974CurrentAffairsJuly2020 Part1pdf

JULY 2020
The CP Monthly
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CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE
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For CLAT/AILET/SNAP/MHCET & other 5-year
Law Entrance Exams in India
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Key features:
A comprehensive coverage of all stories in the news.
Crafted to make you ace the CLAT GK Section.
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Appropriate context to understand the current affairs.

Moulded as per the demands of the new CLAT pattern.
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Preface
Dear CLAT Aspirants,
Experience is what sets one apart: the most valuable ammunition needed for
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the triumphant stroke as a contender, or as a coach. And, we firmly believe that
innovation feeds on experience!
Reflecting on the past invaluable experience we gained and the successes we

had, this year we have again pushed the limits of all sorts, and have tried to
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take our exercise a few notches above. To simplify your engagement with
Current Affairs and certainly make it a real smooth task, we are releasing our
brand new publication – The CP Monthly. We have comfortably dealt with ever–
changing, organic nature of General Knowledge to come out with a reliable
and one-stop solution.
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To do full justice to factual linkages (both forward & backward) of the
information, you shall find further requisite additional information appended
therein. This should help you process the events and understand their
relevance.
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We recommend that you go through this magazine as many times as possible

so that you ease your tensed mind from accumulation in one go. It is also
recommended to discuss the facts and their background with your friends and
family for making your learning far effective and a great fun!
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This is a small help from our side to ensure your prep reaches a lively level in
your run up to the D-Day!
Happy Reading!
Dr. Surabhi Modi Sahai

(MD, CLAT Possible)
Content
NATIONAL NEWS …………………………………….…………………………………….. 1
4th Lab in India to isolate the Covid strain ………………………………………………………….. 1
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„Elyments‟ app launched ……………………………………………………………………………………. 1
India‟s first „No Permission No Takeoff‟ Drone Flight ……………………………..…..…..….. 2
First Sanskrit Programme by AIR ………………………………………………………..…..…..…… 2
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Partnership between CBSE and Facebook ………………………………………………………….. 2
Himachal Pradesh first state to have 100% LPG connection ……………………………..…. 3
Sanskrit Vidhyalaya in Nepal built by India ……………………………………………………….. 3
Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to be upgraded to a National Park ……………………. 3
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India‟s Largest Butterfly Discovered ………………………………………………………..…..……. 4
Asia‟s Largest Tier IV Data Centre inaugurated …………………………………………………... 4
Odisha to use space technology and artificial intelligence for protecting
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government lands …………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 5

India‟s Tiger Census enters Guinness World Records ……………………………..…..…..….. 5
India‟s First e-Lok Adalat …………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Madhya Pradesh tops in implementation of PM Svanidhi Scheme ……………………….. 6
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India‟s first trans-shipment hub in Kochi ………………………………………………………..…. 6

INTERNATIONAL NEWS ………………………………………………………………... 8
Constitutional Amendments in Russia ………………………………………………………..…….. 8
Israel Launches Ofek-16 Satellite ………………………………………………………..…..…..…… 8
Sri Lanka and Maldives eliminate Measles and Rubella ……………………………..…..….. 9
Satellite Launch by China ………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Singapore Elections 2020 ………………………………………………………………………………… 9
India becomes second largest source of FDI in UK …………………………………………….. 10
Poland Elections 2020 ……………………………………………………………………………………. 10
(i)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY …………………………………………………………….. 11
Photo of Phobos captured by Mangalyaan ………………………………………………………… 11
IIT Kanpur develops UV sanitizing device 'SHUDDH ……………………………..…..…….. 11
BUSINESS ……………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Joint Venture Agreement between Indian Oil and Beximco LPG ………………………… 13
Intel Capital and Google‟s investment in Jio Platforms ……………………………..…..….. 13
KKR Investment in JB Chemicals ………………………………………………………..…..…..…. 14
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Joint Venture between Coal India and NLC India ……………………………………………… 14
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & INITIATIVES ……………………….…..…..……. 16
„Hamara Ghar Hamara Vidyalaya‟ scheme launched ……………………………..…..…..…. 16
„Accelerate Vigyan‟ scheme launched ………………………………………………………..…..…. 16
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„Dream Kerala Project‟ launched ………………………………………………………..…..…..…… 17
„Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao‟ campaign launched ……………………………..…..….. 17
Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 launched ……………………………………………………….. 17
“Fit Hai To Hit Hai India” campaign launched ………………………………………………….. 18
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„TOPS‟ Scheme for Junior Athletes ………………………………………………………..…..…….. 18
AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge launched ……………………………..…. 19
“Intezar Aapka” Campaign ……………………………………………………………………………… 20
„Mission Vriksharopan‟, 2020 …………………………………………………………………………. 20
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„Balaram Yojana‟ for landless farmers ………………………………………………………..……. 20

Nekar Samman Yojana launched ………………………………………………………..…..…..….. 20
AI-based „ASEEM‟ Digital Platform ………………………………………………………..…..…… 20
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SPORTS ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
New Logo for Indian Olympic Association ……………………………………………………….. 22
APPOINTMENTS ………………………………………………………………………….. 23
New Appointment to UN Office in Geneva ……………………………………………………….. 23
Appointment of First Chairman of IFSCA ………………………………………………………… 23
New Envoys to Afghanistan and Bangladesh ……………………………………………………. 24
Ashok Lavasa appointed as Vice President of ADB ……………………………………………. 24
AWARDS …………………………………………………………...……………………..… 25
„2020 Great Immigrants‟ Awards ………………………………………………………..…..………. 25
SVRI and World Bank Group Development Marketplace Award ………………………… 25
US-India Business Council (USIBC) Global Leadership Award 2020 ………………….. 26
(ii)
OBITUARIES ……………………………………………………………………………….. 27
Italian Composer Ennio Morricone passed away ……………………………………………….. 27
IMPORTANT DAYS ………………………………………………………………………. 28
National Doctors Day …………………………………………………………………………………….. 28
Dharma Chakra Day, 2020 …………………………………………………………………………….. 28
National Fish Farmers Day …………………………………………………………………………….. 28
World Population Day ……………………………………………………………………………………. 29
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Bastille Day …………………………………………………………………………………..…..…..…..…. 29
LEGAL NEWS ………………………………………………………………………………. 30
New Consumer Protection Act, 2019 introduced ………………………………………………. 30
Special Resolution Framework for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises …………… 31
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Supreme Court of India upholds legislation providing for reservations in
promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ……………………………..……… 32
Padmanabhaswamy temple case: Supreme Court upholds the privileges of the
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erstwhile Royal family of Travancore ………………………………………………………..……… 33
National Green Tribunal (NGT) introduces stricter rules for the usage of ground
water …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
CHAHBAR PORT ………………………………………………………………………….. 35
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India Dropped From Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project In Iran ………………………….. 35

Chabahar Port ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
About Chabahar Port Agreement ………………………………………………………..…..…..….. 36
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Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project – Why The Delay? ……………………………..…..…..… 37

Gwadar Port ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38
Belt And Road Initiative …………………………………………………………………………………. 39
India‟s Long Term Targets With Chabahar Port ……………………………………………….. 39
(iii)
Current Affairs Magazine July 2020, Part - 1
NATIONAL NEWS
4th Lab in India to isolate the Covid strain
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 Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) situated in Dibrugarh, Assam has
become the 4th laboratory in the country to isolate the Covid strain. RMRC is
situated in Lahowal area of Dibrugarh. RMRC is affiliated to the Indian Council of
Medical Research.
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 The other laboratories from India to have isolated the Covid strain are National
Institute of Virology, Pune; Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
Hyderabad and Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad. Out of these, Bharat Biotech is
the only private laboratory to achieve this till now.
„Elyments‟ app launched

