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 NATIONAL EVENTS
India, Japan Civil Nuclear Deal Comes into Force
The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy entered into force
on July 20, 2017.
The pact was signed in Tokyo during the visit
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan on
November 11, 2016.
The deal is essential for bringing a network of
nuclear energy cooperation for India, especially with
the U.S. as prominent American nuclear companies
are owned by the Japanese nuclear majors like
Toshiba.
Centre Makes Registration of Marriages
Compulsory
Government has decided to make registration of
marriages compulsory in a bid to provide evidentiary
value to matrimonial and maintenance cases.
However, as of now there is no proposal to link
Aadhaar for the registration of Marriage.
The Law Commission had recently told the government
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that compulsory registration of marriages will help
prevent marriage frauds and protect the women. It
had also made it clear that there was no need
to amend the personal laws dealing with marriages.
Matunga: Indias First All-Women Staff Railway
Station
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The Indian Railways have taken a major step
towards the empowerment of women by handing
over a station to an all women crew for the
first time in the history of Indian Railways.
Matunga, located in the heart of Mumbai city, on
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Central Railway now have an all women crew
which includes ticketing staff, security staff and
other personnel required to operate the station.
The station master too is a woman.
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R-Day 2018: India to Invite 10 Asean Heads
To further its `Act East policy, India will invite
the heads of state or government of all 10
Asean nations for the Republic Day parade and
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celebrations 2018.
Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
and has as members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
One Nation, One Flag: MHA
The Centre made it clear there is no provision in
the Constitution for a separate flag for any state
[2]
and the tricolour is the only flag for India. This
comes after the Karnataka government initiated a
move for a separate flag for the state.
Legally there is no provision either for providing or
prohibiting a separate flag for any state, according
to the Home Ministry.
If the flag comes into being, Karnataka will be
the second state to have its official flag after
Jammu and Kashmir, which enjoys a special status
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under Article 370 of the Constitution.
Countrys First BiomethaneBus
Tata Motors has developed countrys first Bio-CNG
(bio-methane) bus which was unveiled recently at
a bio-energy programme, Urja Utsav organised by
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the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in Pune.
Indias First Solar-Powered Train
Indian Railways has launched its first 1,600 HP solar
powered Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train
with a unique facility of Battery Bank from Safdarjung
station, New Delhi. The train will run from Sarai
Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in Haryana.
While the train has been manufactured at the
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, its solar
system and panels have been developed and fitted
by the Indian Railways Organization of Alternative
Fuel (IROAF).
WIPO sets up TISC in Punjab
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a
specialised agency of the United Nations, has
decided to set up its first Technology and Innovation
Support Centre (TISC) in India at the Punjab State
Council for Science and Technology (PSCST).
The TISC will give access to international standard
intellectual property facilities to the innovators of
the region.
GSI Finds Seabed `Treasure
The Geological Survey of India (GSI), which carried
out `High Resolution Seabed Mapping and Natural
Resource Evaluation involving vessels -Samudra
Ratnakar, Samudra Kaustabh and Samudra Saudikama
- has discovered the presence of millions of
tonnes of precious metals and minerals deep under
the waters that surround peninsular India.
GSIs data established the occurrence of:
More than 10,000 million tonnes of lime mud
within the Exclusive Economic Zone of India
Phosphate sediment off Karwar, Mangaluru and
Chennai coasts
Current Affairs Chronicle
 Gas hydrate in the channel-levee system of Mannar
Basin off the Tamil Nadu coast
Cobalt-bearing ferro-manganese crust from the
Andaman Sea
Micro-manganese nodules around Lakshadweep Sea.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Indonesia Renames its Part of the South China Sea
Indonesia has renamed a resource-rich northern
portion around its Natuna Islands, which lie in
the southern end of the South China Sea, as
the North Natuna Sea.
Chinas nine-dash line overlaps with Indonesias
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the resource-
rich Natuna Islands. The latest development clearly
underline its long-held position that it does not
recognize Chinas notorious nine-dash line claim.
Others which differ with China - The Philippines
refers to the South China Sea as the West
Philippine Sea, and Vietnam refers to it as the
East Sea.
US Criticises Pakistan For Non-Committal Attitude
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Towards Terror Outfits
In its Country Report on Terrorism for the year
2016, the US State Department has criticised
Pakistan for not taking any significant action against
the Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM), other than implementing an ongoing ban
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against media coverage of their activities.
The report also pointed out that the progress
remained slow on regulating Madrassas, blocking
ECONOMY & INFRASTRUCTURE
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Cabinet Approves New Wage Code Bill
The Union Cabinet has approved the new wage
code bill which will ensure a minimum wage across
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all sectors by integrating four labour related laws.
The proposed legislation is expected to benefit over
4 crore employees across the country.
The Labour Code on Wages Bill will consolidate
the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of
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Wages Act, 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act,
1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
The bill seeks to empower the Centre to set a
minimum wage across all sectors in the country
and states will have to maintain that. However,
states will be able to provide for higher minimum
wage in their jurisdiction than fixed by the central
government.
The bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament
www.ias100.in
SC nod for New MCI Oversight Panel
The Supreme Court agreed with the Governments
proposal of five eminent medical practitioners to
oversee the functioning and decisions of the Medical
Council of India.
extremist messaging, empowering the National Counter
Terrorism Authority, cutting off terrorist financing,
and strengthening the judicial system in Pakistan.
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Iraq ousts IS from Mosul
Iraqi troops in Mosul drove Islamic State terrorists
from some of their last strongholds in a nearly
nine-month campaign.
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French Military Chief Quits After Row with
Macron
French military chief General Pierre De Villiers quit
from his post after a row with President Macron
over a military budget.
Later, Macron named General Francois Lecointre,
currently the top military adviser to the Prime
Minister, as his replacement.
Doklam
It is a narrow plateau located in the tri-junction of Bhutan,
Indian and China. It is also known by the name Zhoglam in
standard Tibetan, Droklam in Chomo Tibetan and Donglang in
Chinese. Indian and Chinese military are currently in a stand-off
in the region owing to Chinas attempt to construct a road here.
during the ongoing monsoon session.
The new minimum wage norms would be applicable
for all workers irrespective of their pay. At present,
the minimum wages fixed by the Centre and states
are applicable to workers getting up to 18,000
rupees pay monthly.
HPCL-ONGC Deal: Birth of an Oil Giant
The government has approved an `in principle
sale of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited
(HPCL), the countrys third-largest refiner-retailer, to
flagship explorer ONGC with the aim of creating
an integrated Indian oil company with global size
and heft.
With HPCL under its fold, ONGC will become the
third largest refiner in the country after Indian Oil
and Reliance Industries.
[3]
West Coast Refinery Complex
The worlds biggest oil refinery -cum-petrochemical
complex will come up at Babulwadi, Taluka Rajapur,
Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra.
State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum
Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd
(HPCL) are building the integrated complex with a
refining capacity of 60 million tonnes per annum.
The three firms on June 14 signed a joint venture
agreement to form a company, West Coast Refinery
and Petrochemical Ltd for implementation of the
project.
Rating System for Infra Projects
A new system for rating of infrastructure projects
has been launched by rating agency ICRA in
association with the India Infrastructure Finance
Company Ltd (IIFCL).
The new system will focus on the overall recovery
of dues by the investor/lender over the lifecycle of
the project, besides retaining the valuable aspect
of probability of default already adopted by the
conventional rating scale.
Nagpur-Hyderabad-Bengaluru Expressway
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NHAI has chosen Feedback Infra to prepare the
detailed project report for the proposed Nagpur-
Hyderabad-Bengaluru expressway, a distance of about
1,100 km.
This will be one of the longest expressways
currently being planned in the world and is
estimated to cost at least Rs 35,000 crore. The
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proposed expressway will pass through Maharashtra,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
FINO Becomes Payments Bank
FINO Payments Bank has commenced operations
as a payments bank.
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Payments Banks
There are two kinds of banking licences that are granted
by the Reserve Bank of India - universal bank licence and
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differentiated bank licence. Payments bank comes under
a differentiated bank licence since it cannot offer all the
services that a commercial bank offers. In particular, a
payments bank cannot lend. It can take deposits upto Rs.
1 lakh per account and it can issue debit cards but not
credit cards.
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A payments bank can work as a business correspondent (BC)
of another bank. They can also distribute simple financial
products like mutual fund units and insurance products.
Out of the 11 entities that received in-principle licence
for opening payments bank, 7 entities received the final
licence. Four payments banks have started operations
Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank, Paytm
Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.
RBI has mandated the minimum paid-up equity capital for
payments bank at Rs. 100 crore.
[4]
FINO PayTech Ltd, Navi Mumbai, was one of
the 11 applicants which were issued in-principle
approval for setting up a payments bank. Besides
FINO, the other applicants which have launched
payment bank operations are Airtel M Commerce
Services, Department of Posts and Vijay Shekhar
Sharma (Paytm Payments Bank).
EPFO Adds Banks to Network
The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
has signed an agreement with four private banks
and Bank of Baroda for collection of provident
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fund dues from employers and payments to its
subscribers.
This is the first time that the EPFO has tied up
with private banks namely, ICICI Bank, HDFC
Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Earlier,
only State Bank of India was authorised to collect
contributions from employers and make payment to
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employees. The move will help the EPFO save
about Rs. 300 crore annually as the five banks
have agreed to zero transaction charges.
EU, India set up IFM
The European Union (EU) and India has announced
the establishment of an Investment Facilitation
Mechanism (IFM) for EU investments in India.
Invest India, the Indian governments official Investment
Promotion and Facilitation Agency, will also be part
of the IFM.
Asia-Africa Growth Corridor
It is an economic cooperation agreement between India
and Japan. Through the agreement, both countries are planning
to invest in Africa. Recently, the Japanese Ambassador to India
clarified that the project is not against the One Belt and One
Road (OBOR) Project of China. He further said that the growth
corridor is envisaged for a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific
and African region. Under the project, a development plan for
Africa is being prepared by Japan in consultation with Indian
officials and businesses.
RBI Hikes Limit in Single Gilt to Above Rs 1
Lakh Crore
For the first time in the history of government
securities (G-Sec) market in India, a gilt maturing
on a particular day will have more than Rs 1
lakh crore outstanding.
Why government securities are called Gilt edged
securities?
Government securities are instruments issued by the
government to borrow money from the market. They
are also known as gilts or gilt edged securities.
Government security means a security created
and issued by the Government for the purpose of
Current Affairs Chronicle
 raising a public loan or for any other purpose as
may be notified by the Government in the Official
Gazette and having one of the forms mentioned
in the Government Securities Act, 2006.
Depending upon the expiry date, government securities
are divided into short term and long term securities.
Short term government securities are Treasury bills.
AGRICULTURE
CISH-M-2: A New Variety of Mango
The Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture has
developed a hybrid of Lucknows Dussehri and
Chausa varieties, which it says is a perfect mix
of both.
Named CISH-M-2, the hybrid ripens at the end of
HEALTH
Draft Norms in Stem Cell Misuse
Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and
the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have come
up with guidelines on who can conduct research
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in Stem Cell sphere, when and how.
The draft, for the first time, provides guidelines
for cutting-edge gene editing techniques.
The draft omits conditions such as motor neuron
disease, mental retardation or muscular dystrophy. It
makes it clear that doctors should stick to their
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specialty.
The draft is available on the ICMR and DBTs
websites, and is open to public comments and
concerns till July 31.
Curcumin Nanoparticles to Shorten TB Treatment
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Time
Curcumin, the basic ingredient of turmeric, when
administered in a nanoparticle formulation has several
favourable properties in the treatment of tuberculosis
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in mice, researchers have found.
Prof. Gobardhan Das from the Special Centre for
Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
Delhi and his team found nanoparticle curcumin
to be five times more bioavailable (which is the
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proportion of drug that enters circulation after
introduction into the body) in mice, than regular
curcumin, and was able to drastically reduce liver
toxicity induced by TB drug isoniazid.
