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INTERNATIONAL

India ranks 6th Global Optimism Index
India was ranked 6th in the global optimism index with business optimism tepid in second quarter (Q2) of 2018. The index was released as part of GrantThornton’s International Business Report (IBR), a quarterly global business survey. The report was based on results of quarterly global business survey of 2,500 businesses in 32 economies.

Pakistan Elections 2018: Imran khan’s PTI emerges as single largest party
Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the single largest party after the Pakistan Elections 2018 that were held on July 25, 2018. With just the half of the votes counted, PTI secured 119 seats in the National Assembly. The majority mark in the National Assembly is 137 seats.

Iran becomes India’s second largest oil supplier
Iran has overtaken Saudi Arabia to be the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indian public sector firms during April-June quarter. Iraq remains India’s No:1 supplier of crude.

Ex-Prez Park to spend another 8 yrs in jail
South Korean court sentenced Ex-President Park Geun-hye to 8 more years in prison after finding her guilty on charges of causing loss of govt funds & interfering in a 2016 parliamentary election.

Iceland takes up US seat at UN rights council
Iceland was elected to take up the seat left vacant at the United Nations Human Rights Council after the United States quit the body over what it charges was anti-Israel bias.

Seven new members take oath in Rajya Sabha
Seven new members took oath of office in the Rajya Sabha. The Seven members are Rakesh Sinha, Sonal Mansingh, Raghunath Mohapatra, Ram Shakal, Elamaram Kareem, Binoy Viswam & Jose K Mani. Rakesh Sinha, Sonal Mansingh, Raghunath Mohapatra and Ram Shakal were nominated to Rajya Sabha last week.

UK ranked world’s top ‘soft power’
The United Kingdom has been ranked at the top in the 2018 ‘Soft Power 30’ index, which was published last week by the UK-based strategic communications consultancy firm Portland and the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy.

President nominates 4 members
Classical dancer Sonal Mansingh & columnist Rakesh Sinha are among the four persons nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha.

Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 years in jail
Former Pakistan PM Mr. Sharif was disqualified as Prime Minister in July 2017 by the Supreme Court over the purchase of high-end properties in London, worth over £200 million. His daughter Maryam Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in jail and and son-in-law captain (retired) Safdar awarded one-year jail term. The court also imposed a fine of £8 million on Mr. Sharif and £2 million on Ms. Maryam.

World’s first digital art museum
The world’s first all-digital art museum has opened at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Japan’s Tokyo. It features around 50 kaleidoscopic installations triggered by motion sensors, which are projected across every surface of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit space with the help of lights.

Israel enacted a new law
Israel government enacted a new law which will financially penalize the Palestinian Authority for paying stipends to the Palestinians killed or jailed by Israel. Out of 120 seats in the Parliament, 87-15 voted in favor of this legislation.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador elected Mexico’s President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been elected as Mexico’s President with over 53% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission. Obrador, who has won the presidency at the third attempt, promised to tackle violence and wipe out corruption.

North Korea named ‘worst human trafficking country’
The US State Department has categorised North Korea as as one of the “worst human trafficking nation” for the 16th straight year, citing the use of forced labour. According to the annual ‘2018 Trafficking in Persons Report’, North Korea has been included in the Tier 3 category, which is the lowest ranking, along with China, Russia and Iran.


 

INDIA & WORLD

India becomes Regional Head of Asia Pacific Region in WCO
India has become the Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) for a period of two years.

India’s GM crop area fifth largest in world
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) latest ‘Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM crops in 2017 report, India with 11.4 million hectares (mh) has world’s fifth largest area cultivated under genetically modified (GM) crops in 2017.

India climbs 3 spots to 57th in global innovation rankings
The Global Innovation Index (GII) has ranked India as the 57th most innovative nation in the world. The country has improved its ranking from 60th position last year.

Nepal, India to jointly promote tourism
The 2nd meeting of the joint working group on tourism cooperation between India and Nepal concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal. Both sides agreed to jointly promote Buddhist and Ramayana circuits and Adventure tourism. The meeting also decided to set up an industry-led India Nepal Tourism Forum.

India to operate ‘World’s Emptiest Airport
India goes on a joint venture to operate the loss-making Mattala international airport in southern Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan government. Mattala airport, named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was a China-supported infrastructure project in his home district of Hambantota.

Nigeria replaces India to become World’s Largest Poor Population
With the persistent decline in poverty, India is no longer a nation having the largest number of poor people in the world, according to a study published by the US-based think tank, Brookings. The study, titled ‘The start of a new poverty narrative’ and published in the Brookings’ blog, is authored by Homi Kharas, Kristofer Hamel and Martin Hofer.

GRETI: India ranks 35
India was ranked 35th among 100 countries (countries) in recently released Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI). The index was released by released by realty consultant JLL.


 

NATIONAL

Nehru Memorial Museum & Library to house museum for all PMs
Amid opposition by some members, the government decided that a museum for all prime ministers of the country would be constructed in the Teen Murti Bhavan complex that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).

India ranks 109th in 4G Speed
According to a report by online speed testing platform Ookla, India was at 9.12 Mbps in the 4G speed category behind neighbors Pakistan (14.03 Mbps) & Sri Lanka (16.98). India ranks 109th in overall 4G mobile internet speeds.

India accounts for 1/5th of global deaths from floods
India accounts for one-fifth of global deaths due to floods, according to government data. Damage to crops, houses and public utilities was reported to be Rs 365,860 crore.

4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals in Indore
The Ministry of Mines organized the 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals at Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan was the chief guest of the conclave.

Industry growth slips to 7-month low of 3.2% in May 2018
According to the data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has slipped to seven-month low of 3.2% in May 2018.

India is home to more than 19,500 mother tongues
More than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in India as mother tongues, according to the latest analysis of a census released this week. There are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India, which has a population of 121 crore, it said.

Aadhar enabled e-PAN card service
The Income Tax Department has launched an ‘instant’ Aadhaar-based PAN (Permanent Account Number) allotment service for individuals, who requires the unique identification number for the first time. PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the Income Tax department to a person, firm or entity.