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 India‟s first social media app, „Elyments‟ has been launched. The app is available on
both Google Play Store and Apple Store. The app is as of now available in 8
languages. This is a multi-purpose app which along with being a social media app
can also be used to make audio and video calls, make online payments etc.
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 The launch was done by Vice-President Mr. Venkaiah Naidu on the occasion of Guru
Purnima. The app has been created by 1,000 IT professionals who are also
volunteers at the „Art of Living‟. The development of this app is an example of „Make
in India‟.
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[Image Source: https://www.inventiva.co.in/stories/parul/indias-first-social-

media-app-launched-by-vice-president-elyments]
Clat Possible: All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying, sale, distribution or circulation of any of
the contents of this work is a punishable offence under laws of India
July 2020, Part - 1 Magazine Current Affairs
India‟s first „No Permission No Takeoff‟ Drone Flight

 India‟s first „No Permission No Takeoff‟ drone flight has been completed by
Quidich Innovation Labs and Asteria Aerospace. This is a company from
Mumbai. The flight was made through an A200 Remotely Piloted Aircraft
System.
 The regulations on drone flights were formalized in December 2018 and are
governed by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA). The current Union Minister of Civil Aviation (Minister of State,
Independent Charge) is Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri.
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First Sanskrit Programme by AIR
 The All India Radio (AIR) has launched its first Sanskrit programme in form of
news magazine by the name of „Sanskrit Saptahiki‟. It is a weekly show which will
be broadcasted for 20 minutes on every Saturday from 7:10 a.m. It will be repeated
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every Sunday at the same time.
 The programme will have elements from the prominent developments of the week,
news from the world of Sanskrit, explaining the humane values enshrined in
Sanskrit literature, philosophy, history, art, culture and tradition.1

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The segments of the programme will be: „Sukti‟, „Prasang‟, „Saptahiki‟, „Sanskrit
Darshan‟, „Gyan Vigyan‟, „Bal Vallari‟, „Ek Bharat -Shreshtha Bharat‟, and
„Anvikshiki‟.
 All India Radio started in 1930 and it was named as „All India Radio‟ on
June 8, 1936 and its name was given by Sir Lionel Fielden. AIR had six
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stations at the time of independence in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow

and Tiruchirappalli. Three stations in Lahore, Peshawar and Dhaka went to
Pakistan.
Partnership between CBSE and Facebook

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 To further their commitment towards digital inclusion and

digital empowerment, Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) and Facebook have partnered to launch curriculum
and related training in Augmented Reality, Digital Safety &
Online Well-Being and introduce Instagram Toolkit for teens.2
The training programme would for both the students and the
teachers and it will be of three weeks duration. The
programme would begin in August, 2020.
 CBSE got its current name, the „Central Board of Secondary Education‟ in the year
1952 while the Board was constituted in its present version in 1962. Mr. Manoj
Ahuja is the current Chairperson of CBSE.
[Image Source: http://cbse.nic.in/newsite/images/cbse-logo.png]
1 http://newsonair.com/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=392917
2 http://www.cbseacademic.nic.in/fb/facebookforeducation.html
Himachal Pradesh first state to have 100% LPG connection

 The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Jai Ram Thakur, made an
announcement that Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to
achieve 100% LPG connection for every house. Now, every household in the state
had a LPG connection.
 The central government runs the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana launched in
2016 to supply LPG connections to women living below the poverty line. The
Himachal Pradesh government runs Himachal Grihni Suvidha Yojana which
was launched in 2018 to make available LPG connection to households. This policy
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runs independently of „Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana‟.
Sanskrit Vidhyalaya in Nepal built by India

 A Sanskrit Vidhyalaya (school) has been built under Nepal-Bharat Maitri
Development Cooperation was inaugurated in Ilam district of Nepal. This
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school teaches both Vedic as well as modern education through the medium of
Sanskrit.
Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to be upgraded to a

National Park
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 The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary which is situated in the state of Assam will be
upgraded to a National Park as per the decision of the state government. It is
situated in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam. The famous Digboi oil
refinery is situated near the sanctuary. It was made a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004.
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This will be the sixth national park in Assam. The other five are:
 Kaziranga
 Rajiv Gandhi Orang
 Dibru-Saikhowa
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 Manas
 Nameri
 Dehing Patkai is also known as the “Amazon of the East”.
 Although both national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are created with the intention
of preserving wildlife and natural vegetation, the primary difference between the
two is that the former is more controlled with less access and human activity while
the latter is less controlled with more human activity. As per the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) a national park is a Category II protected
area while a wildlife sanctuary is a Category IV protected area.
 „Jim Corbett National Park‟ is India‟s oldest national park established in
the year 1936 while world‟s first national park was the „Yellowstone
National Park‟ in USA which was established as a national park in the
year 1872.
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Location of Dehing Patkai in Assam
[Image Source: Google Maps]
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India‟s Largest Butterfly Discovered
 A Himalayan butterfly by the name of “Golden
Birdwing” has become the largest butterfly to be
found in India. The previous record was held by
“Southern Birdwing” since 1932. The wingspan
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of the female Golden Birdwing measures 194

mm while that of female Southern Birdwing
measures 190 mm.
 The scientific name of Golden Birdwing is
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Troides Aeacus. The largest female of this

butterfly was found in Uttarakhand while the Golden Birdwing
largest male was found in Meghalaya.
 Southern Birdwing was discovered by a British army officer, Brigadier
William Evans, in the year 1932. Its scientific name is Troides Minos.
[Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/458311699574464890/]
Asia‟s Largest Tier IV Data Centre inaugurated

 Asia‟s largest and world‟s second largest tier-IV data centre has been inaugurated at
Navi Mumbai. The inauguration was done by Maharashtra‟s Chief Minister, Mr.
Uddhav Thackeray through a virtual ceremony.
 The data centre has been named „Yotta NM1 Data Centre‟. The centre is situated
in the Hiranandani Fortune City in Panvel. The data centre has been constructed by
Yotta Infrastructure, which is a subsidiary of the Hiranandani Group. The
Hiranandani Group has said that total of five such data centres will be built.
 This data centre is Asia‟s
largest tier-IV data centre
as per the standards laid
down by the „Uptime
Institute‟. Uptime
Institute is a USA based
institute which has
prepared standards to be
followed for the design
and construction of data
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centres.
Yotta NM1 Data Centre
[Image Source: https://yotta.com/media/yotta-infrastructure-inaugurates-asias-
largest-and-worlds-second-largest-uptime-institute-tier-iv-certified-data-center-
yotta-nm1-at-navi-mumbai/]
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Odisha to use space technology and artificial intelligence
for protecting government lands
 Odisha has become the first state in the country to use space technology and
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artificial intelligence for protecting government lands from encroachment. This will
be done through a web and app based system called- Bhubaneswar Land Use
Intelligence System (BLUIS). This system will use satellite images to monitor the
changes in government land. The app can also be used by common citizens to file
complaints about encroachment of government land.
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 BLUIS was launched by Odisha Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik.
India‟s Tiger Census enters Guinness World Records

 The fourth cycle of India‟s tiger
census has made its way into the
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Guinness World Record for being

the world‟s largest „camera-trap
wildlife survey‟. India surveyed
26, 838 locations using camera
which is around 121, 337 sq. km.
 As per the survey, the current
strength of tigers in India is 2,
967. This means India is home to
around 75% of world‟s tiger
population.
 The survey was administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and
Wildlife Institute of India.
[Image Source:
https://twitter.com/PrakashJavdekar/status/1281755194020130819/photo/1]
India‟s First e-Lok Adalat

 The state of Chhattisgarh became the first Indian state to organize an e-lok adalat.
The lok adalat was presided over by the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court,
Justice P R Ramachandra Menon. This lok adalat was organized by the Chhattisgarh
High Court and the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority.
 Lok Adalats have been recognized under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
(LSA). LSA also establishes the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and
other State Legal Services Authorities. NALSA was established in 1995. The
incumbent Chief Justice of India is the „Patron-in-Chief‟ of NALSA while the second
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senior most judge of the Supreme Court is the Executive Chairman of NALSA.
Justice N.V. Ramana is the current Executive Chairman of NALSA.
Madhya Pradesh tops in implementation of PM Svanidhi