More importantly, treatment of TB with isoniazid
along with 200 nanometre curcumin nanoparticles led
to dramatically reduced risk of disease reactivation
and reinfection.
Treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs takes about
www.ias100.in
They have a maturity of less than one year.
There are three main treasury bills in India 91
day, 182 day and 364 day.
Long term government securities are known as
government bonds or dated securities. They have
a maturity period of five years, ten years, fifteen
years etc.
the Dussehri cycle and just before Chausa hits
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the market. It is shaped like the `mother
Dussehri but the taste is a blend of both, the
institute said.
The hybrid will now be tested in other labs of
the country to assess its commercial viability.
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six-nine months in the case of drug-sensitive TB
and 12-24 months for drug-resistant TB. Besides
improper use, the long duration to complete
treatment substantially increases the risk of TB
bacteria developing resistance.
Quite often, patients stop taking anti-TB drugs for
a few days due to liver toxicity. Since the addition
of curcumin reduces liver toxicity, there can be
better treatment adherence and lesser risk of drug
resistance emerging.
Curcumin blocks the Kv1.3 potassium channel and
prevents apoptosis, or cell death, of T cells that
come up with an immune response. As a result,
the protective, long-lasting memory cells called the
central memory T cells get enhanced.
This leads to faster clearance of the TB bacteria,
resulting in stronger host immunity against the
bacteria and therefore less chances of relapse of
the disease after treatment.
J&K Bans E-Cigarettes
The Jammu and Kashmir government has banned the
sale (including online sale), manufacture, distribution,
Bovine Mastitis
It is a disease that affects cattle. It typically causes
inflammatory other southern reactions to the udder tissues,
causing discomfort to the animal and affecting the quality and
output of milk produced. According to studies, it is the reason
for 70 per cent of all avoidable losses during milk production,
reducing milk by 21 per cent and fat by 25 per cent. It is
estimated that, the Indian dairy industry loses Rs. 6000 crore
a year due to the disease. Recently, Indian researchers have
developed a cost-effective herbal drug consisting of turmeric,
aloe vera and chuna.
[5]
 trade, import and advertisement of Electronic Nicotine
Delivery System (ENDS)/ e-cigarettes in the State.
H5N1 and H5N8
H5N1
is a highly pathogenic influenza A virus
that infects birds in Asia, Europe and Africa.
This
virus is known to infect humans. H5N8 is
a subtype of H5N1.
This
is one of the least pathogenic influenza A
virus to humans. Recently, India has declared
itself free from the presence of both the viruses.
Pesticides to Blame for Lychee Deaths
Six months after medical journal The Lancet published
a study connecting consumption of the lychee to
the deaths of children in Bihars Muzaffarpur, a
new study maintains that the delicious tropical fruit
is not to blame at all.
According to the new study, its the land and
not the produce that was causing the unexplained
neurological damage. The new study, published in
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene, found that a number of pesticides
including endosulfan which has been banned since
2011 caused the brain damage among children.
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SOHUM
It is an indigenously developed newborn hearing screening
device developed by School of International Biodesign (SIB)
startup M/s Sohum Innovation Labs India Pvt. Ltd.
Sohum is a low cost and unique device which uses
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brainstem auditory evoked response, the gold standard in
auditory testing to check for hearing response in a newborn.
As of now, this technology is prohibitively expensive
and inaccessible to many. Start-up Sohum has made the
technology appropriate for the resource constrained settings
and aims to cater to nearly 26 million babies born every
year in India.
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One of the most common birth disorders congenital
hearing loss is a result of both genetic and non-genetic
factors. These factors are mostly associated with resource-
poor economies such as India where, unlike advanced
healthcare systems, hearing impairment goes undiagnosed.
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Thus, when it is discovered at 4+ years, its too late to
reverse the damage and this leads to a host of problems
such as impaired communication skills and even possible
mental illness; all of which have a deep impact on the
child, emotionally and economically life-long.
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The portable Sohum Hearing Screening measures auditory
brain waves via three electrodes placed on the babys head.
When stimulated, they detect electrical responses generated
by the brains auditory system. If there is no response,
the child cannot hear. The battery-operated device is non-
invasive, which means babies do not need to be sedated,
which is the current, and risky, testing in process at present.
Another key advantages over other testing systems is the
patented, in-built algorithm that filters out ambient noise
from the test signal. This is important because health clinics
can be incredibly crowded and noisy.
[6]
In the new study, the researchers interviewed families
that worked in lychee orchards to conclude that
most affected children had consumed unwashed
lychees, peeling away the skin with their teeth.
The report adds that, eating lychees was not
associated with illness in the casecontrol study. The
outbreak was linked to lychee orchard exposures
where agrochemicals were routinely used, but not
to consumption of lychees.
Earlier, The Lancet concluded that skipping the
evening meal after consumption of lychee resulted
in low blood glucose level and acute encephalopathy
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that provoked seizures and coma, causing death
in many cases.
Recent Govt Initiatives to Check Population
Growth
The Union Health Ministry has launched an injectable
contraceptive for the public health system and
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announced various measures to check population
growth.
The measures will target 46 districts in seven
states, where the total fertility rates (TFR) are
above three. These districts contribute to 28% of
Indias population, 25-30% of maternal deaths and
50% of infant deaths. Reducing TFR is important
because the greater the TFR, the higher will be
maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality
rate (IMR).
The ministry also directed social marketers to
intensify efforts for promotion of condoms and pills
in these districts. The measures come under the
Mission Parivar Vikas programme, begun last year.
The seven states to be covered under these
initiatives are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam.
A new softwarethe Family Planning Logistics
Management Information System (FP-LMIS)to provide
information on the demand and distribution of
contraceptives to health facilities and accredited
social health activists (ASHAs) to strengthen supply
chain management.
Under Mission Parivar Vikas, the government plans
to place condom boxes at locations such as
health facilities and gram panchayat bhavans. The
government will also distribute nayi pahel, a family
planning kit for newlywed couples.
The family planning kit will be given to newly-wed
couples by the ASHA with a view to improve
inter-spousal communication and consensual decision-
making with regards to their reproductive and sexual
health as well as delay the birth of the first
child and space the second.
Vehicles with education and communication material
and family planning commodities will be mobilized
for far flung areas.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 According to the recent National Family Health Survey
(NFHS) IV data, the unmet need of contraceptives
is 12.9% and this contributes to undesired fertility
due to lack of access. Data shows increasing
INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION/EDUCATION
Aarambh
It is a Mobile App for Road Maintenance. It uses
GIS based mapping for making road inventories,
condition surveys, and producing cost estimates and
other relevant data for preparation and monitoring
of annual road maintenance plans.
SHe-box
SHe-box (Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) is a
portal to enable women employees of the Central
government to file complaints related to sexual
harassment at the work place. The Union Ministry
of Women and Child Development has launched this.
BillionAbles
BillionAbles is a new app to assist people with
disabilities to find tourist locations, accessible
restaurants, and other public places across India.
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mAadhaar
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),
which issues Aadhaar numbers has launched an
app called mAadhaar
The app will enable people carry their unique
identification profile on mobile phones.
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The app which is available only on the Android
platform currently, allows users to not only have
their Aadhaar profile on their mobile as a quick
and convenient identification proof, it also lets users
lock/ unlock their biometric data thats linked to
Aadhaar via the app to secure their personal data.
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Other features include viewing and sharing updated
Aadhaar profile via QR (Quick Response) code
-- the two-dimensional barcode, and sharing eKYC
(electronic Know Your Customer) details with service
providers such as telecommunications companies.
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mAadhaar can be downloaded from Google Play
Store, but you would need a registered Aadhaar-
linked mobile number to use the app.
SARAT
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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
(INCOIS) has developed a mobile app. SARAT-
Search and Rescue aid Tool to help quickly locate
lost things at sea - from lost boats to missing
fisher-folk, a total of 64 different types of objects
can be searched by this mobile app.
There are ongoing efforts to integrate the app with
INSAT satellite system so that real time transmission
and relay of information can be possible.
www.ias100.in
one contraceptive method in an existing basket of
choice has resulted in an 8-12% increase in the
use of modern contraceptives.
How SARAT works?
Users can select a specific point where the person
or object was last seen using the Apps interactive
map or they can select a nearby coastal location,
approx distance travelled and bearing angle so
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that the last seen point is calculated. The most
possible Search Area is then generated and relayed
in map form as well as a text message. It can
predict the most probable search area for up to
five days. The most probable Search Area is
generated and relayed in map form as well as
a text message. The rescuer can share his GPS
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location in the app to calculate his closest route
to easily reach the Search Area.
SAARTHI
Railway Ministry has launched a a new integrated
mobile app SAARTHI - Synergised Advanced
Application Rail Travel Help and Information for
passengers.
This new app will allow passengers to book tickets,
enquiry, on-board cleaning and ordering meal on
a single platform. It has also features like safety
for women, complaint facility and suggestion for
improvement.
AeFDS
Aadhaar-enabled Fertiliser Distribution System (AeFDS)
is a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme being
implemented by the Ministry of Chemicals and
Fertilizers. The scheme envisages to streamline
subsidies to actual beneficiaries and also facilitate
in releasingsubsidies to fertilizer companies based
on the actual sales made. It involves distribution
of exact fertilizer quantities to farmers based on
their extent of the land holdings (acreage) and
soil fertility status.An e-PoS device at fertilizer
vendor derives land details and soil health card
details from concerned state government portals.
Based on land dataincluding type of irrigation and
soil health status, accurate fertilizer requirementis
calculated - crop wise for each farmer and sales
are made through this e-pos device. This ensures
exact fertilizer quantity utilized for each crop
therebyreducing excess use of fertilizers.
mFMS
Mobile Fertiliser Management System (mFMS) is an
IT based technology solution to monitor the movement
of fertilisers from fertilizer manufacturer/importers to
[7]
fertilizer wholesalers and from wholesalers to retailers
across the country. The system acts as a tool for
Government Bodies to track and ensure timely distribution
of fertilizers to farmer community. mFMS web application
facilitates companies, wholesalers and retailers to report
fertilizer sales, receipts and stock. The transparency
portal provides dissemination of information across the
fertilizer supply chain up to retailer level.
IGNOU Announces Complete Fee Waiver to
Transgender Students
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has
waived off complete fee for transgender students
LEGAL BYTES
Right to Privacy cannot be Absolute Right: SC
The nine-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme
Court, while examining the issue whether Right to
Privacy can be declared as a Fundamental Right
under the Constitution has said that the Right
to Privacy cannot be an absolute right and the
State may have some power to put reasonable
restriction.
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The bench said, Right to Privacy is an amorphous
right and not absolute. It is only a small sub-sect
of liberty.
Mentally Retarded Adult not a Child: SC
The Supreme Court held that a mentally-retarded
adult cannot be considered a child and given
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refuge under the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act of 2012.
A holistic interpretation of the term child to include
intellectually-vulnerable adults serves the basic purpose
of the 2012 Act.
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The definition of the term child in Section 2(d)
is exhaustive and includes only persons below the
biological age of 18.
The 2012 Act recognises the phenomenon of
mental disability, but confines its ambit to only
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the mental disability of minors.
Odisha HC asks Govt to Restrict Quantum of
Reservation to 50%
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The Orissa High Court has asked the state
PLAN/POLICY/SCHEMES
Shramik Annapurna Yojna
The Gujarat Government has started Shramik
Annapurna Yojna, under which cooked meal will
be made available to 25,000 registered construction
[8]
for all programmes offered by it.
It also issued a directive to all universities, saying
such students will be entitled to avail befits of
all existing merit-based schemes and programmes
of the UGC.
In a landmark judgement in April 2014, the apex
court accorded third gender status to transgenders,
directing the Centre to treat them as socially
and economically backwards. The court also held
members of the third gender community should be
given educational and employment reservation under
Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
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government to restrict the quantum of reservation
for SC, ST and OBC or Special Categories in
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employment and education to 50 per cent.
Quashing the Socially and Economically Backward
Classes (SEBC) Act of 2008, which was notified
by the Odisha government in February, 2009 for
a 27-per cent reservation for the OBC category, a
division bench of the high court said the quantum
of reservation should not exceed 50 per cent.
The ruling assumes significance since the state