President launches Solar Charkha Mission
President Ram Nath Kovind launched Solar Charkha Mission under which Government will disburse subsidy of Rs 550 crore to thousands of artisans, generating employment in rural areas. It was launched during the event of Udyam Sangam (National MSME Conclave) on the occasion of World MSME Day.

Abu Dhabi ‘Smartest City’ in Middle East
Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has topped the list of “smart cities” in the Middle East and Africa, according to the Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism. Covering 50 international cities, a report by McKinsey Global Institute titled “Smart Cities: Digital Solutions for a More Livable Future” views how cities all over the world use technology to improve the quality of life.


 

STATES

Assam Government to roll out PRANAM Act
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led government in Assam will be introducing a law that will make it mandatory for state government employees to look after their aged parents and physically-challenged siblings who do not have any source of income.

WB assembly passes bill to change the state’s name to ‘Bangla’
Almost two years after the West Bengal assembly passed a resolution to change the name of the State, the state assembly today passed a bill to change the state’s name from West Bengal to ‘Bangla’ in all three different languages. On August 29, 2016, the Assembly had passed a resolution changing the name of West Bengal to Bengal in English, Bangla in Bengali and Bangal in Hindi.

Karnataka overtakes TN in renewable energy
Karnataka is the new national leader in renewable energy generation, US-based Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said. It has overtaken Tamil Nadu that had long been India’s top renewables market.

Kerala tops list of best governed States for third time
According to Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2018, Kerala tops the list as best-governed state in the country followed by Tamil Nadu. The index was released by the think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC).

Udaipur ranked 3rd among world’s best cities
The city of Udaipur has once again in 2018 been ranked among the World’s Best Cities by Travel + Leisure. Udaipur, the heritage-city built by the Maharanas of Mewar in the 16th century, is on the third place among the 15 of the world’s best cities.

Odisha constitutes ‘Heritage Cabinet’
The Odisha government has constituted a ‘Heritage Cabinet’ to preserve the Odia language and the state’s culture. The cabinet comprises eight members and will be headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Delhi’s Connaught Place Worlds 9th rank
According to American property consultant CBRE, New Delhi’s Connaught Place is the 9th most expensive location globally to set up or rent an office, with an annual rent of $10,512 per square feet.

Haryana tops states in per capita revenue collection under GST
Haryana has topped the states in per capita revenue collection under GST and has become fourth highest generator of e-way bills in the country. The state has also widened the tax base by 82.22 per cent, logging 19 per cent hike in revenue collections.

AP, Telangana & Haryana top rankers
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, released the final rankings of States in Ease of Doing Business in New Delhi. The top rankers are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana. Jharkhand and Gujarat stood fourth and fifth respectively.

Karnataka budget announced
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy presented the Congress-JD(S) coalition government’s first budget, announcing farm loan waiver worth Rs 34,000 crore.

Rajasthan approves 1% reservation for Gujjars
The Rajasthan government approved 1 per cent reservation for five communities, including the Gujjar community, against their demand of 5 %. This is under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) category. The five communities who benefit from the order of the Rajasthan government are – Godia Lohar, Banjara, Gujjar, Raika & Gadaria.

Jharkhand to set up India’s first Khadi mall
While addressing the ‘Karigar Panchayat’ organized by the Khadi Board at the Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced that, within 15 days, land in the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) campus will be made available to the Khadi Board to develop the country’s first Khadi mall.

Mumbai is 5th-least punctual airport
According to the British aviation intelligence firm OAG, Mumbai is the fifth-least punctual airport in the world in terms of on-time performance out of 513 airports. Japan’s Nagoya Komaki airport was ranked the best with 94.5% on-time performance during the 12-month period.


 

CONFERENCES

3 day National Conference Vice Chancellors & Directors
On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, the Ministry of Human Resource Development organized a National Conference of Vice Chancellors & Directors of Higher Education Institutions of India in New Delhi.

International conference on India-Vietnam economic ties
Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies among the ASEAN countries said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation in New Delhi. He was speaking at an international conference on India-Vietnam economic ties.

6th India-UK Science & Innovation council meeting
The 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting held in New Delhi discussed a range of issues on S&T cooperation between the two countries.

2nd Meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges
Ministry of Women and Child Development had organized the 2nd meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyan in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, NITI Aayog.

First meeting of India-Bangladesh
The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in Agartala, Tripura. The Joint Committee also visited Border Haat at Kamlasagar in Sipahijala District, Tripura and Tarapur in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.

28th meeting of the GST Council held in New Delhi
The GST Council in its 28th meeting has recommended certain amendments in the CGST Act, IGST Act, UTGST Act and the GST (Compensation to States) Act.

The 6th meeting of India-Nepal mechanism
The 6th meeting of India-Nepal oversight Mechanism was held to review the progress of all the bilateral projects in New Delhi.

8th BRICS Health Ministers meeting
The 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting was held at Durban, South Africa. Indian delegation was led by Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. He stated that India is committed to eliminating TB by 2025.

Indo-US delegation meeting on Defence Cooperation
As part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held between India and the US delegation in New Delhi.

National Conference of State/ UT Ministers-in-charge
A high level National Conference of State/UT Ministers-in-charge of Women & Child development was held in New Delhi.

One-day meeting of VCs, Directors & Heads
Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted a one-day meeting of Vice Chancellors, Directors and Heads of 19 Central Institutes of Higher Learning. This is the part of regular interactions of the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind.

6th meeting of BRICS Education Ministers at Cape Town
Union Minister of State for HRD, Dr Satya Pal Singh attended the 6th meeting of BRICS Education Ministers at Cape Town, South Africa. In this meeting of BRICS, India was allotted the key theme of ‘Digitization in Education’.

World Heritage meeting closes
The 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting closed in Bahrain’s capital Manama, with 19 new sites inscribed to the World Heritage List. The World Heritage List now contains 1,092 sites in 167 countries.

67th plenary meeting of North Eastern Council
The 67th plenary meeting of North Eastern Council (NEC) was recently held in Shillong, Meghalaya. It was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Final Nepal-India EPG Meeting Concludes
The ninth & final meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal-India Relations concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Representatives from Nepal and India deliberated upon various bilateral issues including 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty, trade, transit and border during the two-day meeting.


