future, the number may rise to 20, 30, or even 50.
• The success of the A-320 commercial aircraft gives Airbus confidence.
• The company hopes that the H-125 will replicate the success in the market for commercial helicopters.
• Airbus’s collaboration with India is not limited to manufacturing.
• The company is also focusing on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of helicopters.
• To support India’s helicopter MRO operations, Airbus and Indamer have partnered in December 2023 and provided services for Airbus helicopters in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Nagpur.
• In the defense sector, Airbus has contributed significantly through the C-295 program.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. The Gandhi Mandela Award 2020 has been given to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum.

• On July 18, 2024, Nelson Mandela's 106th birth anniversary, the prize was presented to her.
• The Gandhi Mandela Award for the year 2019 was given to His Holiness Dalai Lama.
• Rigoberta Menchú Tum, a human rights activist from Guatemala who has devoted her life to promoting Indigenous rights, is the recipient of the prize this year.
• Many honours have been bestowed upon Rigoberta Menchú as a result of her work.
• These honours include the Princess of Asturias Award in 1998 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.
• The Gandhi Mandela Foundation created the Gandhi Mandela Award to recognise people who uphold the values of both Mandela and Gandhi.
• The prize consists of an India Government Mint-crafted gold medal, a pine wood box, and a certificate signed by a distinguished jury of former Chief Justices from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Topic: Important Days

8. National Broadcasting Day: 23 July

• National Broadcasting Day is celebrated in India every year on 23 July.
• On this day in 1927, a private Indian Broadcasting Company started the first radio broadcast in the country from a Bombay station.
• Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, invented the radio in the 1890s.
• In India, National Broadcasting Day commemorates the development of the broadcasting landscape in the nation since its inception in 1927.
• India's broadcast history started in June 1923 with the first transmission made by the Radio Club of Bombay.
• All India Radio (AIR) came into existence in 1936, evolving out of the Indian State Broadcasting Service. AIR acquired the name AKASHVANI in 1956.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

9. The joint programs towards innovation, entrepreneurship, and IP will be built by NITI Aayog & WIPO for the global south.

• On July 22, a Letter of Intent signed by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in New Delhi.
• This Letter of Intent was signed to build joint programs towards innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property (IP) for countries in the Global South.
• A high-level delegation from the WIPO, comprising Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director, WIPO Academy, and Ms. Altaye Tedla, Head, WIPO Academy, visited NITI Aayog to sign a Joint Letter of Intent (JLOI).
• The AIM-WIPO partnership will promote global innovation, enhance IPR awareness at the school level, and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
• As one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, WIPO is the nodal body that releases the Global Innovation Index (GII) annually.
• According to the GII 2023 report, India has retained its 40th position among the 132 economies featured in the GII rankings.
• According to the WIPO Report 2022, India registered a growth in patent filings for the sixth consecutive year, recording the highest growth of 31.6% globally.
• The NITI Aayog's flagship project, the Atal Innovation Mission, aims to develop an innovative and entrepreneurial culture throughout India.

Topic: State News/Gujarat

10. A scheme to provide rented accommodation to construction workers for Rs 5 per day was launched by the Gujarat government.

• The 'Shramik Basera' scheme launched by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to provide temporary housing to around 15,000 construction workers at a nominal rate of Rs 5 per day.
• Under the 'Shramik Basera' scheme, the Chief Minister performed the bhoomi pujan of 17 dwelling structures for workers in the cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, and Rajkot.
• A portal for the Shramik Basera scheme was also launched by the CM.
• Once the facilities are ready, the scheme will benefit around 15,000 construction workers.
• Housing will be provided to the construction workers at a daily rent of Rs 5 per person.
• In the next three years, more such dwelling centres will be built across Gujarat for the benefit of about 3 lakh construction workers. The project will cost Rs 1,500 crore.
• The aim of this move is to bring about a "qualitative change" in the living standards of workers in the unorganised sector and construction sector by "providing them food, health, housing and financial support".

Topic: Sports

11. India's Kush Maini won his first Formula 2 sprint race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

• On July 21, Kush Maini recorded his maiden win in the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Formula 2 Championship, becoming the second Indian to achieve the feat.
• The 23-year-old Indian driver inherited the position from Richard Verschoor, who was disqualified after the race for a technical infringement.
• The 23-year-old Invicta Racing driver added 10 points to her season tally after topping the podium.
• With victory at the Hungaroring on July 20, Maini overtook Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli in the Formula 2 drivers' standings to move to P8 with 66 points.

Topic: National Appointment

12. Manolo Marquez appointed head coach of Indian men's football team.

• On July 20, the appointment of Spaniard Manolo Marquez as the head coach of the Indian men's football team was announced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). 
• Currently, Marquez is the head coach of Indian Super League (ISL) team FC Goa.
• Through the 2024-25 season, Mr. Marquez will continue in his role as the first-team Head Coach at FC Goa, handling both responsibilities simultaneously before assuming the national coaching role on a full-time basis.
• Since 2020, Marquez has been coaching in India.
• He has coached two ISL clubs – his first stint was with Hyderabad FC (2020–23) before he moved to FC Goa (2023-present).
• In 2021–22, he is the ISL Cup winner with Hyderabad FC.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2023-24 in the parliament.

• According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, the Indian economy will continue to expand amid geopolitical challenges.
• Key Highlights of the Economic Survey 2023-24 are:
• It projected GDP growth of 6.5–7 percent for FY25. The survey's predictions are lower than the Reserve Bank of India's 7.2 per cent but align with the forecast of the IMF.
• Retail inflation decreased to 5.4 percent in FY24, down from 6.7 percent in FY23.
• FDI flow has declined from USD 47.6 billion in FY23 to USD 45.8 billion in FY24.
• The services sector grew by 7.6 percent in FY24, while the agriculture sector expanded by 4.18 percent over the past five years.
• The survey highlighted that global financial markets have scaled new heights in the past year, with investors betting on global economic expansion.
• Overall employment in unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises (excluding construction) fell to 10.96 crore from 11.1 crore in 2015-16.
• Public investment has been pivotal in sustaining capital formation, with the private sector also beginning to invest significantly since FY22.
• The trade deficit in FY24 was lower compared to FY23, with the current account deficit around 0.7% of GDP.
• The Government’s thrust on capex and sustained momentum in private investment has boosted capital formation growth.
• Bank credit growth was broad-based and double-digit. Gross and net non-performing assets (NPAs) reached multi-year lows.
• Primary capital markets facilitated capital formation of ₹10.9 lakh crore in FY24.
• The Economic Survey is an annual document presented by the government ahead of the Union Budget.
• It is prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance under the supervision of the chief economic adviser.

Topic: Space and IT

14. Japanese scientists developed a robot face with living skin.

• Japanese scientists have created a method to attach living skin tissue to robotic faces and make them "smile”.
• Researchers at the University of Tokyo grew human skin cells in the shape of a face.
• It is an important step towards building more life-like robots.
• Living tissue has many advantages over metals and plastics, and it helps the skin repair itself.
• The researchers aim to add more elements to the lab-grown skin, including a circulatory system and nerves.
• This would help in safer testing for cosmetics and drugs absorbed through the skin.
• It could also produce more realistic and functional coverings for robots.