government, through the SEBC Act, had provided
a 65.75 per cent reservation, including 16.25 for
the SC category and 22.50 per cent for the ST
category in both employment and education.
Madras HC makes Vande Mataram Mandatory
in Schools, Private and Govt. Offices
The Madras High Court has ruled that Vande
Mataram should be sung in all schools and
colleges across Tamil Nadu at least once in a
week and also in government and private offices
at least once in a month.
Right to Education is Right to Quality Education:
SC
While quashing the regularisation of 1.78 lakh Shiksha
Mitras as teachers in Uttar Pradesh (UP) for not
holding adequate qualification as fixed under Right
of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act,
2009, the Supreme Court has said that, Right to
Education means to right to quality education.
labourers at Rs 10. It will be provided at 83
locations across 10 cities of Gujarat.
The scheme envisages providing a 1,700-calorie
meal once a day to labourers.
Current Affairs Chronicle
Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)
The Ministry of Rural Development will launch a
new sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
which will be named as Aajeevika Grameen Express
Yojana (AGEY).
The main objectives of AGEY are to provide an
alternative source of livelihoods to members of
Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM by
facilitating them to operate public transport services
in backward rural areas like e-rickshaws, 3 and
4 wheeler motorised transport vehicles to connect
remote villages with key services and amenities
including access to markets, education and health
for the overall economic development of the area.
The sub-scheme will be implemented in 250 blocks
in the country on a pilot basis for a period of
3 years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
BILL/ACT
Admiralty Bill gets Rajya Sabha nod
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Admiralty (Jurisdiction
and Settlement of Maritime Claims), Bill, 2017, that
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was passed by the Lok Sabha in March.
It seeks to consolidate the laws relating to
admiralty jurisdiction, legal proceedings in connection
with vessels, their arrest, detention, sale and other
related matters.
While earlier only the High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta
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and Madras could take up maritime cases, the Bill
extends the power to the High Courts of Karnataka,
Kerala, Hyderabad, Orissa and Gujarat, besides any
other High Courts as notified by the Centre.
LS Passes IIIT-PPP Bill 2017
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The Lok Sabha has passed the Indian Institute
of Information Technology Public Private Partnership
(IIIT-PPP) Bill 2017 that seeks to allow 15 IIITs
established on a PPP model to grant degrees
and get statutory status.
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The bill also seeks to grant institute of national
importance tag to such institutes on the lines of
the Indian Institutes of Technology and National
Institutes of Technology.
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COMMITTEE/COMMISSION
NK Singh Committee
The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
Act committee was constituted by the Ministry of
Finance under the chairmanship of NK Singh.
It was mandated to rewrite fiscal responsibility
framework of the government. The committee had
www.ias100.in
The Government is implementing DAY-NRLM across
the country in all States and Union Territories
(except Delhi and Chandigarh). The financial support
under the programme is mainly in the form of
Revolving Fund and Community Investment Funds,
given as grants to the Self Help Groups (SHGs)
and their federations.
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY),
a pension scheme for senior citizens has been
launched by the Department of Financial Services,
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Govt. of India.
The scheme is being offered through Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC).
The scheme provides an assured return of 8 per
cent per annum and is payable monthly for 10 years.
This scheme is exempted form Service Tax or GST.
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Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable
Property (RAIP) Act
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has introduced
amendments to the Requisitioning and Acquisition of
Immovable Property (RAIP) Act in the Lok Sabha,
which will help the government save crores of
rupees in compensation linked to disputes involving
land acquired for defence purposes in the past.
The amendment proposes that the government will
pay the compensation as per the old rate as
applicable when land was originally acquired along
with interest, irrespective of any court order. Also,
the law will have retrospective effect from March
14, 1952.The original law was enacted to empower
the Central government to acquire land.
AMASR Act, 1958
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains
(AMASR) Act, 1958, provides for the preservation of ancient
and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains
of national importance, for the regulation of archaeological
excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings
and other like objects. It was passed in 1958. Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) functions under the provisions of the act.
recommended keeping budgetary deficit at 3 per
cent of the GDP in three years till March 2020.
It also suggested progressively reducing deficit to
2.5 per cent by 2022-23 and pruning Indias overall
indebtedness as a proportion of the GDP. Also, a
new fiscal council as an autonomous body under
finance ministry was suggested by the committee.
[9]
 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Kilogram may get new Definition
Official unit of weight measurement Kilogram
- could get new accurate definition following a
breakthrough.
Metrologists have developed a new method for
measuring a kilogram. They have calculated a
number known as Avogadros number for the task.
This can be used to calculate the exact number
of atoms in 1kg of silicon.
This could replace the cylinder of platinum and
iridium currently used, which was found shedding
its weight.
Teleportation of First-Ever Object to Space
A team of Chinese scientists has teleported a
photon over 480km from the Earth into a special
receiver orbiting the planet.
Using a process called quantum entanglement, they
teleported the photon to a satellite Micius, which
was launched last year. On board the satellite is
a sensitive photon receiver capable of picking up
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the elementary particle when it is sent from Earth.
Quantum entanglement occurs when two objects are
formed at the same instant and point in space
-existing in two separate places at once. Although
they are separated, the two objects are immediately
influenced by each other regardless of the distance
between them. This is known as wave function.
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Thus, one photon in space and one photon on
Earth can be created at the same time with a
common quantum link.
Encephalophone
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Encephalophone is a hands-free musical instrument that
allows people to play music with their thoughts, and
may help empower and rehabilitate patients with motor
disabilities such as stroke, spinal cord injury and amputation.
It collects brain signals through a cap that transforms specific
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signals into musical notes. It is coupled with a synthesiser,
allowing the user to create music using a wide variety of
instrumental sounds.
The instrument is based on brain-computer interfaces using
an old method, called electroencephalography, which
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measures electrical signals in the brain.
Limonene
Scientists have developed an eco-friendly kind of
plastic using lemon extracts called limonene and
carbon dioxide that may replace potentially harmful
materials widely used in everyday items like phone
cases and bottles. Limonene can replace bisphenol-A
that is used to make plastics.
[10]
IISC Develops Sensitive, Low-Cost Nanosensors
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have
developed a highly sensitive, low-cost nanosensor
that can quickly detect minute changes in carbon
monoxide levels and has potential applications in
monitoring of environmental pollution.
The Centre for Nano Science and Engineering
(CeNSE) said its team used a novel fabrication
technique that leaves out lithography -a time-
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consuming and expensive process -to construct a
honeycomb-like nanostructure of zinc-oxide.
The sensor was able to detect a difference in
CO level as low as 500 parts per billion and
selectively respond to CO even in the presence
of other gases.
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NIDHI-PRAYAS
National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing
Innovations - Promoting and Accelerating Young and
Aspiring Innovators and Startups (NIDHI-PRAYAS) is
a programme of the Department of Science and
Technology.
The programme aims to provide support to people
with ideas in making concept of proof and early
prototyping by providing grants. As such, the main
objectives of NIDHI-PRAYAS are: To enable translation
of an innovative idea to a prototype; To provide
a platform for faster experimentation and modify
approaches in the idea to market journey;To
generate innovative solutions relevant to the local
and global problem;To attract a large number
of youth who demonstrates problem solving zeal
and abilities; To work on their new technology/
Int-Ball
It is a little robotic camera drone with wide illuminated
eyes. It has recently joined the crew of the International Space
Station. The drone was developed by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) and can be controlled remotely by
researchers on the ground, allowing them to capture images
and video from aboard the station. Int-Ball was delivered to
the ISS on June 4, and has already started feeding photos and
video back to Earth. JAXA claims that Int-Ball could eventually
replace the need for astronauts to capture photos and record
video aboard the ISS tasks that currently take up about 10%
of their time.
Lunar Palace 365
It is a science project being conducted by China. The
project aims to develop a self-sustaining ecosystem that
provides everything humans need to survive in space. As
part of the project, student volunteers will be confined in the
bioregenerative life-support module for 200 days. The module
simulates a moon-like environment.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 knowledge/innovation based startups;To enhance
the pipeline in terms of quality and quantity of
innovative startups to the incubators;To build a
ART/CULTURE/HERITAGE
Robots to Find Lost Cities of Dwaraka and
Poompuhar
The Department of Science and Technology (DST)
is looking to send robotic vehicles into the sea
near Dwaraka, Gujarat, and Puhar, Tamil Nadu,
to look for submerged structures.
Nearly a decade ago, the Underwater Archaeology
Wing of the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) found copper coins and segments of granite
structures. Mentioned in the Mahabharata as
Dvaraka or Dvaravati, it is also linked to the
god Krishna. Dwaraka, a port city, finds mention
in ancient Greek texts from the 1st millennium
and, according to legend, was a rich city that
sank into the sea.
Last year, divers, geologists and archaeologists with
the NIO, working off the coast of Tamil Nadu,
reportedly found stone remains suggestive of an
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ancient port and temples, which were reportedly
buried about 30 feet into the sea. Tamil and
Buddhist literature have references to Poompuhar,
or Puhar, as being the port capital of the Chola
dynasty.
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ICHR to Study Lahore, Khulna
The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has
initiated a process for writing a contemporary history
of Lahore in Pakistan and Khulna in Bangladesh
to compare how the cities have changed since
Partition.
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Lahore has been chosen as it was the cultural
centre of pre-Partition Punjab, before it went to
Pakistan, while Khulna was selected because it
had a high Hindu population and yet went to
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East Pakistan after Partition. It became part of
Bangladesh after the country came into being in
1971.
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Culture of Cruise
The Dal Lake hosted its first ever Culture of
Cruise, a weeekly cultural programme organised
by the Jammu and Kashmir government aimed to
bring artists from various fields on one stage.
The innovative programme series brings writers,
performance artistes, musicians, poets and academics
together and offers a programme of performances,
workshops, talks, forums and debates.
www.ias100.in
vibrant innovation ecosystem, by establishing a
network between innovators, academia, mentors and
incubators.
Dadabhai Naoroji
On the 100th anniversary of Dadabhai Narojis death, here
are some facts on him:
He was one of the integral leaders of India who led the
country to its independence.
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The title - Grand Old Man of India - was given to him as
it was believed that he was one of the intellectuals who
had helped in shaping the modern India.
In 1855, Naoroji went to London and became a partner at
Cama and Co., one of the first Indian company that was
established in Britain.
He later resigned from the company and in 1859, went
00
ahead and established his own cotton trading firm and
named it Naoroji & Co.
He was an active participant in the founding of the Indian
National Congress and became its President thrice in 1886,
1893 and 1906.
He moved to London in the late 1880s and was elected for
the Liberal Party in Finsbury Central at the 1892 general
election - becoming the first British Indian MP.
He was the first Indian to win a seat in the House of
Commons.
Andhra Pradesh to introduce Heli-tourism
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department has signed an
MoU with Mak Aero Space and Aviation Pvt. Ltd, Delhi,
to promote heli-tourism.
The initial services will be introduced in Vijayawada,
Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.
Vellore Mutiny
Predating the 1857 revolt, Vellore Mutiny of 1806 was the
revolt by Indian sepoys against East India Company. It was a
violent mutiny, took place in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Though
the mutiny lasted for only a single day it was violent as
the mutineers who seized Vellore Fort killed 200 British
troops. The cause of the mutiny revolved mainly around
resentment felt towards changes in the sepoy dress code,
introduced in November 1805.Recently, the anti-British
revolts 211th anniversary was commemorated in Vellore.
Koodiyattam
Itis a form of Sanskrit theatre dance performed traditionally
in the state of Kerala. The dance form is officially
recognised byUNESCOas aMasterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Koodiyattam is the only
surviving Sanskrit theatre dance forms. The meaning of the
dance form is playing or performing together. The dance
is predominantly performed by men. Many women are
starting to perform the dance in recent years. The dance
is performed in consonance with the beats of mizhavu
drummers. Other instruments used during for a performance
are kuzhitalam,etakka,kurumkuzhal, andsankhu.
[11]
 Edakkal Cave
Edakkal caves, high up in the Ambukuthimala hills in Kerala is one of the oldest known human settlements on planet earth.
The caves contain Neolithic petroglyphs (pictorial writings), which are thousands of years old. These carvings are rare and
Edakkal caves is the only known site for such carvings from South India.