 

AWARDS & HONOURS

Kochi airport first in world to get top UN environmental award
The United Nations has honoured the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) with ‘Champion of Earth’ award for being the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy.

Two Indians among 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
Two Indians Bharat Vaswani and Sonam Wangchuk are among six individuals who were declared winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award. Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named.

Michael Ondaatje named in Man Booker Prize long list
Warlight” tells the story of two orphans in London in the immediate aftermath of World War II. 13 books has been announced chosen from 171 submissions this year which is the highest number of titles in the award’s 50 years history.

India Heritage Walk fete wins PATA award
India Heritage Walk Festival, a collaboration of Sahapedia and YES Arts & Culture, has been awarded the PATA Gold Award 2018. Sahapedia is an open online resource on the arts, cultures and heritage of India.

NABARD award for Repco Micro Finance
Repco Micro Finance Ltd, a non-banking finance company promoted by Repco Bank, received Nabard 2018 award for its service to self-help group (SHG) linkage in Tamil Nadu for the fiscal year 2017-18.

‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award
Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam has been selected for this year’s ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award of the Music Academy. The ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ and other music awards would be presented at the ‘Sadas’ of the music festival.

British Indian of the Year
Ishwar Sharma has been named the “British Indian of the Year” for his achievements in Yoga. Ishwar Sharma is 8 years old.

India’s ICZM Project wins World Bank’s internal award
A top Environment Ministry official said that, India’s Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project has bagged World Bank’s internal award for exceptional performance in achieving many development goals.

Shri Piyush Goyal gives away awards
The Union Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal distributed awards to winning stations of Station Beautification competition in Rail Bhawan. Balharshah & Chandrapur Railway Stations of Central Railway have been awarded the first prize.

Dr Ravi Mehrotra receives lifetime achievement award
Dr Ravi Mehrotra CBE, Chairman of Foresight Group International Ltd., received a lifetime achievement award at the Seatrade 30th Anniversary Award Ceremony held at the Landmark, London.

Dr. T.K Chand gets knowledge excellence award
Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO, called upon industry leaders, policy makers and stakeholders in the Aluminium value chain to scale up production of the ‘wonder metal’ to meet the rising demand as consumption of Aluminium is poised to reach 10 million tons in the next decade.

Himachal gets national award for best performance under PMSMA
Himachal Pradesh has been adjudged first among states for its performance under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) in the country. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda conferred the award upon the state which was received by Additional Chief Secretary, Health, BK Agarwal.

Irrfan Khan honoured with Icon award
Irrfan, who is undergoing treatment in London for a neuroendocrine tumour, accepted his award privately. Richa Chadha won the Outstanding Achievement Award, while Manoj Bajpayee was also awarded an Icon Award. British comedy ‘Eaten By Lions’ won this year’s top prize, voted by the audience.

Anjolie Ela Menon conferred the Kalidas award
Noted artist Anjolie Ela Menon has received the National Kalidas Samman for visual arts from the Madhya Pradesh government. The award was conferred in recognition of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through her meaningful paintings in a variety of media.


 

SPORTS & GAMES

Prabhat Koli 1st Asian Teen to swim UK France Channel
A city college student, Prabhat Koli (19), who crossed the English Channel when he was 16, has become the first Asian to swim the choppy water from Jersey (an Island in the UK) to France in cold weather.

Indian women’s compound archery team reaches World No: 1 rank
Indian Women’s Compound Archery team has secured number one position in the world rankings as per World Archery Association (WAA).

Manu Attri & Sumeeth Reddy win Lagos International title
India’s Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy won the men’s doubles title at Lagos International Badminton in Lagos, Nigeria.

John Gregory named ISL Coach of the year
John Gregory, the chennaiyin FC head coach, has bagged the ISL coach of the year award instituted by the Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC). Under Gregory, Chennaiyin FC won its second ISL title in March, finishing the campaign with an eight game unbeaten run.

Virat Kohli receives International Player of the year award
India captain Virat Kohli was presented with the International Player of the Year award for 2017-2018 by England’s Barmy Army as India concluded Day 1 of the practice match against Essex. Barmy Army is a popular fan club of English cricket supporters who had last year shared a video of Kohli.

Lewis Hamilton wins German Grand Prix
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the 2018 German Grand Prix, a race that Sebastian Vettel should have actually won.

AIFF declares Sunil Chhetri player of the year
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the governing body of football in India named India and Bengaluru FC Captain Sunil Chhetri as the AIFF Player of the Year in the Federation’s Executive Committee Meeting in Mumbai.

Mohd Anas breaks own national record in 400m
Indian sprinter Muhammed Anas broke his own national record to win the 400 metres race at the Cena Noveho Mesta meet in Czech Republic.

Junior Asian Wrestling Championship
India won 8 medals in the two day Junior Asian Wrestling Championship which concluded in New Delhi. The medals comprised 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze. Sachin Rathi won the gold after winning the bout in the 74-kilogram category. Deepak Punia then won the gold in the 86 kilogram category.

Shubhankar Sharma becomes Youngest Indian To Make cut in a major
Shubhankar Sharma became the youngest Indian golfer to make the cut in any Major after he capped a wonderful back nine to achieve the feat at the 147th Open Championships at Carnoustie, Scotland.

Alisson Becker becomes World’s Most Expensive Goalkeeper
Alisson Becker of Brazil has become the World’s most expensive goalkeeper while transferring clubs from Italy’s Roma to England’s Liverpool for a world record £56 million.

Virat Kohli tops in ODI Rankings
The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the latest ODI rankings and India captain Virat Kohli has topped with a score of 911 points a career high for him.

Neeraj Chopra wins gold
India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the Sotteville Athletics meet in France.

USA win first Athletics World Cup
The USA has won the first Athletics World Cup as Great Britain came third at the London Stadium.

France brings FIFA world cup
The 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup concluded in Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital of Moscow. 32 nations, divided into eight groups, battled it out for the coveted trophy in the quadrennial month-long event. France emerged as the champion team of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Angelique Kerber wins Maiden Wimbledon title
Former world number one Angelique Kerber defeated seven-time champion Serena Williams in the women’s singles final to clinch her first-ever Wimbledon title. Angelique Kerber hails from Germany.