Scheme
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 Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the best performing state in the implementation of
the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).
 PM SVANidhi was launched in June this year to provide affordable credit to street
vendors and has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
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(MoHUA). This scheme will benefit around 50 lakh street vendors and has been
launched keeping in mind vendors which may have been affected because of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
 Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri is the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (independent
charge).
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India‟s first trans-shipment hub in Kochi

 India is constructing its first trans-shipment hub at Kochi International Container
Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT), which is locally known as the Vallarpadam
Terminal.
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 Trans-shipment Hub is the terminal at the port which handles containers, stores
them temporarily and transfers them to other ships for the onward destination.3
 This port fulfills all the criteria to become a trans-shipment hub4:
 It is best positioned Indian port with regard to proximity to International sea
routes;
 It is located at least average nautical distance from all Indian feeder ports;
 It entails a connectivity which has multiple weekly feeder connections to all
ports on West & East Coast of India, From Mundra to Kolkata;
 It has proximity to key hinterland markets of India;
 It has the infrastructure to manage large ships and capacity to scale it up as per
requirement
3 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1638709
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Location of Kochi (Cochin) Port

[Image Source: https://www.prokerala.com/maps/india/india-seaport-map.htm]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Constitutional Amendments in Russia
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 Referendum took place in Russia for amendments made to the country‟s
Constitution. Around 65% voters took part in the referendum out which around 78%
voted in favour of the amendments while around 21% voted against the
amendments. These amendments have already been passed by Duma (the lower
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house of Russia‟s Federal Assembly) and upheld by the Constitutional Court of
Russia in March.
 Some of the key features of these amendments are:
 Most importantly the amendments will allow the current Russian President
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Vladimir Putin to continue in power till 2036. Currently, a person can serve as
the President of Russia for two consecutive terms (one term is of 6 years).
Putin‟s second term (first term being from 2012-2018) will end in 2024. Now, as
per the new amendment, his two Presidential terms have been set again to zero
so Putin will be eligible for the elections in 2024.
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 Any Presidential candidate must have lived in Russia for at least 25 years and
should have never been citizen or resident of any other country
 Ban on gay marriages
 Constitutional and Supreme Court judges can be removed by Federation Council
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on the recommendation of the President

 These amendments came into effect from 4th July, 2020. The current Constitution
of Russia has been in force since 1993.
Israel Launches Ofek-16 Satellite

 Israel launched its Ofek-16 satellite from Palmachim Airbase in central Israel. It
is a kind of reconnaissance satellite. The first of these satellites was launched in
1988. The rocket which propelled the satellite into orbit is called Shavit 2.
 The three companies which provided technology for the satellite are:
 Israel Aerospace Industries,
 Elbit Systems, and
 Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Sri Lanka and Maldives eliminate Measles and Rubella

 Sri Lanka and Maldives have become the first countries from the WHO-South East
Asia region to successfully eliminate measles and rubella. The last case of measles
reported from Sri Lanka and Maldives was in 2016 and 2009 respectively. Whereas,
the last reported case of rubella from Sri Lanka and Maldives was in 2015 and 2017
respectively.
 The Regional Director of WHO-South East Asia region is Dr. Poonam Kheterpal
Singh. The timeline set for the elimination of these diseases is 2023.
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 In this region, Bhutan, Timor-Leste and DPR Korea have also eliminated measles.
Bangladesh
Timor
Leste Bhutan
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Thailand DPR
Korea
WHO-South
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Sri East Asia
Lanka India
Nepal Indonesia
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Myanmar Maldives
Member Countries of WHO-South East Asia Region

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Satellite Launch by China

 China launched a satellite by the name of „Apstar-6D‟ from Xichang Satellite
Launch Center in Sichuan, China. The launch was done through Long March
3B rocket. The launch was done by China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This
company is a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
 This satellite has the most capacity of all of China‟s satellites till date. This satellite
will function for around 15 years.
Singapore Elections 2020

 The election results in Singapore were on expected lines as the ruling People‟s
Action Party (PAP) won the elections winning 83 out 93 seats. The reigning Prime
Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong will continue as the Prime Minister of the
country. Lee Hsien Loong has been the Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004. He
is the son of Singapore‟s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
 However, the vote percentage of 61.2% won by PAP is less than 70% which it won in
the 2015 elections.
India becomes second largest source of FDI in UK

 As per a report by the government of United Kingdom, India has become the second
largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country. As per the report,
India invested in 120 projects and helped generate 5,429 new jobs. The countries
after India on the list are Germany, France and China.
 United States of America holds the top position for source of FDI in United
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Kingdom.
Poland Elections 2020

 In a closely fought Presidential election, the current President of Poland, Andrzej
Duda won over his rival Rafal Trzaskowski. Andrzej Duda won 51.2% votes and
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these elections were the closest in terms of winning margin since 1989. Mr. Andrzej
Duda leads the Law and Justice (PiS) Party.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Photo of Phobos captured by Mangalyaan
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 Mangalyaan has captured image of Phobos, which is the largest moon of Mars.
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and both were discovered in
1877 by Asaph Hall. The image has been captured by Mars Colour Camera
(MCC) which is mounted on Mangalyaan. Apart from MCC, Mangalyaan has four
more equipments:
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 Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP),
 Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM),
 Mars Exospheric
Neutral Composition
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Analyser (MENCA), and
 Thermal Infrared
Imaging Spectrometer
(TIS)
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 Mangalyaan was launched

from Sriharikota on
November 5, 2013. It was
successfully placed in the
orbit of Mars on September
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24, 2014.
 Mostly Carbonaceous
Chondrites make up
Phobos. Stickney is the
largest crater of Phobos.
Phobos
[Image Source: https://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c25-mars-orbiter-mission/phobos-
imaged-mom-1st-july]
IIT Kanpur develops UV sanitizing device 'SHUDDH

 IIT Kanpur has invented UV disinfection helper by the name of „SHUDH‟ that can
be controlled through a smartphone. This equipment can disinfectant a room of size
10*10 feet in around 15 minutes. The equipment has six UV lights and each light can
be individually controlled.
 IIT Kanpur was established in 1959.
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[Image Source: http://ddnews.gov.in/national/iit-kanpur-develops-uv-sanitizing-
device-shuddh-make-your-room-covid-free]
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13
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BUSINESS
Joint Venture Agreement between Indian Oil and Beximco
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LPG
 A joint venture has been signed between IOC Middle East FZE (situated in
Dubai) which is a subsidiary of Indian Oil and Beximco LPG of Bangladesh
which is a subsidiary of RR Holdings Ltd. of UAE.
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 Both the companies will have an equal 50:50 partnership in the joint venture. The
joint venture also aims at ensuring LPG reach the North-Eastern regions of India.
This joint venture is an example of Indian government‟s “Neighbourhood First”
policy.

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Indian Oil was founded on June 30, 1959 and is headquartered in New Delhi. Mr.
Shrikant Madhav Vaidya is the current Chairman of the Indian Oil.Mr. Venu
Prabhakar is the Managing Director of IOC Middle East FZE.
 Apart from IOC Middle East FZE, Indian Oil also has subsidiaries in Mauritius
(“IndianOil (Mauritius) Ltd.”) and in Sri Lanka (“Lanka IOC PLC”). The LPG brand
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“Indane” belongs to Indian Oil.