Bathukamma
Bathukamma is a colourful and vibrant festival of Telangana and celebrated by women, with flowers that grow exclusively
in each region. Bathukamma comes during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. The festival is also known
as Telanganas Floral Festival. The festival represents the cultural spirit of Telangana. Recently, weavers in the textile town of
Siricilla gained a contract from the Telangana government to weave saris for distribution on Bathukamma day. The order is
worth Rs. 200 crore.

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Aanayoottu
The Aanayoottu is a festival held in the precincts of the Vadakkunnathan temple in City of Thrissur, in Kerala. It involves a
number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed.

Know the Tribe

Tiwa Tribe Changpa

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The ethnic tribe are inhabitants of Assam and Meghalaya.
They are also known as Lalungs. The striking feature of Tiwas
is their division into two sub groups Hill Tiwas and Plain
Tiwas. Recently, the Hill Tiwas of Karbi Anglong district of
Assam observed Panthai Langa ritual for good harvest. It is
believed that Hill Tiwas are not permitted to prepare their
paddy field for the next harvest before performing this ritual.
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ECOLOGY/BIODIVERSITY
Recession of Himalayan glaciers alarming: ISRO
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The Changpas are nomads of Changthang plateau, a
high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh. They are the guardians of
Changthani or pashmina goats of Changthang plateau. They
live in harmony with nature avoiding the luxuries of modernity.
The life of a Changpa nomad revolves around Changthani with
the goat providing them sustenance, giving milk and butter,
meat, wool and hide.
satellite. Additionally, data from the Linear Imaging

Analysis of satellite images have revealed an
alarming recession of glaciers in the Bhilangna
basin of the Garhwal Himalayas from 1965, scientists
at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
have said.
Home to 9,575 glaciers (as per a Geological Survey
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Self-Scanning Sensor of ISROs Resourcesat-2 satellite
launched in 2016 were also used for the analysis.
All the glaciers in the basin show significant
recession from 1965 to 2014, according to Babu
Govindha Raj, ISRO scientist.
However, recession of the Khatling glacier from

of India inventory) the Himalayas are considered to
have the largest concentration of glaciers outside
the Polar regions. Snow and melt water from the
glaciers is the major source of water for the
large river basins, the Indus and the Ganges.
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1965 to 2014 is alarming in comparison to that of
neighbouring Bhagirathi and Mandakini group of glaciers
in the basin. The satellite image interpretation and
field evidence show that morphology and dynamics
of the Khatling glacier has a strong influence on

The Bhilangna basin is bounded by the Bhagirati
group of glaciers in north and west and the Mandakini
group of glaciers in east. The basin supports 33
glaciers, of which Khatling is the largest. The
water melt from Khatling and its tributary glaciers
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its faster recession. The glacier fragmentation creates
smaller glaciers that are more prone to faster melting
than the larger trunk glaciers.
Centre Approves Climate Adaptation Projects of

