1. India’s first reusable space shuttle, RLV-TD launched from Sriharikota
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its maiden indigenous winged Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. ii. The cost of this project is 95 crore rupees and built at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram by a team of 600 scientists over five years.
iii. It was carried up on a solid rocket motor (SRM). The nine-ton SRM was designed to burn slowly to accommodate the vertical lifting of winged body. It is very similar to the US space shuttle.
iv. After launch from the Sriharikota spaceport, it glided back onto a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal. The vehicle re-entered the atmosphere after reaching a height of over 70 km. The mission, known as the hypersonic flight experiment, lasted about 10 minutes.
v. The Re-Usable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) is considered as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully reusable vehicle. That is, it can put satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter atmosphere.
2. India and Iran sign 12 bilateral agreements in various areas
i. India and Iran has signed 12 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreements in various areas including building and operating the Chabahar port by India. The bilateral contract on Chabahar Port for port development and operations was signed between IPGPL (India Ports Global Private Limited) and Arya Banader of Iran.
ii. It followed the delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
iii. The other agreements include – 1. cooperation in culture, 2. science and technology, 3. library sciences, 4. cooperation between the EXIM banks of both the countries. 5. Bilateral contract on Chabahar Port for port development and operations, 6. MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), 7. Confirmation Statement between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran (CBI), 8. MoU between IRCON and CDTIC, 9. MoU on India-Iran Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP), 10. MoU on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks, 11. MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and School of International Relations, Iran’s MoFA and 12. Implementation Protocol on Cooperation in the Fields of Science and Technology.
3. SEBI tightens P-Note norms to check money laundering
i. The money market regulator SEBI has tightened its norms for Participatory note (P note) users to follow Indian anti-money laundering law and report any suspicious transactions immediately.
ii. Based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court SEBI has appointed a Special Investigation Team on black money and also tightened the due-diligence requirements for issuance and transfer of these instruments and put the onus on the original issuer for compliance to Anti-Money Laundering Regulations.
iii. Apart from it, issuers would have to conduct periodic review and report the complete transfer trail of P-Notes to SEBI on a monthly basis in addition to the present requirement of reporting details of their holders.
4. India and Oman signed 4 MoUs/Agreements on defence cooperation
i. India and Oman have signed 4 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in Muscat during the visit of Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Oman.
ii. He was on an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman from 20 to 22 May 2016 at the invitation of H.E. Bader Bin Saud Bin Harib Al Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs of Oman.
iii. The MoUs which have signed between both the countries are- 1. MOU on Defence Cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Sultanate of Oman and Ministry of Defence of India. 2. MOU between the Royal Oman Police (Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast Guard in the field of Marine Crime Prevention at Sea. 3. MOU between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and India on Maritime Issues. 4. Protocol between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman represented by Royal Air Force of Oman and the Government of India represented by the Indian Air Force on Flight Safety information Exchange.
5. Govt constitutes IEPF Authority
i. Government has constituted the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) Authority, moving ahead with efforts to further strengthen the framework for safeguarding the interest of investors.
ii. This is a step closer to setting up the IEPF, under the Companies Act, 2013, which would be utilized for multiple purposes, including to distribute disgorged amount to eligible depositors who have suffered losses due to wrongful acts by other entities.
ii. The authority would have the responsibility of administering the fund as well as maintain separate accounts and other records as prescribed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), among others.
iii.Recently, the government has constituted a six-member IEPF Authority under the chairmanship of Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray, according to a recent notification. Sebi Executive Director Gyan Bhushan and RBI Executive Director U S Paliwal are also members. All the three memberships are ex-officio or till they continue in their respective posts. Three others are independent members.
iv. Besides, Amardeep Singh Bhatia has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer to the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority. This would be an additional charge for a period of six months from the date of his assumption of charge or till further orders, the Ministry said in a separate notification.
iii.Recently, the government has constituted a six-member IEPF Authority under the chairmanship of Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray, according to a recent notification. Sebi Executive Director Gyan Bhushan and RBI Executive Director U S Paliwal are also members. All the three memberships are ex-officio or till they continue in their respective posts. Three others are independent members.
iv. Besides, Amardeep Singh Bhatia has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer to the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority. This would be an additional charge for a period of six months from the date of his assumption of charge or till further orders, the Ministry said in a separate notification.
