Current Affairs - July 22, 2019 Current Affairs

The first-ever Draft Distribution Perspective Plan has been prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the guidance of the Ministry of Power.Aim: The plan is aimed at sustaining the goal of 24X7 uninterrupted power for all with the increasing demand of electricity by consumers.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Ajay Bhadoo as Joint Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. Bhadoo, a Gujarat batch IAS officer is currently serving as the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner.

Chandrayaan-2, India's Moon mission, has been launched from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. GSLV Mk-III-M-1 is carrying three robotics to the Moon. This mission was leading by two women scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Muthayya Vanitha was leading the Chandryaan-2 and on the other hand Ritu Karidhal was working as Mission Director. It had never happened before when women power is heading this much of highly important ISRO mission.

Chandrayaan-2 launch is scheduled for 22 July 2019 at 2.43 pm IST from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-2 consists of an orbiter that will observe the surface of the Moon and become a source of communication between Earth and the Moon mission.

Repco Micro Finance, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)-Micro Finance Institution (MFI) promoted by Repco Bank, was awarded for outstanding performance in terms of Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage in Tamil Nadu for 2018-19 from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).It operates from 90 branches in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and has an employee strength of about 600 people. It has provided SHG loans worth Rs 3,600 crore to over 12 lakh individual beneficiaries through 60,000 SHGs.

Irishman Shane Lowry wins British Open to claim his first major golfing title at Royal Portrush. He became the 2nd player from the Republic of Ireland, after Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008, to lift the Claret Jug.

Telangana Government and the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network announced that they are set to launch an innovative project to deliver emergency medical supplies such as blood and vaccines via drones. This pilot project, called Medicine from the Sky, will run in partnership with the State Government and HealthNet Global Limited.

The expo, which focuses on everything related to police forces, their welfare and fitness, also showcases the latest equipment required for safety and protection of society. Over 25 countries are showcasing advanced firearms, combat or armoured vehicles a plethora of disruptive technologies in cyber security, drones, homeland security, and safety and rescue at International Police Expo at Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi.

Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao claimed the WBA welterweight championship after scoring a split-decision win against Keith Thurman. He ended the American Keith Thurman's undefeated run at the MGM Grand, where two judges had the fight 115-112 in favour of the 40-year-old Pacquiao.

The scientists from Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed a concept & have named Ramanujan Machine, after the Indian mathematician. It is not really a machine but an algorithm that automatically generates conjectures for fundamental constants. The Conjectures are mathematical statements which are proposed as true statements. In other words, they are mathematical statements that are, as yet, unproven. Typically, people provide the input and the algorithm (hopefully) finds the solution. The Ramanujan Machine reverses the process. The researchers hope that their creation will inspire younger mathematicians. If a user develops a new proof or algorithm, it will be named after him. The algorithm reflects the way Srinivasa Ramanujan worked during his brief life (1887-1920).

India's track and field legend PT Usha has been nominated for the International Association of Athletics Federation's (IAAF) 'Veteran Pin' for her outstanding service to the sport. She is often called the "queen of track and field". The IAAF CEO Jon Ridgeon has also extended an invitation to PT Usha to attend the award ceremony during the opening of the 52nd IAAF Congress in Qatar in September 2019. She won five gold medals -- 100 metres(m), 200m, 400m, 400 m hurdles and the 4x400 m relay -- besides a bronze in the Asian Games which were held at Jakarta in 1985 . Usha's most memorable performance came in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she became the first Indian to reach the finals of the 400m hurdles, but lost the bronze by one-hundredth of a second.

Vocalist S. Sowmya has been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy. She will preside over the 93rd annual conference of the Academy. She holds a Master's degree in Chemistry and Indian music and obtained a doctorate from the University of Madras. The Sangita Kalanidhi and other music awards will be conferred on the awardees at the Sadas of Music festival, on January 1, 2020.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu(T.N), Edappadi K. Palaniswami stated that two new districts Tenkasi and Chengalpattu will be created for administrative convenience by bifurcating Tirunelveli and Kancheepuram districts respectively.

International Shark Awareness Day was observed on July 14, 2019. The objective of the day is to spread awareness about the dangers of sharks. The theme for the year 2019 is "The sharks in crisis: a call to action for the Mediterranean". On this occasion, The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, released a report highlighting the risks to Sharks in the Mediterranean region. Overfishing and plastic pollution were the threats highlighted by the report. Libya and Tunisia were the worst culprits, with each country's fishery hauling in about 4,200 tonnes of sharks a year.

The 11th edition of DefExpo India- 2020 is scheduled to be held for 1st time in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The biennial Expo will be a 4-day event, beginning from 5 to 8 February 2020. It offers an excellent opportunity for Indian defence industry to showcase its capabilities and promote its export potential.

Zimbabwe cricket has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with immediate effect after it breached the ICC Constitution by failing to provide free and democratic elections and ensuring that there is no government interference in its administration. The decision was taken by the ICC board during the ICC Annual Conference in London. With this suspension, Zimbabwe Cricket will be frozen and representative teams from Zimbabwe will not be allowed to participate in any ICC tournaments.

The technical education department of West Bengal(WB) will sign an MoU(memorandum of understanding) with the British Council to improve the English speaking skills of the students studying in Polytechnic Colleges in the state.It aims at making the student's job-ready soon after they completed their courses and are able to meet the demands of the industry by improving their speaking as well as writing skills.

Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) launched a Scheme called "Paramarsh" of University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi. Aim: This scheme aims at mentoring National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) accreditation aspirant institutions to develop quality assurance in Higher Education. Mentorship: Under the scheme, the prime Mentoring institutions will provide regular mentoring to colleges to help achieve high-quality standards. For mentoring they will get the financial assistance & also the option of appointing an expert, who can be paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month.

In 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2019 held in Cuttack on 18th July, India made a record by winning gold in both men's and women's category at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Indian women team won the gold for the first time in the history in the commonwealth games. India women's team clinched their maiden Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships title, beating Singapore 3-0 in the final. The men's team survived a stiff challenge from England in the final in Cuttack.