Daily Current Affairs and GK | 30 July 2022

Topic: State News/ Punjab

1. Punjab sports department will organize “Punjab Khed Mela” from 29 August.

• The “khed mela” will begin on the occasion of National Sports Day.
• It will be the biggest sports programme of its kind and more than 3 lakh players of Punjab will participate in 30 sports.
• It will be held from block to the state level and winners will get a cash prize worth ₹5 crore and certificates.
• For the first time, competitions will be organized in the 25 to 40 year, 40 to 50 year and 50 to 60 year age groups. The winners will get the grading in their respective sports.
• The competitions will be held in different sports disciplines like Badminton, Cricket, Cycling, Shooting, Archery, Bodybuilding, Fencing, Gymnastics, Rowing, etc.
• Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will participate in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Khed Mela.

Topic: National Appointments

2. Pranay Kumar Verma appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.

• Currently, Pranay Kumar Verma is serving as Ambassador of India to Vietnam.
• He will succeed Vikram Doraiswami, who will assume charge as Indian High Commissioner to the UK.
• Pranay Kumar Verma has served as the Director General of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs.
• He also worked as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy.
• Sandeep Arya has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Vietnam. He is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

3. PM Modi addressed first All India DLSAs meeting.

• On July 30, PM Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi.
• The National Legal Services Authority organized the first-ever national-level meeting of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) at Vigyan Bhawan.
• The meeting considered the creation of an integrated process to bring about uniformity and synchronization in DLSA.
• There are 676 District Legal Services Authorities throughout the country.
• A District Judge is the head of the DLSAs and acts as chairman of the authority.
• Various legal aid and awareness programs are implemented by the National Legal Services Authority, through DLSA and State Legal Services Authorities.
• DLSAs also contribute to reducing the burden on the courts by regulating the Lok Adalats conducted by NALSA.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Power Ministry's flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme unveiled by the Prime Minister.

• The scheme was unveiled during a program of 'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya - Power @ 2047' through video conferencing.
• The revamped distribution sector scheme aims to improve operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of DISCOMs and power ministries.
• The scheme has been launched with an outlay of over Rs 3 lakh crore over a period of five years.
• The scheme's goal is to give financial help to DISCOMs for distribution infrastructure upgrading and strengthening, with a focus on improving the reliability and quality of supply to end customers.
• The Prime Minister also dedicated and laid the foundation for many National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) green energy projects, worth more than 5,200 crore rupees.
• During the program, a national solar rooftop portal has been also launched to enable online tracking of the process of installation of rooftop solar plants.

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

5. A breakfast scheme for state-run schools announced by the Tamil Nadu govt.

• On July 27, the Tamil Nadu government issued an Order to implement the first phase of the "Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme" in 1,545 government primary schools.
• At a total cost of 33.56 crores, the program will provide benefits to more than 1.14 lakh students from Classes I to V throughout the State from 2022 to 23.
• Each student will be provided with 150-500 grams of cooked breakfast food.
• K. Kamaraj, the then-chief minister of Madras State (which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1967), introduced the mid-day meals scheme in 1957.
• Mr. Stalin also launched a physical and mental health awareness campaign for school students.

Topic: Personality in News

6. Sushovan Banerjee passed away at the age of 80.

• Padma Shri Sushovan Banerjee, popularly known as 'One Rupee Doctor', passed away due to kidney ailments.
• In Bolpur, Birbhum district, Banerjee treated patients for 60 years at Re 1 per visit.
• He received the Padma Shri in 2020 in recognition of his contributions to medicine.
• His name was entered into the Guinness World Records in 2020 for treating the most patients.
• Banerjee was also a former MLA from Bolpur, where he won the 1984 election on a Congress ticket.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

7. United Nations (UN) has declared healthy environment a human right.

• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared that everyone on the planet has a right to a healthy environment.
• On 28 July 2022, UNGA adopted the resolution. This resolution declared access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment a universal human right.
• 161 states voted in favor of the resolution, and eight abstained from voting. China, Russian Federation, Belarus, Cambodia, Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia are states who abstained.
• The newly recognised right will be crucial to tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
• This right was not included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.
• The resolution is not legally binding on the 193 UN Member States.
• However, it will prompt countries to include the right to a healthy environment in national constitutions and regional treaties.
• In April, the UN Human Rights Council declared access to a "clean, healthy and sustainable environment" a human right.
• Last year, New York State passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizens a right to a "healthful environment."
• Recently, Brazil's Supreme Court declared the Paris climate change agreement a human rights treaty.
• In July 2010, UNGA recognized the right to water and sanitation through its resolution.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. India and Egypt signed MoU to build a green hydrogen factory worth $8 billion.