in the basin contribute to the source of Bhilangna Three States

river the southernmost tributary of the Bhagirathi.
The ISRO scientists found that this main glacier
had receded 4,340 meters since 1965 and had
fragmented into multiple valley glaciers resulting in
the total loss of 10 per cent of glacier area.
Glacier status in Bhilangna basin was assessed from
high resolution imageries obtained in 1965 by the
Corona satellite of the United States and comparing
these with photos taken in 2014 by ISROs Cartosat
[12]
Proposals for climate adaptation projects submitted by
Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim have been approved
by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change.
The three projects approved by the National Steering
Committee on Climate Change will receive funds
under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate
Change (NAFCC).
Current Affairs Chronicle
 The projects in Rajasthan and Sikkim are targeted
at water security, while in Gujarat, the project
will focus on increasing the adaptive capacity of
communities dependent on natural resources in the
Kachchh district.
With India being a signatory to the UN Paris
climate change deal, the country is looking to step
up work on climate change mitigation as well as
adaptation to fulfil the targets under the National
Action Plan on Climate Change.
Under this, individual state governments are expected
to develop State Action Plans on Climate Change,
and propose projects especially in climate sensitive
sectors such as agriculture, water, forests, and
others which will receive financial support form
the NAFCC.
Marae Moana: Pacific Ocean Reserve
The Cook Islands has created one of the worlds
largest marine sanctuaries - Marae Moana, protecting
a vast swathe of the Pacific Ocean more than
three times the size of France.
Environmentalist Kevin Iro first proposed the idea
more than five years ago and recently, a legislation
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was passed in the tiny nations Parliament.
Glow-in-the-dark shark discovered in the Pacific
Scientists have identified a new species of glow-
in-the-dark shark that has an unusually large nose,
weighs a little less than a kilo and measures
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less than a foot.
The new species, a member of the lanternshark
family, has been named Etmopterus lailae. It lives
1,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean off the coast
of the northwestern Hawaiian islands.
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Winds Causing Antarctic Ice Shelves to Split
Strong winds are causing vast Antarctic ice shelves
to break off, such as the trillion-tonne iceberg
that recently snapped away from the South Pole,
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scientists say.
Experts at the Centre of Excellence for Climate
System Science in Australia showed how winds in
East Antarctica can generate sea-level disturbances
that propagate around the continent at 700km
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per hour through a type of ocean wave known
as a Kelvin wave. When these waves encounter
the underwater topography off the West Antarctic
Peninsula they push warmer water towards the large
ice shelves, thus hastening the melting process.
A Kelvin wave is a wave in the ocean or
atmosphere that balances the Earths Coriolis force
against a topographic boundary such as a coastline,
or a waveguide such as the equator.
www.ias100.in
New Bird-Like Species of Dinosaur Identified
Canadian scientists have identified a new bird-like
species of dinosaur that lived nearly 71 million
years ago and was about the size of a person.
The species Albertavenator curriei, has been named
in honour of famous Canadian palaeontologist Philip
J. Currie and was found in Alberta.
Three New Toad Species Discovered in US
Scientists have discovered three new species of
toads living in Nevadas Great Basin in the US,
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that have been isolated from other populations for
650,000 years and may already be at risk of
extinction.
Discoveries of new amphibians are extremely rare
in the US with only three new frog species
discovered since 1985 - and toad species are
even more rare, with the last species discovered
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north of Mexico, the now extinct Wyoming toad,
in 1968.
The three new species - the Dixie Valley toad,
Railroad Valley toad and Hot Creek toad are not
connected geographically.
Australia joins ISA
Australia became the 35th country to join the
International Solar Alliance (ISA).
The initiative was launched at the UN Climate
Change Conference in Paris in 2015 by Narendra
Modi and the then President of France, Francois
Hollande.
Italian Speleologist to Explore Meghalayas Caves
Noted Italian geologist and cave explorer Francesco
Sauro, who has led successful expeditions to one
of the worlds oldest cave systems in Venezuelas
Tepui mountains, will explore the lost world in
Indias Meghalaya, which harbours some of the
longest and deepest cave systems in the world.
Eco-Bridges for Tiger
In a first of its kind, Telangana will construct
eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the
tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve
(TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra
with the forests in Telanganas Kumram Bheem
Asifabad district.
Masked Finfoot
Wildlife researchers in Cambodia have found a
breeding location for the masked finfoot, one of
the worlds most endangered birds, raising hopes
of its continuing survival.
[13]
 The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) has placed the bird on its red list of
globally endangered species because its worldwide
population of less than 1,000 is declining at an
Odisha Elephant Census 2017
Notwithstanding the death of 156 elephants in the past two
years due to different reasons, the elephant population in
Odisha has increased marginally to 1,976 this year from
1,954 recorded in 2015.
The elephant population was 1,930 in 2012.
Tiger Census in Sunderbans
For the second year in
a row, tiger population
in the Indian Sunderbans
has shown an increase.
This year, a camera-trap
exercise has captured at
least six more tigers in the
mangroves.
According to a forester
associated with the exercise,
87 unique frames were
captured by the camera
traps in the mangroves,
including the tiger reserve
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area and the South 24Parganas forest division. The count
was 81 last year. The latest exercise was conducted between
December 2016 and June this year.
EARTH/UNIVERSE
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Saraswati: A Supercluster of Galaxies
For the first time in the country, a team of
Indian scientists has discovered an extremely large
supercluster of galaxies, Saraswati, in the universe.
This ultra large structure is on the direction of
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DEFENCE/ NATIONAL SECURITY
Malabar Exercise 2017
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Exercise Malabar is a trilateral naval exercise
involving the United States, Japan and India as
permanent partners. Originally a bilateral exercise
between India and the United States, Japan became
a permanent partner in 2015. Past non-permanent
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participants are Australia and Singapore.
The latest trilateral naval exercise, featuring 95
aircraft, 16 ships and two submarines, was
significant as it was held at a time when China
has become more assertive and increasing attempts
by their submarines to venture into the Indian
Ocean region. Apart from stepping up its activities
in the Indian Ocean in recent years, China is
also building ports in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and
[14]
alarming rate. It is found only in Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Phumdis
Phumdis are a series of floating islands, exclusive to
theLoktak Lake (the largest freshwater lake in northeast
India)inManipurstate. The islands are made up of
biomass. The largest phumdi of 40 sq.km is in the
southeastern part of the lake and is named Keibul
Lamjao National Park. The park was formed to conserved
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endangered Sangai deer (Elds Deer), indigenous to the
region. The phumdis float during the rains and sink
during the dry months, sucking nutrients from the lake
bed to replenish their roots and float again when the next
monsoon cycle begins. Now, this cycle is under threat
with Loktak Hydroelectric Project constantly keeping the
water level high in the lake.
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Kole Lands
These are unique wetlands present in Thrissur district of
Kerala. These lands account for 40 per cent of Keralas
rice cultivation. The Kole Wetlands is one of largest, highly
productive and threatened wetlands inKeralaand has been
declared inRamsar Conventionfor protection and it comes
inCentral Asian Flywayof migratory birds. The wetlands
cover an area of 13,632 hectares spread across Thrissur
and Malappuram districts.
constellation Pisces and 400 billion light years away
from Earth. This is a very high concentration of
galaxies in the universe and it is very rare.
Earth, which belongs to Milky Way galaxy, is a
part of a supercluster called the Laniaka supercluster.
Pakistan. Significantly, the solidarity of three nations
also comes in the wake of current military standoff
between the armies of India and China in the
Sikkim sector.
Maitree 2017: India-Thailand Military Exercise
A 14-day joint military training exercise Maitree
- between Indian Army with the Royal Thailand
Army was held at Bakloh in Chamba district,
Himachal Pradesh.
Exercise Maitree 2017 is a continuation of a series
of joint exercises between the Indian Army and
the Royal Thailand Army. The previous edition of
the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in
2016.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 Earlier, a joint training exercise between the Indian
Army and the Royal Army of Oman, named Al
Nagah-Ii 2017 was held at Bakloh in March.
SSB Gets Intelligence Wing
The government has approved a full-fledged intelligence
wing in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards
the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.
HIFiRE
The US and Australia have jointly test-fired a hypersonic
missile capable of travelling at Mach8 - eight times faster than
the speed of sound, from between 3,836mph (6,200kmh)
to almost 8,000mph (13,000kmh).
The test was part of a project called the Hypersonic
International Flight Research Experimentation Program
(HIFiRE) involving the US and Australian militaries,
Queensland University, Australias Defence Science and
Technology Group and private companies, including Boeing
and BAE Systems.
First Warships from Private Sector to Navy
The two naval offshore patrol vessels (NOPVs)
named Shachi and Shruti were launched at
Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltds (RDEL)
shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat.
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The two patrol boats are part of five ships under
the P-21 project being constructed for the Indian
Navy by RDEL.
Hosting one of the largest dry docks, RDEL is the
first private sector company to obtain the licence
and contract to build NOPVs. The modern warship
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CENSUS/SURVEY/STUDY/REPORT
Every Third Child Bride in the World is Indian
A report, titled Eliminating Child Marriage in India,
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released by ActionAid India which analysed data on
child marriages based on the 2011 Census has found
that over 10 crore Indians, including 8.5 crore girls,
being married off before they turn 18, that makes
every third child bride in the world is an Indian.
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The report found that there had been some
improvement in the age of marriage, but that India
still accounted for about 33% of all child marriages
in the world. Of the married female population in
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India, 30.2% had been child brides.
The report also found that 75% of all child
marriages took place in rural areas as on 2011.
The number was even higher for the period
between 2007 and 2011, at 82%.
Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest percentage
of child marriages in India, at 16.6%.
In fact, U.P., Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal,
Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
www.ias100.in
has a length of 105 metres with a displacement
of 1500 tonnes.
After Navy, IAF Makes BTech Must
With the aim of inducting high-tech warriors
for digitised and network-centric battlefields in the
years ahead, the armed forces are now slowly
but steadily making it mandatory for new officers
to be engineering graduates.
First, it was the Navy that kicked off the BTech
programme for cadets who join the tri-Service
National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla
.in
(Pune) after Class 12. And now, the IAF has
also made it compulsory for cadets at the NDA.
The Army has left it optional for now.
CH-5 Rainbow
It is Chinas heavy military drone that could attack targets
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on the ground. The UAV is touted as a competitor to USAs
armed drone MQ-9 Reaper. But, CH-5 Rainbow has a weakness
as the drone cannot climb a height of more than 9000 metres.
Reaper can climb to heights of 15000 metres. Recently, China
started commercial production of this drone.
Chinese Base in Djibouti
China has set up its first overseas military base,
in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
Chinas position on the northwestern edge of the
Indian Ocean has fuelled worry in India that it
would become another of Chinas string of pearls
of military alliances, including Bangladesh, Myanmar
and Sri Lanka.
accounted for 70% of all child marriages in India
as of 2011.
The Soft Power 30
India, which claims to be a soft power was out
of The Soft Power 30 published by PR firm
Portland Communications.
France has ousted the US as the worlds premier
soft power.
Soft Power- a term first used by the American
political scientist Joseph Nye to describe the use
of political values, culture, and foreign policy as a
means of persuasion rather than hard military power.
The US has long been seen as the Numero
Uno in the Soft Power business. But apparently,
the election of Donald Trump as US President,
followed by the countervailing victory of Emmanuel
Macron in France, has resulted in the European
power surging to the top spot, pushing the US
to third. The UK comes in second.
[15]
Latest CAG Report
In a recent audit report tabled in Parliament, the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has highlighted
various issues. Here are some observations made
by the countrys top auditor:
Critical deficiency in supply of ammunition to the
army
Food on trains unsuitable for consumption
Shocking lapses led to Indian Navys worst accidents
Six telecom companies under-reported revenue by
over Rs 61,000 crore
Expired medicines at govt hospitals, acute shortage
of doctors
60% shortfall of central funds to Assam for flood
management
Holes in crop insurance schemes
Road ministrys plan caused Rs 1.85 crore unfruitful
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expenditure
Writing off Kingfisher dues to BIAL untenable
Gaps found in financial management, compliance
of RTE Act
130mn at Risk of Being Displaced: ADB
SDG Index
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India was ranked 116 out of 157 nations on
a global index that assesses the performance of
countries towards achieving the ambitious sustainable
development goals (SDGs). Sweden leads the list,
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followed by Denmark and Finland.
The SDG Index and Dashboards Report was
produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions
Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index
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India Largest Provider of Online Labour
India is the largest supplier of online labour, says
a recent report, analysing data from e-platforms
connecting freelancers with employers. India is
followed by Bangladesh, US, Pakistan, Philippines
and the UK in what is being termed digital gig
work or freelance work offered online. Over half of
the online work supplied out of India is dominated
by software development and technology sector.
[16]
.in
The largest overall supplier of online labour
according to the data is the traditional outsourcing
destination India, which is home to 24% of the
workers observed. India is followed by Bangladesh
(16%) and US (12%).
Oxford Internet Institute of the University of Oxford
published the report. It hosts the iLabour project
as part of which the Online Labour Index is
produced. This report analysed data for the first
week of July.
One hundred and thirty million people living in
low-lying coastal areas in India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh are at high risk of being displaced by
the end of the century due to floods, according
to a report produced by the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate
Impact Research (PIK).
It warned that by 2050 Mumbai, Chennai, Surat
and Kolkata will be among 13 of the top 20
cities in the Asia-Pacific region to face huge losses
due to annual flooding.
The increase in temperature would lead to drastic
changes in the regions weather system, agriculture
and fisheries sectors, land and marine biodiversity,
domestic and regional security, trade, urban
development, migration and health.
The southern states of India were set to witness
a decline of rice yields by five per cent by the
2030s, 14.5 per cent by 2050s and 17.0 per
cent in the 2080s. The temperature here would
increase by more than one degree Celsius.
A new index that measures countries by their
commitment to reducing inequality has ranked India
132 out of 152 countries.
The inaugural Commitment to Reducing Inequality
Index was released by international NGO Oxfam in
association with Developmental Finance International
to measure the efforts of sovereign governments
which pledged to reduce inequality in 2015 as
part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 Sweden comes out on top with the next four
positions being filled by European countries: Belgium,
Denmark, Norway and Germany. Chinas rank is
87 while the bottom slot is taken by Nigeria.
The CRI Index measures government efforts in
three policy areas: social spending, taxation and
labour. These were selected because positive action
by governments in these three areas have played
a key part in reducing the inequality gap.
Indias spending on health, education and social
protection is ranked 149; its taxation system is
ranked 91 and its labour market policies are 86,
Indians are now the biggest immigrant group in
Australia and New Zealand, the second biggest in
Canada, and the third biggest in Finland and the
United States. In 2016, Indian immigrants overtook
their Chinese counterparts in sending home the
most money in remittances.
Family Dynamics in India
Recently released Census 2011data shows that there
is a whole range of household types between
nuclear and joint. Numerically biggest among these
is what is called the `supplemented nuclear

giving it an overall rank of 132. Pakistan fares
even worse at 146 while Bangladesh is 148.
Government at a Glance Report 2017
India was placed third on the list of countries that
have the highest trust in the Central government
.in
household making up another 16% of the nearly
25 crore households in India. `Supplemented nuclear
households are households where an unmarried
relative a younger brother of the husband or
wife, or maybe an elderly aunt stays with the
family.
But the more interesting case is that of the

