Current Affairs Daily Updates: 25th July 2017
APPOINTMENTS
Amitabh
Bachchan's ambassadorship for UNICEF extends for another two years
- The
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has extended Megastar Amitabh
Bachchan's ambassadorship for another two years after the success of polio
drive.
- Earlier,
He had served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India.
- Earlier,
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also appointed Bachchan as its
goodwill ambassador for hepatitis in South-East Asia region to boost
awareness and intensify action to arrest the epidemic.
Walmart
India appoints Devendra Chawla as Chief Operating Officer
- Walmart
India made former Chief executive Officer (CEO) of Future Consumer
Devendra Chawla as its Chief Operating Officer.
- Walmart
India owns and operates 21 best price modern wholesale stores in nine
states across India.
- He
will join as COO Merchandising, Marketing and Omni-channel function at
Walmart India.
Google CEO
Sundar Pichai joins Alphabet board of directors
- Google
CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of
Alphabet, the search giant’s parent company.
- Alphabet
is the parent company of Google and several former Google subsidiaries.
- Mr.
Pichai is responsible for Google’s product development and technology
strategy, as well as the company’s day-to-day-operations
Ram Nath
Kovind sworn as Country’s 14th President
- Mr Ram
Nath Kovind took charge as the 14th President of India.
- He
will be administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of India
Justice J S Khehar at a special function in the Central Hall of
Parliament.
- He is
the second Dalit President of India after late President K.R. Narayanan
but, more significantly, the first from politically significant Uttar
Pradesh and the first person from the BJP to hold the office of President
since Independence.
BUSINESS AND
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
FSSAI bans
Stapler Pins in tea bags from January 2018
- The
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the use of
stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018.
- The
FSSAI order directs the concerned food business operators to discontinue
the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of stapled tea
bags by 1 January 2018.
- Currently,
tea bags are either stapled or knotted. According to industry estimates,
the tea bag segment contributes 3-4% by value of total tea sales but it is
one of the fastest growing segments at 50-60% year-on-year.
- FSSAI
is a nodal statutory agency responsible for protecting and promoting
public health in India through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
DEATHS
Renowned
academic Professor Yash Pal passes away
- Globally
renowned physicist, academic and higher education reformer Professor Yash
Pal passed away in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- He was
known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for
being an institution-builder.
- Yash
Pal was born in 1926 in Jhang in then British India (now in Pakistan). He
had graduated with a master’s degree in physics from Panjab University in
1949 and earned PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1958.
- He was
awarded the Padma Bhusan (1976), Padma Vibhushan (2013). He also has
received the Kalinga Prize (2009,), awarded by United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the Popularisation of
science.
INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS
World’s
oldest emoji discovered on 3700-year-old pot in Turkey
- A
group of archaelogists working on a site in Southern Turkey discovered a
3700-year-old smiley face, which is drawn on the side of a jug.
- A team
of Turkish and Italian archaeologists have been exploring a site on the
Turkish-Syrian border, but they have never encountered such an object
before.
- The
site depicts the era of the Hittities, an ancient civilisation and empire
that is beleived to have existed in the north-central Anatolian region.
- The
ancient smiley jug will be displayed at the nearby Gaziantep Museum of
Archaeology.
World’s
first floating wind farm emerges off coast of Scotland
- The
world’s first floating windfarm has taken to the seas in a sign that a
technology once confined to research and development drawing boards is
finally ready to unlock expanses of ocean for generating renewable power
in Scotland.
- The
£200m Hywind project is unusual not just because of the pioneering
technology involved, which uses 78-metre-tall underwater ballast and three
mooring lines that will be attached to the seabed to keep the turbines
upright. It will bring power to 20,000 homes.
UN selects
Dubai as data hub for MENASA region
- The UN
has selected Dubai as the data hub for the Middle East North Africa and
South Asia (MENASA) region for the city’s integrated initiatives to mine
and manage its data.
- The
work is already under way to prepare Dubai as the regional city data hub.
The designation will be part of a portfolio of local and regional data
portals, analytics and reports to engage stakeholders and help accelerate
progress.