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[Image Source: https://tbsnews.net/companies/beximco-teams-ioc-boost-lpg-

business-100096]
Intel Capital and Google‟s investment in Jio Platforms

 Intel Capital has decided to make an investment of Rs. 1894.50 crore in Jio
Platforms. This is around 0.39% share of Jio Platforms. Further, Google has decided
to invest Rs. 33,737 in Jio Platforms which is around 7.7% of Jio Platforms shares.
 With this investment, Jio Platforms has sold around 32.97% of its shares. The total
investment in Jio Platforms currently stands at 1.52 lakh crore. The other entities to
have invested till now in Jio Platforms are:
i. Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia
ii. TPG
iii. KKR
iv. Silver Lake
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v. Vista Equity Partners
vi. General Atlantic
vii. L Catterton
viii. Facebook
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ix. Mubadala Investment Co.
x. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
 Intel Capital is a subsidiary of technology giant, Intel. Intel was founded in 1968
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by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore and is headquartered in Santa
Clara, California. Bob Swan is the current CEO of Intel. Jio Platforms, which is a
subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd., was established in 2019 and is the parent
organization of Reliance Jio.
KKR Investment in JB Chemicals

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 KKR is an American investment company that has decided to invest Rs. 5400
crore and purchase 54% shares of Mumbai based JB Chemicals and
Pharmaceuticals.
 KKR was established in 1976 as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. JB Chemicals
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and Pharmaceuticals was also established in 1976. „Unique Pharmaceutical

Laboratories‟ is another name of JB Chemicals.
Joint Venture between Coal India and NLC India

 Coal India and NLC India have agreed enter into a joint venture to work in the
field of solar and thermal energy. They aim to solar power project worth 3,000
MW and thermal power project worth 2,000 MW. The total investment will be
around Rs. 12,000 crore. This joint undertaking is 50:50 venture between both
the companies.
 NLC India is a „Navratna‟ company established in 1956 and headquartered in
Chennai. Mr. Rakesh Kumar is the Chairman cum Managing Director of NLC
India. Coal India is a „Maharatna‟ company established in 1975 and
headquartered in Kolkata. Coal India is the single largest coal producer
in the world. Mr. Pramod Agarwal is the Chairman cum Managing Director of
Coal India.
Bharat
Heavy
Electricals
Steel Ltd Bharat
Authority Petroleum
of India Corp Ltd.
Ltd.
Coal
Power Grid India
Corp. of Ltd.
India Ltd.
55
MAHARATNAS
Gail
Oil and (India)
Natural Gas Ltd.
Corp Ltd.
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Hindustan
NTPC Ltd. Petrleum
Indian Corp. Ltd.
Oil Corp.
Ltd.
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List of Maharatnas
Having
13
Navratna
Status
Should have Listed on an
gloabal Indian Stock
presence Exchange
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Eligibility for
Mahratna
Average annual net Status
profit after tax of Average annual
more than Rs. 5,000 turnover of more
crore, during the last than rs. 25,000
3 years crore during last
Average annual net 3 years
worth of more than
Rs. 15,000 crore,
during the last 3
years.
Eligibility Criteria for getting a Maharatna Status
GOVERNMENT
SCHEMES & INITIATIVES
55
„Hamara Ghar Hamara Vidyalaya‟ scheme launched
 Educational classes have been severely affected all over the country due to the
Covid-19 epidemic and the schools are no exception. Schools have been shut for
00
months now and as a result school students have suffered all over the country.
 To overcome this, the Madhya Pradesh government has launched „Hamara Ghar
Hamara Vidyalaya‟ scheme for students of class 1 to 8. A proper time table has been
prepared for the students wherein four classes of one hour will each will be conducted
from Monday to Friday. Saturday has been reserved for activities like Yoga etc.
10
 As per this scheme the government has asked the parents to create a separate place
in the house where the children can take their classes. The scheme also aims to
teach various skills to students through various endeavours like plating trees,
hearing stories from their grandparents, helping their parents in daily household
activities etc.
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„Accelerate Vigyan‟ scheme launched

 The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a new scheme
called „Accelerate Vigyan‟ (AV) to provide a single platform for research
internships, capacity building programs, and workshops across the country.5
20
 The main aim of this scheme is to give more thrust on encouraging high-end
scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to research
careers and knowledge-based economy.6
 This scheme has been divided into two parts: „Abhyaas‟ and „Sammohan‟. Abhyaas
is programme for PG/PhD students who want to enhance their research skills in
their chosen area. Abhyaas has further two components: „Karyashala‟ and „Vritika‟.
Sammohan has two components: „Sayonjika‟ and „Sangoshti‟. Sayonjika has been
started with the aim to list all the scientific research going on in the country through
government funding while Sangoshti is a running programme of SERB.
 SERB was established in 2009 and is situated in New Delhi. SERB works under
Department of Science & Technology.
 Accelerate Vigyan is available at: http://www.acceleratevigyan.gov.in
„Dream Kerala Project‟ launched

 One of the biggest sources of income for the state of Kerala is remittances sent by
Keralites working abroad, especially in the Middle East. As per a report in 2018,
around Rs. 85,000 crore was sent as remittances. Due to the ongoing Covid-19
epidemic a lot of these people working in Middle East have lost their jobs and have
returned to Kerala.
 To help these people and utilize their experience the Kerala government has
launched the „Dream Kerala Project‟. Public has been asked to give ideas as to
how the professional skills of those who have returned can be utilized and the ideas
55
which are finally selected will be implemented by the concerned departments in a
week. It is hoped that the ideas can be finished by November 15.
„Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao‟ campaign launched

 The New Delhi government through the Ministry of Environment has launched
00
„Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao‟ campaign. The aim of this campaign is to reduce
air pollution in New Delhi and about 31 lakh trees were planted across the state of
New Delhi. This campaign ran from July 10 to July 26.
 The current Environment Minister of Delhi is Mr. Gopal Rai.
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Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 launched
 The Central Government has launched an initiative by the name of „Drug Discovery
Hackathon 2020‟. The scheme was launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Minister
of Science and Technology) and Dr. Ramesh Pohkriyal Nishank (Union HRD
Minister).
13
 This Hackathon is first of its kind National initiative for supporting drug discovery
process and will see participation from professionals, faculty, researchers and
students from varied fields like Computer Science, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Medical
Sciences, Basic Sciences and Biotechnology.7
20
 Background Information and Methodology of Hackathon8:

 The Hackathon consists of challenges that are posted as problem statements
and, are based on specific drug discovery topics which, are open to the
participants to solve. A total of 29 Problem Statements (PS) have been
identified.
 MyGov portal is being used and any Indian student can participate.
 Professionals and researchers from anywhere in the world can participate.
 The Hackathon will have three Tracks. Track 1 will primarily deal with drug
design for anti-COVID-19 hit/lead generation: this is done using tools such as
molecular modelling, pharmacophore optimization, molecular docking, hit/lead
optimization, etc.
7 https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1635928
8 https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1635928
 Track 2 will deal with designing/optimizing new tools and algorithms which
will have an immense impact on expediting the process of in silico drug
discovery.
 There is also a third track called “Moon shot” which allows for working on
problems which are „out of the box‟ nature.
 This Hackathon is a joint initiative of MHRD‟s Innovation Cell, All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) and supported by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC),
MyGov as well as private players.
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00
10
13
[Image Source: https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1635928]
“Fit Hai To Hit Hai India” campaign launched

 Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Union HRD Minister) and Mr. Kiren Rijiju (Union
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs) launched the “Fit Hai To Hit Hai India”
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campaign. P.V. Sindhu and Sunil Chetri were also present at the launch of the event.
 This campaign is part of the „Fit India‟ campaign. The campaign primarily aims at
school students to instill habits of staying healthy in them.
„TOPS‟ Scheme for Junior Athletes

 The Ministry of Sports has launched “Target Olympic Podium Scheme” (TOPS)
for junior athletes. This scheme aims to train athletes for the 2024 and 2028
Olympics. The 2024 Olympics would take place in Paris while the 2028 Olympics
would take place in Los Angeles.
 Junior athletes as young as 10-12 years will also be scouted under this scheme.
These athletes will be mentored by the government. The aim of this scheme is to
ensure India finishes among the top 10 medal winners by the 2028 Olympics.
“TOPS” is already in place for senior athletes since 2014. TOPS works under the
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) which was set up in 1998.
 The current Minister of Sports is Mr. Kiren Rijiju.
AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge launched

 The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in collaboration with Atal
Innovation Mission of Niti Ayog has launched the „AtmaNirbhar Bharat App
Innovation Challenge‟ for Indian tech startups and entrepreneurs. This
challenge hopes to further the initiatives of „Digital India‟ and „AatmaNirbhar
Bharat‟.
 There are 2 tracks in this challenge:
 Promotion of Existing Apps
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 Development of New Apps
 Track 1 will identify the best Indian Apps that are already being used by citizens and
have the potential to scale and become world class Apps in their respective
categories.9 Track 2 will start later and will seek to identify Indian startups /
entrepreneurs /companies and encourage them with ideation, incubation,
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prototyping and roll out of applications.10
 Track 1 has been launched in the following categories:
10
Office Productivity &
Work from Home
Social
Games Networking
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News Track 1 E-Learning

