Current Affairs July 29, 2017

IOB goes live with Bharat Bill Payment System

1. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers.

2. The services include online payments of electricity, telecommunication, DTH, water and gas bills.

3. IOB is one of the three public sector banks to get approval from RBI for providing the service.

4. Indian Overseas Bank has started to offer Bharat Bill Payment System for its customers.

Centre to set up petrochemical clusters

1. Centre is planning to set up petrochemical clusters in eastern, western & southern India to spur growth of the sector amid increasing demand.

2. 2 petrochemical clusters will be setup in east & west coasts, and some in south India.

3. They will be created to make the entire value chain extremely cost effective.

4. India’s petrochemical market is valued at $50 billion and is expected to grow at 89%.

J&K tops list on human rights violation

1. According to the data released by Union home ministry, Human rights violations under Armed Forces Special Powers Act are highest in Jammu & Kashmir, followed by Assam.
2. 92 complaints against the Indian Army and paramilitary forces were registered in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016.
3. AFSPA gives powers to Army & central forces deployed in disturbed areas to kill anyone acting in contravention of law.

China produces gas from ‘flammable ice’

1. China has produced natural gas from methane hydrate, also known as flammable ice in an experimental project in South China Sea.
2. A drilling platform deployed off the coast of Zhuhai for 60 days produced 309,000 m3 of natural gas.
3. Flammable ice consists of methane trapped within water crystals, has been identified as a new gas source for China.
4. Japan reported a similar production test in May.

Counter-terrorism meeting

1. Indonesia and Australia co-hosted a counter-terrorism meeting to address the rising threat of foreign fighters.
2. The one-day gathering brought together 6 countries including Malaysia, Philippines and New Zealand.
3. Ministers will discuss the challenges posed by growing terrorism in Southeast Asia as well as concerns that IS is trying establish a regional caliphate in Philippines.

South Korea to deploy 4 more THAAD units

1. South Korea will proceed with deployment of 4 additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defence units.
2. This comes after North Korea’s latest launch of ICBM.
3. Deployment of additional THAAD units had been delayed after South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered an environmental assessment.
4. THAAD is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles.

New dean of MIT’s engineering school

1. Anantha Chandrakasan an India-born academician at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named as the dean of its engineering school.
2. He succeeded Ian Waitz who is now MIT’s vice chancellor.
3. He had previously headed the MIT’s largest academic department, spearheading a number of initiatives that opened opportunities for students, postdocs, and faculty to conduct research.

ICICI Pru to take over Sahara insurance

1. Insurance regulator IRDAI has asked ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to take over the business of Sahara India Life Insurance with effect from 31 July.
2. ICICI Prudential shall ensure that systems are integrated within a period of one year from the appointed date
3. This is not a merger between the two companies but purely a transfer of customers to ICICI Prudential Life.

India World’s 3rd biggest beef exporter

1. According to a report by FAO and OECD, India is the world’s 3rd biggest exporter of beef and is projected to hold on to that position over the next decade.
2. India exported 1.56 million tonnes of beef last year and is expected to account for 16% of global exports in 2026 by exporting 1.93 tonnes that year.
3. The Outlook report ranked Brazil as world’s top beef exporter, followed by Australia.

Sri Lanka, China sign $1.5 bn port deal

1. Sri Lanka’s govt has signed a long-delayed agreement to sell a 70% stake in the $1.5 billion Hambantota port to China.
2. The Agreement has been signed in a bid to recover from the heavy burden of repayment of loans obtained to build the port.
3. It is seen as part of Beijing’s so-called “string-of-pearls plan” for a line of ports stretching from its waters to the Persian Gulf.

SPORTS

Lovepreet Singh wins bronze

1. India’s Lovepreet Singh has won bronze medal in Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships at Kathmandu.
2. He got third place in 105 kg men junior category. Lovepreet lifted 151 kgs in snatch and 180 kgs in clean and jerk to clinch the bronze medal.
3. This is India’s fourth medal in the championships.

