- Mirabai Chanu becomes 1st Indian weightlifter to win silver in Olympics .
- India’s star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu created history as she overcame her Rio heartbreak to become the first Indian weightlifter to win the silver medal at the Olympic Games.
KEY POINT
- Chanu also became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Women’s 49kg category.
- China’s Zhihui Hou won the gold medal in the women’s 49-kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, lifting a total of 210 kg, while Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah won the bronze medal.
- Chanu managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal.
- A new Olympic record was registered by Mirabai Chanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.
- ARMEX-21
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged-in the Indian Army Skiing Expedition, ARMEX-21, in New Delhi .
KEY POINT
- The ARMEX-21 was conducted in the mountain ranges of the Himalayan region to promote the adventure activity in the country and the Indian Army.
- The expedition was flagged off at Karakoram Pass in Ladakh on 10th March and culminated at Malari in Uttarakhand on 6th of July.
- DRDO conducts successful flight test of Akash-NG .
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-test of New Generation Akash (Akash-NG) missile from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha at 1145 hrs on July 23, 2021.
KEY POINT
- The test was carried out against a high-speed unmanned aerial target which was successfully intercepted by the missile. The flight test has validated the functioning of complete weapon system consisting of the missile with indigenously developed RF Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar and Command, Control & Communication system.
- The test was carried out amidst inclement weather conditions proving the all-weather capability of the weapon system.
- On July 21, 2021, the missile was successfully flight-tested without seeker meeting all the mission requirements.
- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Air Force and the Industry on the second successful flight test of Akash-NG in a span of three days.
- the development of this state-of-the-art missile system will prove to be a force multiplier for air defence capabilities of Indian Air Force.
- INS Tabar reaches St Petersburg as part of 5-day goodwill visit to Russia .
- Indian Naval Ship Tabar reached St Petersburg on Thursday as part of a five-day goodwill visit to Russia.
KEY POINT
- INS Tabar will participate in the 325th Navy Day celebrations of the Russian Navy.
- India and Russia share special bilateral relations that span several decades. These include close military ties and strong cooperation between the two navies.
- INS Tabar is a Talwar-class stealth frigate and forms part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet which is based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command. Incidentally, the ship was built for the Indian Navy in Russia and was commissioned at St Petersburg in April 2004. The ship is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors and is among the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy.
- During the Russian Navy Day Parade on 25th of July, INS Tabar will join the column of ships that will be reviewed by the President of Russia. The Indian Naval Band embarked on Tabar will also participate in the City Parade during the celebrations. In addition, the crew of Tabar will participate in various bilateral professional interactions with the Russian Navy. This will be followed by naval exercises at sea between the two navies.
- BHAGEERATHI AMMA DIED AT HE AGE OF 107.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Bhageerathi Amma who passed away at the age of 107.
KEY POINT
- there is much to learn from her life journey, particularly her everlasting passion towards learning new things. He also expressed condolences to her family and admirers.
- Mr Modi also shared an excerpt from Mann Ki Baat where he had spoken about the centenarian. Bhageerathi Amma from Kerala was bestowed with the Nari Shakti Puraskar on the occasion of International Women’s Day last year. Kerala’s oldest learner Bhageerathi Amma passed the literacy examination at the age of 105 two years ago.
- President approves appointment of vice chancellors to 12 varsities .
- The President of India, who is the Visitor to central universities, has approved the appointment of vice chancellors in 12 varsities, according to Ministry of Education (MoE) officials.
KEY POINT
- The universities include Central University of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad.
- Central University of South Bihar (Gaya), Manipur University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur are also among the universities for which new VCs have been appointed.
- Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan had on July 22 informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 22 posts of vice chancellors in central universities are vacant, out of which appointments to 12 posts have already been finalised by the Visitor.
- World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge .
- World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge was opened to the public in Amsterdam earlier this month.
KEY POINT
- It was developed by MX3D, a Dutch robotics company, in collaboration with a consortium of experts, and represents a major milestone for 3D-printing technology.
- After four years in development, the bridge was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. It was installed over one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam’s city centre
- The 12-metre-long steel structure will be a ‘living laboratory’ that will capture and transmit data on its health in real-time to show how it changes over its lifespan.
- The smart sensor network was designed and installed by a team from The Alan Turing Institute.
- The sensors attached to the structure will gather data on air quality, temperature, strain, displacement and vibration.
- digital and sustainable trade facilitation.
- India’s score has jumped to 90.32% in 2021 from 78.49% in 2019 in the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) latest global survey on digital and sustainable trade facilitation.
KEY POINT
- Among 143 economies surveyed, India has scored more than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland,
- “The Survey notes that India is the best performing country when compared to South and South West Asia region (63.12%) and Asia Pacific region (65.85%),” it said.
- Survey has highlighted India’s significant improvement in the scores on all five key indicators, the most evident of which is transparency index in which 100% score has been achieved, up from 93.33% in 2019.
- A score of 66% has been achieved in the women in trade component.
- The survey evidences whether or not the trade facilitation measures being taken have the desired impact and helps draw comparison amongst countries. A higher score for a country also helps businesses in their investment decisions.
- NITI Aayog and IEA launch ‘Renewables Integration in India 2021.