20
Business including
Agritech and Fin- Entertainment
tech
Health &
Wellness
 The current Union Cabinet Minister of Electronics and Information Technology is

Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad.
 Atal Innovation Mission was set up by NITI Ayog to promote entrepreneurship
in the country. The Prime Minister is the Chairman of NITI Ayog while Dr. Rajiv
Kumar is the Vice-Chairman. The current CEO of NITI Ayog is Mr. Amitabh
Kant.
“Intezar Aapka” Campaign

 The Covid-19 pandemic has affected almost all sectors including the tourism sector.
To revive the tourism sector in Madhya Pradesh, the Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Board has launched a campaign by the name of “Intezar Aapka”.
55
 Various tourist packages have been prepared by the Tourism Board especially
keeping in mind the safety of travellers due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
 Madhya Pradesh has various places of attraction from national parks like Pench,
Kanha, Bandhavgarh etc. to UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the temples of
Khajuraho, Bhimbetka caves and Sanchi Buddhist monuments.
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„Mission Vriksharopan‟, 2020
 The government of Uttar Pradesh organized „Mission Vriksharopan‟ 2020 wherein
25 crore saplings of different varieties were planted throughout the state.
10
 The campaign was launched by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Yogi
Adityanath, by planting three saplings of Ficus Virens, Banyan Tree and Ficus
Religiosa.
 Around the state saplings of Neem, Pipal, Jamun, Sahjan, Mulvari etc. were planted.
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„Balaram Yojana‟ for landless farmers

 The government of Odisha to provide monetary aid to landless farmers has
launched a scheme by the name of „Balaram Yojana‟. The government aims to
provide benefit of this scheme to around 7 lakh landless farmers by the next two
20
years. Each famer will be eligible for a loan upto Rs. 1.60 lakh.
Nekar Samman Yojana launched

 In order to help the weavers facing financial troubles due to the Covid-19 pandemic
the state of Karnataka has launched a scheme by the name of Nekar Samman
Yojana. Under this scheme, the weavers will be eligible for a one time help of Rs.
2,000 from the government.
AI-based „ASEEM‟ Digital Platform

 An AI-based digital platform by the name of „Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee
Employer Mapping (ASEEM)‟ has been launched by the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship. This platform will help skilled people in
finding sustainable livelihood opportunities. The platform would help people gain
relevant industry skills and helping them find job opportunities.
 ASEEM will also help identify major skills gap in the sectors and provide review of
global best practices, and also provide employers a platform to assess the
availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans.11 Through ASEEM,
employers, agencies and job aggregators looking for skilled workforce in specific
sectors will also have the required details at their fingertips and it will also enable
policymakers take more objective view of various sectors.12
 Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey is
the current Union Minister of
Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship.
55
[Image Source:
https://pib.gov.in/PressRelea
sePage.aspx?PRID=1637755]
00
10
13
20
SPORTS
New Logo for Indian Olympic Association
55
 To celebrate 100 years of India‟s participation at the Olympics, the Indian Olympics
Association (IOA) unveiled a new logo for the IOA. The new logo has received
approval from the International Olympic Committee. The logo has been designed by
an India based firm, „Smitten‟. The new logo will be used by the athletes at all major
00
sporting events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and other ceremonies.13
 India sent an official team for the first time to the
1920 Antwerp Olympics, although Norman
Pritchard, an Anglo Indian, had taken part in the
1900 Paris Olympics. IOA was formed in Pune in 1927
10
and Dorabji Tata was its first President.
 The current President of IOA is Mr. Narendra Batra while Mr.
Rajeev Mehta is the current Secretary General.
New IOA Logo
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[Image Source: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/other-sports/ioa-adopts-new-

identity-100-year-milestone-olympic-games/article32005734.ece]
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13 https://www.olympic.ind.in/article/unveiling-new-national-identity-ek-india-team-india
APPOINTMENTS
New Appointment to UN Office in Geneva
55
 Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as India‟s ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the United Nations office in Geneva. He will also be India‟s
representative to World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Human Rights
Council.
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 Before this, Indra Mani Pandey was serving as additional secretary in the Ministry
of External Affairs.
Major UNO
Offices
10
Europe and Middle
Africa Americas Asia-Pacific
Central Asia East
13
Nairobi New York Bangkok Geneva Beirut

(Headquarters)
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Addis Ababa Vienna

Sanitago
The Hague
(ICJ)
List of Major UN Offices

[Source: https://www.un.org/en/sections/where-we-work/index.html]
Appointment of First Chairman of IFSCA

 Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as the first chairman of International Financial
Services Centre Authority (IFSCA). Injeti Srinivas is an IAS officer of the 1983 batch
who retired this year as the Corporate Affairs Secretary.
 IFSCA has been established by the Central Government in April, 2020 under the
International Financial Services Authority Act, 2019 to regulate all International
Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country. IFSCA is headquartered in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
New Envoys to Afghanistan and Bangladesh

 Rudrendra Tandon has been appointed as India‟s new ambassador to Afghanistan.
He is a 1994 batch IFS officer. Vikram Doraiswami has been appointed as India‟s
new High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He is an IFS officer from the 1992 batch.
55
 Rudrendra Tandon will replace Vinay Kumar while Vikram Doraiswami will replace
Riva Ganguly Das.
Ashok Lavasa appointed as Vice President of ADB

 Former Election Commissioner of India, Ashok Lavasa, has been appointed as the
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Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank. Mr. Lavasa is an IAS officer from
the 1980 batch. If not for this appointment, Mr. Lavasa would have retired as the
Chief Election Commissioner of India in 2022.
 ADB was founded on December 16, 1966 and is headquartered in Manila,
Philippines. Masatsugu Asakawa is the current President of ADB.
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13
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AWARDS
„2020 Great Immigrants‟ Awards
55
 Two Indian-Americans Siddhartha Mukherjee and Raj Chetty have been
awarded with the „2020 Great Immigrant Award‟.
 Siddhartha Mukherjee is an oncologist by profession and is also a Pulitzer Prize
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winner in the non-fiction category. He won the Pulitzer for his book, “The
Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer” in 2011. He also teaches
at the Columbia University in the Department of Medicine. Raj Shetty is a Professor
of Economics at the Harvard University.
These awards are presented since 2006 by Carnegie Corporation of New York on 4 th

10
of July every year to “naturalized citizens”. The awards are presented in the memory
of noted industrialist Andrew Carnegie who was an immigrant from Scotland. This
year 38 people were honoured with this award.
SVRI and World Bank Group Development Marketplace

13
Award
 The Development Marketplace Award for Innovation in the Prevention and
Response of Gender Based Violence for the year 2020 has been awarded to
“Alcohol, intimate partner violence and household economy - an
20
assessment of liquor ban in Bihar”. This study is being conducted by Institute

for Human Development.
 The World Bank in association with the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI)
had started these awards in 2016 to honour Gender Based Violence (GBV) victims
and survivors, and are held in memory of Hannah Graham, daughter of
longtime World Bank Group employee John Graham and the winning teams receive
up to US$100,000 each.14 The winning teams are given funds to support evidence-
based research, interventions, and other activities related to GBV prevention and
response.15
14 https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/development-marketplace-innovations-to-address-gender-
based-violence
15 https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/development-marketplace-innovations-to-address-gender-
based-violence
US-India Business Council (USIBC) Global Leadership

