Current Affairs PDF July 16 31 2018 PDF

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Current Affairs [PDF] -July 16 -31, 2018
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Contents
......................... ..... . . ......... ................................................................
News Headlines ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
July 16, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
July 17, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
July 18, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
July 19, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
July 20, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
July 21, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
July 23, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
July 24, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
July 25, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45
July 26, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50
July 27, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54
July 28, 2018 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 59
July 30, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61
July 31, 2018 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65
Multiple Choice Questions .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 69
© 2018 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 2

News Headlines
Current Affairs – News Headlines: July 16
India
UP: PM inaugurates the Bansagar Canal Project in Mirzapur
171 km long Bansagar canal project is a joint venture of a JV of UP, MP and Bihar
UP: PM lays foundation stone of Mirzapur Medical College, inaugurates 100 Pradhan Mantri Jan
Aushadhi Kendras and a bridge over Ganga
President addresses the Shiromani Kabir Prakat Diwas (Kabir Jayanti) in Fatehabad, Haryana
ISRO conducts ground test of its high thrust version of the Vikas Engine to improve payload
capability of its launch vehicles
Census 2011 data: 24,821 people have registered Sanskrit as their mother tongue
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad unveils the Goa IT Policy 2018 in Panaji
Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam selected for 2018 ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award of the Music Academy,
Chennai
Economy & Corporate
Fertiliser major IFFCO partners with Singapore-based iMandi to start an e-commerce platform for
farmers
India becomes the Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) for 2
years till June 2020

World
India signs revised travel agreement with Bangladesh to ease visa restrictions for citizens from the
neighbouring country
Rajnath Singh co-chairs 6th meeting of India-Bangladesh Home Minister level talks with his
counterpart, Asaduzzaman Khan in Dhaka
United Nations’ World Youth Skills Day observed on July 15
NASA Juno spacecraft spots volcano on Jupiter moon Io
Sports
England (323/7 in 50) beat India (236/10 in 50) by 86 runs in 2nd ODI at Lord’s, level 3-match series
1-1
West Indies beat visitors Bangladesh by 166 runs in 2nd test at Sabina Park, Kingston; win 2-test
series 2-0
Wimbledon tennis: Czech Republic’s Novak Djokovic beats South Africa’s Kevin Anderson to win
Men’s Singles title; Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova win Women’s
Doubles title; USA’s Mike Bryan and Jack Sock win Men’s Doubles title
Thailand Open Badminton in Bangkok: Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara beats India’s P. V. Sindhu to win
Women’s Singles title; Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama beats Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto to win Men’s
Singles title
India’s Vinesh Phogat wins gold in Spanish Grand Prix wrestling tournament in women’s 50
kilogram freestyle in Madrid
Boxing: Manny Pacquiao of Philippines beats Lucas Matthysse of Argentina to win world
welterweight title in Kuala Lumpur
India
Actors cannot be held liable for dialogues that allegedly insulted former PM Rajiv Gandhi in “Sacred
Games” web series: Delhi HC
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in
Odisha
IIT-Madras unveils “word’s first” remotely operable LEAP (Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP)
microscope
Army Law College for children of serving and retired Army personnel comes up in Pune
Haryana: CM Manohar Lal Khattar launches ‘Paudhagiri’ campaign for planting of saplings by Class

VI-XII students
Economy & Corporate
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation accelerates to over 4-year high of 5.77 per cent in June
IMF cuts India’s growth projections for 2018-19 to 7.3% and for 2019-20 to 7.5% in its latest World
Economic Outlook (WEO) Update
Empanelled hospitals to have Ayushman Mitra to assist patients seeking treatment under Centre’s
National Heath Protection Mission (NHPM)
Indian Railways signs agreement with Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation to create a mass rapid
transit system in Nagpur
India becomes regional head of the Asia Pacific region of the World Customs Organisation
BEL enters into an agreement with Swedish firm Saab for marketing air-surveillance radar
LIC board approves acquisition of up to 51% stake in IDBI Bank
First all-women branch of Jammu & Kashmir Bank inaugurated in Srinagar
Yamaha Cygnus Ray ZR ‘Street Rally’ scooter launched at Rs 57,898
World
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin start their 1st bilateral
meeting in Helsinki, Finland
UK tops the 2018 ‘Soft Power 30’ Index –Singh
Vineet an| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
annual global| ranking of nations’ soft power
Former CEC Neel Kantha Uprety appointed as Nepal’s new ambassador to India
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj calls on King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa in
Manama
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft leaves International Space Station (ISS) after raising the station’s altitude
by about 86 meters
Eritrea reopens its embassy in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, more than 20 years after the two
countries broke off relations
BBC World Service launches its first Gujarati language television news bulletin
Haiti: PM Jack Guy Lafontant resigns
Sports
France beat Croatia 4-2 in final in Moscow to win FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup: England’s Harry Kane wins Golden Boot award as top scorer with 6 goals
FIFA World Cup: Croatia captain Luka Modric wins Golden Ball for best player
USA wins inaugural edition of the Athletics World Cup in London
India top medals tally at Golden Glove of Vojvodina youth boxing tournament in Subotica, Serbia
with 7 gold medals
Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar appointed the interim coach of national women’s cricket
team
India’s Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & USA’s Austin Krajicek win Men’s Doubles title at Challenger
tennis in Winnetka, USA
India
SC asks Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching
MoU signed between IIT Delhi and All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) to give ‘scientific validation’
to Ayurveda
Mumbai: Western Railway renames Elphinstone Road Station as Prabhadevi
Govt renews appointment of Prof D. Sahasrabudhe as AICTE chairman
Actress Rita Bhaduri dies in Mumbai at 62
Economy & Corporate
BSE secures trademark for its iconic building Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers at Dalal Street in Mumbai
Steel ministry agrees to introduce a pension scheme for its CPSEs like SAIL and RINL
Akshay Kumar (76th) and Salman Khan (82nd) in Forbes list of World’s Top 100 Highest-paid
Entertainers

Proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules make it mandatory for all commercial
vehicles to have automatic toll-deduction stickers and vehicle-tracking devices to obtain national
permits
IMF cuts India’s growth projections to 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% in 2019 in its latest World Economic
Outlook (WEO) Update
OECD Development Centre pegs Indian economy’s growth at 7.4% in 2018-19
World
EU and Japan sign deal to create a free trade zone covering nearly a third of the world’s GDP
Peru declares a 60-day state of emergency on its border with Colombia
UN enters into a partnership with Google to monitor the impacts of human activity on global
ecosystems
Britain to set up its first vertical launch spaceport at Sutherland in the north of Scotland
Yvonne Blake, ‘Superman’ costume designer, dies at 78
World Emoji Day celebrated on July 17
Internet-based instant messaging service Yahoo! Messenger shuts down permanently
Sports
Hima Das, who won gold in women’s 400 m at IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Finland, to
be appointed first sports ambassadorVineetof Assam
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
GM Sahaj Grover wins South Africa Open chess title in Bloemfontein

Current Affairs -News Headlines: July 19
India
Women have fundamental right to enter Sabarimala temple in Kerala: SC
A bill to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ in schools
passed in Lok Sabha
The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 introduced in Lok
Sabha
Cabinet approves proposal to make district magistrates, instead of courts, the final authority for
approving adoptions
Cabinet approves Special Remission to Prisoners on occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi
Centre dissolves 28-yr-old Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
India announces 3-year visa for Bangladeshi students
Setting a record, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu speaks in 10 languages in the House
To ensure correct pronunciation of Punjabi by students, state’s education department launches
special project under ‘Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab’
J&K govt abolishes interviews for all Class-IV jobs; selection on the basis of merit in written exam
Himachal Pradesh: IAF pilot killed in MiG-21 fighter jet crash in a village in Kangra district
UP: Under construction buildings collapse in Greater NOIDA; 5 killed
2-term former Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra resigns from the BJP
Economy & Corporate
India granted as many as 13,045 patents in 2017-18, compared to 9,847 in 2016-17
The ‘Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 introduced in Lok Sabha; up to 10-year jail
term for perpetrators of ponzi schemes
Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 introduced in Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha passes the State Banks Repeal & Amendment Bill, 2017
Cabinet approves signing of MoU amongst BRICS Nations on Regional Aviation Partnership
Cooperation
Govt hikes sugarcane price by Rs. 20 per quintal to Rs. 275 rupees
World
Indian Air Force (IAF) to participate in multinational “Pitch Black” warfare exercise in Australia from
July 24 to August 18

EU slaps Google with 4.34-billion-euro fine for abusing dominance of its Android operating system
Turkey: State of emergency, which was imposed after the failed 2016 coup, ends on July 18
UN observes July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day
Sports
India’s Neeraj Chopra wins gold in men’s javelin throw at Sotteville Athletics meet in France
Sachin Tendulkar and Middlesex Cricket to launch Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy (TMGA)
England (260/2 in 44.3) beat India (256/8 in 50) by 8 wickets in 3rd ODI at Leeds; clinch 3-match
series 2-1
India
EAM Sushma Swaraj hosting 10th edition of Delhi Dialogue on July 19-20; theme: “Strengthening
India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation”
WCD Ministry opposed to NITI Aayog’s proposal of Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) for the nutrition
mission ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ for pregnant and lactating mothers
SC upholds nomination of 3 BJP members as MLAs to Puducherry Assembly by the Centre
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) announces
appointment of Arman Ali as its executive director
Hardly anything done to clean Ganga,Vineet
situation extraordinarily
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | bad: NGT
Rs 1,484 crore spent on PM Modi’s foreign travel since 2014: Govt
Hindi poet and Bollywood lyricist Gopal Das Neeraj dies in Delhi at 93; awarded Padma Shri in 1991
and Padma Bhushan in 2007
Maharashtra: Noted activist Rajmata Satvashila Devi Bhosle dies in Sawantwadi at 83
Economy & Corporate
Lok Sabha passes Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill: Authorities get power to confiscate assets of
loan defaulters who flee the country
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill passed in Rajya Sabha; giving bribes to public servants
made penal offence
Election Commissioner Sunil Arora opens new manufacturing facility For EVMs at Bharat
Electronics Ltd, Bangalore
Registration certificates given to 1st batch of 16 Registered Valuers at Insolvency & Bankruptcy
Board of India (IBBI) Office in Delhi
RBI to issue new 100 rupee notes in lavender colour having motif of ‘Rani Ki Vav’ – a stepwell in
Gujarat’s Patan district
ISRO signs contracts with 3 vendors to outsource assembly of 27 satellites in the next 3 years
Infosys Foundation signs MoU with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation for construction of a station
in Electronics City
Board of ONGC approves exiting its helicopter service provider Pawan Hans by selling its entire 49%
stake
Govt hikes sugarcane price by Rs. 20 per quintal to Rs. 275 rupees
World
Mexico’s electoral authorities impose fine of $10 mn on President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez
Obrador’s party for fraudulently using money from a trust fund for earthquake victims in its
campaign
Israel’s parliament adopts a law defining the country as the nation state of the Jewish people
Sports
Michael Stich of Germany and Helena Sukova of Czech Republic inducted into International Tennis
Hall of Fame
East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan on penalties to win U-19 IFA Shield football tournament in Barasat,
West Bengal
Indian men’s hockey team beats New Zealand 4-2 in 1st test of 3-match series in Bengaluru

India
The debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government underway in Lok
Sabha
Foreign and defence ministers of India and the US will hold 1st edition of “2+2” strategic dialogue in
Delhi on September 6
SC Collegium reiterates its decision to elevate Uttarakhand Chief Justice K M Joseph as apex court
judge
Ramchandra Singhdeo, veteran Congress leader and first Finance Minister of Chhattisgarh, dies in
Raipur at 88
NABARD launches Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow
WhatsApp launching a test to limit message forwarding to 5 chats for its users in India
Maharashtra govt. announces special package of Rs 21,222 crore for the backward regions of
Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra
Economy & Corporate
Rupee declines to a life-time low of 69.12 against the US dollar
India’s foreign exchange reserves declined $ 734.5 million to $ 405.075 billion for the week ended
July 13
Allowing dealings in crypto currencies like
Vineet Singh |Bitcoins will encourage
vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | illegal transactions: RBI tells SC
Third party insurance for two, four-wheelers should be made mandatory: SC
Maharashtra dairy farmers withdraw stir as govt hikes milk rate to Rs 25/litre
World
Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda addresses ‘8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting at
Durban, South Africa
Austin Fernando named Sri Lanka’s next High Commissioner to India
Japanese screenwriter-director Shinobu Hashimoto dies in Tokyo at 100
2 killed as Typhoon Son Tinh makes landfall in Vietnam
Sports
International Chess Day celebrated on July 20 to mark the foundation of International Chess
Federation (FIDE) in 1924
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh appointed Chef de Mission
(CDM) of Indian contingent for 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia
India
BJP led NDA govt wins No Confidence motion in Lok Sabha; 325 voted against the motion, 126 in
favour
Home Minister Rajnath Singh launches Student Police Cadet (SPC) programme in Gurugram for
nationwide implementation
Former BJP Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra and 4 Congress MLAs join Trinamool Congress in
West Bengal
Most advanced System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) inaugurated at Chandni
Chowk in Delhi
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announces setting up of an Industrial Model Township (IMT) in
Mahendragarh district
Gst
Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council revises GST rates on several products
No GST on sanitary pads, rakhis, fortified milk
GST on lithium-ion batteries, vacuum cleaners, mixers, water coolers, washing machines, perfumes,
etc. cut from 28% to 18%
GST on handbags, jewellery box, handmade lamps, wax, brass products, etc. cut from 18% to 12%
GST on ethanol, solid bio-fuel pellets and e-books cut from 18% to 5%
GST on Chenille fabrics, mats made via handlooms, fertilizer-grade phosphoric acid, etc. cut from