DEFENCE

India’s first unmanned tank

1. India’s 1st unmanned tank developed by DRDO has been rolled out of the Chennai lab.
2. Muntra has 3 variants – surveillance, mine detection & reconnaissance in areas with nuclear & bio threats.
3. Muntra-S has been developed for unmanned surveillance missions, whereas Muntra-M is built for detecting mines.
4. It’s surveillance radar has an integrated camera that can be used to spy on ground target.

Proposals for high-tech public transport

1. Niti Aayog has cleared 6 proposals of transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport.
2. Mass rapid transportation technologies such as hyperloop, pod taxis, stadler buses, hybrid buses & freight rail road are part of transport ministry proposal.
3. Transport ministry has formed a 6 member committee to study safety parameters associated with these technologies & global practices.

Ban on liquid nitrogen in drinks, food

1. Haryana govt has banned mixing of liquid nitrogen in drinks & food, days after a man burnt a hole in his stomach after drinking a cocktail containing the chemical.
2. Due to its low temperature liquid nitrogen can be extremely damaging to body tissue, causing cryogenic burning on contact.
3. It releases large volume of gas on evaporation & can burst open the stomach if ingested in large quantities

Russia to Stay in Syria for 50 Years

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal with Syrian govt to allow Russia to keep its airbase in Syria for almost half a century.
2. Russian forces will be deployed at Hmeymim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods.
3. Russia has previously used the base to conduct strikes against forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Tiger Day

1. International Tiger Day is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July.
2. It aims to promote a global system for protecting natural habitats of tigers and raise public support for tiger conservation issues.
3. According to WWF there are only 3,890 tigers left in the world. Of them, India has the highest number. Till last year, India had 2,500 tigers.

NEW PROGRAMME

Injection safety programme

1. Punjab has become the 1st state in the country to introduce injection safety programme.
2. For this Punjab signed an agreement with Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics on World Hepatitis Day.
3. It will support Punjab Health Department by providing Rapid test kits for screening of high risk patients.
4. WHO & Health Department together will work in sensitising public regarding safe injections.

Bengaluru ranks 40

1. According to a report by Dell, Bengaluru ranks at the 40th spot among the top 50 global cities that foster high-potential women entrepreneurs.
2. The only other Indian city in the top 50 tally is Delhi at the 49th spot.
3. New York ranked topped the list, followed by Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.
4. Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 per cent each year

Supervisory Colleges for Scheduled Banks

1. Reserve Bank of India has setup Supervisory Colleges for 6 Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence
2. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors and to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group.
3. The Supervisory Colleges have been setup for SBI, PNB, BOB, BOI, ICICI and Axis Bank.

Lok Sabha passes IIM Bill, 2017

1. Lok Sabha has approved Indian Institutes of Management Bill 2017 that promises to grant administrative, academic and financial autonomy to the B-Schools and allow them to award degrees to their graduates.
2. The bill will grant greater autonomy to these schools and ensure they are board-driven, with chairperson & director selected by board.
3. The govt also agreed not to change the name of IIM-C.

PRISM AND PYRAMIDS

1. The base of a solid right prism is a triangle whose sides are 9 cm, 12 cm, and 15 cm. The height of the prism is 5 cm. Then, the total surface area of the prism is
(a) 180
(b) 234
(c) 288
(d) 270

2. Area of the base of a pyramid is 57 sq. cm. and height is 10 cm, then its volume in  is
(a) 570
(b) 390
(c) 190
(d) 590

3. There is a pyramid on a base which is a regular hexagon of side 2a cm. If every slant edge of this
pyramid is of length 5a/2 cm, then the volume of this pyramid is
(a) 3a^3 cm^3
(b) 3√2a^3 cm^3
(c) 3√3a^3 cm^3
(d) 6^3 cm^3