00
finds a report from the Organisation of Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD). `broken extended household. In terms of share of

Seventy-three per cent of Indians in a survey said
yes when asked, Do you have trust in national
government? Only Indonesians and the Swiss have
more trust at 80%. Greece was placed at the
bottom.
s1
International Migration Outlook 2017 and India
India was the fifth biggest senders of migrants to
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) Countries, according to International Migration
Outlook 2017 released by OECD.
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total households, it is just 4%, that is, about 1
crore households. But it is the dizzying pace of
its growth that is noteworthy 180% in a decade.
`Broken extended households are defined as those
with a head of the household without a spouse,
and some other relatives in residence, not more
than one of whom is married. As an example,
think of an elderly widowed woman staying with
her elderly widowed sister in law and their married
nephew and spouse.
This `broken extended type of household has
another peculiarity. Female headed types of such

More OECD immigrants came from China, Syria, households have increased seven times in the past
Romania and Poland than from India in 2015. decade. A smaller number to start off with is
causing the increase to look so much, but there
The 35-member OECD includes industrialised nations
is undoubtedly more to it.
in Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as
Mexico, Chile and Turkey.
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Humanitarian migration was the main reason behind

migration to these countries in 2015 and 2016.
The United States was the OECDs leading destination
country in 2015, with over 10 lakh new immigrants
in that year alone.
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In the preceding decade, Indians comprised the

fourth largest group of new immigrants. From 2014
onwards, Syria was catapulted into second place
after China.
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Indian students make up the second largest number

of international students enrolled in OECD countries
after China there were 1.86 lakh Indian students
studying in OECD nations in 2016. The US and
United Kingdom are the top destination countries
for international students.
Indians lead in seeking and receiving citizenship of
the countries they migrate to 1.3 lakh Indians
became naturalised citizens of OECD countries in
2015.
www.ias100.in [17]
 One plausible theory is that a combination of
increasing life expectancy of women which is in
any case more than men and people having to
leave their homes to migrate and work elsewhere
is leading to a spurt in these in-between types
of households that are neither joint nor nuclear.
Single person households too have increased by
about 35% over the decade, with a higher rate
of growth in urban areas, presumably because of
youngsters migrating to cities for education or jobs
and setting up house there.
The total number of households in India increased
by 29% between 2001 and 2011.Compared to this,
the increase in joint families of just 9% clearly
shows the process of breakdown of this system.
But heres another remarkable thing. It appears that
joint families are thriving in cities but breaking up
in rural areas. They increased by 29% in urban
areas compared to just 2% in rural areas in the
decade. This is again a combination of factors at
play economic migration to urban areas followed
by migration of dependents, and the economic
pressure of urban life with its lack of affordable
housing.
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40% Fortune 500 Cos are Asian, India has 7
The latest edition of
the Fortune Global
500 list, which ranks
companies by their
revenues in 2016,
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has a distinctly Asian
flavour to it. With 197
companies on the list
based on its soil,
Asia is now home to
more of these global
giants than any other
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continent, leaving North
America (145) and
Europe (143) slugging it out for second spot. The
rest of the world has a mere 15 companies on
the list.
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The US continues to have the largest presence
on the elite list with 132 firms, but China is not
too far behind at 109 and is leading the Asian
drive to the top. Japan, with 51, is in third spot;
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South Korea has 15 while India has seven.
SUMMIT/SEMINAR/CONFERENCE
G20 Hamburg Summit
The 2017 G20 Hamburg summit was the twelfth
meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), which
was held on 78 July 2017, at Hamburg Messe,
in the city of Hamburg, Germany.
[18]
Only one of the seven Indian companies is in
the top 200 -Indian Oil, ranked 168th. The other
six Indian com panies in the Fortune 500 list are
Reliance Industri es (203), State Bank of India (217),
Tata Motors (247), Rajesh Exports (295), Bharat
Petroleum (360) and Hindustan Petroleum (384).
Walmart remains Numero Uno with revenues of
$485,873.
75th Round of National Sample Survey
The 75th round of National Sample Survey has
been started from July 1, 2017. It would include
.in
data collection on communicable diseases, Swachch
Bharat and education being attained by specially-
abled persons for the first time in the country
during next one year (July 2017 - June 2018).
In another first-time approach, the household social
consumption for education survey would include
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students from three years, that is, pre-primary level
school-goers upto thirty five years.
Vocational and technical education would form a
special module of the surveys this time. Further,
mothers and their new-borns aged below one would
be considered a part of the household in which
the baby was born in another notable shift from
previous survey parameters.
The newly introduced swachch bharat module would
focus on the existence of toilets per household
and garbage disposal facilities.
The consumer expenditure survey measures the
general rise in consumer prices and also nutrition
consumption data which is used to study disparities
in the level of nutrition. This is considered as
one of the most important components of poverty
level, he said.
Health survey focuses on indicators of morbidity,
hospitalisation charges, utilization of both public and
private healthcare institutions, proportion of institutional
childbirth etc, with special emphasis on out of
pocket expenses as well as access to government
financed health insurance programmes.
The educational scenario of the country would be
studied on the basis of data on qualitative aspects
including literacy, educational level attained, type of
institution, attendance, enrolment, reasons for drop-
out, whether received free education, cost incurred
for education etc.
Leaders of the 19 most economically developed
countries of the world and the European
Union gathered to discuss pressing economic and
political issues and find common ground on global
problems.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 The G20 summit in Hamburg was held under
the slogan shaping of an interconnected world.
The key attention was paid to issues of free
trade and climate change, settlement of conflicts
in Syria and Ukraine, counteraction to the North
Korean nuclear program, problem of terrorism. On
the sidelines of the summit, the leaders of the
participating countries have discussed issues of
bilateral relations.
IMPORTANT DAYS (15TH -30TH JULY)
15 July: World Youth Skills Day
The day has been created to raise awareness
about the importance of investing in youth skills
development.
On 15th July 2015, the World Youth Skills Day
was observed globally for the first time.
WYSD is in line with the upcoming Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, which propose
two goals on education and skills for employment:
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning
s1
opportunities for all.
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and
sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all.
17 July: World Day for International Justice
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International Justice Day is observed to recognize
the emerging system of international criminal justice.
July 17 was chosen because it is the anniversary
of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty
that created the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental
organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague
in the Netherlands.
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The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the
international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity,
and war crimes.
The ICC exercises its jurisdiction when certain conditions
are met, such as when national courts are unwilling or
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unable to prosecute criminals or when the United Nations
Security Council or individual states refer investigations to
the Court.
The ICC began functioning on 1 July 2002, the date that
the Rome Statute entered into force. The Rome Statute is
a multilateral treaty which serves as the ICCs foundational
and governing document.
Currently, there are 124 states which are party to the Rome
Statute and therefore members of the ICC.
India is not a party to ICC.
www.ias100.in
Cyber Space 2017
India will host the 5th Global Conference on Cyber
Space (GCCS) in 2017, one of the worlds largest
conference on Cyber Space and related issues
in New Delhi. It is for the first time GCCS is
taking place outside OECD nations.
The theme for the GCCS 2017 is Cyber4All:
An Inclusive, Sustainable, Developmental, Safe and
Secure Cyberspace.
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18 July: Nelson Mandela International Day
Nelson Mandela International Day is observed in
recognition of the former South African Presidents
contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
2017 Theme: Action Against Poverty.
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19 July: Save public sector banks Day
The United Forum of Bank Unions has decided
to observe July 19, the 48th anniversary of
nationalisation of major banks, as Save public
sector banks day.
22 July: Pi Approximation Day
Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22 (22/7
in the day/month date format), since the fraction
22/7 is a common approximation of , which is
accurate to two decimal places and dates from
Archimedes.
24 July: Income Tax Day
Since income tax was first levied as a duty in
the year 1860 and the authority to levy that duty
came into force on July 24 of that year, it is
celebrated as the Income Tax Day.
26 July: Kargil Victory Day
It was on this day in 1999 that the Indian Armed
Forces, as part of Operation Vijay, recaptured
Indian posts in Kargil which had been occupied
by Pakistans army.
26th July: International Gaucher Day
The day is observed to raise awareness about
Gaucher disease- an inherited genetic condition that
causes fat deposits to build up in organs and
bones.
Of the 45 rare genetic disorders known as Lysosomal
Storage Disorders (LSD), it is the most common
one.
People with Gauchers disease do not have enough
of an important enzyme (glucocerebrosidase) required
[19]
 to break down a certain type of fat molecule
(glucocerebroside). As a result, cells filled with
the undigested fatcalled Gaucher cellsbuild up
in different parts of the body, primarily the liver,
spleen and bone marrow.
Dr. Philippe Gaucher first discovered this rare
disease in 1882.
27 July: Central Reserve Police Force Foundation Day
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the
largest of Indias Central Armed Police Forces.
It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
The CRPFs primary role lies in assisting the State/
Union Territories in police operations to maintain
law and order and counter insurgency.
It came into existence as the Crown Representatives
Police on 27 July 1939.
28 July: World Hepatitis Day
World Hepatitis Day is observed to raise awareness
and influence real change in disease prevention
and access to testing and treatment.
This year, the theme for World Hepatitis Day is
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Eliminate Hepatitis.
28 July was chosen to mark the birthday of
Professor Baruch Blumberg, the person who discovered
hepatitis B virus. For his work on hepatitis B
virus, Blumberg was awarded with the Nobel Prize.
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MISCELLANEOUS
Israeli Flower named after Modi
In a special gesture to mark the first visit by
an Indian Prime Minister to Israel in 70 years,
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a Israeli Crysanthumun flower was named after
Narendra Modi.
Odishas Longest Bridge
Odishas longest bridge (2.88 km bridge over the
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river Kathajodi), that connects the state capital of
Bhubaneswar with Cuttack has been inaugurated
and named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
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Malorossiya
Separatists in eastern Ukraine claimed to have founded
a new country Malorossiya, which means Little
Russia in English that will overtake Ukraine.
Pashmina Plateau
The main and best quality Pashmina Wool comes
from the Changthang plateau of Ladakh region of
J&K State.
[20]
Anyone could be at risk of Hepatitis B and C.
Risks include:
a) Unsafe injections and medical procedures
b) Unsafe sex
c) Pregnant mother to child transmission
d) Injecting drug use
Lack of safe water and poor sanitation and hygiene
is a risk for contracting Hepatitis A or E.
29 July: International Tiger Day
.in
The day is held annually on 29th July to give
worldwide attention to the reservation of tigers.
It was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg
Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the big cat
population by 2022.
30 July: International Day of Friendship
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The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed
in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the
idea that friendship between peoples, countries,
cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts
and build bridges between communities.
30 July: World Day against Trafficking in Persons
World Day against Trafficking in Persons aims to
raise awareness of the situation of men, women
and children who have fallen victims to human
trafficking and to promote and protect their rights.
NIELIT
National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology
(NIELIT), (erstwhile DOEACC Society), an Autonomous Scientific
Society under the administrative control of Ministry of Electronics
& Information Technology (MoE&IT), Government of India,
was set up to carry out Human Resource Development and
related activities in the area of Information, Electronics &
Communications Technology (IECT). NIELIT is engaged both
in Formal & Non-Formal Education in the area of IECT besides
development of industry oriented quality education and training
programmes in the state-of-the-art areas. NIELIT has endeavoured
to establish standards to be the countrys premier institution
for Examination and Certification in the field of IECT. It is
also one of the National Examination Body, which accredits
institutes/organizations for conducting courses in IT in the
non-formal sector.
SVAROP
SVAROP, which stands for Scientific Validation and
Research on Panchgavya is an initiative by the Union Ministry
of Science and Technology to conduct a scientifically validated
research on cow-derivatives, including its urine, and their
benefits.
Current Affairs Chronicle
 Pashmina wool is produced by Changra (Pashmina)
goat in Ladakh and Chegu breed of goat in the
eastern parts of Himalayas.
The goats are reared in Ladakh by the Changpa
tribe inhabiting Changthang region.
Pashmina bearing goats are also found to a minor
extent in other areas of Leh district, Zanskar
(Kargil district) and adjoining Lahoul- Spiti valley
of Himachal Pradesh.