12% to 5%
5% GST on footwear priced up to Rs. 1000, 18% GST on footwear priced above Rs.1000
Economy & Corporate
5 central oil PSUs – IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL, and NRL sign agreement for executing the North-East
Natural Gas Pipeline Grid
World
Sri Lanka: Emergency ambulance project funded by India inaugurated
Nepal and China to hold 10-day joint military drill ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2 from September 10 in
China
United States announces $200 million in security assistance to Ukraine
Sports
Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya breaks women’s 3000m steeplechase world record at IAAF Diamond
League meet in Monaco
Indian Men’s Hockey team beat New Zealand 3-1 in Bengaluru, take unassailable 2-0 lead in 3-Test
series
Women’s Hockey World Cup: India draw with England 1-1 in their opening Pool B match in London
Women’s hockey player Namita Toppo completes 150 international caps for India
India
UP: Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha inaugurates Regional Rail Training Institute (RRTI)
at Ghazipur
Bihar govt. introduces reservation in promotions to SC and ST personnel in its services
SC asks AIIMS to formulate a national action plan to curb drug abuse in the country before
September 7
IIT-Kanpur develops online tool TreadWill to help people cope with issues related to mental health
NCERT introducing QR code in textbooks to enable students understand chapters better by
watching a film or reading additional content on laptops and digital boards
Economy & Corporate
cuts minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250
from Rs 1,000 earlier
CBDT directs Income Tax Department to add at least 12.5 million fresh tax filers from across the
country in 2018-19
Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra among 12 Indians in Variety magazine’s list of 500 top global
entertainers
Kalyan Jewellers withdraws ad featuring Amitabh Bachchan and his daughter after objection by
bank unions
World
Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold dies in Los Angeles at 57
French actress Isabelle Huppert to get Lifetime Achievement Award in Rome Film Festival in
October
SPORTS
SAI selects 734 athletes for scholarship under Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme
2020 Tokyo Olympics mascot named “Miraitowa” – combination of Japanese words for future and
eternity
2020 Tokyo Paralympics mascot named “Someity” — combination of the word for a variety of
Japan’s cherry trees and the English expression “so mighty”
Asia Junior Badminton Championships in Jakarta: India’s Lakshya Sen wins Men’s Singles title
Singapore Open Badminton: Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen (Men’s) and Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi
(Women’s) win Singles titles
Lagos International badminton in Nigeria: India’s Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy win Men’s
Doubles title

Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman becomes quickest batsman to reach 1000 runs in ODIs
Muhammad Anas breaks his own Men’s 400 m national record with a time of 45.24 seconds
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Formula 1 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim
Captain Sunil Chhetri named 2017 Player of the Year by All India Football Federation (AIFF)
Indian men’s hockey team beat Zealand 4-0 in 3rd and final Test to complete a series whitewash in
Bengaluru
India
PM Modi meets President of Rwanda Paul Kagame in capital Kigali
Centre constitutes high-level committee headed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to suggest
ways and legal framework to effectively deal with incidents of mob violence and lynching
Lok Sabha passes bill to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act; recognises
institutions which are funded by the Centre or states, but do not have recognition under the 1993
law
SC lifts ban on rallies, dharnas or sit-ins at the Jantar Mantar and Boat Club areas in Delhi
A lawmaker, whose conviction in a criminal case has not been stayed by an appellate court, stands
disqualified from the membership of the House: SC
Rakesh Sinha, who was recently nominated to Rajya Sabha, joins BJP
Sachin Tendulkar becomes face of Western Railway’s campaign on checking trespassing, women’s
safety and cleanliness
Economy & Corporate
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha;
provides for change in the criterion of classification of MSMEs from ‘investment in plant and
machinery or equipment’ to ‘annual turnover’
The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha; allows a court trying an offence
related to cheque bouncing, to direct the drawer to pay interim compensation to the complainant.
Sale of BS-VI non-compliant vehicles should stop from April 1, 2020: Centre to SC
Lupin Foundation inks MoU with NITI Aayog to adopt (Rajasthan), Vidisha (MP) and Nandurbar
(Maharashtra) under government’s ‘Aspirational Districts Programme’
World
2-day meeting of Group of 20 Finance Ministers and Central bank Governors held in Argentine
capital, Buenos Aires on July 21-22
22nd International AIDS Conference being organised in Amsterdam from July 23 to 27
Snapchat to shut down peer-to-peer payment service Snapcash
Atos buys Syntel for $3.4 bn to expand North America footprint
Sports
WSF-World Junior Squash Championship (under-19) in Chennai: Egypt’s Mostafa Asal (Men’s) and
Rowan Redy Araby (Women’s) win Singles titles
India bags 8 medals including two golds at Junior Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi
USA’s Steve Johnson beats India’s Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan in final to win Men’s Singles title
at Hall of Fame Open tennis in Newport
New Zealand beat England in final to win Rugby World Cup Sevens title in San Francisco
Italy’s Francesco Molinari wins British Open at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland
Mesut Ozil, member of Germany’s team in 2018 FIFA World Cup, announces his retirement from
international football
Sri Lanka (338, 275/5 d) beat South Africa (124, 290) by 199 runs in 2nd test at Colombo; win 2-test
series 2-0
India
J&K: 19th Kargil Vijay Diwas being celebrated at Drass War Memorial from July 24 to 26
Parliament passes Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that seeks to punish both bribe-

takers and bribe-givers.

Bihar Assembly passes Bill to amend prohibition law to make the quantum of punishment
proportionate to the nature of offence
Delhi Police bans flying of “sub-conventional aerial platforms” such as UAVs, hot air balloons and
paragliders till August 15
Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) President Ajit Singh announces retirement
from electoral politics
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ plantation drive in the Mahanadi
river basin
Centre approves construction of 2.67 lakh more houses in 10 states under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojna (Urban)
Economy & Corporate
National Income Tax Day observed on July 24
Flipkart to shut down eBay.in in August and launch a new platform for refurbished goods
Mahindra & Mahindra forays into intermediate commercial vehicles (ICV) segment with the
unveiling of Furio range of trucks
WHO re-designates Hyderabad-based L V Prasad Eye Institute as a WHO Collaborating Centre for
Prevention of Blindness
Pm’s Africa Visit
PM Modi visits Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali which honours over 250,000 victims of the
country’s mass killings in 1994
PM Modi addresses India-Rwanda Business Forum in Kigali Convention Centre
India extends USD 200 million line of credit to Rwanda, to open a High Commission in Kigali
PM Modi gifts cows to villagers at Rweru Model Village as part of the Rwandan Government’s
Girinka Programme
PM Modi meets President of Uganda Yoweri K. Museveni in Kampala
India and Uganda sign 4 MoUs in fields of defence cooperation, visa exemption for official and
diplomatic passport holders, cultural exchange programme and material testing laboratory
World
India to shut camp office of its embassy in Biratnagar from August 1 as per the request made by the
Nepalese govt
World Tequila Day celebrated on July 24
Sports
Morocco will host the 2019 African Games after Equatorial Guinea’s withdrawal
Pm’s Africa Tour
PM announces to build a Gandhi Heritage Centre in Jinja (Uganda), where a statue of Mahatma
Gandhi now stands
PM addresses the India-Uganda Business Forum, organised by the CII and Private Sector
Foundation Uganda, in Kampala
PM addresses Parliament of Uganda in Kampala
PM Modi reaches South Africa to attend 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg
India
All police stations and chowkis in Delhi to have CCTV cameras: Delhi Police tells Delhi HC
Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurates stat’s first Haj Bhavan in Agartala
Economy & Corporate
Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018, which seeks to prevent economic offenders from fleeing the
country and evading the legal process, passed by Parliament
In a step taken to resolve NPAs, Banks and FIs including SBI and LIC, enter into an inter-creditor
agreement (ICA) to fast track the resolution of stressed assets, under “Sashakt” scheme
amends Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 1959 to include shale in the definition of petroleum
NCLAT dismisses cement makers’ plea against Rs 6,300 cr CCI penalty for cartelisation
NCLAT: National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, CCI-Competition Commission of India

India ranks 11 in the 2018 AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index, down from 8 in 2017 and 9 in 2016
Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in PNB fraud case, got citizenship of Caribbean nation Antigua in
November 2017
World
Elections held in Pakistan to elect a new Parliament and Provincial Assemblies; 35 killed in suicide
blast, poll-related violence
Fortune ‘40 Under 40’ list: Instagram Cofounder and CEO Kevin Systrom and Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg, both 34, tied for first place
Fortune ‘40 Under 40’ list comprises the most influential and inspiring young people in business
under the age of 40
Former Fiat Chrysler (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne dies the age of 66.
Sports
Chennaiyin FC head coach John Gregory given ISL Coach of the Year award of Association of Indian
Football Coaches (AIFC)
India
Lok Sabha passes Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018
19th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas observed on July 26
Museum for former prime ministers to be set up in Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi
West Bengal Assembly unanimously passes resolution to change the state’s name to ‘Bangla’
West Bengal Assembly passes Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2018, keeping CM out of its purview in
matters relating to public order
Chhattisgarh: President inaugurates Medical College and Hospital in Jagdalpur
President launches Chhattisgarh government’s ‘Sanchar Kranti Yojna’ in Jagdalpur; free
smartphones to be given to 50 lakh people in the state
Cochin International Airport Limited wins UN’s Champion of Earth Prize-2018 for operating world’s
first fully solar powered airport
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog & MyGov launches “Innovate India Platform”
India’s Team DrugSafe wins Microsoft Imagine Cup for designing an app that detects counterfeit
medicines
Sharmila Tagore conferred D Litt (Honoris Causa) by Kazi Nazrul University in Kolkata
Economy & Corporate
Income Tax return filing deadline extended by a month to August 31
Parliament passes Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill; court can direct the drawer to pay
interim compensation to the complainant in cheque bouncing cases
gives final approval to merger of Vodafone and Idea Cellular; will create country’s largest mobile
operator with 35% market share and 430 million subscribers
Facebook launches wireless earbuds called “Gear IconX” for Rs 13,990
Aditya Birla Group company Hindalco to acquire US based aluminium producer Aleris Corporation
for $2.58 billion
World
PM Modi addresses the plenary session of 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa
India’s Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk among 6 winners of 2018 Ramon Magsaysay award
given by Philippines govt
Facebook rolls out social video watching feature ‘Watch Party’; allows members of the social
network’s groups to watch videos on Facebook together in real time, and comment
Sports
2018 FIFA World Cup: Goal by France’s Benjamin Pavard against Argentina voted Goal of the
Tournament
Veteran sports journalist Swapan Sarkar dies in New delhi at 67


India
PM Modi meets Presidents of Russia-Vladimir Putin, Turkey-Tayyip Erdogan, Angola-Joao Lourenco
and Argentina-Mauricio Macri on the sidelines of BRICS Summit at Johannesburg in South Africa
“BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial
Revolution” was theme of 2-day BRICS Summit
3-day National Conference of VCs of Universities and Directors of Higher Education Institutions
being held in New Delhi on July 26-28; All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2017-18 report
released
High-level panel on data protection framework, headed by Justice B N Srikrishna, submits its report
to the govt.
Indian Railways launches “Mission Satyanishtha” a program on ethics in public governance for its
employees
Economy & Corporate
Foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 67.7 million to USD 405.143 billion for the week ended
July 20
Rs 2,800-crore IPO of HDFC Asset Management Company subscribed 83 times; receives bids for
156.13 crore equity shares against IPOVineet
sizeSinghof 1.88 crore shares
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
8-day old strike by truckers across the country to protest against the introduction of the e-way bill,
exorbitant toll collections at plazas, and inclusion of diesel under the GST called off
allows sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or intermediate product
called B-molasses
Value limit for exports through courier service/post increased to Rs 5 lakh/consignment from
Rs.25,000/consignment
World
Pakistan elections: Provisional results of 260 out of 270 National Assembly seats declared; Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wins 116 seats followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 62
and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) with 43 seats
Mahesh Kumar Malani of PPP becomes 1st Hindu candidate to win a general seat in National
Assembly
Century’s longest lunar eclipse of 1 hour 43 minutes to appear from 11.15 pm on July 27
North Korea returns the remains of the US troops killed during the Korean War 65 years ago
117-year-old Japanese woman Chiyo Miyako, world’s oldest person, dies
BHP Billiton to sell US shale oil and gas assets to BP for $10.5 billion
July 28 is World Hepatitis Day
SPORTS
Russian Open Badminton in Vladivostok: India’s Sourabh Verma and Mithun Manjunath enter men’s
singles semifinals
Current Affairs – News Headlines: July 29, 2018
India
PM addresses “Transforming Urban Landscape”, an event organised in Lucknow to mark 3rd
anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission
Mediation cell created on NCPCR website to register complaints of NRI women who have fled with
their children to escape domestic violence: WCD Ministry
A National Viral Hepatitis control programme aimed at eliminating hepatitis by 2030 launched by
Health and Family Welfare Ministry in collaboration with the WHO
IIT-Madras incubated startup AirOK launches smart air purifier Vistar, claiming it to be the first
indigenously developed one
Punjab-based Patiala Foundation, an NGO working in the field of culture, tourism and road safety,
granted “special consultative status” by UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Three-Day Vice Chancellors’ Conference on Research & Innovation in Higher Education ends in New
Delhi
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lays foundation stone for permanent campus for National
Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women in Mohali
Assam to implement Pranam Scheme to ensure that govt staff take care of their parents & physically
challenged siblings
Business & Economy
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hands over to the Army indigenously built engines powering
tanks T-90 Bhishma and T-72 Ajeya; engines manufactured at the Engine Factory, Avadi — a unit of
Ordnance Factory Board
World
The first ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ summit to begin in Kathmandu on July 31
World Hepatitis Day observed on July 28, theme: “Test. Treat. Hepatitis”
Assamese film “Xhoihobote Dhemalite” (“Rainbow Fields”) wins 3 awards at Love International Film
Festival in Los Angeles – Best Movie, Best Actress: Dipannita Sharma and Best Music: Anurag Saikia
Sports
Veteran rally driver Jagat Nanjappa wins the week-long Isuzu RFCIndia 2018, an off-road
competition, which concluded in DonaVineet
Paula (Goa)
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s former coach Gary Calvert dies in Beijing at 63
Football: Former India international Pradip Chowdhury selected for Mohun Bagan ‘Ratna’ honour
India
PM Modi attends concluding session of ‘Transforming Urban Landscape’ convention in Lucknow
PM Modi lays foundation of India’s first Mobile Open Exchange Zone (MOX) at World Trade Centre,
Noida
52 Bangladeshi nationals deported to Bangladesh from Mancachar in Assam
Bengali writer Ramapada Chowdhury, whose story ‘Abhimanyu’ was made into a Hindi movie ‘Ek
doctor ki maut’, dies in Kolkata at 95
Economy & Corporate
India Post Payments Bank to start operations with 650 branches in August
Ashok Leyland wins contract to supply vehicles for Army’s Russian-built Smerch Multi-Barrel
Rocket launchers (MBRL)
World
International Tiger Day celebrated on July 29
4-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesian island of Lombok, 14 dead
SPORTS
India’s Sourabh Verma wins Men’s Singles title at Russia Open Badminton tournament in
Vladivostok
India’s Neeraj Chopra wins gold in men’s javelin throw with a throw of 85.69m in Savo Games in
Finland
South African Justin Harding wins Royal Cup golf tournament in Pattaya (Thailand), India’s Shiv
Kapur finishes runners-up
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest
Yasar Dogu International Wrestling in Istanbul: Bajrang Punia (men’s 70 kg) and Pinki (women’s 55
kg) win gold for India
WSF-World Junior Squash Team Championship in Chennai: Egypt defeat England 2-0 in the final to
win Men’s title
Italy’s Matteo Berrettini wins Men’s Singles title at Swiss Open tennis in Gstaad
Kathleen Baker creates new world record of 58.00 sec in women’s 100m backstroke at US swimming
championships