4. The base of a right prism is an equilateral triangle of area 173 and the volume of the prism is 10380 cm^3. The area of the lateral surface of the prism is (use
√3= 1.73
(a) 1200
(b) 2400
(c) 3600
(d) 4380


5. The base of a right pyramid is a square of side 40 cm long. If the volume of the pyramid is 8000 then its height is:
(a) 5 cm
(b) 10 cm
(c) 15 cm
(d) 20 cm


6. The base of a right prism is a trapezium. The lengths of the parallel sides are 8 cm and 14 cm and the distance between the parallel sides is 8 cm. If the volume of the prism is 1056  then the height of the prism is
(a) 44 cm
(b) 16.5 cm
(c) 12 cm
(d) 10.56 cm


7. The base of a right pyramid is a square of side 16 cm long. If its height be 15 cm, then the area of the lateral surface in square centimeter is:
(a) 136
(b) 544
(c) 800
(d) 1280


8. The height of a right prism with a square base is 15 cm. If the area of the total surface of the prism is 608 sq. cm, its volume (cm^3) is
(a) 910
(b) 920
(c) 960
(d) 980


9. If the slant height of a right pyramid with square base is 4 metre and the total slant surface of the pyramid is 12 square metre, then the ratio of total slant surface and area of the base is :
(a) 16 : 3
(b) 24 : 5
(c) 32 : 9
(d) 12 : 3

10. The base of a right prism is an equilateral triangle of side 8 cm and height of the prism is 10 cm. Then the
volume of the prism is
(a) 320 √3 cubic cm
(b) 160 √3 cubic cm
(c) 150 √3 cubic cm
(d) 300 √3 cubic cm



Answers:

10. (b);

English Vocab

1. Strenuous – ज़ोरदार

Meaning – requiring or using great effort or exertion.

Synonyms – arduous, difficult, hard, tough, taxing, demanding, exacting, uphill, stiff, formidable, heavy, exhausting, tiring, fatiguing, gruelling, back-breaking, murderous, punishing; informalno picnic, killing.

Usage – “the government made strenuous efforts to upgrade the quality of the teaching profession”

2. Strive – प्रयास करते हैं

Meaning – struggle or fight vigorously.

Synonyms – try, try hard, attempt, endeavour, aim, aspire, venture, undertake, seek, make an effort, make every effort, spare no effort, exert oneself, do one’s best, do all one can, do one’s utmost, give one’s all, labour, work, toil, strain.

Usage – “scholars must strive against bias”.

3. Queasy – कोमल

Meaning – nauseous; feeling sick.

Synonyms – nauseous, nauseated, bilious, sick; seasick, carsick, trainsick, airsick, travel-sick, suffering from motion sickness, suffering from altitude sickness; ill, unwell, poorly, bad, out of sorts, dizzy, peaky, liverish, green about the gills; off, off colour; sick to one’s stomach; informalfunny, peculiar.

Usage – “in the morning he was still pale and queasy”

4. Coronation – राज तिलक करना

Meaning – the ceremony of crowning a sovereign or a sovereign’s consort.

Synonyms – crowning, enthronement, enthroning, accession to the throne, investiture, anointing, inauguration.

Usage – “they built a tower to celebrate Victoria’s coronation”

5. Itinerant – चलनेवाला

Meaning – travelling from place to place.

Synonyms – travelling, peripatetic, wandering, wayfaring, roving, roaming, rambling, touring, nomadic, gypsy, migrant, migratory, ambulatory; vagrant, vagabond, homeless, of no fixed address/abode, displaced; footloose, rootless, drifting, floating, unsettled, restless; globetrotting, jet-setting.

Usage – “a market for both local and itinerant traders”

6. Gospel – सुसमाचार

Meaning – the teaching or revelation of Christ.

Synonyms – Christian teaching, Christ’s teaching, the life of Christ, the word of God, the good news, Christian doctrine.

Usage – “the Gospel was spread informally by missionaries”

7. Mawkish – कुत्सित

Meaning – sentimental in an exaggerated or false way.