Dipa Karmakar likely to be named Tripura’s brand ambassador
Ace Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who recently bagged the gold medal in the women’s vault event at the Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Mersin in Turkey, is likely to become brand ambassador of Tripura.

Hima Das to win gold in World Jr Athletics C’ships
Hima Das, 18-year-old from Dhing village in Assam is first Indian woman to win gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships.

Arothe resigns as India women’s cricket coach
Indian Women’s Cricket Team Coach Tushar Arothe has stepped down from the role citing personal reasons. A former batting allrounder, Arothe took over as head coach in April 2017 after the removal of Purnima Rau from the job.

France become first finalists of 2018 FIFA World Cup
France defeated Belgium to reach the FIFA World Cup 2018 final for overall third time and the first time since 2006.

Sreejesh to lead Indian Hockey team
Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will lead the 18-member Indian men’s hockey squad while Chinglensana Singh Kangujam will serve as his deputy in the 18th Asian Games, which will begin in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia in August 2018.

Dipika Pallikal to represent Asia in CGF AAC
Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal was appointed Asia’s representative in the Athletes Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Dipa Karmakar wins gold in Gymnastics World Cup
Returning to action after a long lay-off of nearly two years due to injury, India’s premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched the gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin, Turkey.

Dhoni completes 500 international games
The Indian team’s senior most player Mahendra Singh Dhoni today reached the coveted milestone of playing 500 international matches during the second T20 International against England, days ahead of his 37th birthday.

SAI will now be Sports India
More than 34 years after coming into existence, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is set to be renamed as Sports India, Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced. The sports body, established in 1984.

Lee Chong Wei wins historic 12th Malaysia Open title
Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei defeated Japan’s Kento Momota to secure a historic 12th Malaysia Open title. Lee, who was dominant from the start, completed the rout in 71 minutes. With this victory, Momota’s 21-match winning streak has also come to an end. In the women’s singles final, top seed Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan beat China’s.

Rahul Dravid inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
The International Cricket Council (ICC) inducted former Indian captain Rahul Dravid, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and former England Women’s wicket-keeper Claire Taylor into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in a glittering ceremony in Dublin, Ireland. With the move, Dravid became the fifth Indian player to be named in the Hall of Fame.

Australia wins Hockey champions Trophy final 2018
In the summit clash of the 37th and final edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy at Breda, the Netherlands, India lost to defending champions Australia via penalty shoot-off. The match went into the shoot-off after both the teams were locked at 1-1 in regulation time.

India clinch Kabaddi Masters title
Putting up yet another superlative show, India thrashed Iran 44-26 to emerge champions of the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai. In a battle between the top two sides of the world, the three-time world champions did not give Iran any ground to recover.

Dutee Chand sets national record
Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has set a new national record in the women’s 100-metre race at the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships held at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati. She clocked 11.29 seconds to beat her own previous record of 11.30 seconds which she achieved at the Indian Grand Prix in 2017.

Janardan Singh Gehlot elected International Kabaddi Federation Chief
It was announced that Janardan Singh Gehlot was elected as chief of the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) for the next 04 years. This announcement was made after the Annual General Congress (AGC) of IKF.


 

ECONOMY

Karnataka sees 300% jump in FDI inflows
Karnataka registered the biggest increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2017, as inflows from overseas jumped 300% in the 12 months ended March 2018.

India drops 3 ranks in FDI Confidence Index
India in 2018 has fallen out of top 10 destinations for FDI in terms of its attractiveness, according to an AT Kearney report. India ranks 11 in the 2018 AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index, down from 8 in 2017 and 9 in 2016.

India fastest growing economy in Asia
Led by India, South Asia will continue to be the fastest growing economic area despite new trade tensions in Asia and Pacific region, Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a new report.

India’s GDP growth forecast to 7.3%
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India’s GDP growth forecast by 10 basis points to 7.3% in the year 2019 and by 30 basis points to 7.5% in 2020, as the international body expects the central bank to tighten the monetary policy faster.

Indian digital economy
According to Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, India’s digital economy is expected to touch a $1 trillion mark by 2022.

Australia releases India economic strategy
The Australian govt has released an India Economic strategy report recommending to lift India into its top three export markets. The strategy prioritizes economic and trade opportunities in India covering 10 sectors such as health, energy, infrastructure etc.

India becomes world’s 6th largest economy
India has become the world’s sixth-biggest economy, pushing France into seventh place, according to updated World Bank figures for 2017. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of 2017, against $2.582 trillion for France.

Rupee among top 10 EM currencies
The rupee has been ranked as one of the 10 best-performing currencies, beating rivals like Real and Rand ever since the NDA government came into power in May 2014. Although all emerging market currencies have lost value to the dollar, rupee’s slide is relatively controlled compared with peers.

UN Member states approve USD 6.69 billion
The UN Member states have approved a 6.69 billion US Dollar budget for 13 peacekeeping operations for the year 2018-19. It is the second year in a row, the committee has made significant cuts to the overall peacekeeping budget.

Indian economy to touch $5 trillion by 2025
President Ram Nath Kovind said the Indian economy is set for a surge in the next decade with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) size doubling to 5 trillion US dollars probably by 2025.

India’s manufacturing growth jumps to six-month high
According to Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by IHS Markit, India’s manufacturing growth jumps to six-month high in June 2018. Manufacturing PMI rose to 53.1 in June 2018 from 51.2 in May 2018, the highest since December 2017.

FDI growth hits 5-year low in 2017-18
Foreign direct investment in India seems to be petering out with the inflows growth rate recording a five-year low of 3% at USD 44.85 billion in 2017-18. Foreign inflows in the country grew by 8.67% in 2016-17, 29% in 2015-16 and 27% in 2014-15.

Rupee falls to all-time low of 69.09 against US dollar
Crude oil prices were at their highest at USD 77 a barrel, the highest since 2014 as the oil inventories of the United States witnessed their biggest fall in over two years and its exports touched an all-time record.