India
Assam: Final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) published; has 2.89 crore names out of 3.29
crore applicants
Applicants whose names do not appear in the final draft failed to provide proof of Assamese identity
Lok Sabha passes e Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2018, seeks to replace existing
functionaries of the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a board of governors
Lok Sabha passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 seeking to provide death penalty to those
convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar inaugurates Patliputra University in Patna, launched its logo, anthem and
website
“Shadow of the Dragon and Recent Developments”, authored by journalist Amalendu Kundu,
released
Former director of Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India, John Sankaramangalam, dies
at 84
Economy & Corporate
approves defence Strategic Partnership model that incentivises private firms in military
manufacturing in the country
Centre to set up a high-level empowered committee
Vineet Singh headed
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | by Cabinet Secretary to address issues
of stressed thermal power projects
Parliament passes the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017
India requests Antigua and Barbuda govt to detain PNB fraud accused Mehul Choksi
World
PM Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) wins more than 110 out of 125 seats in National
Assembly in general elections
Indian American Seema Nanda becomes CEO of Democratic party
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons observed on July 30 with ‘responding to the trafficking of
children and young people’ as its focus
Sports
John Isner of US wins Men’s Singles title at Atlanta Open tennis
Dustin Johnson of US wins Canadian Open golf title in Toronto
Opening match of England-India test series at Edgbaston on August 1 will be England’s 1000th test
match
Karman Kaur Thandi becomes only the 6th Indian tennis player to enter top-200 rankings in
women’s singles
Britain’s Geraint Thomas of Team Sky wins 3351 km long Tour de France cycling race.
July 16, 2018
Tennis: Winners of 2018 Wimbledon Championships
The 2018 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament held from2 July to 15 July 2018. It was the
132nd edition of the championships and 51st edition in the Open Era. The tournament was held at the All
England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom.
Winners are
Men’s Singles title: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (World Number 21) won the 2018 Wimbledon title in men’s
singles category by defeating Kevin Anderson (South Africa) in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. It was his fourth
Wimbledon title (earlier won in 2011, 2014 and 2015). Overall, it was his 13th career Grand Slam crown.
Women’s Singles title: Angelique Kerber (Germany) won the 2018 Wimbledon title in women’s singles
category by defeating Serena Williams (United States) in straight sets 6–3, 6–3.
Men’s Doubles: It was won by Mike Bryan and Jack Sock pair from United States. They defeated Raven
Klaasen (South Africa) and Michael Venus (New Zealand) pair by 6-3, 6-7(7-9), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.
Women’s Doubles: It was won by Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková pair from Czech Republic.
They defeated Květa Peschke, 6 (Czech Republic) and Nicole Melichar (United States) by 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
score.

Mixed Doubles: It was won by Alexander Peya (Austria) and Nicole Melichar (United States) pair. They had
defeated Jamie Murray (United Kingdom) and Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) by 7-6(7-1), 6-3.
IFFCO iMandi: IFFCO rolls out e-commerce platform for farmers
Fertiliser major IFFCO has launched e-commerce platform IFFCO iMandi (an mobile application and web
portal) to address all needs of the farming community associated with it. For this initiative, IFFCO has
partnered with Singapore-based technology firm iMandi. Through this e-commerce platform, IFFCO is
targeting to reach GMV (gross merchandise value) of $5 billion in the next two years by catering needs of
5.5 crore farmers already associated with it.
IFFCO iMandi
The e-commerce platform is one stop shop for agri inputs and produce, FMCG, electronics, loans,
insurance etc. It has features like buy-sell, communication (chat and calling), entertainment and
information/advisory content to keep farmers engaged. Using it, farmers buy all agri inputs of IFFCO,
including fertilisers, agro chemicals and seeds at discounted price and get free delivery at their doorstep.
It will cater needs of 5.5 crore farmers already associated with IFFCO. In this platform, IFFCO’s subsidiary
IFFCO eBazar Ltd has taken 26% stake in and remaining 74% is with I-tech Holdings and some other
investors.
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)
IFFCO is large scale fertiliser cooperative federation in India which
Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | is registered as Multistate Cooperative
Society. It is one of India’s biggest cooperative society which is wholly owned by Indian Cooperatives. It
was founded in 1967 with just 57 cooperatives and at present it has amalgamation of over 36,000 Indian
Cooperatives with diversified business interests ranging from General Insurance to Rural Telecom apart
from its core business of manufacturing and selling fertilisers. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It had
posted turnover of Rs 20,787 crore in 2017-18 fiscal. It produced nearly 8 million tonnes and sold 10.3
million tonnes of fertilisers in 2017-18.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the Bansagar Canal Project in Mirzapur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 171 km long Bansagar canal project in Mirzapur district of
Uttar Pradesh. He also laid foundation stone of Mirzapur Medical College, inaugurated 100 Pradhan
Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras and bridge over Ganga River at Balughat, Chunar, which will facilitate
connectivity between Mirzapur and Varanasi.
Bansagar canal project
Bansagar Dam project is a joint venture (JV) between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Governments. It is multipurpose river valley project built on Son River situated in Ganges Basin in
Madhya Pradesh. The total network of canal from the dam is 171 kms long. The canal network will bring
waters from Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh for Adwa Barrage, Meza Dam and Jirgo reservoir. It will
provide big boost to irrigation in the region, benefiting1 lakh 70 thousand farmers farmers of Mirzapur
and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.
President nominates four members to Rajya Sabha
President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated former MP Ram Shakal, RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha, classical
dancer Sonal Mansingh and stone artist Raghunath Mohapatra as members of Rajya Sabha. They were
nominated as per Article 80(1)(a) of the Constitution, based on the recommendation of Council of Minister
headed by Prime Minister Naredra Modi. Prior to these four nominations, there were eight nominated
members in Rajya Sabha.
Key Facts
Ram Shakal: He is farmers leader and public representative from Uttar Pradesh. He has devoted his life for
welfare and well-being of Dalit community. He is widely respected for championing cause of farmers,
labourers and migrants. He was three-time member of Lok Sabha, representing Robertsganj constituency
of Uttar Pradesh.
Rakesh Sinha: He is RSS ideologue Sinha and is the founder and honorary director of Delhi-based think-
tank India Policy Foundation. He was professor at Motilal Nehru College of Delhi University. He was also
member of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).
Raghunath Mohapatra: He is internationally renowned authority on stone carving. He has been

practicing since 1959 and has trained over 2,000 students. He has contributed to preservation of
traditional sculpture and ancient monuments and has worked on beautification of the Sri Jagannath
Temple, Puri. His famous works include 6-feet-high statue of sun god carved in grey sandstone in Central
Hall of Parliament and Wooden Buddha, Buddha Temple, Paris, France.
Sonal Mansingh: She is among India’s foremost exponents of Indian classical dance. She is also well-
known choreographer, teacher, orator and social activist. She has been performing Bharatnatyam and
Odissi for overs six decades. She founded the Centre for Indian Classical Dances in Delhi in 1977.
Nomination of eminent members to Rajya Sabha
As per Article 80 (Part V) of the Constitution, President can nominate 12 members in the Council of States
(Rajya Sabha). These persons should have special knowledge or practical experience in the field of Art,
Science, Literature and Social Service. The rationale behind principle of the nomination is to facilitate the
representation of eminent professionals and experts who cannot face direct elections.
Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam selected for 2018 Sangita Kalanidhi award
Renowned Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam has been selected for 2018 Sangita Kalanidhi award of Music
Academy for her contribution to Carnatic music. Under this recognition, she will preside over 92nd annual
conference to be held between December 15, 2018 and January 1, 2019. The award will be conferred to her
on January 1, 2019 the day of Sadas of the conference.
Other awards Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Sangita Kala Acharya award: It will be awarded to Mridhangist Thanjavur R. Ramadoss and vocalist K.
Oman Kutty.
T.K. Awards: It will be given to veena player Kalyani Ganesan and nagaswaram player S.R.G. Rajanna.
Musicologist award: It will be given to Dr. Premeela Gurumurthy, the Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu
University.
Nritiya Kalanidhi award: It will be awarded to veteran danseuse Shanta Dhananjayan.
Sangita Kalanidhi award/title
It is prestigious award/title bestowed annually upon expert of Carnatic Music by Madras Music Academy.
The award’s name has been derived from Sanskrit which means treasure of Music and art in English
(sangeetha = music, kala = art, nidhi = treasure). This honour is considered one of the highest awards in
Carnatic music.
France wins 2018 FIFA World Cup Football title
France has won 2018 FIFA World Cup Football by defeating Croatia by 4-2 goals in the final match held at
the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia . It was France’s second World Cup crown after it had own it in
1998 (by defeating Brazil) on home soil. With this, victory France joins Uruguay and Argentina in winning
World Cup for a second time. It was Croatia’s first World Cup final appearance and smallest country ever
to reach final in the modern era.
Goal Scores: For France, four goals were scored by Mario Mandžukić (Croatia’s self-goal at 18 min),
Antoine Griezmann (38 min), Paul Pogba (59 min) and Kylian Mbappe (65 min). For Croatia, two goals were
scored by Ivan Perišić (28 min), Mario Mandzukic (69 min).
2018 FIFA World Cup Awards
Top 4 team rankings: France (1st, Winner), Croatia (2nd, Croatia), Belgium (3rd) and England (4th).
Golden Ball award: Luka Modric (Croatia).
Golden Boot award: Harry Kane (England captain) for scoring six goals across six games.
Golden Glove award: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium).
FIFA Young Player award: 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe (France).
FIFA Fair Play Award: Spain for superb disciplinary record.
Next World Cup: Qatar will be hosting next FIFA World Cup in 2022. It will be the first Arab country to
host World Cup and it will also for first time it will be held in Middle East region.
FIFA World Cup
It is an international association football competition contested by senior men’s national teams of
members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s global governing
body. It is held every four years since the inaugural tournament held in 1930. The total 21 World Cup

tournaments played so far have been won by eight national teams. Brazil has won for recode five times
and it is only team that has played in every World Cup. Germany and Italy have each won four titles,
Argentina, France and Uruguay have won two titles each. England and Spain has won one title each.
UN for first time finalizes Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
United Nations for first time has finalized Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to
better manage international migration, address its challenges, strengthen migrant rights and contribute
to sustainable development. This is for first time UN Member countries came together to negotiate
agreement covering all dimensions of international migration.
Key Facts
The compact is the first intergovernmental agreement to cover wide-ranging dimensions of international
migration in holistic and comprehensive manner, agreed upon by all the UN member states minus the
United States. It is not legally binding. It sets out 23 objectives to deal issues ranging from factors that
compel people to move, legal channels for migration, combating trafficking and smuggling, harnessing the
economic benefits of migration and return of the migrants.
Background
Currently, over 250 million migrants worldwide account for 3% of the world’s entire population, but
contribute 10% of the global gross domestic production (GDP). Migrants remittance is huge contributor to
their home countries’ development. The Vineetprocess of developing
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | compact was started in early 2017 as
implementation of decision by UN member states as adopted New York Declaration for Refugees and
Migrants in September 2016. UN member states’ another decision pledged in the declaration is to develop a
Global Compact on Refugees.
India becomes Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation
India became Vice-Chair or regional head of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation
(WCO) for two years from July 2018 to June 2020. By becoming Vice Chair, India will be able to take up
leadership role at the WCO.
Key Facts
To mark assumption of Vice Chair, an event will be organised in New Delhi by Central Board of Indirect
Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The event was
attended by Customs delegations of 33 countries of Asia-Pacific Region, Customs officers from different
Ports in India, Partner Government Agencies and representatives from the trade among others.
World Customs Organisation (WCO)
WCO is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance effectiveness and efficiency
of Customs administrations. It was established in 1952 as Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). It is the
only international organization with competence in Customs matters and is considered as voice of
international Customs community.
WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately
98% of world trade. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It plays leading role in discussion,
development, promotion and implementation of modern customs systems and procedures.
Objectives: It aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of member customs administrations and assist
them to contribute successfully to national development goals, particularly revenue collection, national
security, trade facilitation, community protection, and collection of trade statistics.
Organistaional Structure: WCO’s governing body – the Council relies on competence and skills of WCO
Secretariat and a range of technical and advisory committees to accomplish its mission. The Secretariat
comprises over 100 international officials, technical experts and support staff of some nationalities. WCO
has divided its membership into six regions whereby each region is represented by elected vice-
chairperson to WCO Council.
Functions: It offers range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical
assistance and training services to its members. It also actively supports its members in their endeavours
to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations.
It also plays vital role in stimulating growth of legitimate international trade and combats fraudulent
activities. It also promotes emergence of honest, transparent and predictable Customs environment, thus

directly contributing to economic and social well-being of its members.