Book/Author
Future of Indian Universities: Comparative and International Perspectives - Complied by Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar
Marching with a Billion: Analysing Narendra Modis Government At Midterm: Uday Mahurkar
Presidents Lady (Pranaber Preyosi): Ms. Sangeeta Ghosh
The Retreat of Western Liberalism: Edward Luce

.in
Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service YV Reddy
Indias Coal Story: From Damodar to Zambezi - Subhomoy Bhattacharjee
The Dharma of Business -- Commercial Law in Medieval India: Donald R. Davis
Immortal India: Amish Tripathi
Indias Most Powerful Prime Minister: Sagarika Ghose

00
APPOINTMENTS
Ram Nath Kovind Lilly has a huge fan
Ram Nath Kovind has become Indias 14th President. base of over 11 million
He succeeded Pranab Mukherjee, who completed YouTube subscribers.
This year, she released
s1
his term of five years.
her international and
New York Times
bestselling book How
To Be A Bawse, and
was recently cast in
HBOs film adaptation
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of Fahrenheit 451.
Additionally, Lilly was
ranked 1st on the Forbes Magazine Top Influencers
List in the entertainment category.

Achal Kumar Jyoti

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Achal Kumar Jyoti has become the Chief Election

Born in Paraunkh village of Derapur tehsil in Kanpur
rural, he is the first President from Uttar Pradesh.
Kovind was Governor of Bihar from 2015 to 2017.
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Commissioner of India. He succeeded Nasim Zaidi.
The President of India (based on a recommendation
from incumbent Govt of India) appoints the Chief
Election Commissioner. Conventionally, senior-most

He is a Bachelors in Commerce and a law

Election Commissioner is appointed as CEC.
graduate. He cleared the IAS exam in his third
attempt but turned out the job offer as he was He has tenure of six years, or up to the age
selected in the Allied Services. of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The Chief
Election Commissioner can be removed only through
He started his career as a lawyer in the Supreme
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impeachment by the Parliament.
Court. After the formation of Janata Party government
in 1977, he became private secretary to the then
prime minister Morarji Desai.
Gopal Prasad Parajuli
Savita Kovind is his wife. Gopal Prasad Parajuli has been appointed as the
new chief justice of Nepal.
Lilly Singh Parajuli, the senior-most Justice at the Supreme
Court, had taken up the responsibility of acting
Actress, comedian, and author Lilly Singh, who is
Chief Justice since June 7, this year after the
known by her digital alias Superwoman has been
retirement of then Chief Justice Sushila Karki.
appointed UNICEFs newest Goodwill Ambassador.
www.ias100.in [21]
Vikram Limaye
Vikram Limaye has
assumed office as the
Managing Director and
Chief Executive of the
National Stock Exchange.
Limaye, who has been
with IDFC for a long
time, was appointed as the NSE chief in February
after the exit of Chitra Ramkrishna last December.
T.R. Zeliang
T.R. Zeliang has been sworn in as the Chief
Minister of Nagaland in the place of Shurhozelie
Liezietsu, who was sacked by Governor P.B.
Acharya.
OBITUARY
Udupi Ramachandra Rao
Renowned space scientist and
former chairman of the Indian
Space Research Organisation U.
R. Rao has passed away.
s1
Rao undertook the responsibility
for the establishment of satellite
technology in India in 1972. Under
his guidance, beginning with the
first Indian satellite Aryabhata in 1975, over 18
satellites including Bhaskara, APPLE, Rohini, INSAT-1
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and INSAT-2 series of multipurpose satellites and
the IRS-1A and IRS-1B remote sensing satellites
were designed, fabricated and launched. He initiated
the process of ASLV and GSLV rockets.
Rao was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the
Government of India in 1976. He was awarded
Padma Vibhushan in 2017.
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He was first Indian to be inducted into the
Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington and International
Astronautics Federation (IAF).
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Yash Pal
Renowned astrophysicist Professor
Yash Pal, who did yeoman work in
the field of cosmic rays and high
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energy physics, has passed away.
Yash Pal was awarded Padma
Vibhushan in 2013 and Padma
Bhushan in 1976.
He was chairman of University Grants Commission
(1986-91) and Secretary Department of Science and
Technology (1984-86).
A multi-faceted personality, Yash Pal was associated
with science magazine TV series Turning Point.
[22]
Sohail Mahmood
Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit is set to
be replaced soon with Islamabads Turkey envoy Sohail
Mahmood.
Nikolai Kudashev
Six months after the death of Alexander Kadakin, Russia
has finally moved to appoint Nikolai Kudashev as the next
ambassador to India.
Brenda Hale
.in
The UK government has appointed 72-year-old
Brenda Marjorie Hale as the first female president
of the Supreme Court, the head of the highest
court in the country.
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Naiyer Masud
Urdu scholar and Urdu-language
short story writer Naiyer Masud
has passed away.
He is credited by critics for
introducing and metamorphosing
German writer Franz Kafka into
Urdu.
He translated 20 short stories
of Kafka Afsana-e-Kafka.
Recently, the Oxford University Press translated
all of his works into English and published the
Collected works of Naiyer Masud, years after he
received the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in
2001 and the Saraswati Samman in 2007.
Masuds short stories are collected in the volumes
Ganjifa, Simiya, Itr-e-kaafoor, and Taoos Chaman
Ki Myna that have all been translated in several
languages.
Liu Xiaobo
Chinas best-known political
prisoner, Nobel laureate Liu
Xiaobo has dies in custody
at 61.
Lius death puts China in
dubious company as he became
the first Nobel Peace Prize
laureate to die in custody since German pacifist
Carl von Ossietzky, who passed away in a hospital
while held by the Nazis in 1938.
Liu was jailed for 11 years back in 2009 for
inciting subversion of state power after helping to
author the Charter 08 manifesto, which called for
19 changes to be made to Chinas government,
Current Affairs Chronicle
 including the elimination of one-party rule. Previously,
Liu had spent decades as one of the most vocal
critics of the Chinese government, being arrested
multiple times, including in the aftermath of the
1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
In 2010, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
for his commitment to non-violent protest and human
rights, much to Beijings displeasure. China quickly
froze relations with Norway and heavily censored
news about the award back home.
Maryam Mirzakhani
Maryam Mirzakhani, the first and
only woman and Iranian to ever win
a Fields medal, died from breast
cancer. She was 40 years old.
The Fields medal, presented every
four years, is the most prestigious
award available in mathematics
and considered the equivalent of the Nobel prize.
Mirzakhani was one of four winners in 2014,
having received the honor for her work on complex
geometry and dynamic systems.
Nar Bahadur Bhandari
s1
Nar Bahadur Bhandari, a school teacher, who rose
to become one of the longest-serving chief ministers
of Sikkim, has passed away.
He became the chief minister of the tiny Himalyan
state for the first time in 1979 and then again
in 1984 and 1989.
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Bhandari was the second chief minister after L D
Kazi of the state which officially became a part
of the Indian Union in 1975.
Bhiku Daji Bhilare
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Veteran freedom fighter Bhiku Daji Bhilare, who
is credited in certain accounts with having saved
Mahatma Gandhi from an attempt on his life by
Nathuram Godse in Panchgani in 1944, passed
away in Bhilar.
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However, in the opinion of the Kapur Commission,
the correctness of the incident of July 1944 and
even its existence is unproven.
Khageswar Mohapatra
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Eminent litterateur and tribal language researcher
Dr Khageswar Mohapatra has passed away.
A native of Kosalpur in Jajpur district, Odisha,
Mohapatra had won several awards, including Odisha
Sahitya Akademi Award.
Samalochana ra diga o diganta, Charjyagitika,
Pratna-Odia, Odia lipi o bhasa are some of the
notable books written by him.
www.ias100.in
Mohapatra was director of Odisha Tribal Museum
and a faculty member of Odia Department of
Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. He was founder
of Odia Department of Delhi University.
Naresh Chandra
Former Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra, one of
Indias most respected civil servants, has passed away.
He served as the topmost bureaucrat of the country
during the politically tumultuous years of 1990-92, a
period which saw the change of two governments,
the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv
.in
Gandhi, massive student protests against reservation
policy, and the start of the economic reforms.
Chandras committee on civil aviation had
recommended the privatisation of Air India.
Shivajirao Giridhar Patil
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Politician and social activist Shivajirao Girdhar Patil,
father of late actress Smita Patil has passed away.
In 2013, Patil was awarded the Padma Bhushan.
Rajmata Mohinder Kaur of Patiala
The matriarch of the erstwhile Patiala royalty and
mother of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder
Singh, Rajmata Mohinder Kaur of Patiala breathed
her last aged 94.
Rajmata Mohinder Kaur was the last designated
queen of the estate ruled by the Phulkian dynasty.
She has also been a member of both the Lok
Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Indira Bai
Indira Bai, daughter of Sethu
Lakshmi Bayi, who was Queen
Regent of erstwhile Travancore,
died in Chennai. She was 90.
Dr. Spencer Johnson
Dr. Spencer Johnson, whose book Who Moved
My Cheese? sold 25 million copies and became
a business and self-help phenomenon, has died.
He was 78.
K.E. Mammen
Freedom fighter K.E. Mammen, who had participated
in the Quit India Movement, passed away. Mr.
Mammen had always followed Gandhian principles.
He became active in the freedom movement as
a college student. He was first jailed for taking
an open stand against C.P Ramaswamy Iyer, the
then Dewan of the erstwhile Travancore state.
In recent years, Mammen had been active in
anti-liquor struggles in Kerala.
[23]
 AWARDS
IIFA AWARDS 2017
The 18th edition of the International Indian Film
Academy Awards was held in New York.
The International Indian Film Academy Awards (also
known as the IIFA Awards) are a set of awards
presented annually by the International Indian Film
Academy to honour both artistic and technical
excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi
language film industry.