 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA launches online toolkit
NASA has launched an online toolkit to make it easier for users to find, analyse and utilise the most relevant satellite data for their research, business projects or conservation efforts.

Facebook to launch Satellite ‘Athena’ in 2019
Facebook has confirmed it is working on a new satellite project, named Athena, that will provide broadband internet connections to rural and underserved areas. The company aims to launch satellite in early 2019.

UK selects Sutherland for its first spaceport
United Kingdom chosen “Sutherland”, on the A’Mhoine peninsula on the north coast of Scotland to send satellites vertically into orbit by the early 2020s.

China to launch 300 low-orbit satellites
China plans to launch 300 low-orbit satellites to provide worldwide communication services with the first in the series to be launched later this year.

ISRO scientists test Vikas Engine
ISRO has successfully conducted ground test of its high thrust version of Vikas Engine at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu for duration of 195 seconds.

2 satellites were launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch center
Pakistan launched 2 indigenously built satellites named PRSS-1 and PAK-TES-1A into the orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, through a Chinese-made launch vehicle.

NASA prepared to ‘touch the sun’
NASA is prepared for a launch on August to touch the sun, for the first time in human history. NASA unveiled a cutting-edge heat shield that will protect the spacecraft from getting burnt. It was installed on June 2018.

ISRO first PAT conducted successfully
The PAT (Pad Abort Test) was conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It marks the first step to qualify India’s indigenous Crew Escape System technology for launching astronauts into space.

NASA to launch world’s lightest Satellite
The four first-year engineering students from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science near Chennai, Tamil Nadu have developed the world’s lightest satellite which will be launched from a NASA facility in the US by August 2018.


 

APPOINTMENTS

Arman Ali appointed executive director of NCPEDP
The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has announced the appointment of Arman Ali as its Executive Director.

CBF reappointed Coach Tite as Brazil coach
Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the national governing body for football in Brazil, reappointed Coach Adenor Leonardo Bacchi (nicknamed as Coach Tite) until the end of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Venkaiah Naidu appointed as Chancellor of Pondicherry University
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu is appointed as the Chancellor of Pondicherry Central University by the President, Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the university.

Analjit Singh appointed non-executive Chairman of Max Financial Services
Max Financial Services has named its sponsor and founding shareholder Analjit Singh as non executive chairman of the company.

Tata AIA Life appointed Rishi Srivastava as CEO & MD
Srivastava will take over from current chief executive officer Naveen Tahilyani who takes over as chief executive officer, group partnership distribution, AIA Group, Hong Kong. His appointment as CEO & MD of Tata AIA Life Limited is subject to regulatory approval from insurance regulator IRDAI.

Sharma is CCO in Bajaj Auto rejig
Bajaj Auto Ltd. has appointed Rakesh Sharma as its first chief commercial officer (CCO) to complement the offices of the ED and the CTO.

Pakistan gets its 1st woman CJ of HC
Pakistan has got its first-ever woman Chief Justice (CJ) of a high court (HC). Justice Tahira Safdar was named as the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

Madhusudan Padhi appointed as the principal secretary
Odisha government appointed senior IAS officer Madhusudan Padhi as the principal secretary to Governor Dr Ganeshi Lal. Padhi replaced CJ Venugopal as the principal secretary to the Governor.

Justice Menon is to be appointed as CJ Delhi High Court
The Supreme Court (SC) collegium has recommended Chief Justice Rajendra Menon to take over as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Currently, he is the CJ of Patna HC.

D C Raina appointed J&K advocate general
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra appointed D C Raina as the advocate general of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe reappointed AICTE Chairman
The union government has renewed the appointment of Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe as the chairman of the technical and professional education regulator All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Gautam Kaul won prestigious post
India has been elected new President of Asian Tug of War Federation. India’s Gautam Kaul won the prestigious post in the Federations’ Executive Committee elections held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

New chairman of Bhushan Steel
Bhushan Steel acquired by Tata Steel corporate resolution process said that its board had approved the appointment of T.V Narendran as chairman & non executive, additional director of the company.

MP govt to appoint girls as district Brand Ambassador
In Madhya Pradesh, in a first of its kind initiative, the state govt will appoint girls as a district Brand Ambassador who have recorded significant achievements in any field under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme.

Haryana Governor gets additional charge of HP
Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki has been given the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh by President Ram Nath Kovind.

TCA Raghavan appointed as director general of ICWA
Former careered diplomat Dr. TCA Raghavan was appointed as the Director General (DG) of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). He was selected by Governing Body and Governing Council of ICWA headed by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Vice President appoints Director General of ICWA
The Vice President of India and the President of ICWA, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has appointed Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan (IFS: 1982) as the Director General, ex officio Member-Secretary of the Council, ICWA.

Prof. Sandeep Sancheti takes charge as President of AIU
Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) has assumed charge as the 97th President of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.

Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court Judge
Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, 53 to replace retiring supreme court justice Anthony Kennedy. The nomination will set in motion an acrimonious and expensive confirmation process.

Dhanlaxmi Bank appointed T. Latha as MD and CEO
Dhanlaxmi Bank Limited has appointed T Latha as the Managing Director & CEO. Her appointment will be for a period of three years.

M. Venkaiah Naidu becomes 1st Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue. Venkaiah Naidu has become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza.

Jeremy Hunt appointed new UK foreign secretary
British Prime Minister Theresa may appointed Jeremy Hunt as Foreign Secretary. This appointment has come after Boris Johnson resigned from the post in protest at the government’s Brexit plan.

Uday Kumar Varma appointed BCCC member
Former Information and Broadcasting secretary Uday Kumar Varma has been appointed as a member of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council.

Mukesh Ambani gets another 5 years as Reliance Chairman
Shareholders of Reliance Industries have approved giving Mukesh Ambani another five years as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company.

Adarsh Kumar Goel appointed NGT Chairperson
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired from the Supreme Court of India on July 2018 has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal.

Uttam Dhillon appointed head of drug enforcement agency
Uttam Dhillon, an Indian-American lawyer has been appointed as the Acting Director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that combats the smuggling and use of narcotics in the US.