ISRO successfully conducts ground test of high thrust version of 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. The tests
meet all its propulsion parameters and were found satisfactory and closely matched the predictions.
Vikas Engine
Vikas belongs to family of liquid fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by ISRO’s Liquid
Propulsion Systems Centre in the 1970s. The design was based on licensed version of Viking engine with
chemical pressurisation system. It is the workhorse liquid rocket engine powering second stage of India’s
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), second stage and four strap on stages of Geosynchronous Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) and is part of first stage i.e. twin engine core liquid stage (L110) of GSLV Mk-III. The
propellant loading for Vikas engine in PSLV, GSLV Mark I and II is 40 tons, while in GSLV Mark III it is 55
tons. The recently tested high thrust version of Vikas engine will improve payload capability of PSLV, GSLV and
GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles.
July 17, 2018

Haryana Government launches Paudhagiri Campaign for planting of saplings
Haryana Government has launched ‘Paudhagiri campaign’, an unique program to increase green cover in
the state. It was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar by planting ‘maulsari’ sapling in Tau
Devi Lal Sports Complex premises of Gurugram. The campaign aims increase green cover in the state,
help in stabilising environment and improve overall climatic conditions, thus help in checking global
warming.
Paudhagiri campaign
Under this campaign, 22 lakh students studying in Class 6th to 12th of all government and private schools
will plant sapling each, during three months of monsoon ( July, August and September). State forest
department will provide sapling to every student.
Students can plant saplings either in courtyard of their house, field or park or school or at any open space
available in their proximity. Every student planting sapling will take care of it for next three years. They
can name plant according to their likes.
State Government will give incentive of Rs 50 in every six months from government, after student upload
his selfie with his or her plant on App planted by him or her. Student will get total Rs 300 in three years
for looking after sapling.
Government to create National Database of Arms Licenses system
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is going to create National Database of Arms Licenses system from
April 2019. It will include names of all arms licence holders, new or old and they will be issued a unique

identification number (UIN). The move is aimed at keeping tab on authorised private gun holders, many of
whom are often found involved in crimes and celebratory firing leading to loss of lives. It will also
eliminate possibilities of issuing arms licence to persons whose antecedents are not bona
Key Facts
The decision was taken by exercising powers under Section 44 of Arms Act, 1959 (54 of 1959) by amending
the Arms Rules, 2016. These rules will be called the Arms (Second Amendment) Rules, 2018. Under Section
3 of Arms Act, it is essential to obtain arms possession licence issued by competent licensing authority, by
any person for acquisition, possession or carrying any firearms or ammunition.
Under the new rules, every licensing and renewing authority will enter data in National Database of Arms
Licences system from April 1, 2019, which will generate UIN. Any arms licence without UIN will be considered
invalid. Besides, any existing licensee holding multiple licences will make application for grant of single
licence in respect of all firearms held by him under his UIN to the concerned licensing authority.
In case of licence for restricted category of arms or ammunition, licensing authority concerned will issue
new licence under the existing UIN of the licencee. Separate licence books will be generated in case of each
licence, separately for restricted and permissible categories of arms and ammunition with an overall
ceiling of three firearms under single UIN.
BEL inks MoU with Swedish firm Saab for marketing air-surveillance radar
State-owned defence electronics company Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Saab for jointly marketing L-Band 3D air surveillance radar (RAWL-03) which
is co-developed by the companies. Saab is Swedish aerospace and defence firm that serves global market
with world-leading products, services and solutions in military defence and civil security.
RAWL-03
RAWL-03 is long range air surveillance radar for early detection and tracking of air and surface targets. It
can be fitted in both ship-borne and land-based configurations. Its system is based on state-of-the-art GaN
TR module technology and incorporates the latest signal processing techniques.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
BEL is state-owned leading defence electronics company. It is one of nine PSUs under the Union Ministry
of Defence of India. It has been accorded Navratna status. It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
BEL is engaged in design, manufacture and supply of state-of-the-art radars like weapon locating radar
and battle field surveillance radar, communication systems, naval systems, electronic warfare systems,
missile systems, tank electronics and gun/weapon systems, coastal surveillance system etc, for the armed
forces.
President gives assent to Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015
President Ram Nath Kovind has Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015
passed by State Assembly in August 2015. This law aims to reign in rising incidents of witch hunting cases
across the state. It was prepared in lines with spirit of universal declaration of human rights, crimes in
witch hunting cases cause gross violation of basic human rights.
Key features
The law aims to eliminate superstition from society by making such offences under it as non-bailable, non-
compoundable and cognizable. It prohibit any person from calling, identifying or defaming any other
person as witch by words, signs, conducts or indications. State Government has already notified the Act.
It prescribes stringent punishment, if anybody found guilty. It imposes up to 7 years of jail and fine up to 5
lakh rupees. This provision will come as per Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC) if someone is killed after being branded a witch.
It also proposes sentence of 3 years imprisonment if anybody blames a person for natural disasters in a
particular locality such as floods, droughts, illness or any death. Cases and offences registered under this
law will undergo trail in Special courts which will be set up in consultation with the high court.
Indian Army to resume trials of M777 Howitzer artillery gun
Indian Army is going to resume trials of US-made M777 ultralight howitzer in the Pokhran firing range,
Rajasthan. During the trails local ammunition will be used and tentatively 100 to 150 rounds will be fired.
The trials will begin after they were suspended in September 2017 following a barrel burst caused by

faulty ammunition during firing.

M777 Howitzer artillery gun
M777 is 155-mm, 39-calibre towed artillery gun. It is manufactured by US based BAE Systems’ Global
Combat Systems division. It is smaller and lighter, as it is made of titanium and aluminium alloys and
weighs just 4 tonnes. It has effective firing range of 24 km.
It can use all types of 155 mm ammunition. It can be easily transported by heavy lift helicopters, which will
give Indian Army tremendous flexibility in its operations, especially in high altitude mountainous terrain.
It takes only three minutes to come into action and has a pack-up time of just two minutes. It can sit down
like scorpene, which makes it difficult to be spotted by the enemy tanks
Significance: Induction of M777 Howitzer artillery guns is expected to add tremendous firepower and
much needed operational advantage to the Indian Army as they will be deployed in high-altitude areas in
Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China. It will also give access to state of art technology. These
artillery guns are already being used by US, Canadian and Australian armies.
Background
India signed Letter of Agreement and Acceptance (LoA) with US Government in November 2016 to buy 145
M777s through the foreign military sale (FMS) route at cost of $737 million. Of the 145 guns, 25 will be
imported while the remaining 120 will be assembled in India in partnership with Mahindra group.
Deliveries are slated to commence in March Vineet 2019 and will be |completed by 2021. M777s deal is the first
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
contract for artillery guns in almost 30 years after Bofors artillery guns induction in late-1980s, which had
got embroiled in political controversy due to illegal kickbacks. Bofors guns however had been mainstay for
Indian Army for decades and had played important role in Kargil conflict.
IMF cuts India’s growth forecast for 2018 to 7.3%
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) update has projected
growth rate of 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% in 2019 for India as against 6.7% in 2017. This makes India, fastest
growing country among major economies in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Key Facts
India will grow by 7.3% in 2018-19 against earlier estimate of 7.4%, slightly less — 0.1 percentage point in
2018. In 2019-20, it will grow by 7.5% against earlier estimate of 7.8%. This reflects negative effects of
higher oil prices on domestic demand and faster than-anticipated monetary policy tightening due to
higher expected inflation.
Despite India’s slight downgrade in the projections, it continues to outperform China. Growth in China is
projected to moderate from 6.9% in 2017 to 6.6% in 2018 and 6.4% in 2019. This is mainly because of
regulatory tightening of financial sector takes hold and external demand softens.
The global growth is projected to reach 3.9% in 2018 and 2019, in line with forecast of April 2018 WEO.
Growth prospects in emerging market and developing economies is becoming more uneven, amid rising
oil prices, higher yields in United States Treasury bonds, escalating trade tensions and market pressures
on currencies of some economies with weaker fundamentals.

World Economic Outlook (WEO)

WEO is survey conducted and published by IMF. It is published biannually and partly updated two times a
year. It portrays the world economy in the near and medium context, with growth projections for up to
four years into the future. WEO forecasts include key macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP, inflation,
fiscal balance and current account of more than 180 countries around the globe. It also deals with major
economic policy issues.
IIT-Madras unveils word’s first remotely operable LEAP microscope
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has commissioned remotely operable Local Electrode
Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope. It is claimed to be world’s first remotely operable LEAP microscope, as it can
be remotely operated through special terminal by researchers divided geographically.
Key Facts
LEAP is high-performance microscope that can provide a precise atom-by-atom view of materials. It
provides atomic-scale insights into metallic, which will influence wide spectrum of industries ranging

from steel to automobiles and energy to transportation sector. It will also give major thrust to research in
nanotechnology, among other fields
The remotely operable LEAP microscope has been developed in a collaborative exercise involving eight top
research institutions in country, spearheaded by IIT-M. Other partner institutions are IITs of Bombay,
Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Ropar, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and
New Materials (ARCI) and Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS).
BrahMos Missile tested in extreme weather conditions
DRDO has successfully test-fired supersonic cruise missile under extreme weather conditions, as part of
the service life extension programme for Indian Army. The missile was fired from a mobile autonomous
launcher from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore, Odisha.
Key Facts
During the test missile followed designated trajectory and its key components functioned perfectly. It
again proved its all-weather capability, flying in sea state 7, with waves as high as nine metres. Sea state is
the degree of turbulence at sea, generally measured on a scale of 0 to 9 according to average wave height.
The test was conducted on the heels of earlier two trials conducted on May 21 and 22, 2018 in which the
major sub-systems manufactured indigenously under the ‘Make in India’ campaign were successfully
tested to increase missile’s life from 10 to 15 years.
BrahMos Missile Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
BrahMos is supersonic cruise missile developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint-venture between Russia’s
Mashinostroyenia and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It has been
named after two rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva (river in western Russia). The missile has established
itself as major force multiplier in modern-day complex battlefields with its impeccable land-attack, anti-
ship capabilities with multi-role and multi-platform abilities.
Stages: It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant. It is
self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift.
Payload: It is capable of carrying warhead of 300 kilogram (both conventional as well as nuclear).
Accuracy: It operates on ‘fire and forget principal’. It is claimed that missile has strike accuracy rate of
99.99%. It has enhanced destructive power due to large kinetic energy (because of supersonic speed) on
impact. It has unique feature of quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapon
system in the world.
Speed: It has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8 to 3 (roughly three times speed of sound). It is hailed as
world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation.
Range: It was initially capped at 290 km as per obligations of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Since India’s entry into this elite club, its range was extended to 450 km and plan is to increase it to
600km.
Launch Variants: It is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against sea and land
targets. It follows a variety of trajectories like high, high-low, low, surface-skim etc. It can cruise at
altitude up to 15km and terminal altitude of as low as 10 meters.
Induction: It has been already inducted in Indian Army and Navy. The air-launched version of missile was
test-fired in November, 2017 for first time from modified Su-30MKI aircraft, making it world’s fastest
supersonic cruise missile to be fired from a combat jet against a target.
July 18, 2018
Western Railway renames Elphinstone Road Station as Prabhadevi
Western Railway renamed Elphinstone Road suburban railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra to
Prabhadevi Station. The station code of Prabhadevi station will be PBHD. The station was initially named
after Lord Elphinstone, who was Governor of Bombay Presidency from 1853 to 1860. It has now been
renamed in honour of local deity Prabhadevi.
Background
Prabhadevi is name of the area in the vicinity of the station. It also derives its name from the temple of the
deity which is 300 years old. In December 2017, Maharashtra legislature had approved Bill to rename
Elphinstone Road station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport. The central government had given its nod for renaming in May 2017.
Government reappoints Anil D Sahasrabudhe as AICTE Chairman
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved renewal of appointment of Prof Anil D
Sahasrabudhe as the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) till he attains the
age of 65 years. He was joined AICTE as Chairman in July 2015.
Anil D Sahasrabudhe
Prof Sahasrabudhe has in his illustrious career of over 30 years and has held several important academic,
research and administrative positions. He had graduated from BVB College of Engineering and
Technology, Hubli affiliated to Karnataka University in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 with first rank
and Gold medal. Subsequently, he obtained Master’s and Doctoral (with UGC Fellowship) degrees from
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru in 1982 and 1989 respectively. Prior to his appointment as
AICTE chairman he was professor of Mechanical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Guwahati,
AICTE
AICTE is a statutory body established in November 1945. It comes under the aegis of Department of
Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development. It is a national-level council for technical
education responsible for planning and coordination of technical education and management of education
system in the country. It accredits graduateVineet
and Singhpost graduate programs
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | at Indian institutions.
All India Institute of Ayurveda inks MoU with IIT Delhi to give scientific validation to Ayurveda
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Delhi have signed
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance research in the field of Ayurveda. The MoU was signed
on sidelines of two-day conference on ‘Raising towards Excellence’ held at New Delhi.
Key Facts
As of part of MoU, AIIA will invite technological experts from IIT Delhi for research in ancient Indian
medicine. IIT Delhi does not have medical facility and has lined up 10 projects in Ayurveda research. It was
the idea of Ministry of AYUSH to utilize technological expertise of IIT Delhi for further research in ancient
Indian medicine. It is also planning to invite professionals and representatives from IIMs (Indian Institutes
of Management) to develop leadership skills that are necessary for gaining global recognition.
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)
Delhi based AIIA is apex institute for Ayurveda in the country under Ministry of AYUSH. It aims at
bringing a synergy between traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern tools and technology. It offers
postgraduate and doctoral courses in various disciplines of Ayurveda and focuses on fundamental
research of Ayurveda, drug development, quality control, standardization, safety evaluation and scientific
validation of Ayurvedic medicine. It also has 200 bed referral hospital for facilitating clinical research.
Economic Partnership Agreement: EU, Japan sign massive free trade deal
European Union (EU) and Japan have signed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). It was signed at EU-
Japan summit in Tokyo by EU Presidents Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk and Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe. It is biggest ever trade deal negotiated by the EU and creates free trade zone
covering nearly third of the world’s GDP.
Key Parts of EPA
Agricultural exports: It scraps Japanese duties on many cheeses such as Gouda and Cheddar as well as on
wine exports. It allows EU to increase its beef exports to Japan and duty-free trade in pork, processed
meat and almost duty-free trade for fresh meat. It ensures protection in Japan of more than 200 high-
quality European agricultural products, so called Geographical Indications (GIs), and protection of
selection of Japanese GIs in EU.
Services markets: EPA opens up services markets, in particular financial services, e-commerce,
telecommunications and transport.
Procurement markets: It guarantees EU companies access to large procurement markets of 48 large
Japanese cities and removes obstacles to procurement in economically important railway sector at
national level.
Automotive sector: It addresses specific sensitivities of EU in this sector and elimination of customs