- It
will also serve as a dedicated platform for city-to- city learning and
‘solutions transfer’ across metropolitan, national and global contexts.
- Dubai
has launched a series of comprehensive and integrated initiatives to mine
and manage the citys data.
NATIONAL
AFFAIRS
Union
Parliament passes the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime
Claims) Bill
- The
Union Parliament Parliament passed The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and
Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016.
- The
Bill aims to establish a legal framework for consolidation of related laws
to replace the age old archaic laws with modern Indian legislation and to
confer admiralty jurisdiction on all High Courts of the coastal states of
the country.
- The
Bill provides for prioritisation to owners, charterers, operators, crew
members and seafarers at the same time.
Union
Minister Shri Piyush Goyal confirmed that 13,872 villages electrified under
rural scheme DDUGJY
- Union
Government Shri Piyush Goyal confirmed that 13,872 villages electrified
till 30th June 2017 in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim are
the states where 100% villages are electrified till date.
- The
Decentralized Distributed Generation (DDG) scheme, under Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) initiated by the Government to
provide access to electricity to un-electrified villages/habitations where
grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective including
the villages located in backwards, remote, inaccessible and forest areas.
- Under
the scheme, 4,220 projects have been sanctioned with the total project
cost of Rs.1354.60 crore, covering 3,285 un-electrified villages in
various States across the country.
Union
Government launched Mobile App 'Aarambh' for Road Maintenance
- Union
Minister for Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Drinking Water &
Sanitation- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Deputy Director General (Policy)
of International Labour Organization (ILO) Ms Deborah Greenfield launched
the Mobile App for Road Maintenance “Aarambh”.
- It
aims at the use of Geographic Information System (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.
- They
also launched a Concept Note and Guidance Note for Mobilising Funds for
Maintenance of Rural Road. The Concept Note outlines innovative ways,
which can be adopted by the State Governments for mobilising additional
funds for road maintenance.
Arun
Jaitley inaugurates 315th Sainik Rest House in New Delhi
- Union
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the 315th Sainik Rest House of
the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) in New Delhi.
- The
rest house built at Naraina tri-junction near Delhi Cantonment area in
west Delhi at a cost of around Rs 8 crores.
- The KSB
portal lists out details, facilities, restrictions for use of the rest
house and would soon provide a facility for online payment.
- Chief
of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief
Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Prabhu Dayal Meena,
Secretary (KSB) Brigadier M.H. Rizvi, senior officials of armed forces and
from the Ministry of Defence were present on the occasion.
Airport
Authority of India and Uttarakhand Government signs agreement on aviation
development
- The
Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with Government of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority
(UCADA).
- The
scope of the MoU is to identify relevant factors influencing the
development of Civil Aviation infrastructure in Uttarakhand.
- It
will assess the commercial potential of various airports of the State,
identifying technical considerations for airport operations in the State,
evaluating site related technical and engineering parameters for development
of projects.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Mithali Raj
named Captain of ICC Women’s World Cup team
- India
skipper Mithali Raj was chosen as the captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup
2017 team by the International Cricket Council.
- The
34-year-old Indian was selected as captain after she led India to the
final of the just-concluded ICC Women’s World Cup.
- England
Women Team has won the ICC World Cup 2017 by defeating India.
Konsam wins
gold in Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships
- Indian
weightlifter Konsam Ormila Devi has bagged a gold medal at the Asian Youth
and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- The
weightlifter from Manipur lifted 56kg in snatch and 70kg in clean &
jerk for a total effort of 126kg in the 44kg weight category to finish on
the top of the podium.
Boxer
Sachin Siwach wins Gold at Commonwealth Youth Games
- World
Youth Champion Sachin Siwach won a Gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth
Games.
- He
defeated Welsh boxer James Nathan Prober in the final of the light
flyweight 49 categories.
- Jony
won silver in the lightweight (60kg) category.
- Muhammed
Etash Khan won bronze in the bantamweight (56kg) division after losing in
the semifinals.