Synonyms – sentimental, over-sentimental, overemotional, cloying, sickly, saccharine, sugary, syrupy, sickening, nauseating, maudlin, lachrymose, banal, trite; twee; informalmushy, slushy, sloppy, schmaltzy, weepy, cutesy, lovey-dovey, gooey, drippy, sloshy, soupy, treacly, cheesy, corny, icky, sick-making, toe-curling; informalsoppy; informalcornball, sappy, hokey, three-hanky.

Usage – “a mawkish ode to parenthood”

8. Perchance – मुमकिन है

Meaning – by some chance; perhaps.

Synonyms – by chance, by any chance, by some chance, as it may be, as it may happen, as things may turn out.

Usage – “if perchance he arrives on time”

9. Mayhem – हाथापाई

Meaning – violent or extreme disorder; chaos.

Synonyms – chaos, disorder, confusion, havoc, bedlam, pandemonium, tumult, uproar, turmoil, madness, madhouse, hullabaloo, all hell broken loose, wild disarray, disorganization, maelstrom, trouble, disturbance, commotion, riot, anarchy, destruction, violence

Usage – “furious TV bosses watched stunned as the band created mayhem onstage”

10. Pulchritude – ख़ूबसूरती

Meaning – beauty.

Synonyms - fairness, style, beauty, grace, good looks, style, grace

Usage – “the irresistible pulchritude of her friend”

Current Affairs July 28, 2017

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Cabinet approves revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme

On July 26, 2017, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave approval for revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) Scheme with a view to achieve its intended objectives.
i. The investment limit per fiscal year has been increased to 4 kg for individuals, 4 Kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 Kg for Trusts and similar entities notified by the Government from time to time.
ii. The ceiling will be counted on financial year basis and will include the SGBs purchased during the trading in the secondary market.The ceiling on investment will not include the holdings as collateral by Banks and Financial institutions.

Lok Sabha passes bill to amend Companies Law

On July 27, 2017, Lok Sabha passed Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016, a bill to amend the Companies Act, 2013, seeking to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict action against defaulting companies and help improve the ease of doing business in India.
i. The bill was moved by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs. It was passed with a voice vote, with over 40 amendments.
ii. Threshold for the easy compliance scheme has been raised to Rs 100 crore from Rs 20 crore, making more companies eligible for the simple compliance regime.

Rajya Sabha passes the Indian Institute of Information Technology (Public Private Partnership) Bill 2017

On July 28, 2017, Rajya Sabha passed Indian Institute of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017, a bill to declare 15 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) set up through public-private partnership mode as “institutions of national importance” as well as to set up such institutes through collaboration.
Key Provisions of Indian Institute of Information Technology Public Private Partnership (IIIT-PPP) Bill 2017:
i. The IIIT (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017 seeks to grant statutory status to 15 IIITs and declare them as ‘Institutions of National Importance’ (INI).
ii. Premier public higher education institutions in India which play a pivotal role in developing highly skilled personnel are conferred INI status through an act of Parliament.
iii. The Bill also seeks to enable these institutions to grant degrees to their studentsin the academic courses conducted by them.

NITSER (National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research) Amendment Bill passed in Rajya Sabha

NITSER (National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research) Amendment Bill was passed in RajyaSabha on 26th July, 2017.  
Key Points:
i. The Bill was passed in the LokSabha on 28th March, 2017.
ii. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State (HRD) in  RajyaSabha had informed that the Bill proposes to introduce two new Institutions.
1.Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati
2.IISER Berhampur in the Second Schedule of the NITSER Act, 2007.
iii. Five IISERs at Kolkata (2006), Pune (2006), Mohali (2007), Bhopal (2008) and Thiruvananthapuram (2008) has mandated with promoting quality education and research in the sciences were established.
iv.With the establishment of the two new IISERs there are now seven IISERs.