Award 2020
 Chairman of Tata Group, Mr. N. Chandrasekaran and the President and CEO of
Lockheed Martin, Jim Taiclet have been awarded with the US-India Business
Council (USIBC) Global Leadership Award 2020.
 These awards are being presented since 2007 to businessmen from India and
United States of America. Previous winners include Sundar Pichai (Google) in 2019,
Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo) and Shobhana Bhartia (Hindustan Times) in 2015 etc.
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 N. Chandrasekaran was appointed as the Tata Chairman in 2017 while Jim Taiclet
became the Lockheed Martin CEO in 2020.
 Tata Group was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Tata and is headquartered
in Mumbai. Lockheed Martin was founded in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed
00
Corporation and Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland,
United States.
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13
20
OBITUARIES
Italian Composer Ennio Morricone passed away
55
 Famous Italian composer Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6. His most
famous work is the score given by him in the 1966 Hollywood movie „The Good,
the Bad and the Ugly‟. He also won an Honorary Oscar in 2007 for “his
contribution to Art of Film Music”. He has six Oscar nominations and he finally
00
won the Oscar for Best Score in 2016 for the movie „The Hateful Eight‟.
10
13
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IMPORTANT DAYS
National Doctors Day
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 Every year, National Doctors Day, is celebrated in India on the 1 st of July. The theme
of this year‟s National Doctors Day was „Lessen the mortality of COVID-19‟.
 The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of renowned
doctor, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (Dr. B.C. Roy). Dr. B.C. Roy was
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born on July 1, 1882 and incidentally died on the same date in 1962.
 Dr. B.C. Roy was also the second chief minister of the state of West
Bengal. He is known as the “Maker of Modern West Bengal”.
He was also the mayor of Calcutta from 1931 to 1933. He is the
recipient of Bharat Ratna, which was awarded to him in the year 1961.
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Dr. B.C. Roy
[Image Source: https://twitter.com/INCHistory/status/1013284102336737280]
Dharma Chakra Day, 2020

13
 July 4, which was the Asadh Purnima (first full moon day of the month of Asadh)
was celebrated as Dharma Chakra Day by the International Buddhist Confederation
(IBC). The function was inaugurated by Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, President of India at
the Rashtrapati Bhavan; while the events also took place at Mulagandha Kuti Vihar,
Sarnath.
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 This day marks Lord Buddha‟s first sermon to his first five disciples in the Deer Park
in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. This day is also marked as Dharma Chakra Parvattana or
“Turning of the Wheel of Dharma” by Buddhists. This day is also celebrated as „Guru
Purnima‟ in large parts of India.
 The ceremony took place under the aegis of Ministry of Culture. The current Union
Minister of Culture is Prahlad Patel (Minister of State, Independent Charge).
National Fish Farmers Day

 The National Fish Farmers Day is celebrated ever year on 10th July. This day is
celebrated in the memory of Dr. Dr. K. H. Alikunhi and Dr. H.L. Chaudhury. On this
day in 1957, both Dr. K. H. Alikunhi and Dr. H.L. Chaudhury showed that induced
breeding (Hypophysation) could be performed in Indian Major Carp (common
fish species found in India). This test was done at the Pond Culture Division of
Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) in Cuttack, which is now the
Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneshwar.
 This day is celebrated by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) under
the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying. NFDB was established in 2006 as an independent body under Department
of Fisheries.
 Mr. Giriraj Singh is the current Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying.
 World Fisheries Day is celebrated every year on November 21.
World Population Day
55
 World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 to educate people about the
rapidly growing people world population and its affects. The World Population Day
this year was observed to raise awareness about safeguarding sexual and
reproductive health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls during the Covid-
19 pandemic.16
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 Population Explosion- It took thousands of years to add the first billion people
to this planet. The next billion took only 200 years and by 2011 the world population
was 7 billion. Today it stands at about 7.7 billion, and it's expected to grow to
around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.17 This
population explosion will have severe consequences on different things like
10
employment, income distribution, poverty alleviation etc.
Bastille Day
 Bastille Day is the National Day of France which is celebrated every year on July
14 and is a national holiday in France. This day is called la fête nationale in France.
13
Bastille is a fort from the medieval times which was later used as a prison. It was
officially known as Bastille Saint-Antoine.
 This day marks the “storming of Bastille” on July 14, 1789 which is
usually accepted as the beginning of the French Revolution.
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16 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/red-button-day-light/world-population-day-2020-indias-
concerns/
17 https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-population-day
LEGAL NEWS
New Consumer Protection Act, 2019 introduced
55
 The government of India has introduced Consumer Protection Act, 2019 replacing
the older Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The bill was given assent by the
President of India on 6 July, 2020, majority of the provisions were notified on 15
July, 2020 and have been brought into effect on 20 July, 2020. The previous act was
introduced in the year 1986 and since then there has been tremendous change in the
00
market space and consumer rights. The advent of technology and e-commerce were
two primary reasons for amending the legislation. The following chart illustrates the
differences between the old and the new Consumer Protection Act–
Point of
10
1986 Act 2019 Act
Comparison
Redressal District Consumer District Consumer Disputes

Forum Disputes Redressal Redressal Commission
Forum
13
Deposit before There existed a ceiling The responding party must

appeal amount of Rs. 25000 in deposit 50% of the amount
the earlier Act ordered by the District
Commission before preferring an
appeal
20
Period of 30 days 45 days

limitation for
appeal from the
district level
body
Pecuniary District – up to 20 lacs District – up to 1 crore

Jurisdiction State – 20 lacs to 1 crore State – 1 crore to 10 crore
National – More than 1 National – More than 10 crore
crore
Territorial Case could be filed where It is now possible to institute

Jurisdiction the seller resides or claim in the jurisdiction where
carries on his business or the complainant resides or
the place of purchase personally works for gain
E – Commerce The earlier Act did not The new Act has widened the
specifically included definition of “consumer”. It now
online transaction. Thus, includes any person who
there was an ambiguity purchases goods through online
regarding the inclusion of shopping, telemarketing, multi-
e-commerce level marketing, direct selling,
etc.
The E – Commerce platforms
would no longer be considered as
55
mere aggregators
E – Complaints The complaints were to The new act allows the filing of
be filed at the physical cases electronically and allows for
forum online hearing
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National Body No similar powers with The Act discussed establishment
with higher the national forum of Central Consumer Protection
powers Authority which would have wide
powers of investigations, suo-
motu actions, etc.
10
Unfair Trade No particular head of The new act introduces the head
Practices similar nature of “unfair trade practices” which
includes sharing of confidential
personal information
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Dispute No specific mention of Introduction of mediation as an

Resolution alternative methods of alternative mode of resolution
dispute resolution
Special Resolution Framework for Micro Small and

20
Medium Enterprises
 The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (“IBBI”) has announced, what is
called as, „special insolvency resolution framework‟ for the Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises (“MSMEs”). The new framework is presently under preparation and
would be introduced under Section 240A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016 (“IBC”).
 Important Fact: Mr. M.S. Sahoo is currently the Chairman of Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India.
 Meaning of Insolvency: When an entity is incapable or unable to meet its
financial obligations i.e. unable to pay its dues, it is said to have become an insolvent
firm or undertaking.
 Important Fact: IBC was created on the recommendations of the Bankruptcy
Law Reforms Committee Report, 2015 headed by Mr. T.K. Vishwanathan.
 Reasons: The coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown severely
impacted the economic activities across the nation. Owing to this debacle, the Govt.
of India has already suspended some legal provisions under the IBC.
 Important Fact: IBC was suspended by temporarily by IBC (Amendment) Act,
2020 in June for 6 months from March 25, 2020.
 Aims and Objective of the IBC: The IBC has three primary objectives, (a) to
ensure insolvency resolution of corporates in a time-bound manner, (b) to maximize
the value of assets and (c) to balance the interests of all the stakeholders
(shareholders, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, etc.).
55
Supreme Court of India upholds legislation providing for
reservations in promotions for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes
The Supreme Court of India in the case of B.K. Pavitra v. Union of India, in a
00

review petition,18 has upheld the Karnataka legislation allowing for consequential
seniority to SCs and STs. The legislation under challenge was „Karnataka Extension
of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of
Reservation (to the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2018‟ (“Karnataka
Act”).
10
 One of the contentions of the challenging party was that the Supreme Court ignored
the principles enshrined under the landmark verdict of M. Nagraj v. Union of India
while deciding the case, however, the court dismissed the review petition.
 Consequential seniority: Consequential seniority essentially allows a person
13
from reserved category (Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe) to gain seniority over