• An Indian Company has signed MoU with Egypt to build a green hydrogen factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
• As per the MoU, Indian ReNew Power Private Limited will build a factory to produce 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year.
• This factory will be built with the investments worth $8 billion.
• ReNew Power is India's largest renewable energy company in terms of operational capacity. It is based in Gurgaon, Haryana. Sumant Sinha is its CEO.
• Green hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water and using electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar.

Topic: India Polity

9. Lok Sabha passed National Anti-Doping Bill 2021.

• The bill provides a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory in sports.
• The Bill also proposes to establish the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports. The board will overtake the activities of NADA and issue directions to it.
• The bill will support the UNESCO international convention against doping in sports.
• The bill prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel, and other persons from getting involved in any doping activities.
• Under the new law, violations of anti-doping rules can result in disqualification and a person being barred from participating in a competition or event.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched several education and skill development initiatives.

• On the occasion of two years of the launch of the National Education Policy 2020, Amit Shah launched several initiatives related to education and skill development.
• These initiatives cover different areas like digital education, innovation, skill development, teacher training and assessment.
• National Education Policy 2020 was launched on 29 July 2020. It has replaced the National Policy on Education 1986.
• The launched initiatives are given below:
  • 75 Bharateeya games in schools: Bharateeya games will be introduced in schools through the PT teachers. It will help in promoting traditional sports in schools.
  • Kalashala initiative in 750 schools: It will promote and support local arts and introduce various art forms to school children through lecture demonstrations by visiting artists.
  • IKS-MIC program for technology demonstration: It will promote the development of products and India’s traditional knowledge systems.
  • Setting-up of virtual labs: 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs will be established.
  • Public Consultation Survey for NCF: Public Consultation survey in 23 languages will be conducted to seek input and suggestions for the development of the NCF.

Topic: National News

11. Health Ministry released a new set of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs.

• The new specified health warnings have been issued by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008.
• The new guidelines will become effective from 1 December 2022.
• After 1 December 2022, all tobacco products pack shall display the Image with the textual Health Warning as ‘TOBACCO CAUSES PAINFUL DEATH’.
• All tobacco products manufactured, imported, or packaged on or after December 1, 2023, shall display an image with the textual health warning ‘TOBACCO USERS DIE YOUNGER’.
• The violation of guidelines is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine under Section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.
• Persons involved in the manufacture, production, supply, import or distribution of Tobacco Products must have to ensure that packaging contains the required health warnings.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

12. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) released a report titled ‘Internet in India'.

• According to a report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), 346 million Indians use online transactions.
• The number of people using online transactions in India is greater than the US population involved in digital transactions, which is around 331 million.
• As per the report, the online transaction in the past two years has increased by 51% from 230 million in 2019.
• The report states that the number of male internet users is more than female users in both rural and urban areas.
• Social media, entertainment and communications are the top activities on the internet in India. Text and email are the most popular means of communication.
• India will have more than 900 million internet users by 2025. Currently, there are a total of 692 million active internet users in India.
• ‘Internet in India’ report is based on the ICUBE 2021 study and is the oldest and most comprehensive survey of internet usage in India.
• It is jointly prepared by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honoured with the Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award.

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented the Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• The award was handed over to the Ambassador of Ukraine to Britain Vadym Prystaiko.
• Boris Johnson said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy proved his leadership after the invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
• In March, Zelenskyy received a standing ovation in the British Parliament for his leadership.
• Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
• Churchill leadership award:
  • It was first presented in 2006.
  • It is given to persons who have shown exceptional leadership skills like Winston Churchill.

Topic: Science and Technology

14. Google launched Street View for ten cities in India.

• Google Street View is a 360-degree view of a location captured. It has been captured by special cameras mounted on vehicles or data collectors' backpacks moving in the streets of a city.
• The images are patched to create a 360-degree view of a location.
• The National Geospatial Policy, 2021 has allowed Indian companies to collect map data and pass it on to a third party.
• Google has roped with Tech Mahindra and Mumbai-based Genesys International to launch Street View for 10 Indian cities. These cities are:
  • Delhi
  • Mumbai
  • Pune
  • Nashik
  • Chennai
  • Bengaluru
  • Hyderabad
  • Vadodara
  • Amritsar
  • Ahmedabad
• Street View is not allowed in India for restricted areas like government properties, defence establishments and military areas.
• Privacy and security are the main challenges of Google Street View.