L. Narasimha Reddy appointed as CAT Chairman
The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Justice L. Narasimha Reddy as the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

Vishwas Patel appointed PCI Chairman
Payments Council of India (PCI), an apex body representing companies in payments and settlement system, has a new Chairman in Vishwas Patel. Patel, who is Director at Infibeam Avenues, has been associated with PCI since its inception in 2013 and was serving as the co-Chairman of PCI.

Rajat Sharma becomes DDCA president
Renowned journalist Rajat Sharma has been elected as the President of Delhi & District Cricket Association. Sharma surpassed former World Cup winning Indian cricketer Madan Lal by 517 votes to register his win.

Lloyd’s of London’s first female CEO to leave in 2019
Inga Beale, First female CEO of Lloyd’s of London, the 332-year-old insurance market, has decided to quit in 2019. She was appointed chief executive in January 2014.

Saraswati Prasad assumes charge as SAIL CMD
Senior bureaucrat Saraswati Prasad has taken over the additional charge as chairman and managing director of steel PSU Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). Mr Prasad succeeds P K Singh who retired recently.

TBN Radhakrishnan new CJ of Hyderabad court
Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan, presently Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court, will assume charge as Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court. The new Chief Justice is likely to be sworn in any time next week by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan.

Vijay Srinivas appointed Director & GM of United India Insurance
United India Insurance Company has announced the appointment of K B Vijay Srinivas as its Director and General Manager. Prior to taking up the new role, he was serving National Insurance Company Ltd as its Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager.

Indian American Seema Nanda appointed CEO of DNC of US
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) of United States has appointed Indian American Seema Nanda as its new CEO. Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the decision-making body of the Democratic Party in the United States. Seema Nanda has become the first Indian American to be appointed as operational head of a major American political party.

Antonio Vitorino from Portugal elected as new Director
Antonio Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino of Portugal was elected by the member States of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to serve as the agency’s Director General.

ICICI Bank gets new part-time chairman
ICICI Bank has appointed former bureaucrat Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as its non-executive part-time chairman. Chaturvedi is a 1977-batch IAS officer, who retired as the Oil Secretary in January 2013.


 

RESIGNS

Renu Satti Quits
Paytm Payments Bank CEO Renu Satti has resigned from the role and will now head Paytm’s new retail initiative.

Delhi pacer Parvinder Awana announces retirement
India and Delhi pacer Parvinder Awana announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Mohammad Kaif announces retirement
Indian Cricketer Mohammad Kaif has announced his retirement from all forms of the game.

Justice A K Goel retires from Supreme Court
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel retired as a Supreme Court judge. Justice A K Goel was the first person from Haryana to become a Supreme Court judge.

Brexit Secretary David Davis resigns
Brexit Secretary David Davis has resigned from the UK government. The resignation comes days after British Prime Minister Theresa May secured the Cabinet’s backing for her Brexit plan at a meeting at Chequers outside London.

Lewis Hamilton retires
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix 2018 title in Austria. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished in the second spot. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished in the third spot. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton retired from the race due to a mechanical issue in his car.


 

DEATHS

World’s oldest person dies
The world’s oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died. Chiyo Miyako died on 22nd July 2018. Her death was confirmed by the government of Kanagawa, her home state south of Tokyo, Japan.

Former Kerala Minister Cherkallam Abdullah passed away
Former Kerala Minister for Local Self Government Cherkallam Abdullah, died after a long term illness at his residence. Cherkallam Abdullah was 76 years old. He is a four-time MLA from Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district.

Veteran sports journalist Swapan Sarkar passes away
Sports journalist Swapan Sarkar died due to diabetic complications. Swapan Sarkar was 67 years old. He was the Delhi sports correspondent of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP).Earlier, he had worked for Amrita Bazar Patrika, Northern India Patrika and Gujarat Samachar.

Veteran Bengali actress Basabi Nandi passed away
Bengali actress Basabi Nandi died due to cardiac arrest. Basabi Nandi was 82 years old. She was also a playback singer.

Jonathan Gold passes away
Pulitzer Prize-Winning food critic, Jonathan Gold, has passed away at the age of 57. In 2007, he became the first food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

Ramchandra Singhdeo passes away
The former and first finance minister of Chhattisgarh, Ramchandra Singhdeo has passed away. He was 88.

Gopal Das Neeraj passes away
Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj passed away in New Delhi after a prolonged illness. He was 94. His famous poetic works include Asawari, Lahar Pukare and Paran Geet.

Former DGCA chief Kanu Gohain passes away
Former Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Kanu Gohain has passed away after a brief illness. He was 68 years old.

Actor Rita Bhaduri passes away
Veteran actor Rita Bhaduri passed away after fighting a kidney-related ailment for many days. She was 62 years old.

M.N. Vyasa Rao passes away
Kannada poet and film lyricist M.N. Vyasa Rao died following a cardiac arrest at his home in Bengaluru. M.N. Vyasa Rao was 73 years old. He was a bank employee by profession.

Doyen of Indian Psychiatry N N Wig dies at 88
Prof N N Wig, the doyen of Psychiatry in India who led many pioneering studies related to mental health at national and international levels died after a brief illness in Chandigarh. He was 88.

Veteran journalist Kalpesh Yagnik passes away
Veteran journalist and Dainik Bhaskar Group Editor Kalpesh Yagnik has passed away following a heart attack. He was 55.

Spiritual leader Dada Vaswani passes away
Dada Vaswani, spiritual leader and head of the Sadhu Vaswani mission, passed away at the age of 99 in Pune. Dada Vaswani is known for actively promoting vegetarianism and campaigning for animal rights.

J N Sadhu, the Veteran journalist has passed away
Journalist J N Sadhu died following a long term illness in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. J N Sadhu was 94 years old. He worked with The Indian Express for around 35 years. He was working as a free lance journalist after his retirement.

Actor Kavi Kumar Azad passes away at 46
Actor Kavi Kumar Azaad, known for playing the character of Dr Hansraaj Hathi on popular sitcom “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma”, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Former Meghalaya Governor M M Jacob passes away
Senior Congress leader and former Meghalaya Governor M M Jacob passed away due to age-related ailments. He was 90.

