Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 July 2021

Topic: Sports

1. A player-oriented web-based platform has been launched by Hockey India.

• 'Heroes Connect', a player-oriented engagement platform, launched by Hockey India.
• The platform has been launched to prepare a detailed database of the players who represent the country in both men's and women's games.
• The former and current Indian hockey players can do constructive discussions about the sport through this platform.

Topic: Reports and Indices

2. According to UN Survey, India improved its ranking in ease of cross-border trade.

• As per the latest United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, India has received impressive progress in ease of cross-border trade.
• The survey was conducted on 143 economies on key trade facilitation parameters over a two-year period.
• The rank of India increased from 78.49 percent in 2019 to 90.32 percent in 2021.
• It is a bi-annual survey that deals with trade facilitation measures taken by various economies.
• India’s score is higher than many OECD and average of EU countries.
• As per the survey, India is one of the best performers in the South and South-West Asia region and the Asia-Pacific region.
• Top Countries in UN Global Survey on Digital & Sustainable Trade Facilitation
  • Developed countries like Australia, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Belgium scored over 93 percent.
  • Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have scored 64.5 percent and 60.2 percent respectively.
• According to the 2021 survey report, the score of India in different categories are:
  • 100% in transparency
  • 95.83% in formalities
  • 88.89% in institutional arrangement and cooperation
  • 96.30% in paperless trade

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

3. Income Tax Day (Aaykar Diwas): 24 July

• Income Tax Day (Income Tax Day) is celebrated on 24 July and this year's Income Tax Day is the 161^st Income Tax Day.
• On 24 July 1860, Sir James Wilson introduced income tax in India to compensate the British government for the losses incurred at the time of First War of Independence in 1857. 
• In 2010, Income Tax Department decided to mark 24 July as Income Tax Day. Income Tax Day (Aaykar Diwas) is being celebrated since 2010.
• Income Tax Department works under Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance. It is headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Income tax is a direct tax.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

4. G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Naples ended with approval of joint communique.

• G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Naples, Italy ended with approval of joint communique.
• Joint communique is the outcome of weeks of negotiation. It is based on three macro areas given below.
  • Biodiversity
  • Efficient use of resources and circular economy
  • Sustainable finance
• As per Italy's Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani, G20 nations failed to agree on the wording of key climate change commitments in their final communique.
• G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting was seen as a decisive step ahead of COP 26 in Glasgow in November.
• G20 Environment Ministers' Meeting 2021 is one of the ministerial meetings. It was organized as part of the G20 Leaders Summit 2021.
• G20 Leaders Summit 2021 will be hosted by Italy in October 2021. It will focus on three broad, interconnected pillars of action: People, Planet, Prosperity.

Topic: State News/ Ladakh

5. Union Cabinet approves setting up of Central University in Ladakh.

• The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a central university in Ladakh. It will be established at a cost of Rs 750 crore.
• It will help in reducing regional imbalances and improve the quality of higher education in the Union Territory. The University will have jurisdiction over Leh and Kargil regions.
• The Cabinet also approved the introduction of a bill namely, 'The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021' in Parliament.
• The University will strengthen democratic values and promote the overall growth and development of Ladakh.
• Cabinet also approved the establishment of an Integrated Multi-purpose infrastructure Development Corporation for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Topic: Defence

6. Indian Navy and UK’s Royal Navy participated in a two-day bilateral Passage Exercise (PASSEX).

• The Indian Navy and the Carrier Strike Group HMS Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy participated in a two-day Passage Exercise in the Bay of Bengal from July 21 to 22.
• It was the first joint exercise between the Indian Navy and Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier.
• INS Ships Satpura, Ranvir, Jyoti, Kavaratti, Kulish, and a submarine participated in this Naval Exercise on behalf of India.
• Both countries participated in Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Air, and Anti-Surface warfare maritime operations during the Naval Exercise.
• Later, both countries will participate in a separate exercise in the Atlantic Ocean.

Topic: Miscellaneous

7. World's first 3D printed steel bridge opens for public in Amsterdam.

• The world’s first 3D printed steel bridge has been opened for the public in Amsterdam.
• It is printed by robotic arms and equipped with an innovative sensor network. The sensor will provide information about the bridge’s structure and how it is being used.
• The sensor in the bridge will gather data on the strain, displacement, vibration, air quality, and temperature.
• The collected data from the sensor will be used by engineers to understand that how 3D printed steel might be used for larger scale and more complex building projects.
• It is built by Dutch company MX3D with the help of four industrial robots.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Government launched portal for registration of Children orphaned by COVID-19.

• The government launched a portal for the registration of Children orphaned by COVID-19. It has been launched under the PM-Cares scheme.
• In May, Government has launched a scheme under the PM CARES fund for children who have lost either parents or a legal guardian due to COVID-19.
• Under this scheme, financial assistance of ₹10 lakh will be provided to each orphaned child. The beneficiary will get a monthly stipend for higher Education. He or She will get the entire corpus amount at the age of 23.
• The government will provide them health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
• According to the Health Minister, a total of 645 children were orphaned due to COVID-19 between April-May 2021.

Topic: Indian Polity

9. Supreme Court struck down some provisions of 97th Amendment dealing with co-operative societies.

• A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court has quashed part of the 97^th Amendment Act and Part IX B of the Constitution which deals with the “Cooperative Societies” in the country.
• The bench held that the Part IXB of the 97^th Constitutional Amendment required ratification by at least one-half of the state legislatures as per Article 368(2) of the Constitution.
• The Part IXB of the Constitution deals with incorporation, terms of members of the board and its office bearers, and effective management of cooperative societies.
• The 97^th Constitutional Amendment was passed by Parliament in December 2011 and had come into effect from February 15, 2012.
• This amendment was passed without the ratification of one-half of the state legislatures as mandated by Article 368(2) of the Constitution.

• Recently, Government has created a separate “Ministry of Cooperation” for the Co-operatives societies.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. IPC and WHO sign MoU for promotion of diversity and equity.

• International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have signed MoU for the promotion of diversity and equity.
• The two partners will collaborate to improve global access to quality rehabilitation and assistive technology as part of universal coverage.
• Andrew Parsons, IPC President and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General signed the MoU in Tokyo.
• The Paralympic Games will start on August 24 and end on September 5, 2021.
• As per WHO estimates, about 15% of the world’s population is affected by disability.

Topic: Personality in News

11. Kerala's oldest learner Bhageerathi Amma dies at the age of 107 years.

• Kerala's oldest learner Bhageerathi Amma has died at the age of 107 years.
• She passed the literacy examination two years ago. She is living in the Kollam district of Kerala.
• She was a recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar by the Central government for her exceptional contribution towards women's empowerment.
• She cleared the fourth standard equivalency examination conducted by the state-run Kerala State Literacy Mission in 2019.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

12. Sweden ratifies framework agreement for the International Solar Alliance.

• Sweden has ratified the framework agreement for the International Solar Alliance.
• Swedish Ambassador to India, Klas Molin, said Sweden is happy to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Director-General of ISA, Ajay Mathur, said he was delighted to welcome Sweden into ISA.
• Sweden has ratified the framework agreement for ISA over four months after PM Modi and Swedish premier Stefan Lofven held a virtual summit focusing on boosting cooperation in areas of innovation, technology and climate change.