Punjab launches flagship ‘care companion programme’ scheme

The Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra has launched a flagship care companion health scheme on 28th of July 2017.
Key Points:
i. The main aim is to improve patient outcomes through better family engagement and education. 
ii. The state department of health and family welfare has signed an MoU with Noora Health India Trust, a healthcare non-profit organisation, for implementation of the ‘Care Companion Programme’ (CCP).
iii. The staff nurses from all six hospitals are trained on how to engage and teach patients in the wards.
iv .The objective is to reduce the number of infant deaths and complications like infections in the first 30 days post- discharge and ensure adoption of long-term health pro-motive behaviours.
v.T he innovative programme includes teaching the family of patient’s high-impact medical skills to take care of the patients in the hospital and at home.
vi. The CCP will be initially implemented in maternal and child health wings of six district hospitals.
vii. Through this initiative, the Families will also learn high-impact health skills for taking care of the new-born baby, their hygiene, thermal care, breastfeeding, and maternal nutrition.
About Punjab
♦ Capital:Chandigarh
♦ Governor:V P Singh Badnore
♦ Chief Minister:Amarinder Singh (INC)

Supreme Court strikes out immediate arrests in dowry cases

Supreme Court strike out immediate arrests in dowry harassment cases was ruled out on 27th of July 2017.
Key Notes:
i. The Supreme Court has said that the police will now have to conduct a preliminary inquiry before making any arrest under the dowry cases.
ii. Every dowry harassment complaint made under Section 498A of Indian Penal Code must be referred to the committee, which would look into them.
iii. The bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit said the anti-dowry law was approvedwith the commendable object of punishing inhumanity of husband when such cruelty leads to the wife’s suicide.
iv. The court’s latest order came as complaints against misuse of the anti-dowry harassment law which was framed in 1983 following a cluster of dowry-related deaths by disappointed wives.
v. With the current misuse of the law, the court said family welfare committees should be set up in every district across the country.
vi. The court also defined the procedures the committees should follow.
vii. The couple and their families should be called in and the matter will be discussed.
viii. Only then the committee will submit a report to the local Magistrate.
ix. According to the court, arrests can be made only if the committee report points to hideous play by the husband.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Bengaluru ranks 40 among top 50 cities for women entrepreneurs – Dell

Bengaluru has ranked 40th out of 50 cities on Women Entrepreneur (WE) Cities Index 2017 study released by Dell. The index ranks cities in terms of its ability to attract and foster growth of women-owned firms.
i. Besides Bengaluru, the only other Indian city in the top 50 list is Delhi at 49th spot.New York topped the list, followed by Bay Area (US), London (UK), Boston (US) and Stockholm (Sweden).
ii. Singapore was at the 8th spot, the only city from Asia Pacific and Japan region.

BRICS nations sign memorandum to facilitate taxation cooperation

The BRICS nations have signed the BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum on 27th of July 2017.
Key Points:
i. The document has been signed by the Heads of Tax Authorities of the five BRICS Nations.
ii. All the five nations agreed to work together to ensure steady employment and better quality of life for their nation as well as for their people.
iii. The aim is to establish a mechanism for taxation cooperation. It includes improving consultation procedures efficiency, boost taxation capacities and plan paths for coordination of taxation policies and tax collection.
iv. The meeting comes ahead of the 2017 BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to be held in Fujian province’s Xiamen, China from 3-5 September 2017.
About BRICS
♦  BRICS was established in 2006. It is an association of five major emerging national economies- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
♦  All BRICS members are either developing or newly industrialised countries. They are also members of the G-20 group.
♦  It became BRICS after South Africa joined it in 2010.
♦ Their total share in the global economy has risen from 12-23% and contributes more than half of global growth.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI sets up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence

