Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 July 2022

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

1. Gujarat becomes India's first state to launch semiconductor policy.

• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel unveiled Semiconductor Policy 2022-27 to create two lakh new jobs in the next five years.
• A “Semicon City” will be also established at Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) on 5,000-10,000 acres.
• The main aim of the policy is to attract semiconductor fabrication units, display fabrication units, silicon photonics and semiconductor assembly, testing, marking and packaging facilities to Gujarat.
• It is the first time that a state has launched a dedicated semiconductor policy. Gujarat will implement semiconductor policy along with the electronic policy.
• Under this policy, the state government will provide 75 percent subsidy on the first 200 acres required for a fabrication project.
• The subsidy on land will be provided to only those projects which will be set up in the Dholera Special Investment Region.
• Government will also give a power tariff subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for a period of 10 years. All eligible projects will receive water at Rs 12 per cubic metre for a period of five years.
• The policy will promote semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the state.

Topic: Indian Polity

2. Union Cabinet has approved a bill to amend the Competition Act, 2002.

• The Competition (Amendment) Bill will introduce changes to the governing structure of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
• It will modify the substantive provisions in the law to address the needs of new age markets.
• It will make competition regulation more robust by addressing regulatory gaps. It will clarify provisions in the existing law.
• The monsoon session of Parliament started on 18 July. Around 30 bills will come up for discussion during the session.
• These include bills for revising scheduled castes and tribes lists in some of the states and for investor protection in multi-state cooperative societies.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given approval to an additional investment of $1,600 million by Bharat PetroResources Ltd. (BPRL) for developing a project in Brazil.
• Bharat PetroResources Ltd. (BPRL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL).
• Competition Act, 2002:
  • It was passed by the Parliament in the year 2002. President gave assent in January 2003.
  • It replaced the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, 1969.
  • It was amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007 and again by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2009.

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

3. PM Modi launched India’s first international bullion exchange in Gujarat.

• He visited India's first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) near Gandhinagar.
• During his visit, he launched India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX).
• He also laid the foundation stone for the headquarters building of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
• He also launched NSE IFSC-SGX Connect platform, which will deepen liquidity in derivative markets at GIFT-IFSC.

International Financial Sevices Centres Authority (IFSCA):

• It has been established on April 27, 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• It is an authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India.

Topic: Sports

4. German racing driver Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One.

• Sebastian Vettel is four times world champion. Vettel made his debut in 2007.
• Sebastian won his first title in 2010 and became the youngest title winner.
• Vettel is third on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53 victories to his name.
• Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have more titles than him.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

5. Two MH 60R multi-role helicopters are handed to the Indian Navy by the United States.

• The Special Air Assignment Mission Flight of the US Air Force delivered the helicopters at the Cochin International Airport.
• The helicopters are part of 24 MH 60R multirole helicopters that were purchased at a cost of over Rs 14,000 crore.
• In 2021, the first three helicopters delivered by the US are being used to train the Indian Navy crew.
• On August 22, 2022, another helicopter is scheduled to be delivered.
• By 2025, the delivery of all 24 MH 60 R multirole helicopters will be completed.
• With the induction of these helicopters into the Navy, the warfare capability of the Indian Navy will increase significantly.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

6. Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Andaman Nicobar Command (ANC) have signed an MoU in Port Blair.

• The MoU has been signed to promote inter-island connectivity under the UDAN scheme.
• The MoU has been signed by Jameel Khaliq, Director of Port Blair Airport, and Captain Satish Mishra of INS Kohasaa and Jitendra Navet of INS Baaz.
• According to the MoU, navy airfields in Shibpur (in Diglipur) in North Andaman and Campbell Bay would be used for civil operations.
• Passenger flights will directly connect Port Blair to Diglipur and Campbell Bay, the two ends of the archipelago.
• As per the vision of the UDAN scheme, a low-cost 20-passenger flight will be operated between these islands.
• Presently, in Diglipur and Campbell, helicopter services are available in a very limited capacity.
• Diglipur is the third most populous city in the Andaman, while Campbell Bay is going to become a major transshipment port.
• UDAN Scheme:
  • Full form of UDAN is Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik. The scheme was launched in April 2017 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  • It is a flagship scheme of the central government, which was launched with the objective of connecting regional routes, promoting balanced regional development and making flights affordable for the common people.
  • The UDAN scheme is a major component of the National Civil Aviation Policy.

Topic: State News/Haryana

7. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar launched 'smart e-beat' system for Gurugram police.

• He also launched an app-based system for police attendance and real-time monitoring of patrolling by personnel.
• He also flagged off 119 motorcycle police riders. He said app-based system has been launched in Gurugram as part of the 'Smart Policing Initiative' (SPI).
• He said the beat system has been digitized. Till now, the policemen deployed at the beat used to mark their attendance manually.
• There was no system in place for their monitoring. This GIS-based system would enable more effective monitoring.
• In the future, this system will be integrated with Emergency Response Support System.