duties in transition periods of up to 7 years.

Trade and sustainable development: EPA includes comprehensive chapter on it. It sets very high
standards of labour, safety, environmental and consumer protection. It strengthens EU and Japan’s
commitments on sustainable development and climate change and fully safeguards public services.
Data protection: The negotiations completed by both sides on this matter will complement EPA. Both
sides recognise each other’s data protection systems as equivalent, allowing data to flow safely between
EU and Japan and creating world’s largest area of safe data flows.
Significance
EPA removes vast majority of €1 billion of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting to Japan and
number of long-standing regulatory barriers, for example on cars. It opens up Japanese market of 127
million consumers to key EU agricultural exports and will increase EU export opportunities in range of
other sectors. In addition, it will strengthen cooperation between Europe and Japan in range of areas,
reaffirm their shared commitment to sustainable development. It also includes for the first time a specific
commitment to the Paris climate agreement.
Sutherland: UK selects Scottish site for first spaceport
UK Space Agency has selected site at Sutherland on A’Mhoine peninsula on north coast of Scotland for its
first spaceport to launch rockets vertically and put satellites in orbit. For development of this spaceport,
UK Government is going to provide $3.3 Vineet million funding and will be built with help of consortium of
companies.
Key Facts
A’Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland was chosen as most suitable place from which to launch rockets
vertically. The first rocket launches from this spaceport are planned for early 2020s. The site was selected
in part due to its beneficial geography. Rockets can take direct path from tip of Scottish peninsula to above
Arctic Circle. This is suitable for launching small satellites particularly, which are often placed in polar
orbits, circling Earth and passing over Arctic and Antarctic. It is located on coast in sparsely populated
area, thus in case of failures rocket will harmlessly fall into the ocean or empty land.
Comment
The spaceport will help UK to grab slice of growing market for small satellite launches. UK already has
many component and satellite makers and adding ability to launch satellites locally would increase its
international appeal. The spaceport will help to attract $5 billion spaceflight market into UK’s economy
over the next decade.
In recent years, new breed of small satellites (nano satellites) have created boom in space launch industry.
These satellites are often size of shoebox or smaller and far more technologically capable than older, larger
models. They are cheaper to launch and can be put to range of uses from communications to weather
monitoring to scientific experiments. It’s estimated that global market for such launches (including
supporting infrastructure) is currently worth $339 billion, and will grow eightfold by 2045 to $2.7 trillion.
BSE’s iconic Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers secures trademark
Stock exchange major Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has secured image trademark for its iconic building,
Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers located on Dalal Street in Mumbai, Maharashtra under Trade Marks Act, 1999.
With this, Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers joins elite club of distinguished structures around the world that
have secured trademark rights.
Significance: Henceforth no one can use images of the Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers for commercial
purposes without consent from BSE or paying it licensing fee. Violators are liable to be prosecuted under
Trade Marks Act, 1999.
Key Facts
BSE’s Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers serves as barometer of Indian economy. It is 28-floor building and was
bulit almost 10 years, completed in 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in India.
Initially it was known as BSE Towers and was later renamed after late chairman of BSE, Sir Phiroze
Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy. BSE was founded in Vineet
1875. It began as small group of brokers who functioned under
a banyan tree on Dalal Street.

Trademark
Trademark refers to graphical representation of goods or services to make it distinguishable from others.
It can be words, symbols, sound, colours, shape of goods, graphics representation or packaging etc. It
protects owner against unfair competition, prevents damage to reputation of owner and consumer
welfare.
In India, trademarks are governed under Trademarks Act, 1999 ( it deals with precise nature of rights one
can acquire in respect of trademarks), under aegis of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP),
Ministry of Commerce. The implementing body is Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks.
Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel was first building in India to acquire image trademark under Trademark Act of
1999 in June 2017. Other iconic structures (builings) in the world that have received trademarks are Empire
State Building, New York, USA; Eiffel Tower, Paris, France; Opera House, Sydney, Australia etc.
UNEP partners with Google for monitoring impact of human activity on global ecosystem
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has entered into partnership with search engine giant Google to
monitor impacts of human activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools. The
partnership was launched during High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at United
Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.
Key Facts
The aim of the partnership is to develop platform to enable governments, NGO’s and public to track
specific environment-related development targets with user-friendly Google front-end. Its initial focus
will be on freshwater ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
Freshwater ecosystems areas account for 0.01% of world’s water but provide habitat for almost 10% of world’s
known species and evidence suggests a rapid loss of freshwater biodiversity.
Google will periodically produce geospatial maps and data on water-related ecosystems by employing
massive parallel Cloud computing technology. It will generate satellite imagery and statistics to assess
extent of change occurring to waterbodies and make it freely accessible to ensure nations have
opportunity to track changes, prevent and reverse ecosystem loss.
Other areas of collaboration under this partnership include advocacy and capacity building activities as
well as the development of partnerships with organisations like European Space Agency (ESA), European
Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Significance
This partnership builds on a common shared vision between these organisations. In long term, it will

strive to establish platform for open-source data and analysis of UN Sustainable Development Goals. It
will enable UNEP to get access to most sophisticated online tools to track progress, identify priority areas
for action, and needs for making world sustainable. It will enable all countries with equal access to latest
technology and information in support of global climate action and sustainable development.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. It was founded as result of
United Nations Conference on Human Environment in June 1972. It is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices.
UNEP acts as catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote wise use and sustainable
development of global environment. It works with wide range of partners, including UN entities,
international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, private sector and
civil society.
Government issues draft amendments to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued draft amendments to Central Motor
Vehicles Rules, 1989, making Vehicle Tracking System device and FASTags mandatory for all commercial
vehicles obtaining national permit.
Proposed amendments
FASTags: It makes mandatory for vehiclesVineet toSingh
affix sticker confirming
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | fitting of the Fastag in front wind
screen of vehicles.
National Permit (N/P): It stipulates additional conditions for obtaining national permit. It also includes
display of words ‘National Permit or N/P’ in front and rear of vehicles in bold letters. N/P will have to be
inscribed on rear and left side incase of trailers.
Tanker carrying dangerous or hazardous goods: Its body has to be painted in white colour and display
prescribed class label on both sides and rear of tanker. It should be also affixed with reflective tapes at
front and rear.
Fitness certification: It will be not required at time of registration of new transport vehicles sold as fully
built vehicles. Such vehicles will be deemed to be having certificate of fitness for a period of two years
from the date of registration. Fitness certificate of transport vehicles will be renewed for period of two
years for vehicles up to eight years old and for one year for vehicles older than eight years.
Digital Certificates: Henceforth, pollution under control certificates and driving license can be carried in
physical or digital form.
Goods carrying vehicles: They will be required to carry goods in closed body of the vehicle or container. In
case it is necessary to carry goods in open bodies, then goods will be covered by using tarpaulin or any
other suitable material. Goods of indivisible nature, not capable of being carried in a closed body or being
covered, may be carried without cover.
Load Carrying Capacity: The gross vehicle weight (GVW) for two-axle truck (two wheels in front axle and
four wheels in the rear) has been raised from 16.2 tonnes to 18.5 tonnes, for three-axle trucks it has been
increased from 25 tonnes to 28.5 tonnes; and for five-axle trucks from 37 tonnes to 43.5 tonnes. This will
help reduce transportation (logistic) cost and consequently, commodity prices. Overloading is very
rampant which will be stopped to an extent along with corruption.
July 19, 2018
Regional Aviation Partnership: Cabinet approves signing of MoU amongst BRICS Nations
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amongst BRICS
Nations (viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Regional Aviation Partnership Cooperation.
The objective of MoU is to benefit BRICS countries from establishing of institutional framework to
cooperate in field of civil aviation.
Key Facts
The MoU signifies important landmark in civil aviation relations between India and other BRICS member
states. It has potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges amongst BRICS
Nations. The areas of cooperation under MoU are public policies and best practices in regional services;
airport infrastructure management and air navigation services; regional airports; technical cooperation
between regulatory agencies; innovation; environment sustainability; deliberation of global initiatives;

Qualification and Training and other fields as mutually determined.
Cabinet approves proposal to make DMs approving authority for adoptions
Union Cabinet approves proposal of Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) to make district
magistrates (DMs), instead of courts, the final authority for approving adoptions. In this regard, Ministry
of WCD will introduce bill to amend Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 to make
district magistrates and collectors competent officers for approving adoptions, instead of courts.
Key Facts
The courts are overburdened and take long time to approve adoptions. The changing of final authority for
approving adoptions aims to reduce number of adoption cases pending in courts for years. Since, DMs
have information about adoption cases and have access to all departments, it is easier for DMS to get the
documents and act faster. Besides, DMs are also in-charge of the child custody authority and have all
information about the child.
CCEA approves determination of FRP payable by Sugar Mills for 2018-19 sugar season
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2018-19 keeping in view the interest of
sugarcane farmers. It was approved based on the recommendation of Commission for Agricultural Costs
and Prices (CACP). CCEA has hiked Rs. 20Vineet
perSinghquintal in the FRP
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | of sugarcane at Rs. 275 per quintal for
basic recovery rate of 10%. It is higher by 77.42% over production cost and ensures that farmers gets
return of more than 50 % over their production cost.
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP)
The FRP is the minimum price that sugar mills have to pay to sugarcane farmers. It is determined on basis
of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with
State Governments and other stake-holders. The final FRP is arrived by taking into account various
factors such as cost of production, domestic and international prices, overall demand-supply
situation,inter-crop price parity, terms of trade prices of primary by-products and its impact on general
price level and resource use efficiency.
Background
The sugar sector is an important agro-based sector in Indian agricultural economy that impacts livelihood
of about 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents. It also employs around 5 lakh workers directly
in sugar mills, apart from those employed in various ancillary activities including farm labour and
transportation.
Lok Sabha passes Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017
Lok Sabha has passed The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill,
2017 to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ in schools. The Bill amends the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The Act was having provision of no detention policy i.e. no child can be
held back in any class until completion of elementary school (classes 1-8).
Key Features of Bill
The Bill amends provision related to no detention policy in the parent Act to empower central or state
government to allow schools to hold back child in class 5, class 8, or in both classes. It mandates
conducting, regular examination in class 5 and class 8 at end of every academic year.
In case, child fails class 5, class 8 examinations, he will be given additional instruction and opportunity for
a re-examination (within two months from the declaration of the result). If child fails again in re-
examination, he may be held back in class 5, class 8, or in both classes.
The Bill empowers Union and State governments to decide whether to not hold back child in any class till
completion of elementary education. Further, Union or State governments will decide manner and
conditions subject to which child may be held back.
Government to infuse Rs 11,336 crore capital in 5 public sector banks by September-end
Union Finance Ministry is planning to infuse additional capital close to Rs 11,336 crore in 5 more public
sector banks (PSBs) by September 2018-end. These five state-owned banks are Punjab National Bank (PNB),
Corporation Bank, Andhra Bank, Allahabad Bank and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB).

