Daily Current Affairs and GK | 30 July 2024

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh was conferred the “Lifetime Achievement Award”.

• He was conferred the award in recognition of his dedication to the advancement of diabetes care, diabetology and diabetes research.
• He was conferred the award in a ceremony held at Chennai to mark the International Meet of leading medical celebrities, professionals and Medicos from all over the country and abroad.
• In past, he has received "Gold Medal for Oration" from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) Puducherry.
• In past, he also received coveted “Jamna Devi Gian Devi Award" for journalism.
• He is the author of the book titled "Diabetes Made Easy".
• He has been elected to the House of People (Lok Sabha) for three consecutive terms.
• He is the first in Jammu & Kashmir to find a berth in Union Council of Ministers consequently for the third term.

Topic: Sports

2. Jiya Rai is now the youngest and fastest female paraswimmer in world to successfully swim solo across the English Channel.

• The 16-year-old covered 34 kilometres in 17 hours and 25 minutes, from Abbots Cliff in England to Pointe de la Courte-Dune in France.
• She holds the world record for open water swimming and competes internationally as a paraswimmer.
• Jiya Rai is a recipient of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022, the highest award for citizens below 18 years of Age.
• Her remarkable conquest of the English Channel has been dedicated to promoting autism awareness.
• She is the daughter of a navy officer serving in Mumbai.
• The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. It separates Southern England from northern France.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

3. As per RBI report, India accounts for nearly half of the global digital payments.

• According to a report by the Reserve Bank of India, 48.5 percent of the global real-time payment volumes are performed in India.
• The digital economy currently makes up about a tenth of India’s GDP. It is likely to grow to a fifth of GDP by 2026.
• Digital payments in India have registered an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50 percent in volume and 10 percent in value terms over the last seven years.
• The report also highlighted that India led the global remittances in 2023 by receiving US$115.3 billion.
• The report also pointed out that cybersecurity is a significant challenge due to the diverse nature of cyber threats.
• Security incidents have increased from 53,117 in 2017 to 13,20,106 during January-October 2023.
• The digital revolution has enhanced banking infrastructure and public finance management systems.
• The report highlighted that India’s digital technology infrastructure will be a key growth engine.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Defence

4. DAC cleared capital acquisition proposals to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard.

• A Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh took place on July 29, 2024.
• In this meeting, various capital acquisition proposals were considered for acquisition to bolster the capabilities of the Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard.
• The procurement of the Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) has been approved for the Indian Army.
• The ALNS is a navigational system designed to enhance the operational efficiency of the Indian Army’s AFVs.
• The approved ALNS Mk-II system is known for its high levels of encryption and spoof-proof capabilities, ensuring secure and reliable navigation.
• The DAC has also approved AoN for the procurement of 22 interceptor boats for the Indian Coast Guard.
• These boats will be used for coastal surveillance & patrolling, search & rescue operations, and medical evacuation.

Topic: National News

5. ‘One DAE One Subscription’ has been inaugurated by the Department of Atomic Energy.

• The inauguration of ‘One DAE, One Subscription’ (ODOS) was held at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
• ODOS is a unique idea that enables the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and all its units/sub units (around 60) to read and publish national and international research papers as well as scientific journals under one roof.
• The ODOS will later get merged with a national initiative ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS).
• The first ODOS agreement was with M/s. Wiley India Private Limited. It will provide access to the collection of 1353 Wiley journals, including archives from 1997, to the entire DAE community.
• The ODOS Transformative Agreements (TA) were signed with M/s. Wiley India Private Limited and with M/s. Springer Nature Group is a significant milestone for the DAE scientific community.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Sports

6. Manika Batra became the first Indian to reach the Olympics Round of 16 in Table Tennis.

• Manika Batra became the first Indian table tennis player to reach the singles pre-quarterfinals at the Olympic Games.
• Manika Batra defeated Prithika by 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-7.
• Manika had reached the round of 32 at the Tokyo Olympics.
• She is the top female table tennis player in India.
• She was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2020.