the candidates from General category, in matters of promotion. The idea is that if a
reserved category candidate is promoted in service before a general category (“GC”)
candidate in the same level, the reserved category (“RC”) candidate now retains
seniority over his general peer for subsequent promotions. Thus, if A from GC is
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senior to B from RC in a level 2 job, B is promoted before A owing to less reserved

candidates in level 3. Now, even when A is promoted subsequently to level 3, B
would still be considered as senior to A. Consequential seniority defeats the “catch-
up rule”19 which allowed the GC person to regain his seniority on promotion to the
same level.
 M. Nagraj Case: M. Nagraj v. Union of India is a landmark judgment on
consequential seniority. Therein, Article 16(4A) of the Constitution of India was
under scrutiny. Article 16(4A) allows the State to provide reservations to members
of SC/ST community in matters of promotion, as long as the State believes that the
concerned SC/ST community is not adequately represented in government services.
In this context, it was held in the Case of M. Nagraj that the government is under an
obligation to collect data which could first demonstrate that there is “inadequacy” of
18 Review Petition is dealt with under Section 114 and Order 47 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908. Any
party aggrieved by an order or judgment may apply for reviewing the said order or judgment to the same
court. It can be filed where no appeal is preferred or in case there is no provision for appeal.
19 Catch – Up rule was first discussed in the case of Ajit Singh v State of Punjab, AIR 1996 SC 1189.
representation of SCs and STs in the services, subsequently assess the
“backwardness” of the group and then assess the impact the such a reservation may
have on the “efficiency”, before it could actually come up with a law in accordance
with Article 16(4A).
 In 2017, the Karnataka law was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
because the government had enacted it without conducting any study. However,
subsequently, the government conducted a survey, came out with Ratna Prabha
Committee Report and then re-enacted the law.
Padmanabhaswamy temple case: Supreme Court upholds
55
the privileges of the erstwhile Royal family of Travancore
 The Supreme Court of India, in July, upheld the right of the Royal family of
Travancore to manage the property of the holy deity at Sree Padmanabha Swamy
Temple in Trivandrum (now known as Thiruvananthapuram). They referred to the
00
„shebait rights‟ provided under the customary law. Shebait (which in hindi means
“Sewa” or service) rights are essentially rights to manage the economic and financial
affairs related to the deity. According to the court, “shebait rights survive with the
family” even after the last ruler has deceased. The court in this case overruled the
decision of the Kerala High Court.

10
Important fact: Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is considered as the richest
place of worship in the world.
 Understanding the background: Under Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious
Endowments Act, 1950, the ruler of Travancore was vested with a „Trust‟ responsible
of management of the temple. The challenge came because the because the Kerala
13
government stated that as per the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India in
1971, all the privy purses and privileges of the erstwhile rulers were abolished. For
doing this, Articles 291 and 362 were removed and the legislature incorporated
Article 363A in the Constitution. Therefore, since the concept of ruler has been
abolished, rights of the royal family of Travancore cease to exist. The court negated
20
this argument stating that the succession of shebait has nothing to do with the office
of ruler.
 About the Rulers of
Indian States (Abolition
of Privileges) Act, 1972:
This Act was enacted to take
away the privileges enjoyed
by royal families and to de-
recognize the rulers of
Indian states. It allowed for
certain transitional
provision which allowed the
rulers to adjust to change in
due course of time.
Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
National Green Tribunal (NGT) introduces stricter rules

for the usage of ground water
 The National Green Tribunal has introduced stricter regulations for the commercial
use ground water in India. The order came after a plea was filed before the tribunal
citing depletion of ground water in India to dangerous levels. The NGT has ordered
authorities to be more skeptical while and granting permits and impose severe
damages in case of non-compliance. The tribunal also ordered to mandate the third-
party compliance audit. Some of the key highlights of this decision are as follows:
 Important fact: NGT was established in 2010 under National Green Tribunal
55
Act, 2010 to expeditiously handle environmental issues.20
1. The tribunal decided to strike down Central Ground Water Authority‟s (CGWA)
2020 guidelines stating that they are illegal.
2. The tribunal has prohibited the grant of general permission to extract
00
groundwater without a proper environment impact assessment.
3. Only a specific quantity of water would be allowed to be withdrawn by a
commercial entity.
4. In order to monitor the withdrawal quantity, digital flow meters would be used.
10
5. Introduction of stricter sanctions including prosecutions and blacklisting of
companies.
6. Water mapping would be undertaken for overexploited, critical and semi-critical
assessment units.
13
 Important fact: India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in the Water Quality
Index.21
20
20 The Principle Bench of National Green Tribunal is situated in New Delhi. Apart from the central
bench, the tribunal has four regional benches –
- Pune for the Western Zone
- Bhopal for the Central Zone
- Chennai for the Southern Zone
- Kolkata for the Eastern Zone
21 https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/quality-of-water-in-indias-state-capitals-58308/
CHAHBAR
Editor’s
Pick
PORT
India Dropped From Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project In
55
Iran
 India and Iran have long collaborated for the development of the Chabahar Port and
its associated projects. However, in July, the state authorities of Iran decided to
drop India from the construction of Chabahar – Zahedan Railway Line
00
project. The Iranian officials have stated that they will now go ahead with the
project by themselves. In fact, Iran inaugurated the track laying down the railway
line on July 7, 2020. The Iranian Ministry of Transport and Urban Development has
stated that this was decided in light of the delayed funding from the Indian
government. As of now, Iran would fund the project by taking around $400 million
10
from the National Development Fund of Islamic Republic of Iran. The railway line
was part of the ambitious Chabahar Port Project being developed under a tripartite
agreement signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran.
Chabahar Port
13
 Chabahar seaport is
located in the
southeastern part of Iran,
in the province of Sistan
and Baluchistan. It is
20
situated near the Gulf of

Oman, and at the mouth
of the Strait of Hormuz.
The ports’ strategic
location provides it an
easy access to the Oman
Sea, the Persian Gulf and
the Indian Ocean. The
term Chabahar literally
means four seasons
which comes from its
wholesome weather
conditions.
Location of Chabahar Port
[Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iran_map.png]
 Chabahar is the only ocean port in Iran and consists of two separate
ports, namely (i) Shahid Kalantri, and (ii) Shahid Belastri.1 Both of them
share a capacity of 10 berths between them and port is planned to handle a capacity
of 10 – 12 million tons of cargo per year. The development of the port is planned in
five phases on Shahid Belastri (refer to Chart I).
 The development of Chabahar Port first started in 1973 but was significantly delayed
due to Iranian Revolution and the Western sanctions on Iran.
Description Year Phase
55
*Approximately 1650m of breakwater extention, 2017 1
construction of two container berth (640m) and three
multi-purpose berth (540m)
*17 million m3 dredging to (-16m) depth
00
*Reclamation of 195 heactares by sediment
Construction of a container berth (360m) 2018 2
Construction of an oil berth

10 2020 3
Construction of a multi-purpose berth 2020 4
Construction of a container berth (360m) 2024 5

13
Chart I, Chabahar Port Development Plan

[Source: https://chabaharport.pmo.ir/en/portdevolpment]
About Chabahar Port Agreement

20
 The initiatives for culmination of the Chabahar Port Agreement started in 2003,
during the tenure of the erstwhile Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who
signed a deal to renew the Chabahar Port Project. The reasons for signing the deal
were mainly strategic. At that time, Pakistan had denied India, access to
Afghanistan which severely restricted its ability to sustain supplies to Kabul.2 In
response to the same, India build a road to Zarang on the Afghanistan – Iran border
which gave it access to Kabul from the southwest (refer to Map below).3 However, it
still required a seaport to ensure supplies. Therefore, it came up with the Chabahar
Port Agreement.
1 SeaArk S.A., Chabahar Port, Available at: https://seasark.com/chabahar-port/ (last accessed on August
15, 2020)
2 Praveen Swami, Why Chabahar deal is a rebellion against history (27 May, 2020), available at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/narendra-modi-iran-visit-chahbahar-port-deal-inida-iran-
2819249/
3 Id.
55
00
Map of Iran showing the Delaram – Zarang Highway constructed by India
[Source: Google Maps]
 Owing to the international sanctions on Iran, the project had a sluggish start. The
framework of an Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
10
finally approved by India in 2014 which allowed the joint venture firm to take two
berths of Chabahar Port on lease from 10 years and renew the same. The agreement
allows the berths to be operated for 10 years by India Ports Global, a joint venture
between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust, in
partnership with Iran’s Aria Banader.
13
 In 2015, both governments signed a MoU to jointly develop the port. Finally, in May
2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement according to which India would
redevelop one of the berths at Shahid Beheshti port among other things. In in
agreement, India’s commitment totaled to around $635 million in the project. Since
the agreement, Chabahar port project has grown tremendously, and at present the
20
parties envisage a sea port, a free trading zone and road track to Sarakhs, a place
near the Turkmenistani border.
Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project – Why The Delay?