6. Jayalalithaa sworn in for 6th term as Tamil Nadu chief minister
i. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalithaa has sworn in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
ii. Jayalalithaa holds the distinction of being the second person in the State to hold the CM office, she was first sworn-in as chief minister on June 24, 1991.
iii. The Governor of Tamil nadu K Rosaiah has approved a list of 29 ministers who will be the part of Jayalalithaa’s cabinet.
iv. The list of some ministers includes : Jayalalithaa – chief minister; minister in charge for public, IAS, IPS, IFS, general administration, district revenue officers, police and home, O Panneerselvam – finance, personnel and administrative reforms, Edappadi K Palaniswami – highways, public works, and minor ports, Sellur K Raju – cooperation and labour, Thangamani – electricity, prohibition and excise, etc.
7. Himachal Pradesh launches artificial propagation programme of mahseer fish for conservation
i. Himachal Pradesh fisheries department has started an artificial propagation programme for rehabilitation and conservation of Golden Mahseer fish.
ii. Under this programme, a hatchery has been set up in the state with an outlay of Rs 6 crore to rear mahseer fish and release its fingerlings into the wild.
iii. The population of the golden mahseer has seen decline in recent times in rivers of Himachal Pradesh as they are hunted for sport and food. It also has declined due to various reasons such as construction of dams, barrages, indiscriminate fishing of juvenile and brood fish, pollution, introduction of exotic species and habitat deterioration.
8. Gujarat CM launches ‘Smart Village’ program
i. Gujarat government has launched Smart Village program, it was launched by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on her two year completion in office in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
ii. The state government will select 300 villages for Smart Village program that will get 80 lakh to 2 crore rupees cash assistance to improve public facilities in the villages.Gujarat CM launches ‘Smart Village’ program
iii. She will felicitate villages that have 100 percent completion of toilet. The chief minister also attended Accessible India Campaign.
9. India-Pakistan school Students Exchange Program gets innovation award
i. India-Pakistan school Students Exchange Program has won innovation award. The students have been interacting with each other through handwritten letters, Audios and Visual recording that are reflective of a shared history of the two neighbors before Partition.
ii. This has been done under the ‘Student Exchange Program’ which is a year-long dialogue comprising a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories connecting school children aged between 10-14 years across the cities of India and Pakistan was initiated by NGO ‘Routes 2 Roots’.
iii. The NGO has recently been awarded the “The Inter-cultural Innovation Award 2016′ from United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Baku, Azerbaijan for this programme.
10. Anurag Thakur elected as the new BCCI president, Ajay Shirke as secretary
i. Anurag Thakur has been elected as the new BCCI president by the Special General Meeting (SGM) chaired by Senior BCCI vice-president C K Khanna in Mumbai. With this he became the second youngest BCCI President.
ii. Apart from him, Ajay Shirke has been appointed as the BCCI Secretary for a smooth transition of power at a time when the world’s richest Cricket Board is sailing through choppy waters.
iii. The position of BCCI Secretary was left vacant by Thakur’s resignation and with his new appointment the 41-year-old Anurag Thakur has replaced Mr. Shashank Manohar who quit the position to take up the post of ICC chairman.
11. Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling conferred with Nepal’s literary award
i. Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has been conferred with the Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award by Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli for his commendable contributions in promoting Nepali literature in India.
ii. The Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award is one of the Nepal’s prestigious literary award. Mr. Chamling is the author and publisher of many Nepali books. His books in Nepali include- Prarambhik Kavita (1978), Antyaheen Sapana: Mero Bipana (1985), Ma Ko Hoon! (1992) and Sikkim ra Nariko Maryada.
iii. The award ceremony was organised by Siddhicharan Shrestha Academy on the occasion of 105th birth anniversary of the late poet Shrestha. The award carries a certificate of appreciation and a sum of NRs 100,000. But to receive the award Mr. Chamling was not present.
12. Ken Loach’s film I, Daniel Blake wins Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival
i. Veteran British director Ken Loach film I, Daniel Blake has won the his second Palme d’Or at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, France. ii. Ken Loach, the 79 year old, is one of only nine directors to have won the top prize at Cannes twice. Loach had won in 2006 with The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
iii. The other includes, Kent-born director Andrea Arnold won the competition’s Jury Prize for her road movie American Honey. The Iranian film Forushande (The Salesman) by Asghar Farhadi received two awards, for Best Screenplay and for Best Actor, won by Shahab Hosseini. Jaclyn Jose won Best Actress for her role in Ma’ Rosa, a brutal dive into the Manila underworld directed by Brillante Mendoza.