.in
Major Awards/ Winners of 2017
Best Film: Neerja
Best Director: Anirudh Roy Chaudhary for Pink
He will preside over the 91st annual conference to
Best Actor (Male): Shahid Kapoor for Udta Punjab be held between December 15, 2017 and January

00
Best Actor (Female): Alia Bhatt for Udta Punjab
Best Actor in Supporting Role (Female): Shabana Azmi
for Neerja
Best Actor in Supporting Role (Male): Anupam Kher
for MS Dhoni: The Untold Story
1, 2018. The award will be conferred on him on
January 1, on the day of sadas.
Ravikiran was also instrumental in the Music
Academy adopting to restore to Gottuvadhyam its
original name Chitraveena in 1990.

Best Debutant (Female): Disha Patani for M.S. Dhoni: Sangeetha Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to
s1
The Untold Story an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music
Academy.
Best Debut (Male): Diljit Dosanjh for Udta Punjab
Best Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya for the song Channa Basque Culinary World Prize
Mere Ya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Leonor Espinosa, a Colombian chef known for
Best Playback Singer (Male): Amit Mishra for Ae Dil sourcing local ingredients and giving back to the
Hai Mushkil communities that supply them, has won the Basque
.ia

Best Playback Singer (Female): Tulsi Kumar for Airlift Culinary World Prize, a 100,000 prize for chefs
and Kanika Kapoor for Udta Punjab who make a difference.
Best Music Direction: Pritam for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil The prize was launched last year by the Basque
Culinary Centre and the Basque government in
Best Actor in a Comic Role: Varun Dhawan for Dishoom
northern Spain.
IIFA Woman of the Year: Tapsee Pannu
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The first winner was Venezuelan chef Maria

Fernanda di Giacobbe, for her work to make the
Sangita Kalanidhi Award world a better place through chocolate: namely, by
Chitraveena maestro N. Ravikiran has been selected improving conditions for farmers of cacao, one of
for this years Sangita Kalanidhi award. her signature ingredients.
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SPORTS
ATHLETICS Mascot: Whizbee
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Whizbee the Bee

World Para Athletics Championships 2017 was the official
The 2017 World Para Athletics Championships was mascot of the
held at Olympic Stadium in London. World Para Athletics
Championships
It is a track and field meet for athletes with disabilities,
London 2017.
governed by the International Paralympic Committee.
It was the 8th edition of the event, formerly known India at the Games
as the IPC Athletics World Championship prior to
2017. India ended their World Para Athletics Championship
[24] Current Affairs Chronicle
 campaign with five medals with a gold, two silver
and two bronze medals to finish outside top-30
in the medal standings.
Sundar Singh Gurjar: Javelin thrower Sundar Singh
Gurjar gave India its first medal at the 2017 IPC
Para athletics championships. Gurjar took home the
gold with a personal best throw of 60.36m.
Amit Kumar Saroha: Indias Amit Kumar Saroha
clinched a silver in mens club throw F51 competition
in the World Para Athletics Championships.
Karamjyoti Dalal: Discus-thrower Karamjyoti Dalal
claimed a Bronze medal in the Womens F55
K.D. Yadavs Olympic Medal for Auction
The family of Khashaba Jadhav, who
won Indias first Olympic medal in
an individual sport- Wrestling - has
put up the medal for auction.
Jadhav won a bronze medal in the
1952 Helsinki Olympics.
They seek to use the funds to build
a wrestling academy in the Olympic
champions honour.
After Norman Pritchard who won two silver medals in
athletics in 1900, Khashaba was the first individual athlete

.in
from India to win a medal at the Olympics.
category.
AFI Suspends Manpreet Kaur
Top Indian shot putter Manpreet Kaur has been
provisionally suspended by the Athletics Federation
of India (AFI) after she tested positive for banned
substances (dimethylbutylamine) for the second time.

00
She won the Gold medal in recently held Asian
Athletics Championship at Bhubaneshwar.

BADMINTON
s1
US Open Grand Prix Gold
Indian Shuttler H S Prannoy has won the US
Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament title
defeating his compatriot Parupalli Kashyap.
Sharad Kumar and Varun Singh Bhati: Sharad In the womens singles of the tournament, Japanese
Kumar and Varun Singh Bhati won a silver and Aya Ohori won the final beating Michelle Li of
.ia

a bronze in the mens T-42 category high jump Canada.

event respectively. It was the second time this season that two Indians
fought out for the title at international badminton.
Medal Tally: Top 5 and India In April, K Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth had
played in the finals of Singapore Open with Sai
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Praneeth claiming his maiden Super Series title.
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1. China 30 17 18 65
2. United States 20 19 20 59
3. Great Britain 18 8 13 39 BOXING
4. Ukraine 12 6 11 29
5. Australia 11 9 8 28 India to Host World Boxing Championships
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34.
India 1 2 2 5 India has won the hosting rights for the 2018
womens World boxing championship and the
India finish 7th in Commonwealth Youth Games 2021 mens World
with 11 medals championship. Both
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India finished at seventh the events will be

position in the sixth held in Delhi.
Commonwealth Youth While the mens
Games at Nassau in championship will
Bahamas after winning be the first such
11 medals, including four event to be hosted
gold. India won four gold, in the country,
one silver and six bronze India had held the
medals in the six-day womens event in
multi-sporting event. 2006.
www.ias100.in [25]
 The 2019 edition of mens Worlds has been given
to the Russian city of Sochi and the womens World
championship has been awarded to Trabzon, Turkey.
CRICKET
Womens Cricket World Cup
England beat India to win the Womens Cricket
World Cup 2017. The final was played at Lords,
England.
Tammy Beaumont was declared Player of
Series.
India Skipper Mithali Raj was named as the Captain
of the ICC Womens World Cup 2017 team by the
International cricket Council (ICC). Besides Mithali,
Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were the
other two Indians included in the ICCs team.
Bharat Arun
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has
appointed Bharat Arun as the Indian Cricket teams
bowling coach.
The cricket body has also decided to retain Sanjay
Bangar as an assistant coach and R Sridhar as
s1
fielding coach till the 2019 ODI World Cup.
CAB Awards
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has chosen
Manoj Tiwary as the best cricketer of the year.
Ashoke Dinda won the best bowler award while
.ia
Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the gentleman
cricketer of the year. Abhishek Raman bagged the
best under-23 cricketer of the year award. The CAB
annual awards will be given away on July 27.
CYCLING
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Tour de France
Chris Froome of Team Sky won the 104th edition
of Tour de France, his fourth overall victory.
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Froome is now one title behind Belgian Eddy
Merckx, Spains Miguel Indurain and French duo
Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
He is the first to
w
win three consecutive
titles since Indurain,
who prevailed
from 1991-95. The
disgraced Lance
Armstrongs seven
titles since then have
been erased from the
record book.
[26]
The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage
bicycle race primarily held in France, while also
occasionally making passes through nearby countries.
FORMULA1
British GP
Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix for a
record-equalling fifth time, finishing ahead of his
Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and the Ferrari
the of Kimi Raikkonen.
.in
Halo Device in Formula 1 Cars from 2018
The Halo cockpit protection system will be used
on Formula One cars from next year onward.
It is a semi-circular barrier around the drivers head,
protecting against flying debris without completely
00
closing the cockpit.
SNOOKER
Masters National Snooker
Championship
Karnatakas Manudev.R.
Venkatnarayan beat top seed
and favourite Alok Kumar to
win the first Masters National
Snooker Championship which
was held in Chennai.
SQUASH
Victorian Open Squash
Mohali squash player Harinder Pal
Sandhu won the Victorian Open
squash, a PSA Tour event, in
Melbourne.
TENNIS
Wimbledon 2017
The 131st edition of Wimbledon Championships (played
in grass courts) took place at the All England
Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon,
London, United Kingdom.
It was the third Grand Slam tournament of the
year after Australian Open and French Open.
Andy Murray (UK) and Serena Williams were the
defending champions in the Gentlemens singles
and Ladies singles respectively.
Wimbledon came under the microscope with three
matches at this years tournament set to be
Current Affairs Chronicle
 investigated for possible match-fixing, according to
the Tennis Integrity Unit.

Winners 2017

Gentlemens Singles: Roger Federer (Switzerland) won
a record eighth Wimbledon title and 19th Grand
.in
Marcelo Melo (Brazil) beat Oliver Marach (Austria)
and Mate Pavic (Croatia) to win the title.
Ladies Doubles: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena
Vesnina (both from Rissia) won their first ladies
doubles title by outplaying Hao-Ching Chan (Taiwan)

Slam title with a straight-sets victory over Marin
Cilic (Croatia). He surpassed Pete Sampras and
William Renshaw, who claimed seven. Federer also
became the first man to win Wimbledon without
dropping a set since Bjorn Borg in 1976.
Federer also became the oldest player (35 years
342 days) to win Wimbledon Title after Arthur
s1
Ashe (USA) in 1975. Ken Rosewall (Australia) is
the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title, aged
37 at the 1972 Australian Open.
Ladies Singles: Garbine Muguruza (Spain) won her
first Wimbledon singles title beating Venus Williams
(USA). Muguruza is the second Spanish woman to
.ia
00
and Monica Niculescu (Romania).
Mixed Doubles: Swiss star Martina Hingis and
her Scottish partner Jamie Murray (elder brother
of Andy Murray) beat Henri Kontinen and Heather
Watson in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final. It
was Martinas 23rd Grand Slam title.
Chennai Open renamed Maharashtra Open
Indias lone ATP tournament, the Chennai Open,
will now be held in Pune next year and would
be henceforth called Maharashtra Open.
IMG-Reliance and the Maharashtra State Lawn
Tennis Association (MSLTA) signed an agreement

win Wimbledon. Her coach Conchita Martinez was for five years to host the tournament at the tennis
the first in 1994. facility of the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at
Gentlemens Doubles: Lukasz Kubot (Poland) and Balewadi.

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