RBI has set up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence.
Key Notes:
i. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors, to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group.
ii. It helps in facilitating more effective supervision of internationally active banks.
iii. The Banks which are included are State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd., Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank Ltd. and Punjab National Bank.
iv. This was stated by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Finance.
About RBI
♦ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central banking institution, which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee.
♦  Established: 1st April 1935 & HQ: Mumbai Maharashtra
♦ Bank Rate:6.50%; Repo Rate: 6.25%; Reverse Repo Rate:6.00; Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4%; Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 20%

NPCI receives final nod from RBI to function as Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit

The RBI has given a final nod to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payment to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) and operate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
Key Points:
i. On August 31, 2016, 8 BBPS operating units, which received in-principle approval from RBI, took part in the pilot.
ii. Almost after a year of running the pilot, streamlining the technology and business processes, NPCI has now received final clearance from RBI.
iii. Total number of Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) certified by NPCI now stands at 24.
iv. The certified units include three public sector banks (Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank), 10 private banks, 5 Cooperative Banks and 6 non-bank biller aggregators.
About NPCI
♦  Founded :2008
♦ Headquarters:Mumbai
♦  Chairman:Balachandran M
♦ MD&CEO: A.P Hota

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif resigns over Panama Papers verdict

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a member of the National Assembly in Panama Papers leak case. He has been found guilty of corruption. It has been announced on 28th of July 2017.
Key Points:
i. The Supreme Court also disqualified Finance Minister Ishaq Dar from office.
ii. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif are the new contenders for the post of Pakistan Prime Minister.
iii. His ruling PML-N party, which has a majority in the parliament, is now expected to appoint a new prime minister.
iv. The Supreme Court ordered the National Accountability Bureau to file case against Sharif and his children within six weeks.
v. The Supreme Court dismissed Sharif after an investigative panel alleged his family could not account for its vast wealth.
vi. The Supreme Court also said that Nawaz Sharif didn’t submit valid asset details in 2013 general elections.
vii. Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan is headed the implementation bench said that cases should be opened against Maryam Nawaz (Sharif’s daughter), Captain Muhammad Safdar (Maryam’s husband), Hassan and Hussain Nawaz (PM Sharif’s sons) as well as Prime Minister Sharif.viii. The judgement should be announced within 30 days.
ix. Pakistan’s stock market fell by 3.4% after Supreme Court ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan :
♦ Capital: Islamabad
♦ Currency: Pakistani rupee

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Dr. Harshvardhan launches “Sagar Vani” – An Integrated Information Dissemination System

On July 27, 2017, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan launched an Integrated Information Dissemination System, “Sagar Vani” on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences in New Delhi.
i. ‘Sagar Vani’ has been launched to disseminate ocean related information and alerts (like high waves and Tsunami early warnings) to the user community (especially fishermen) in timely manner for their safety.
ii. It is an Integrated Information Dissemination System (IDS) and has been developed by Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO)-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through the Industry M/s. Gaian Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Iran successfully launches satellite-carrying rocket

Iran has successfully launched a satellite-carrying rocket Simorgh into space on 28th of July 2017.
Key Facts:
i. The launch of a “Simorgh” rocket that is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds). “Simorgh” means “phoenix” in Farsi.
ii. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan, 220 kilometers (138 miles) east of Tehran.
iii. The launch will be seen as a major step forward for the country’s young space program.
iv. According to a US National Air and Space Intelligence Centre report from June, the Simorgh could act as a test bed for Iran to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile.
About Iran
♦ Capital :Tehran
♦ Currency: Iranian Rial
♦ President:Hassan Rouhani

Scientists develop new software that can crate 3D models from 2D photographs

Scientists have developed new Artificial intelligence (AI) software called SurfNet that can create three dimensional (3D) models from 2D photographs.
Key Notes:
i. SurfNet can be used in robotics, object recognition and even self-driving cars.
ii. It will give them the ability to understand the 3D environment around them using standard 2D cameras.
iii. SurfNet software using hundreds of thousands of 2D shapes of objects can reconstruct it a model in 3Dimensions.
How It Works?
♦  If you show it hundreds of thousands of shapes of something such as a car, if you then show it a 2D image of a car, it can reconstruct that model in 3D.
♦ It can even take two 2D images and create a 3D shape between the two.
♦ It can also be used to create 3D content for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) by simply using standard 2D photos.