Topic: Important Days

8. International Tiger Day: 29 July

• International Tiger Day is observed every year on 29 July all over the world.
• This day was adopted during the 2010 St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia.
• In this summit, the Heads of Governments of Tiger Range countries made a commitment to double the tiger population by the year 2022.
• The theme of International Tiger Day 2022 is “India launches Project Tiger to revive the tiger population”.
• India is home to over half of the world’s wild tigers. The tiger is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

9. Government launched the 11^th Agriculture Census in the country.

• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Narendra Singh Tomar launched the 11th Agriculture Census in the country.
• It will be the first time data collection for agricultural computations will be done on smartphones and tablets.
• Narendra Singh Tomar has also launched the Data Collection Portal/App and released the Handbook on Operational Guidelines for Census.
• Agricultural computations will also contribute to the mapping of crops.
• The agriculture Census is conducted on every five years. The fieldwork for the agricultural census will begin in August 2022.
• Agricultural Census provides information on different agricultural parameters such as area of ​​operational holdings, their size, class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy and cropping pattern, etc. at the minute level.
• The use of mobile apps for data collection will accelerate the digitalization of the land record.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

10. India’s first Indigenous aircraft carrier ‘INS Vikrant’ handed over to the Indian Navy.

• Indian Navy has taken the delivery of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, built by the Cochin Shipyard.
• The INS Vikrant has been delivered to the Navy after extensive harbour and sea trials between Aug 2021 and Jul 2022.
• During the sea trials, ships build quality and performance including hull, main propulsion, auxiliary equipment, weapons, sensor, etc. have been checked.
• INS Vikrant indigenized components and equipment were sourced from many Indian industries including Bharat Electronics, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, etc.
• INS Vikrant air wing will comprise 30 aircraft, including MIG-29K/KUB fighter jets, Kamov-31 and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
• The Vikrant’s fixed-wing aircraft operate by using the STOBAR (short take- off with barrier arrested landing) principle.
• The aircraft carrier will be initially commissioned in the western naval command.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

11. Maharashtra government banned plastic coated products in the state.

• Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that plastic coated or plastic laminated products have been banned in the state.
• The main aim of the ban is to reduce the use of items containing plastic. It will also reduce the influx of sub-standard plastic.
• The Maharashtra government banned the manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic material in 2018.
• A committee formed for effective implementation of the plastic ban had recommended banning plastic-coated and laminated disposable dishes, cups, plates, glasses, forks, bowls and containers (single-use products) made from paper or aluminium.
• Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage), Notification, 2018 will be also amended for the effective implementation of the orders.
• The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags of thickness less than 75 microns with effect from September 30, 2021 and less than 120 microns with effect from December 31, 2022.

Topic: Important Days

12. World Nature Conservation Day: 28 July

• World Nature Conservation Day is observed every year on 28 July.
• It is observed to increase awareness about the importance of preserving nature and natural resources.
• The main aim of the day is to protect various natural resources such as water, air, soil, energy, vegetation, minerals and animal life.
• According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 90 percent of the Earth's topsoil is expected to be at risk by 2050.
• The theme for this year's World Nature Conservation Day is 'Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’.
• This year’s theme is associated with the sustainable use of natural resources by humans and promoting conservation practices to protect it from mining, hunting and other destructive activities.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

13. PV Sindhu and Manpreet Singh were the flagbearers at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

• Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Indian men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh were India’s flagbearer at the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony.
• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) committee has selected the names for the flagbearer. Rajeev Mehta, Anandeshwar Panday and Rajesh Bhandari were the members of this committee.
• The decision to name Manpreet Singh was taken after the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee stated that there would be two flag bearers - one male and one female - from each country.
• A 215-member Indian contingent comprising 111 male players and 104 female players will take part in 15 sporting events.
• 5,000 athletes from 54 countries will participate in the tournament. Commonwealth Games 2022 is being held in Birmingham from 28 July to 8 August 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

14. Singapore emerged as the top source of FDI for India in FY 2021-22.

• Singapore (27.01%), USA (17.94%), Mauritius (15.98%), Netherlands (7.86%) and Switzerland (7.31%) were the top five sources of FDI in India in FY 2021-22.
• According to the UNCTAD World Investment Report (WIR) 2022, India is in the 7^th spot among 20 countries.
• The manufacturing sector attracted FDI worth $21.34 billion in 2021-22, which is 76% more than the last year.
• India emerged as a preferred country for foreign investments in the manufacturing sector.
• India received the highest annual FDI inflows of USD 84,835 million in FY 21-22, USD 2.87 billion more than last year.
• Computer Software & Hardware (24.60%), Services Sector (12.13%), Automobile Industry (11.89%), Trading (7.72%) and Construction (Infrastructure) Activities (5.52%) are the top five sectors receiving FDI Equity Inflow during FY 2021.
• Karnataka (37.55%) received the highest FDI in FY 2021-22, it is followed by Maharashtra (26.26%), Delhi (13.93%), Tamil Nadu (5.10%) and Haryana (4.76%).
• During FY 2021-22, India received FDI from 101 countries. In India, FDI is permitted through the automatic route up to 100 percent in non-critical sectors.