Key Facts
This round of capital infusion will be done through issuance of recapitalisation bonds and not directly
from Budget. This additional capital will help these banks to meet minimum regulatory capital adequacy
ratio (CAR) and enable them to make interest payments on certain bonds on time.
Within capital infusion plan of these five PSBs, PNB is expected to get highest amount of Rs 2,816 crore.
Corporation Bank is will get Rs 2,555 crore followed by Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 2157 crore), Andhra Bank
(Rs 2,019 crore) and Allahabad Bank (Rs 1,790 crore).
This capital infusion by Government will be only for purpose of meeting minimum regulatory requirement
and will be not growth capital which will be provided in second half of current fiscal year. The growth
capital will only be given to those banks which meet performance targets and modalities set by Finance
Ministry as per agreement signed with each bank.
Background
The latest round capital infusion in these 5 PSBs will be part of remaining Rs 65,000 crore out of Rs 2.11
lakh crore capital infusion announced by Union Government for two financial years. In October 2017,
Union Government had announced Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital infusion programme, under which PSBs were
to get Rs 1.35 lakh crore through recapitalisation bonds, and balance Rs 58,000 crore through raising of
capital from market and remaining through budgetary support. The government has already infused Rs
80,000 crore out of Rs 1.35 lakh crore through
Vineet Singhrecapitalisation
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | bonds in PSBs and balance will be done
during this financial year (2018-19).
Cabinet approves Special Remission Scheme for prisoners
Union Cabinet has approved to grant Special Remission to Prisoners as part of commemoration of 150th
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to be observed in 2019. This decision is considered as befitting
commemoration and homage to father of nation and humanitarian values Mahatma Gandhi stood for.
Following five categories of prisoners will be considered for special remission
Women and Transgender convicts: 55 years of age and above and who have completed 50% of their
actual sentence period.
Male convicts: 60 years of age and above and who have completed 50% of their actual sentence
period.
Physically challenged/disabled convicts: They will convicts with 70% disability and more and who
have completed 50% of their actual sentence period.
Terminally ill convicts.
Convicted prisoners who have completed two-third (66%) of their actual sentence period.
In pursuance of this decision, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will issue advice to all States and UTs
asking them to process cases of eligible prisoners based on above five categories. State Governments will
place recommendations of Committee before Governor for consideration and approval under Article 161 of
the Constitution. After the approval, prisoners will be released three phases.
In Phase-l, prisoners will be released on 2nd October, 2018 (i.e. on birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi),
in Phase-ll prisoners will be released on 10th April 2019 (anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah) and in
Phase-Ill on 2nd October 2019 (birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi).
Special remission under this consideration will not be given to prisoners who have been convicted for
offence for which sentence is of death or death sentence commuted to life imprisonment; cases of convicts
involved in serious and heinous crimes like rape, human trafficking, dowry death and convicted under
UAPA, POTA, TADA, FICN, POCSO Act, FEMA, Money Laundering, NDPS, Prevention of Corruption Act,
etc.
Parliament passes State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017
Parliament has passed State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017 to merge six subsidiary banks with
State Bank of India after it was approved by Rajya Sabha. The bill already has been passed in Lok Sabha in
2017 Monsoon session of Parliament.
The bill repeals two Acts namely State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959, and State Bank of
Hyderabad Act, 1956. These two acts had established State Bank of Bikaner, State Bank of Patiala, State
Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad and State Bank of Travancore. These banks were subsidiaries of
SBI. By repealing these two acts, five subsidiary banks will be merged with SBI. The bill also seeks to
amend State Bank of India (SBI) Act, 1955 to remove references to subsidiary banks and powers of SBI to
act as an agent of the RBI for subsidiary banks.
Background
The Union Cabinet in February 2017 had approved merger of five associate banks along with Bharatiya
Mahila Bank with SBI. The purposes of merger were rationalisation of public bank resources, reduction of
costs, better profitability, lower cost of funds leading to better rate of interest for public at large and
improve productivity and customer service of the public service banks. After the acquisition by SBI, the
subsidiaries banks ceased to exist and, therefore, it was necessary to repeal two Acts. The merger had
made SBI one of 50 biggest banks of world.
CCEA approves Special Package for Irrigation Projects in drought prone areas of Vidarbha, Marathwada
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved implementation of Centrally Sponsored-
Scheme for completion of 83 minor irrigation projects and 8 major or medium irrigation projects in
Maharashtra’s drought prone areas of Vidharbha, Marathawada regions.
Key Facts
The special package aims to create additional potential of 3.77 lakh hectares in these drought prone areas.
It will ensure assured source of water to farmers in command| area of these projects. This will increase
Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
yield of their crops and thereby increase the income of the farmers.
The projects included under special package will be funded under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana- Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) and are planned to be completed by
December 2019. Progress of projects will be monitored by State as well as Central Water Commission
(CWC).
The overall balance cost of projects is estimated to be Rs. 13,651.61 crore. Central Assistance for
implementation of these projects will be Rs. 3,831.41 crore and rest will be provided by State Government
which may be arranged through NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).
Benefits
On completion of these projects, utilization of irrigation potential of about 3.77 lakh ha will transform
agriculture scenario of these drought prone region resulting in generation of substantially more
employment opportunities through increase in cropping intensity, change in cropping pattern, agro
processing and other ancillary activities. It will result employment generation of approximately 341 lakh
man-days for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.
Background
Maharashtra has experienced hydrological and agricultural drought during three years period from 2012
to 2016. The situation was worst in Vidharbha and Marathawada region with high incidence rate of
suicides by farmers. Besides, these regions, drought prone areas (DPA) in rest of the state also had
experienced distress in recent years. These irrigation projects are ongoing projects, but they were
languishing due to fund constraints.
India, US resolve to enhance cooperation in aviation security, counter-terror
India and United States (US) at the Homeland Security Dialogue have resolved to enhance bilateral
cooperation in areas, including counter-terrorism, immigration and aviation security. For this dialogue,
Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary in Home Ministry Rajni Sekhri Sibal, while US side was
led by James McCament, Deputy Under Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.
Key Facts
The recent talks between both countries in dialogue focused on issues relating to security cooperation,
customs and immigration, aviation security, capacity building. Both countries are in process of firming up
list of terror fugitives and have agreed on names of individuals for global entry programme (GEP) under
Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (HSPD-6) Agreement. The HSPD-6 agreement allows sharing
of terror-related information, while GEP exempts prominent citizens from immigration checks. US has
already finalised such agreements with 30 countries.
Background
India-United States cooperation in matters related to counter-terror initiatives and intelligence sharing is
part of the dialogue. Both sides have agreed to work out modalities to address these issues. There have
been several rounds of discussions between interlocutors of two countries in past two year and both sides
have narrowed down their differences on several key issues on sharing of data on militants.
July 20, 2018
Arman Ali takes charge of national disabled people’s organisation NCPEDP
Arman Ali was appointed as Executive Director of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for
Disabled People (NCPEDP). He will succeed Javed Abidi and take over his new role in October 2018. Arman
has played pivotal role in bringing disability sector together in North East by forming network of
organisations from seven states. He has been head of Shishu Sarothi – Centre for Rehabilitation &
Training for Multiple Disability since 2009. He has worked for the rehabilitation of many physically
challenged people as well as leading campaigns and engaging judiciary to uphold rights of persons with
disabilities.
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
NCPEDP is India’s only cross-disability advocacy organisation working towardsempowerment of persons
with disabilities. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It has to its credit several achievements, including
lobbying for creation of new Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) under
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, and call for new Disability Act to replace PwD Act, 1995.
RBI to issue newVineet
100 Singh rupee notes in| lavender colour
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly issue new Rs. 100 denomination banknotes in lavender colour in
Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series. This comes on back of new designs introduced for Rs 200, Rs 500 and Rs
10 notes, in the last couple of years. The old Rs 100 notes in the earlier series will also continue to be legal
tender along with new notes.
Key Features of new Rs. 100 note
The front side of new Rs. 100 note depicts Mahatma Gandhi’s face and back side featuresmotif of “RANI KI
VAV”, highlighting the country’s cultural heritage. Rani ki Vav, a UNESCO world heritage stepwel site in
Patan, Gujarat built in memory the 11th century king Bhima.
The dimension of new note is 66 mm × 142 mm, which will be the same as the other new notes of Rs 200,
Rs 500 and Rs 10 released earlier. Like every other currency note, it also has a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi
at the centre. It has security thread with inscriptions, ‘भारत’ and RBI. If the note is tilted, the colour
changes from green to blue.
Right side of Mahatma Gandhi portrait includes guarantee clause, Governor’s signature with promise
clause and RBI emblem. Ashoka Pillar emblem is on right side of note. The top left side and bottom right
side have number panel with numerals in ascending font.
Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (100) watermarks and it also has Swachh Bharat logo with
slogan. It also has certain features incorporated for the visually impaired. These include intaglio or raised
printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, raised triangular identification mark with
micro-text 100, four angular bleed lines on the right and left sides.

ISRO signs contracts with 3 vendors to assemble 27 Satellites

U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), ISRO’s nodal satellites division has signed separate contracts with three
vendors to outsource Spacecraft Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT) activities. The contracts were
signed with Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd and its six consortium members; also with defence public
enterprise Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Hyderabad.
Key Facts
The outsourcing is part of capacity-building initiatives undertaken by U R Rao Satellite Centre to promote
participation of Indian industry from spacecraft subsystems to spacecraft assembly, integration and
testing. Each of the contract partners will work with URSC to produce three small to medium satellites
each year or total of 27 spacecraft by July 2021. About 50 members from each contract partner will
separately work with URSC engineers to complete the project.
U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)
URSC (formerly known as ISRO Satellite Centre) is nodal centre of ISRO for design, development,
fabrication and testing of all Indian made satellites. It was established in the year of 1972 and is based in
Bengaluru, Karnataka. It was renamed after former ISRO Chairman and ISAC founding Director Dr. Udupi
Ramachandra Rao in April 2018. Since inception, URSC has distinction of building more than 100 satellites
for various applications like scientific, communication, navigation and remote sensing.
Rajya Sabha passes Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013
Rajya Sabha has passed Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 to amend various provisions of
Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988. The amendment to PCA, 1988 was necessitated to its review
existing provisions to bring it in line with United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as
agreed by India.
Background
The amendments to PCA, 1988 were first brought by UPA government in 2013. The Bill was then referred
to Parliamentary Standing Committee, Law Commission of India (LCI) and then in December 2015 to
select committee. The report of select committee was submitted in 2016 and again it was moved in August
2017, but was not be taken up.
Giving bribe made punishable offence: The Bill introduces offence of ‘giving a bribe’ as direct offence.
Person who is compelled to give bribe who reports matter to law enforcement authorities within seven

days will not be charged with this offence.

Redefines Criminal misconduct: The bill redefines provisions related to criminal misconduct to only
cover two types of offences viz. illicit enrichment (such as amassing of assets disproportionate to one’s
known income sources) and fraudulent misappropriation of property.
Prior approval for investigation: It makes mandatory for taking prior approval of relevant Government or
competent authority to conduct any investigation into offence alleged to have been committed by a public
servan. Such approval will be not necessary in cases that involve arrest of person on spot on charge of
taking a bribe.
Trial Time limit: The bill set trail time period within two if it is handled by special judge. In case of delays,
reasons for it must be recorded for every extension of six months obtained. However, total period for
completion of trial may not exceed four years.
National Mission for Clean Ganga organizes Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) had organised Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan in five main Ganga
basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The drive was launched on 9th
July 2018 for a week upto 15 July 2018 which was observed as ‘Shubharambh Saptah’.
Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan
The campaign was initiated as part of Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami Gange
programme. It aimed to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding
importance of afforestation for task of Ganga Rejuvenation.

The state forest departments of these five states were nodal agencies for the smooth and effective
execution of the campaign. It also saw participation from Ganga VicharManch (GVM), Nehru Yuva Kendra
Sangathan (NYKS), NGOs and educational institutions.
Under this campaign, number of schools, colleges and departments were requested to “Adopt a Plant” for
making it people’s movement. Besides, various seminars, workshops, lectures, drawing and painting
competitions etc. were organized on sidelines of this campaign.
Dehradun based Forest Research Institute (FRI) had prepared Detailed Project Report (DPR) to implement
the afforestation project in a scientific manner. On basis of DPR, State Forest Departments carried out
their plantation activities.
Some of plants that were planted during campaign are Kanji, Siras, Chhitvan, Mango, Sheesham, Farmis,
Jamun, Arjun, Gutal, Neem, Sagwan, Saal, Mahogni, Ber, Semal, Jungal Jalebi, Gulmohar, Kadam, Bamboo,
Karaonda, Ashwagandha, Curry Patta, Jathrofa, Beheda, Dhatura, Sarpgandha etc.
Importance of Afforestation in Ganga Basin
Forests cause higher rainfall and raise water level in the river basins. Through their foliage, abundant leaf
litter and craggy bark, trees and forests decrease speed of water dispersion. It favours slow but greater
infiltration of rainwater to ensure smooth functioning of hydrological cycle.
Moreover, presence of healthy forest cover along river provides self-cleaning ability to river. Thus,
afforestation and augmentation of existing forest cover along Ganga River holds promise to strengthen
riparian ecosystem thereby contributing to overarching cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
NMCG is implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River
Ganga (also referred as National Ganga Council). It was established in 2011 as registered society under
Societies Registration Act, 1860.
It has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee.
Both of them are headed by Director General (DG), NMCG. Executive Committee is authorized to approve
projects under mission up to Rs.1000 crore.
Lok Sabha passes Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018
Lok Sabha has passed Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 that aims to curb practice of evading
criminal prosecution by economic offenders fleeing from country to evade clutches Indian law by
remaining outside jurisdiction of Indian courts.. The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated by
President in April 2018.