13. Kiran Bedi appointed new Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry
i. BJP leader and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was appointed as Lt Governor of Puducherry , a post which was under the additional charge of Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Island for nearly two years.
ii. The appointment came three days after the Congress-DMK alliance won 17 seats in the 30-member state Assembly. AIADMK, which contested the elections on its own, won four seats while BJP could not get even a single seat.
iii. The LG post in the Union territory had been lying vacant after the Narendra Modi Government had sacked UPA nominee Virendra Kataria on July 12 barely a year after he had been appointed. Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Island Lt Gen Ajay Singh had been given additional charge of Puducherry.
14. Ratan P Watal appointed as Principal Adviser for Social Sector in NITI Aayog
i. Former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal was appointed as Principal Adviser (Social Sector) in NITI Aayog for 3-years.
ii. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
iii. Prior to this appointment, Watal was the Union Finance Secretary between September 2015 and April 2016.Watal, 60, is a 1978-batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer and holds masters degree in economics.
15. World’s oldest Olympic champion, Sandor Tarics has passed away
i. The oldest living Olympic champion Sandor Tarics has passed away at home in San Francisco. He was 102 year old.
ii. He was born in 1913 in Budapest, Hungary but later sifted to San Francisco where he worked as a university professor. He became famous for his work in earthquake research, and in particular his design of earthquake-proof building technologies.
iii. Tarics was the member of Hungary’s gold-medal winning waterpolo team at the 1936 Games. Earlier, Italian cyclist Attilio Pavesi, who won two Gold medals at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles was the world’s oldest Olympic champion but now Mr. Tarics became the oldest living Olympic champion.
16. China wins Uber Cup Badminton tournament for 14th time
i. Chinese women badminton team showing its supremacyhas won the Uber Cup title. In the final played at the Kunshan Sports Centre Gymnasium in Beijing, the host country defeated South Korea 3-1.
ii. It was the host country’s third triumph in a row since 2012 and overall it won the title for 14th time since it first started competing in the Uber Cup in 1984.However, South Korean team was unable to end their six-year drought at the Uber Cup.
iii. India won the bronze of the Uber Cup tournament after they suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of defending champions China in the semifinals.
17. Mohun Bagan beats Aizawl FC 5-0 to lift 14th Fed Cup title
i. The Mohun Bagan has clinched the Federation Cup title for the 14th time. The team has floored Aizawl FC by a record 5-0 margin and regain the Federation Cup football title after eight years, at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati.
ii. The first half of the match was goalless. In second half, Mizo striker Jeje Lalpekhlua netted two goals while Haitian Sony Norde, Dhanachandra Singh and Bikramjit Singh scored one each.
iii. The Kolkata giant, Mohun Bagan has produced one of its finest runs of success, scoring 17 goals and conceding just two in the five matches it played in the tournament and in the process extending the record of winning the title to 14. The last time Bagan had won the title in 2008, when it has deafeated Dempo by 1-0.
18. Denmark wins first Thomas Cup badminton tournament
i. For the first time ever, Denmark has won this year’s Thomas Cup badminton tournament.
ii. The Danish team upset the favored Indonesians 3-2 in the final in Kunshan to take this year’s title.
iii. Denmark had only ever finished runner-up at the men’s international team tournament before yesterday, having twice lost to China in the final. Host China, which is home to some of the world’s best men’s badminton players, stumbled out of the tournament after a shocking 3-1 upset to South Korea in the quarter-finals.
19. Ashwin placed 2nd in ICC Test bowlers ranking
i. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retained his second spot in the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers.
ii. England fast bowler Stuart Broad currently leads the list and his compatriot James Anderson is placed third.
iii. Meanwhile, Ashwin continues to top the Test all-rounders’ ranking. However, no Indian featured in the top 10 batsmen list, which is lead by Australian Captain Steven Smith.
20. Pankaj Advani creates history by winning Asian 6-Red Snooker title
i. India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani has created history in Abu Dhabi by clinching the Asian 6-Red Snooker title.
ii. He has won the IBSF World 6 Red Championship previously as well making him the first player to hold both the world and continental championships in 6 Red snooker at the same time.
iii. The double International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Six-Red Snooker Champion stamped his authority again in the short format of the game, defeating top seeded Malaysian Keen Hoh Moh by 7-5 . Advani will now spearhead the Indian challenge in the team event with Aditya Mehta, Manan Chandra and Kamal Chawla.
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