Kumaoni folk singer Kabutari Devi dies
Popular Kumaoni folk singer Kabutari Devi died following a heart attack, at a hospital in Uttarakhand. Kabutari Devi was 70 years old. Her songs expressed the struggles in the life of Pahari women.

Ex Navy chief Admiral JG Nadkarni Passed away
JG Nadkarni was 86 years old. He was the Navy chief from December 1987 to November 1990. He was the 14th Chief of Naval Staff. He was the founding member of the Maritime History Society.

Marwar Rajmata Krishna Kumari passes away
Rajmata of the erstwhile Marwar principality and former MP, Krishna Kumari, passed away following a heart attack in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Krishna Kumari was 92 years old.

‘Seinfield’ actor Stanley Anderson Passes Away
Noted Hollywood actor Stanley Anderson passed away after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He was 78. Stanley was best known for his role as Judge Vandelay in Seinfield, an American television sitcom, General Slocum in Spider-Man (2002) and for playing Drew Carry’s father on ABC’s The Drew Carey Show.


 

VISITORS

UP CM Adityanath Yogi sets record
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has visited all 75 districts of the state in just 16 months. He created a record during his Hathras visit by becoming the first-ever CM to cover the entire state within first 16 months of his rule.

PM Modi 3-Nation Visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his five-day, three-nation visit to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia to boost the Act East Policy.

HM Rajnath Singh’s visit to Bangaldesh
Union Home Minister Shri Raj Nath Singh visited Bangladesh on a 3 day visit. Union Home minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the largest Indian visa centre in the world in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to UP
Prime Minister Shri.Narendra Modi Visit Azamgarh, Mirzapur and his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Eastern Uttar Pradesh for 2 days.

Sushma Swaraj embarks 2 day visit to Manama
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj embarked on a two-day visit to Manama, to co-chair the second High Joint Commission meeting with her Bahraini counterpart.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in visits India
South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Delhi, India for his four-day visit. He will visit the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a discussion on key issues such as the situation on the Korean peninsula, and ways to boost trade and defence cooperation.

Mike Pompeo arrived in North Korea to meet Kim Jong-un
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea to press Kim Jong-un for a more detailed commitment to denuclearisation following the North Korean leader’s historic summit with the U.S. President Donald Trump at Singapore.


 

MISCELLANEOUS

Youngest Indian girl scales Kilimanjaro in 3 days
Shivangi Pathak, the 17-year-old from Haryana, who became the youngest woman from India to reach the peak of Mount Everest from Nepal side, has now scaled Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, in three days.

4 Indian-Origin names in Fortune’s 40 young influential people
Four persons of India-origin, including three women, have been named by Fortune among 40 of the most influential and inspiring young people in business under the age of 40.
The 4 people (with Rank) from India-Origin in the list are:
1. Dhivya Suryadevara (4th), CFO of General Motors
2. Anjali Sud (14th), CEO of Vimeo
3. Baiju Bhatt (24th), Cofounder and Co-CEO of Robinhood
4. Anu Duggal (32nd), founding partner of Female Founders Fund

Ambani brothers, Salman, Priyanka in World’s top 500 entertainment leaders list
Billionaire Ambani brothers Mukesh & Anil and Bollywood superstars Salman Khan & Priyanka Chopra are among the dozen Indians named in Variety magazine’s list of 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global USD 2 trillion entertainment industry.

Bargiel first Person to ski down K2
Poland’s Andrzej Bargiel became the first person to ski down the world’s second-highest mountain, the 8,611-metre high K2 peak in Pakistan. K2 also known as “Savage Mountain” is considered to be a more challenging climb than the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.

Google hit with €4.3bn Android fine from EU
Google has been fined a record €4.34bn (nearly 34 Crore) over Android. The European Commission said the firm had used the mobile operating system to illegally “cement its dominant position” in search.

Amazon is the second company
Amazon company crossed $900-billion market cap for the first time in its history becoming only the second company after Apple to achieve this milestone. Amazon sold over 100 million products during its Prime Day sale.

Celebrity 100 list of World’s Highest-Paid Entertainers
The Forbes has Released the ‘Celebrity 100’ list of World’s Highest-Paid Entertainers. The world’s 100 top-earning celebrities pulled in a combined $6.3 billion pretax over the past 12 months, up 22% from last year. Boxer Floyd Mayweather captures the top spot on Forbes’ 20th annual Celebrity 100 ranking of the world’s highest-paid celebrities.

Asia’s Richest Person
Reliance Industries Chairman and India’s richest person Mukesh Ambani dethroned Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba’s Co-founder Jack Ma to become Asia’s richest person as RIL shares hit an all-time high.

America’s Richest Self-Made Women 2018
Diane Hendricks, co founder and chairman of ABC Supply, reclaims the top position on Forbes 2018 list of America’s most successful women entrepreneurs, with a net worth of $4.9 billion. 20-yr-old Kylie Jenner youngest among US richest self-made women, with a net worth of $900 million.

Siddhanta scales world’s highest volcano
Satyarup Siddhanta has become the 2nd Indian mountaineer after Malli Mastan Babu to climb Mt Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world. Ojos del Salado is a stratovolcano in the Andes on the Argentina-Chile border and the highest active volcano in the world at 6,893 metres.

Anju Khosla becomes Oldest Indian woman to complete Ironman Triathlon
At 52, Anju Khosla has just become the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon – one of the toughest one-day sporting events. The New Delhi resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria.

Mark Zuckerberg becomes world’s 3rd-richest person
Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has overtaken Warren Buffett as the world’s third-richest person. Zuckerberg, who trails only Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, eclipsed Buffett as Facebook shares climbed 2.4%, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

RIL becomes India’s largest tax payer in private sector
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said that Reliance is India’s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the private sector.

Surat jewellers make 28 crore rupees ring
Surat-based jewellers Vishal Agarwal & Khushbu Agarwal manufactured a ring containing 6,690 diamonds, registering the Guinness world record for ‘Most diamonds set in one ring’. The ring is 18 karat rose gold structure, shaped like a lotus flower.