- A report on “Renewables Integration in India 2021” was jointly launched by Dr. Rakesh Sarwal, Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog & Mr. Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and Security, IEA on 22nd July, 2021.
KEY POINT
- The report is based on the outcome of three states workshops held with the Governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat to understand the specific energy transition challenges faced by these renewable-rich states.
- The report uses IEA modelling results to show the effects of different flexibility options on the power system.
- The report highlights that India’s power system can efficiently integrate renewables (175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030), but it would require identification of resources and proper planning, regulatory, policy and institutional support, energy storage and advance technology initiatives.
- Indian states need to employ a wide range of flexibility options – such as demand response, more flexible operation of coal based power plants, storage, and grid improvements – to transition to cleaner electricity systems.
- Larger shares of renewables can be better managed by shifting time of use in agriculture. Time of Use (ToU) tariffs will be an effective tool to incentivise demand side management and encourage flexible consumption.
- Keisuke Sadamori, the IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security, indicated that the joint report underscores IEA’s commitment to provide support to India with its clean energy transition agenda.
- CHIEF HYDROGRAPHER RECEIVES ALEXANDER DALRYMPLE AWARD .
- Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, Chief Hydrographer to the Govt. of India received the Alexander Dalrymple award from the British High Commissioner.
KEY POINT
- Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar was conferred with the prestigious award in 2019 but the award ceremony was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.
- The Alexander Dalrymple award has been named after the first hydrographer of the Admiralty and was instituted in 2006.
Alexander Dalrymple
- Alexander Dalrymple (1737 – 1808) was a Scottish geographer and the first Hydrographer of the British Admiralty.
- He was the main proponent of the theory that there existed a vast undiscovered continent in the South Pacific, Terra Australis Incognita.
- He produced thousands of nautical charts, mapping a remarkable number of seas and oceans for the first time, and contributing significantly to the safety of shipping.
- National Broadcasting Day 2021
- National Broadcasting Day is observed on July 23 across the country every year. The Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) started organising radio broadcasting from Bombay station on this day in 1927.
KEY POINT
- To mark the event, All India Radio (AIR) conducted a symposium on Creation of New India and Broadcasting Medium in New Delhi.
- Radio broadcasting services began in India during the British rule in 1923 under the initiative of the Radio Club of Bombay.
- British Government took over radio broadcasting in 1930 and started the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS). The government took over the broadcasting facilities on April 1, 1930, on an experimental basis for two years. IBC was a private entity and was granted permission by the British Government to operate two radio stations in Kolkata (then Calcutta) and Mumbai (then Bombay).
- It was permanently renamed as Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) in May 1932. Later, it was changed to All India Radio (AIR) on June 8, 1936 and became Akashwani in 1957. Since then, it gained popularity and changed the socio-economic life of people.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank signs MoU with Indian Navy for Salary Account .
- Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) and the Indian Navy announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Salary Account.
KEY POINT
- The MoU enables KMBL to offer its Salary Account proposition to all personnel of the Indian Navy – both serving and retired. KMBL will also offer special Salary Account benefits to the Indian Navy, KMBL said in a press statement.
- The signing ceremony took place in New Delhi and was jointly chaired by Commodore Neeraj Malhotra (Commodore Pay and Allowances) Indian Navy and Ms. Parminder Varma, Business Head – Corporate Salary, Kotak Mahindra Bank.
- Benefits of the Kotak Salary Account designed especially for the Indian Navy include:
- Enhanced Complimentary Personal Accident Insurance Cover for both on-duty and off-duty incidents. Covers accidental death or total/ partial permanent disability.
- Special Education Benefit for children and Additional girl child benefit: Covers dependent children of up to 22 years in the event of an accident claim by the salary account holder.
- Exclusive benefits on loans and credit cards: Attractive rates and zero processing fees on personal loans, home loans and car loans (Car Loan offered by Kotak Mahindra Prime Ltd) and waiver on joining fees on credit cards.
- The Stranger In The Mirror’
- Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on Tuesday said he is coming up with his autobiography, The Stranger In The Mirror.
KEY POINT
- Published by Rupa Publications, the book will hit the stands across the country on July 27.
- Ad maker-turned-director Mehra, known for helming movies like Rang De Basanti, Delhi-6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the recently released Toofan, shared the announcement on his Instagram account. He has co-written the book with noted author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.
- “Here’s the cover reveal of the book written by @officialreetagupta and yours truly, hope y’all enjoy my journey,” the 58-year-old director wrote.
- Actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, who worked with Mehra in Delhi-6 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, revealed the cover of the book on social media.
- Mehra is a great mentor for any actor in the industry. To see his zeal and vision translate onto the screen is truly magical!. He’s now sharing his vision and journey with everyone through #TheStrangerInTheMirror,
- Hockey India launches player-oriented web-based platform for players.
- Hockey India has launched its own player-oriented web-based engagement platform, the ‘Heroes Connect’ in its bid to curate a detailed database of the players who have represented the country in both men and women’s game.
KEY POINT
- The unique responsive platform has been designed to encourage former and current Indian hockey players to initiate constructive discussions around the sport.
- All the former and current hockey players who have played for India can register their profiles on the platform verified by the national federation.