NITI Aayog clears six proposals for high-tech public transport

The NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog has approved 6 transport proposals of the Transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport.
Key Points:
i. The ministry is headed by former top official of Railways to study parameters associated with these technologies and their best global practices.
ii. It includes high-tech mass rapid transportation technologies such as Metrino, Hyperloop, Pod taxis, hybrid buses Stadler buses, and freight rail road.
iii. The new technologies are being explored by the Government as current public transportation is unable to resolve the increasing traffic crisis in the country.
iv. The ministry of road transport and highways had sought the approval of NITI Aayog to experiment and introduce six latest mass rapid transportation technologies.
Some More Points:
♦  Metrino: It is fully automatic, driverless small pods, travel independently suspended over an overhead network.
♦  Pod taxis: It is small automated vehicles, cable cars or pod cars which is equipped to carry a small group of passengers.
♦  Hyperloop: It is a pod like vehicle is propelled through a near vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching that of an aircraft.

SPORTS

Prannoy climbs to 17th spot in BWF rankings

Indian shuttler HS Prannoy climbed to 17th position in the BWFworld rankingsreleased on 28th of July 2017.
Key Points:
i. Prannoy has won in the US Open Grand Prix Gold title after beating ParupalliKashyap in the final. His previous ranked was 23.
ii. Kashyap had lost the final but made it to top-50. He is now at 47th position in the world rankings. His previous rank was 59.
iii. Another Indian shuttler Sameer Verma has climed four places from 32 to 28 and became the fourth Indian to qualify for the World Championship.
iv. Indian, Kidambi Srikanth is highest ranked at number 8. India now has four shuttlers in top-20.
v. Ajay Jayaram is at 16th spot, while B Sai Praneeth maintains his 19th position.
Women’s category
i. PV Sindhu has ranked at 5th.
ii. Saina Nehwal slipped a place and is now ranked 16th.
Mixed doubles
i.Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy slipped to three places and now rank 20.
Badminton World Federation (BWF) :
♦ Headquarters‎: ‎Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
♦ Formation‎: ‎1934
♦ President‎: ‎Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen

OBITUARY

Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passes away

Actor Inder Kumar, best known for his role in films like Khiladiyon KaKhiladi and KahinPyaar Na Ho Jaaye, died on 28th July 2017. He was 45.
Key Points:
i. Inder Kumar suffered a heart attack at his residence in Andheri, Mumbai.
ii. Inder Kumar was born in Jaipur and raised in Kolkata.
iii. Inder Kumar had made his Bollywood debut with 1996 film Masoom and worked in over 20 films in a career spanning nearly twenty years

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Hepatitis Day – July 28 2017

World Hepatitis Day has observed on 28th July every year. Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year that’s as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.
Key Points:
i. It aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
ii. This Day brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change.
iii. The 2017 theme of World Hepatitis Day is “Eliminate Hepatitis” to mobilize intensified action towards the health targets in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
iv. The theme is aimed at achieving elimination of hepatitis, greater awareness, increase diagnosis including universal vaccination, blood and injection safety, harm reduction and treatment.
v.In 2015, there were around 325 million people living with chronic hepatitis, with 257 million people living with hepatitis B (HBV) infection and 71 million people with hepatitis C (HCV).
vi. The most effective current hepatitis B treatment ‘Tenofovir‘ is available for as low as USD 48 per year in many low and middle income countries.
vii. Viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015in comparison to TB deaths and exceeding deaths from HIV.
viii. Hepatitis B vaccine is preventing approximately 4.5 million infections per year in children.
ix. The targets for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are to ensure that 90% of people with HBV and HCV infections are tested and 80% are reached with treatment.