Topic: Government Scheme and Initiatives

7. Ideas4Life portal was launched by Shri Bhupendra Yadav at IIT Delhi.

• On 29th July, Ideas4Life launched by Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change to invite ideas related to products and services that inspire behaviour change related to eco-friendly lifestyle.
• The initiative aims to encourage and inspire students, teachers and researchers to contribute their innovative ideas to Mission Life's global initiatives.
• The portal 'Ideas4Life.nic.in' will provide an opportunity to the participants to submit their ideas and innovations online.
• Individuals as well as institutions with winning ideas under each of the seven themes of Mission Life will be awarded attractive prizes.
• The Ideas4Life Ideathon covers the seven themes of Mission Life – save water, save energy, reduce waste, reduce e-waste, avoid single-use plastic, adopt sustainable food systems and adopt healthy lifestyles.
• UGC, AICTE, IITs and educational institutions across the country will play a vital role in spreading the call of Ideas4Life Ideathon among students, researchers and the academic fraternity.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

8. India will host the Asia Cup after 34 years.

• The Asia Cup will return to India in 2025 after 34 years, with the country hosting the T20 edition ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2026.
• This was announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in its Expression of Interest (IEOI).
• Bangladesh will host the 2027 Asia Cup, which will be played in a 50-over format, in line with the ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa that year.
• Since its first T20 edition in 2016, the Asia Cup has served as a warm-up match for international competitions that follows the format of the World Cup.
• The 2023 edition of Asia Cup, hosted by Pakistan, was held in a 'hybrid model' after India refused to travel to Pakistan.
• As a result, India's matches were played in Sri Lanka.
• India are the defending Asia Cup champions and have won three of the last four editions of the tournament.
• India beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final of the 50-over edition in Colombo in 2023.
• In 1984, the first edition of Asia Cup was held in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. An MoU signed with GBPUAT by BIS to develop first of its kind standardized agricultural demonstration farm.

• A landmark MoU has been signed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) to facilitate the development of a 'Standardised Agricultural Demonstration Farm' (SADF), the first of its kind in India.
• The primary objective of this MoU is to develop SADF at GBPUAT in collaboration with BIS.
• These farms will serve as experimental sites for testing and implementing various agricultural practices and new technologies as per Indian standards.
• This partnership with GBPUAT is a significant step towards promoting standardized agricultural practices and ensuring the implementation of cutting-edge technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2024: 30 July

• Every year on 30 July, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is celebrated to raise awareness about human trafficking.
• The theme of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2024 is "Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking".
• The United Nations General Assembly designated July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in 2013.
• Global crises, conflicts, and climate emergencies are increasing the risks of human trafficking.
• Trafficking of persons is a serious crime and a violation of human rights. Thousands of men, women and children get trafficked every year.

Topic: National Appointment

11. Manoj Mittal took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

• Mittal has taken over as CMD of SIDBI, replacing S Raman.
• He has extensive experience of over 33 years in the finance sector.
• It includes his previous tenures as Managing Director and CEO at Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) and Deputy Managing Director at SIDBI.
• Earlier, Mittal has worked as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of state-owned non-banking finance company IFCI.
• On April 2, 1990, SIDBI was established under an act of the Indian Parliament.
• SIDBI is mandated to act as the principal financial institution for implementing the three-pronged agenda of promotion, financing and development of the MSME sector and to coordinate the work of various institutions engaged in similar activities.

Topic: International Appointment

12. On July 28, Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential election.

• Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term with 51% of the vote after 80% of votes were counted.
• Meanwhile, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez got 44% of the votes.
• Venezuela:
  • It is a country on the northern coast of South America.
  • Its capital is Caracas. The currency of Venezuela is the Venezuelan bolívar.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. Tech Leaders Forum of India has been launched at the World Education Conference 2024 in Dubai.

• The Tech Leaders Forum of India (TELFI) has been officially launched at the World Education Conference 2024.
• It was hosted by the Federation of Economic Development Association (FEDA) at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University in Dubai.
• The Tech Leaders Forum of India is a new initiative to empower engineers.
• This forum has been designed to support engineers through various professional activities including webinars, workshops, and training sessions.
• Its main goal is to provide engineers with the resources, knowledge, and network needed to excel in their careers and drive technological advancements both in India and internationally.
• More than 150 attendees representing diverse academic fields attended Tech Leaders Forum of India.
• The FEDA Appreciation Awards 2024 honour exceptional educators and advocates. Honorary doctorates were also awarded to distinguished individuals in education.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

14. CITES eased the export of agarwood from India.

• In the review of significant trade (rst) of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (cites), India has successfully prevented the inclusion of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) in CITES.
• CITES has notified a new export quota of highly valuable and aromatic resinous wood and oil of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) from India from April 2024.
• Agarwood is cultivated in the northeast states of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
• For the first time, Aquilaria malaccensis was listed in Appendix II of CITES in 1995.
• For 2024–2027, the export quota recommended by the NDF stands at agarwood chips and powder/sawdust is 1,51,080 kg/year and agarwood oil is 7,050 kg/year
• As per the study, 13.989 crores plant of agarwood are present in India.
• Agarwood is utilised for different purpose such as in the aroma industry, in medicine preparations, air fresheners and purifiers.