 Important Fact: The Govt. institution associated with the rail project was
IRCON International Ltd., a Public Sector Undertaking. This body was formerly
known as Indian Railway Construction Ltd. and is owned by the Indian Railways.
 The rail project was strategically important since it would have allowed India an
independent corridor to Afghanistan. However, over the past few decades Iran is
increasingly being subjected to international scrutiny. Until 2015, there were heavy
sanctions which were placed on Iran by the U.N. Permanent Five Members4 and
Germany.
4 The United States of America, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and France. The restrictions were
finally lifted in 2015 after the signing of the JCPOA i.e. the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between
these countries and Iran.
 Thus, in 2016 when the
bilateral agreement was
finally signed, India agreed
that IRCON would plunge
in $1.6 million to build the
railway line. However,
subsequently in 2018, the
United States backed out of
the JCPOA and sanctions
were re–imposed. While
55
the United States did agree
to grant a special waiver to
the Chabahar Port Project
from its sanctions, it
became increasingly
difficult for the American
00
companies involved in the
development to contribute.
Chabahar Port
[Source: https://seasark.com/chabahar–port/]
10
 While at present the railway track is completely being developed by the Iranian
authorities, both the governments are in agreement regarding a potential return of
IRCON to the project in future.
Gwadar Port
13
 Important Fact: Gwadar will be the largest deep seaport of the world. It is set to
have 13 berths.
 Gwadar Seaport is located at a
mere distance of 72 kms from the
20
Chabahar Port. It is part of the Belt

and Road Initiative of China and is
being developed in Pakistan from
Chinese funding. Both ports are
considered as part of the strategic
battlefield between India and
China and their ability to dominate
the Indian Ocean. The Gwadar port
allows China to access the Indian
Ocean which would allow it to
monitor the military operation
conducted by India in this region.
Location of Gwadar and Chabahar Port
[Image Source: http://worldnewsreport.in/a–tale–of–two–ports–gwadar–versus–
chahbahar/]
Belt and Road Initiative

 Important Fact: The Belt and Road Initiative is used interchangeably with ‘One
Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative.
 The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an ambitious Chinese project for reviving the
old ‘Silk road’ which will connect China with Europe. The project was initiated in the
year 2013 and China intendeds to spend in infrastructural projects spreading across
around 70 nations. Gwadar Port is part of this larger Chinese scheme and is being
developed under the ‘China – Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC) project.
55
00
10
13
20
China’s Belt and Road Initiative

[Image Source: https://www.gisreportsonline.com/debate–what–chinas–new–
silk–road–means–for–europe,politics,2425.html]
India’s Long Term Targets With Chabahar Port

 India’s long–term ambition for the Chabahar port project surrounds its connectivity
to the International North– South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project (refer map
below). INSTC is trade corridor based on land and sea transportation, spreading
across a network of 7,200–km, comprising rail, road and water routes. It is aimed at
boosting trade relations among various European and East Asian nations
comprising but not limited to, Russia, Iran, India, Ukraine and Bulgaria. INSTC is
being considered as an alternative to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.
 Russia, India and Iran set up INSTC in September, 2000. The current members of
INSTC are: India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic,
Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Syria, and Bulgaria (Observer).5
 While this project is still in primary stages, India would be able to connect with the
INSTC through Mashhad (a city in Iran) for trade connectivity to Russia and Europe
via the Baltic States. Apart from NSTC, India also wishes to construct a gas pipeline
that will connect India and Iran.6
55
00
10
13
20
Map delineating NSTC

[Image Source: https://www.rbth.com/blogs/the_outsiders_insight/2016/12/12/
long–awaited–north–south–corridor–close–to–launch_655489]
5 International North– South Transport Corridor, Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/

20150801192143/http://www.instc-org.ir/Pages/Home_Page.aspx
6 The Hindu, India, Iran Discuss Undersea Gas Pipeline Bypassing Pakistan, Available at: https://
www.thehindu.com/business/india-iran-discuss-undersea-gas-pipeline-bypassing-
pakistan/article7958494.ece
20
13
10
00
55
20
13
10
00
55

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JULY 2020

Appropriate context to understand the current affairs.

Reﬂecting on the past invaluable experience we gained and the successes we

We recommend that you go through this magazine as many times as possible

Dr. Surabhi Modi Sahai

government lands …………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 5

India‟s first trans-shipment hub in Kochi ………………………………………………………..…. 6

„Balaram Yojana‟ for landless farmers ………………………………………………………..……. 20

India Dropped From Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project In Iran ………………………….. 35

Chabahar – Zahedan Rail Project – Why The Delay? ……………………………..…..…..… 37

„Elyments‟ app launched

[Image Source: https://www.inventiva.co.in/stories/parul/indias-first-social-

India‟s first „No Permission No Takeoff‟ Drone Flight

stations at the time of independence in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow

Partnership between CBSE and Facebook

 To further their commitment towards digital inclusion and

Himachal Pradesh first state to have 100% LPG connection

Sanskrit Vidhyalaya in Nepal built by India

Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to be upgraded to a

of the female Golden Birdwing measures 194

Troides Aeacus. The largest female of this

Asia‟s Largest Tier IV Data Centre inaugurated

 BLUIS was launched by Odisha Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik.

India‟s Tiger Census enters Guinness World Records

Guinness World Record for being

India‟s First e-Lok Adalat

Madhya Pradesh tops in implementation of PM Svanidhi

India‟s first trans-shipment hub in Kochi

Location of Kochi (Cochin) Port

on the recommendation of the President

Israel Launches Ofek-16 Satellite

Sri Lanka and Maldives eliminate Measles and Rubella

Member Countries of WHO-South East Asia Region

Satellite Launch by China

Singapore Elections 2020

India becomes second largest source of FDI in UK

Poland Elections 2020

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

 Mangalyaan was launched

IIT Kanpur develops UV sanitizing device 'SHUDDH

“Indane” belongs to Indian Oil.

[Image Source: https://tbsnews.net/companies/beximco-teams-ioc-boost-lpg-

Intel Capital and Google‟s investment in Jio Platforms

KKR Investment in JB Chemicals

and Pharmaceuticals was also established in 1976. „Unique Pharmaceutical

Joint Venture between Coal India and NLC India

Eligibility Criteria for getting a Maharatna Status

„Accelerate Vigyan‟ scheme launched

„Dream Kerala Project‟ launched

„Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao‟ campaign launched

 Background Information and Methodology of Hackathon8:

[Image Source: https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1635928]

“Fit Hai To Hit Hai India” campaign launched

„TOPS‟ Scheme for Junior Athletes

AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge launched

News Track 1 E-Learning

 The current Union Cabinet Minister of Electronics and Information Technology is

“Intezar Aapka” Campaign

„Balaram Yojana‟ for landless farmers

Nekar Samman Yojana launched

AI-based „ASEEM‟ Digital Platform

[Image Source: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/other-sports/ioa-adopts-new-

Nairobi New York Bangkok Geneva Beirut