 

BOOKS IN NEWS

The years that changed the world (1914-1948) Book
A book titled ‘Gandhi The years that changed the world (1914-1948)’ has been written Ramachandra Guha. This book will be released in September 2018. This book will be will be published by Penguin Random House India.

J K Rowling’s next book ‘Lethal White’
J K Rowling will come out with the fourth novel ‘Lethal White’ in the series about the exploits of private investigator Cormoran Strike under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

‘Winning Like Sourav: Think & Succeed Like Ganguly’ released
This book is written by Abhirup Bhattacharya and has an interesting story about Sourav Ganguly gambling on young players like Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh to build the concept of ‘Team India’ and ‘Men in Blue’.

Vice President Releases the book ‘Two Classical Plays from India’
The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that there is a need to revive Theatre and make it a prominent form of education and entertainment.

The English Patient wins public poll of best Man Booker
Michael Ondaatje’s bestselling novel ‘The English Patient’ was announced as the winner of the Golden Man Booker Prize at the Southbank Centre in London. The prize was instituted as part of celebrations to mark the Booker’s having completed 50 years.


 

COMMITTEES

Srikrishna Committee suggests amendments in Aadhaar Act
The high-level panel on data protection framework headed by Justice B N Srikrishna submitted its report to the government.

NGT forms monitoring committee
The National Green Tribunal formed a monitoring committee on the cleaning of the Yamuna River. The tribunal headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson A K Goel directed the committee to develop an action plan.

IRDAI forms panel to review 3rd party Motor Cover Costs
Insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a 16-member committee to examine motor third party insurance pricing aspects and make recommendations on the premium rates for 2019-20. IRDAI Member P.J. Joseph has been appointed as the Chairman of the committee.

Government set up high level committee
Government is concerned at the incidents of violence by mobs in some parts of the country. Government has set up a high level committee chaired by the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to deliberate in the matter and make recommendations.

UGC Committee on examination Reforms
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has intimated that it has constituted a committee under the Chairpersonship of Prof. M.M. Salunkhe, former Vice Chancellor, Central University, Rajasthan to look into the matters related to examination reforms.

Committee set up to Synergise NCC & NSS
The government has decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Mr Anil Swarup, former Secretary, School Education, with suitable representations from NCC, M/o Youth Affairs & Ministry of HRD to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps (NCC) & National Service Scheme (NSS).

MCA Constitutes 10-Member Committee
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has constituted a 10 Member Committee, headed by the Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs Mr Injeti Srinivas, for review of the penal provisions in the Companies Act, 2013.

Government forms panel to upgrade norms for state
The government has set up a 13-member committee for Sub-National Accounts will be headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a retired professor of IIM Ahmedabad. Its aim is to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation.


 

DAYS & DATES

30 July: World Day against Trafficking in persons
World Day against Trafficking in Persons is organized across the world by the United Nations on 30 July to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge. The theme for World Day against Trafficking in Persons is ‘Responding to the trafficking of children and young people’.

29 July: International Tiger Day
International Tiger Day is being celebrated every year on 29 July to raise awareness about tiger conservation. In Madhya Pradesh, State Tiger Foundation Society of Forest Department has organized wall painting competition in 6 cities to raise awareness and support for tiger conservation.

28 July: World Hepatitis day
The World Hepatitis Day was observed globally on July 28 with the theme ‘Test. Treat. Hepatitis.

18 July: Nelson Mandela International day
Nelson Mandela International Day 2018 is observed internationally on 18th July. This year marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela.

11 July: World Population Day
World Population Day was established by the then-governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. The theme of WPD 2018 is ‘Family Planning is a Human Right’. This day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.

July 01: National Doctors Day
The first day of the month of July is observed as the Doctors Day in India. The day is observed to express gratitude & acknowledge the dedication & Commitment of the doctors towards our society. Doctors Day in India was established by the Govt of India in 1991 to be recognised & celebrated every year in 1st July as National Doctors day.


 

BANKING AWARENESS

Federal Bank gets RBI nod
Private Sector Lender Federal Bank has received the regulatory nod to open offices in Bahrain, Kuwait and Singapore, but is awaiting local clearances before it starts operations.

RBI to issue new Rs 100 notes
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue Rs 100 denomination bank notes. According to the RBI, the new bank notes will be in the “Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series”.

HDFC securities enable MF transactions
A subsidiary of HDFC Bank, HDFC securities launched Mutual Funds (MF) transactional capabilities on Facebook Messenger through their virtual assistant, Arya. hdfcsec.

India becomes 69th shareholder of European Bank
India has become the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This move paved the way for more joint investment with Indian companies across the bank’s regions of operation.

RBI cancels licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been cancelled due to its bad position to pay its depositors in full and the present financial position of the bank leaves no scope for its revival.

ICICI’s mortgage portfolio crosses 1.5 tn
ICICI Bank has announced that its mortgage loan portfolio crossed the Rs 1.5-trillion milestone. This made it the largest private player in the segment, and the lender is targeting to grow it to Rs 2 trillion by FY20.

25 countries in global banks
China, UAE, Cyprus and significantly, Mauritius, along with 21 other countries have been tagged as “high-risk jurisdictions” by global banks acting as custodians for foreign funds which comprise the largest group of investors in the Indian stock market.

RBI licences bank of China to operate in India
The Reserve Bank of India licensed Bank of China to operate in India. This decision comes as part of the commitment made by PM Modi to the Chinese leadership.

IFL is India’s No. 1 investment bank
As per Prime Database Investment Bankers League table for FY 2017-18, IIFL is India’s top investment bank for equity issuances by private sector companies. IIFL is a publicly listed company and is engaged in Investment Banking, Securities dealing, Wealth & Asset Management and Loans & Mortgages.

Indian money in Swiss banks rises 50%
Money parked by Indians in Swiss banks rose over 50% to Swiss Francs (CHF) 1.01 billion (Rs. 7,000 crore) in 2017, reversing a three-year downward trend. The Indian money in Swiss banks had fallen by 45% in 2016, marking their biggest ever yearly plunge.


 

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