Fugitive economic offender (FEO): It has been defined as person against whom an arrest warrant has
been issued for committing an offence listed in schedule (enlisted in the this law) by any court in India, but
he leaves or has left India to avoid criminal prosecution or refuses to return to India to face criminal
prosecution. It is applicable in cases where total value involved in such economic offences is Rs.100 crore
or more.
Special Court: It establishes Special Court under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 to
declare a person as FEO. The court will appoint ‘administrator’ to oversee confiscated property. It will be
responsible for disposing of confiscated property and t property will be used to satisfy creditors’ claims.
Attachment of property: It empowers director or deputy director (appointed under Prevention of Money-
Laundering Act, 2002) to attach any property mentioned in application with permission of special court.
These properties can be attached provisionally without the prior permission of the special court for 30
days. The attachment will continue for 180 days, unless it is extended by special court. If at the conclusion
of proceedings, person is not found to be FEO, his properties will be released.
Bar on filing or defending civil claims: The bill allows any civil court or tribunal to disallow person
declared FEO, from filing or defending any civil claim. Further, any company or limited liability
partnership where FEO is majority shareholder, then promoter, or a key managerial person (such as MD
or CEO) will also be barred from filing or defending civil claims.
Powers of director: The director or deputy director will have powers vested of civil court. These powers
include entering a place on the belief that individual is FEO and directing searching of building or seizing
documents.
Appeal: Under this law, appeals against orders of special court will lie before High Court.
Background
There have been several instances of economic offenders (eg Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi) fleeing country
to evade clutches Indian law to remain outside jurisdiction of Indian courts. The absence of such offenders
from Indian courts has several deleterious consequences. It hampers investigation in criminal cases,
wastes precious time of courts of law, undermines rule of law in India.
Further, most such cases of economic offences involve non-repayment of bank loans thereby worsening
financial health of banking sector. Moreover, existing non-coherent civil and criminal provisions in law
are not entirely adequate to deal with severity of problem. This bill will provide effective, expeditious and
constitutionally permissible deterrent legal teeth to enforcing agencies to ensure that such actions of FEO
are curbed.
Meghalayan Age: Newest phase in Earth’s history named after Meghalaya rock
Scientists have approved three new ages on geologic time scale of Holocene Epoch viz. Meghalayan Age,
Middle Holocene Northgrippian Age and Early Holocene Greenlandian Age. These three new ages of Holocene
Epoch are represented by wealth of sediments that accumulated worldwide on sea floor, on lake bottoms,
as glacial ice, and as calcite layers in stalactites and stalagmites.Together the strata of three new stages
comprise the Holocene series.
Meghalayan Age: It is named after cave in Indian state of Meghalaya. It has helped to define climatic
events 4,200 years ago, marking beginning of phase that continues till today. The lower boundary of this
stage is defined at specific level in stalagmite from cave in northeastern Indian state.
Meghalayan Age was part of longer period known as Epoch, which reflects everything that has happened
over past 11,700 years. It began with mega global drought that devastated ancient agricultural civilisations
from Egypt to China. This age is unique because it is first interval in Earth’s geological history that
coincided with major cultural event, as agricultural societies struggled to recover from shift in climate.
The droughts over 200-year period had resulted in human migrations in Egypt, Syria, Palestine,
Mesopotamia, Greece, Indus valley and Yangtze river valley. The change in global climate during
Meghalayan Age was likely triggered by shifts in ocean and atmospheric circulation.
Middle Holocene Northgrippian Age and Early Holocene Greenlandian Age: These two ages are defined
with beginnings at climatic events that happened about 8,300 years and 11,700 years ago, respectively.

The lower boundary of Greenlandian and Northgripppian stages are defined at specific levels in Greenland
ice cores. The ice cores are now identified as international geostandards, and have been placed in
protected archives accessible for further study.
Geological Timescale
Geologists divide 4.6-billion-year existence of Earth into distinct periods. Each period corresponds to
significant events such as break-up of continents, shifts in climate, and emergence of particular types of
animals and plant life. These units of geologic time scale are based on sedimentary strata that have
accumulated over time and contain within them sediment types, fossils and chemical isotopes that record
passage of time as well as physical and biological events that produced them. Those intervals of
sedimentary strata on which ages are based are referred to as stages.
10th edition of Delhi Dialogue held in New Delhi
The 10th edition of Delhi Dialogue (DD X) was held in New Delhi and was hosted by Union External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj. The theme for this edition was “Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime
Cooperation”. This was the first major event organised after ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which
was held in New Delhi in January 2018.
Key Facts
DD X was organised by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with the Research and
Information System for Developing Countries Vineet Singh (RIS). It saw participation
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | of political leadership, policy
makers, senior officials, diplomats, business leaders, think-tanks and academicians from India and ASEAN
member states. Chief ministers from North-Eastern states were also invited to participate in the event.
DD X comprised of six plenary and four parallel sessions, with each session followed by open discussions.
Delhi Dialogue
Delhi Dialogue is premier annual event to discuss politico-security, economic and socio-cultural
engagement between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It has been held
annually since 2009 and political leaders, policy makers, senior officials, diplomats, think tanks and
academicians from both sides participate in the discussions pertaining to ASEAN-India relations. It is
aimed at finding a common ground and expanding the scope of cooperation between India and ASEAN
nations. The theme of ninth edition of dialogue was “ASEAN-India Relations: Charting the Course for the
Next 25 Years”. It had marked the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India Partnership.
July 21, 2018
Power Grid signs MoU with UP Power Corp for energy efficiency
Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) for energy efficiency and agricultural demand side
management programme. POWERGRID and UPPCL are going to held further discussions to decide terms
and conditions for replacement of agriculture pump sets in East and South DISCOMs of Uttar Pradesh.
POWERGRID is contemplating investment of about Rs 2,200 to 2,500 crore in these projects, subject to
necessary clearances.
Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID)
POWERGRID is Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE). It is central transmission utility (CTU)
of India. It is India’s largest electric power transmission utility, transmitting about 50% of total power
generated in India on its transmission network. It is listed company since 2007. It is headquartered in
Gurugram, Haryana. Government owns 56.91% of POWERGRID and balance 43.09% is owned by public. It
operates 90% of inter-state and inter-regional networks.
India to remain fastest growing major economy till 2019-20: ADB
According to Asian Development Bank (ADB), India will continue to be fastest growing major economy,
ahead of China, with growth rate of 7.3% in 2018-19 and 7.6% in 2019-20. The growth projections were
supplement to ADB’s Asian Development Outlook (ADO).
Key Highlights
Growth in Asia and Pacific’s developing economies for 2018 and 2019 will remain solid as it continues
apace across the region, despite rising tensions between the US and its trading partners. Concerns for the
region include trade measures and rising trade tensions in the region. But the prudent macroeconomic
and fiscal policy-making will help economies across region prepare to respond to external shocks,
ensuring that growth in the region remains robust.

South Asia will continue to be the fastest growing sub-region in Asia Pacifit, led by India, whose economy
is on track to meet projected growth of 7.3% for 2018 and further accelerating to 7.6% in 2019, as measures
taken to strengthen the banking system and tax reform boost investment. The growth in India will be
driven by increased public spending, uptick in private investment and higher capacity utilisation rate.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB is a regional development bank based out of Asia. It aims to promote social and economic
development in Asia. It was established in December 1966. It is headquartered at Ortigas Centre in Manila,
Philippines. ADB’s main objective is to assist its members and partners, by providing loans, technical
assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. It has total 67
members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. ADB has been modelled closely
on the lines World Bank. It has similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion
with members’ capital subscriptions.
NASA launches Remote Sensing Toolkit to promote commercial use of satellite data
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched ‘Remote Sensing Toolkit’ to
promote commercial use of satellite data. The toolkit was launched as part of NASA’s Technology Transfer
program that offers open remote-sensing data benefiting scientific community, other government
agencies and nonprofit organizations. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Remote Sensing Toolkit

It is an online toolkit that aims to make it easier for users to find, analyse and utilise relevant satellite data
for their research, business projects or conservation efforts. It has been designed to help users search for
data, as well as utilize ready-to-use tools and code to build new tools. It provides simple system that
quickly identifies relevant sources based on user input. It makes finding and using NASA satellite data
easier than ever before. It aims to spark innovation among entrepreneurial community and lead to further
commercialisation of NASA technology.
Five oil PSUs sign JV pact for N-E Natural Gas Pipeline Grid
Five central oil PSUs – IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL, and NRL have signed agreement for executing 1500 Km
North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid. It is a major initiative to connect all North-East States to National
Gas Grid. It will be implemented under Centre’s ambitious Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline Project.
Terms of Agreement
Joint Venture (JV) company will be formed to develop, build, operate and maintain Natural Gas Pipeline
Grid connecting Guwahati to other major North -Eastern cities and major load centres such as
Numaligarh Refinery and integrating it with feasible gas producing fields in the region. The JV company
will have equal equity contribution from all partners for development of natural gas pipeline project. The
project will connect state capitals of all eight North Eastern states- Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The expenditure for 1500 Km length gas pipeline
project is Rs. 6000 crore and is scheduled to compete in four years (by 2022) in three phases.
Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline Project
The project was launched in October 2016 with an aim to provide piped cooking (PNG) gas to residents of
eastern region of the country and CNG gas for the vehicles. The project envisaged laying 2,050-km
pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018. It covers five states including UP,
Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility
GAIL.
4th BIMSTEC Summit to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2018
The fourth edition of Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) will be held in Kathmandu, capital city of from 30 to 31 August, 2018. Nepal is the current chair
of BIMSTEC. The main focus of summit will be to increase connectivity between BIMSTEC nations
including roads, airways and transmission lines. It will also give top priority connectivity and poverty
alleviation.
Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
BIMSTEC is the sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia lying in littoral
and adjacent areas of Bay of Bengal constituting contiguous regional unity. It was established on 6 June
1997 through Bangkok Declaration. It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Member countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka from South Asia and Myanmar, Thailand
from South East Asia. They are collectively home to around 1.5 billion people which constitute around 22%
of global population.
BIMESTC’s prime objectives: Technological and economic cooperation among south Asian and south East
Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. BIMSTEC is sector-driven cooperative organization,
starting with six sector including trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries. In 2008, it
was expanded to embrace eight more sectors including agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation,
counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people to people contact and climate change.
India to host inaugural 2+2 Dialogue with US in September 2018
India is going to host inaugural 2+2 Dialogue with United States in September 2018 in New Delhi. In the
inaugural meeting, Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman will host US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis.
Key Facts
The inaugural meeting will cover broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest,
with a view to strengthening strategic and security ties between the two countries. Both nations will
discuss strengthening of strategic, security and defence cooperation as both nations have committed to
jointly address challenges in Indo-Pacific Vineet
region and beyond. The dialogue is seen as vehicle to elevate
strategic relationship between the two countries.

Note: The inaugural 2+2 dialogue was scheduled to be held in July 2018, but was postponed at last moment
by US citing “unavoidable reasons”. It was third time that 2+2 dialogue was postponed in the last six
months.
2+2 Dialogue
2+2 Dialogue between India and US was agreed during visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US in
June, 2017. It is similar to India-Japan 2+2 dialogue format between foreign and defence secretaries and
ministers of the two countries. It replaces earlier India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.
The dialogue s aimed enhancing strategic coordination between both countries and maintaining peace
and stability in Indo-Pacific region. It puts strategic, defence and security relationship between two
countries at forefront and centre stage.
It insulates India-US strategic relationship from feuds over trade issues and deep divide on economic
integration policies as trade and commercial issues that collided with strategic relationship between both
countries’ discussed in Strategic and Commercial Dialogue earlier.
BJP led NDA Government wins No Confidence motion in Lok Sabha
Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government has won No Confidence
motion moved in Lok Sabha. This was first no-trust motion against Narendra Modi government after it
came to power in May 2014 and less than year before the next general elections.
Key Facts
The no-confidence motion against the government was moved by a former NDA ally Telugu Desham Party
(TDP). In this trust vote, NDA bagged 325 votes against motion, while 126 members voted in favour. Total
of 451 out of 534 MPs were present and voted in the house bringing down majority mark required to 226.
No-Confidence Motion
In a parliamentary democracy, government can be in power only if it commands majority in directly
elected House. Article 75(3) of our Constitution of India embodies this rule by specifying that Council of
Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. But there is no mention of a no-confidence motion in
the constitution. The Rule 198 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha provides
mechanism for testing this collective responsibility. Rajya Sabha does not have procedure for moving of
no-confidence motion against Government and also adjournment motion, censure motion.
The rule allows any Lok Sabha MP who can garner support of 50 colleagues, to introduce motion of no-
confidence against the Council of Ministers. Motion of No-confidence need not set out any grounds on
which it is based. If there are 50 MPs in favour, the motion is admitted and speaker allots date for
discussion on the motion. Thereafter, discussion on motion takes place. MPs who support motion

highlight government’s shortcomings. Then Prime Minister or ministers reply to the charges made. If the
government loses trust vote, it is expected to resign.
NABARD launches South East Asia’s first ever Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched Centre for Climate Change
in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is first of its kind centre in South East Asia. It aims at accelerating concerted
climate action by various stakeholders in government, private, financial and non -government sectors.
Centre for Climate Change
The centre will help NABARD in enhancing its capacity building efforts manifold. It will extend
professional support to stakeholders for designing climate related projects and take up collaborative
studies and action research projects in the area. It will also support capacity building and project
preparation effort in developing countries in the region as also in Africa.
It will address capacity building needs of stakeholders, undertake policy advocacy, promote national and
international collaborations by bringing in knowledge, technology and finance for addressing the
challenges and opportunities emerging from climate change.
Background
India has experienced impact of climate change on agriculture and rural livelihoods. Government has
taken several measures such as promoting micro irrigation, soil health cards, integrated farming models
and traditional farming to de-risk farmersVineetfrom impact of climate
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | change. NABARD has been engaging
itself in capacity building of various stakeholders involved in Climate Change actions. It is National
Implementation Entity (NIE) for three important climate funds, viz. Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation
fund of UNFCCC and National Adaptation fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
NABARD is an apex agricultural development financial institution in India. It has been entrusted with
matters concerning policy, planning and operations in the field of credit for agriculture and other
economic activities in rural areas in India.
NABARD facilitates credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries,
cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts. It supports all other allied economic
activities in rural areas, promote integrated and sustainable rural development and secure prosperity of
rural areas.
It is active in developing financial inclusion policy. It is member of Alliance for Financial Inclusion. It is
headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra with regional offices all over India. It was established in 1982 on
recommendations of Shivaraman Committee to implement National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development Act, 1981.
Government launches Student Police Cadet Programme
Ministry of Home Affairs sponsored Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme was launched nationally in
Gurugram, Haryana. It was launched by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Union
Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar. The programme aims to build bridge between Police and
larger community through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them through classes in
school and outside.
Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme
The programme focuses on students of class 8th and 9th. It will be implemented first in government
schools, in both urban and rural areas and later expanded to private schools. It takes special care to ensure
that it does not increase workload of the students. It does not have any prescribed text book and also any
exam. Only one class is proposed in a month under its schedule.
Programme will broadly cover two topics
Crime prevention and control: Topics covered under it include road safety, fight against social evils,
community policing, safety of women and children, fight against corruption and disaster
management.
Values and ethics: Topics covered under it include values and ethics, empathy and sympathy,
tolerance, patience, attitude, respect for elders, team spirit and discipline.
Handbook: Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) with support of National Council of

Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared handbook for imparting instructions. It will
also enable learning through group discussions and audio-visual mediums.
Implementation: It will be steered by state level committee headed by Principal Secretary, Home
Department with Principal Secretary, Education and Director General of Police (DGP) as members.
Besides, similar committee will be formed at district level, headed by District Magistrate with District
Inspector of Schools and Superintendent of Police (SP) as members.
Funding: Central Government has released amount worth Rs.67 crores to states for implementation of
programme. Besides, amount of Rs 50,000 has been earmarked for each school for educational aids,
training and contingency.
July 23, 2018
TreadWill: IIT Kanpur develops online tool to help people deal with mental health issues
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed TreadWill, an online tool to help people cope
with issues related to mental health. The tool was developed by team with collaborative support from
Computer Science and Engineering and Humanities and Social Sciences, HSS (Psychology) departments.
TreadWill
It is website designed to help people deal with stress, low mood, lethargy and other depressive symptoms
through different online exercises, questionnaires and games. It will help in overcoming depressive
symptoms and becoming more resilient againstVineet Singhstressful events| in the future.
It is based proven methodology of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that helps people with depressive
symptoms. It uses simple language to help users to identify involuntary negative thoughts and behavior. It
teaches techniques to users to work on modifying their thoughts and actions.
It uses simple forms (thought record worksheet, core belief worksheet) and games to practice techniques
of CBT in engaging manner. It offers free and easy accessible alternative for those who are wary of
attending in-person sessions at clinics. It further provides users by sending personalised SMS alerts to
help them stick to programme till end.
Odisha police launch drive to bust Pangolin smuggling racket
Odisha Special Task Force (STF) has launched drive to bust an international syndicate that peddles
‘endangered’ pangolin, one of the world’s most illegally traded mammals. It has requested Union Home
Ministry to approach the Myanmar government to block the transit route for smuggled pangolin under
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). MLAT is an agreement between nations to exchange information
or provide legal assistance for enforcing laws.
Pangolin
Pangolin is only scaly mammal on the planet. According to Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES), it is also the most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia). Of
the eight species of pangolin worldwide, two are found in India. They are Chinese pangolin (manis
pentadactyla), mostly found in northeast India and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata).
Pangolins has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. It can also curl itself into ball as
self-defence against predators. The colour of its scales varies depending on colour of earth in its
surroundings. Pangolins is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and
logs using its long claws. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
Pangolins is smuggled for its scales as it believed that they possess magic or charms and have medicinal
properties. The scales serves as base component for indigenous (traditional) psychotropic substances.
China is main illicit hub (market) for smuggled scales of Pangolins, where they have huge demand for
medicinal and magical purposes.
Protection Status: Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” by UN affiliated
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)
has been listed as “endangered” in IUCN Red List. It is also a Schedule I category protected animal, under
the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
SAFAR: Most advanced System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting inuagrated in Delhi
Ministry of Earth Sciences has unveiled state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System–
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. It is first of its kind
and most advanced system in India. Such advanced are also proposed to be implemented in other three
cities of India- Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting)
SAFAR was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and
operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD). It is integral part of India’s first Air Quality
Early Warning System operational in Delhi. It will monitor all weather parameters like temperature,
rainfall, humidity, wind speed and wind direction.
It also will measure sun’s UV-Index (UVI), PM1, Mercury and Black carbon in real time in addition to regular
air quality and weather parameters like PM2.5, PM10, Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon
Monoxide. It can also provide measurement of online automatic ultrafine particles PM1 and Mercury, both of
which have direct relevance to human health. It will also monitor existence harmful pollutants of Benzene,
Toluene and Xylene.
SAFAR has giant true colour LED display which gives out real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with
colour coding alongwith 72-hour advance forecast. Based on Air Quality Index on particular day, health
advisory and related precaution will be notified to prepare citizens well in advance.
Benefits
SAFAR will accelerate public awareness and preparedness of air pollution and weather extremes. It will
also lead to better understanding of linkages among
Vineet Singh emissions,
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | weather, pollution and climate. It will
strengthen existing air quality network of SAFAR, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi
Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Besides health, SAFAR system will benefit cost savings to several
other sectors like agriculture, aviation, infrastructure, disaster management skill, tourism and many
others, which directly or indirectly get affected by air quality and weather.
Public Affairs Index 2018: 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). Kerala has
topped PAI as the best-governed state for the third consecutive year since 2016 among large states
Key Facts
Large States: Kerala has topped the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the lowest, indicating higher social and economic
inequalities in the states.
Smaller states (with population less than two crore): Himachal Pradesh topped the list followed by Goa,
Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya were ranked at bottom of the index
among small states.
2018 PAI also included separate index on children of India, giving measure of how child-friendly each of
the states are. In this category of providing better living conditions for all children, Kerala, Himachal
Pradesh and Mizoram topped the index
Public Affairs Index (PAI)
The index is released since in 2016 by Bengaluru base Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a not for profit think
tank which aims to improve governance in India. It is based on 10 themes, 30 focus subjects and 100
indicators, relying solely upon government data. It covers wide range of themes such as support to human
development, social protection, essential infrastructure, women and children, crime, law and order,
delivery of justice, transparency and accountability, environment, fiscal management and economic
freedom.
Regional Rail Training Institute inaugurated at Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh
Indian Railways inaugurated Regional Rail Training Institute (RRTI) at Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh in a bid to
strengthen expertise and capabilities of the employees of North-Eastern Railways. Besides, newly
constructed 400 metre washing pit at Ghazipur City station was also inaugurated at a cost of Rs 19.62
crore.
Regional Rail Training Institute (RRTI)
RRTI was constructed with the cost of Rs 21 crore within stipulated time. It will provide modern training
facilities to the railway employees and would enhance their efficiency. It is equipped with modern training

facilities, an advanced model hostel, computer room, cafeteria and other necessary facilities. It will
immensely add to development of area.
PM Narendra Modi launches India-assisted emergency ambulance service in Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India-assisted emergency ambulance service through video
conferencing from New Delhi. The inaugural function of emergency ambulance service was held in Jaffna,
Northern Province, of Sri Lankan. The project is another milestone in wide-ranging development
partnership between India and Sri Lanka.
Key Facts
Jaffna is third province in Sri Lanka, were India-assisted emergency ambulance service has been launched.
The service was earlier introduced in two provinces of Sri Lanka with grant assistance from India. It is
planned to be expanded to remaining seven provinces of Sri Lanka. For this project, India in total has
given grant of $22.8 million- $7.6 million for the first phase and $15.2 million for the country-wide
expansion. This is largest ever Indian grant project in Sri Lanka after India funded housing project.
Background
India had launched emergency ambulance service in Sri Lanka’s western and southern provinces in July,
2016 with grant of US $7.6 million to uplift and improve medical facilities in the island country. In this
regard, agreement was signed between Indian entity GVK EMRI Lanka Pvt Ltd and Sri Lankan Ministry of
Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.Vineet
With this project, pverall,
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | India’s development portfolio in Sri
Lanka is nearly US $2.6 billion, out of which US $436 million is in the form of grants.
Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance
Myanmar has joined India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA), making it 68th signatory to
Framework Agreement of ISA. The ISA Framework Agreement was handed over by Myanmar Minister for
International Cooperation, Kyaw Tin to India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of
Delhi Dialogue.
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
ISA was jointly launched by India and France in November 2015 at Paris on side lines of COP21 UN Climate
Change Conference. Its Framework Agreement came into force in December 2017. It celebrated its
founding day on 11th March, 2018. It is headquartered at campus of Natioanl Institute of Solar Energy
(NISE), Gurugram, Harayana, making it first international intergovernmental treaty based organization to
be headquartered in India.
ISA is action-oriented organization that aims brings together countries with rich solar potential to
aggregate global demand, thereby reducing prices through bulk purchase, facilitating deployment of
existing solar technologies at scale and promoting collaborative solar R&D and capacity building.
Objectives of ISA
Undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology;
Mobilize more than US $1000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for massive deployment of solar
energy;
Pave way for future technologies adapted to needs of solar rich 121 countries lying fully or partially
between Tropic of Cancer and Capricon.
ISA’s 4 ongoing programmes
Scaling Solar Mini Grids;
Affordable Finance at Scale.
Scaling Solar Applications for Agricultural Use.
Scaling Solar Rooftop catering to the needs of solar energy in specific areas.
NCERT to introduce QR code in textbooks
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has initiated process of introducing
QR code (Quick Response code) in their textbooks. It is aimed at helping students understand chapters
better by watching film or reading additional content on laptops and digital boards.
Key Facts
For this enhanced learning feature, NCERT has started process of identifying relevant supplementary
material including videos, power point presentations animations, maps and e-content. These will be

mapped with content of each textbook from class 1 to 12 and will be linked with QR code, which will be
printed in the textbooks. The QR code laden textbooks are likely to be introduced from the 2019 academic.
QR code (Quick Response code)
QR Code is a two-dimensional (matrix) machine-readable bar code consisting of an array of black and
white squares, used for storing web-links or other information. This code can be read by camera of
smartphone. It is used for storing URLs or other information that link directly to text, emails websites
phone numbers. It is capable of 360 degrees (omni-directional), high speed reading. It can store up to 7089
digits as compared to conventional bar codes which can store max 20 digits. It encodes same amount of
data in one-tenth the space of a traditional bar code. It carries information both horizontally and
vertically. It has error correction capability and data stored in it can be restored even if it is partially
damaged or dirty.
Government selects 734 athletes for Khelo-India scholarships
Sports Authority of India (SAI) under Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has cleared 734 athletes
for the scholarship under the Khelo India Talent Development Scheme. They were selected High Powered
Committee of SAI. Through this programme, the athletes will get training at government-accredited
residential academies. They will be provided with annual stipend of Rs. 1,20,000 on quarterly basis to meet
their out of pocket expenses, treatment of injuries and other expenses.
Sports academies Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
The High Powered Committee for the first time also has accredited various private, state and SAI
academies to create strong ecosystem for nurturing talent. It includes 21 non-SAI academies as well. The
rationale behind it is to develop more such academies so that young athletes can get access to best
training without having to travel long distances.
Khelo India Talent Development Scheme
The scheme was introduced by Ministry of Sports and Youth affairs to revive sports culture in India at
grass-root level. Its objective is to build strong framework for all sports played in our country and
establish India as great sporting nation. It aims to help scout young talent from schools in various
disciplines and groom them as future sports champions. Under it, talented players are identified in
priority sports disciplines at various levels by High-Powered Committed and each selected player is
provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh for 8 years.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: Government cuts minimum annual deposit requirement to Rs 250
The Union Government has reduced minimum yearly deposit required under popular girl child savings
scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier. This has been lowered to enable more
people to enjoy benefits of this scheme. In this regard, Government has amended Sukanya Samriddhi
Account Rules, 2016.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
It was launched as a small savings scheme under Beti Bacho Beti Padho (BBBP) in January 2015. It aims to
motivate parents to open an account in name of girl child for her welfare and meet expense requirements
of higher education and marriage. Under this scheme, parent or legal guardian of a girl child can open an
account in her name until she attains the age of ten years. The account can be opened via post office or
commercial banks.
Deposits can be made in this account up to 14 years from date of opening of account. After this period, the
account will only earn interest according to applicable rates. The minimum deposit that can be made
every year into account is now Rs 250 and maximum amount on yearly basis is Rs 1.50 lakh.
The girl child can withdraw 50% of the money in the account after reaching age of 18 for higher education
(18 years limit for preventing child-marriages). The amount deposited in it will get interest rate of 9.1%
and there will be no income tax for this. The account will remain operative until the girl child reaches 21
age.
July 24, 2018
First-ever tribal atlas of Odisha released
Odisha Government has unveiled first-ever ‘Tribal Atlas of Odisha’, a compilation of demographic and
cultural information of the tribal population in the state. It is claimed to be first-of-its-kind tribal

compilation in the country. The book was published by SC and ST Research and Training Institute in
collaboration with Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC).
Tribal Atlas of Odisha
The compendium gives comprehensive and valuable information on tribal regions in state and key
demographic indicators like literacy, sex ratio and education. It also showcases tribal art, culture, dialects
and much more in about 60 map formats and other visuals. The book displays salient features about tribal
population of Odisha with series of specialized maps, charts and diagrams. It also has corresponding
graphs and diagrams portraying distributional aspects of tribal population, tribal habitats, ecological
setting, their socio-cultural attributes such as linguistic, dialectical affinity, sex composition, literacy and
economic aspects of communities living across the state.
Bacgkround
As per Census 2011, Odisha has second highest tribal population in the country after Madhya Pradesh. The
state’s tribal population is primarily found in Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada,
Kandhamal, Koraput, Keonjhar and Gajapati districts.
First meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats held in Agartala
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. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Outcomes of meeting
Both sides noted positive impact of Border Haats on livelihoods of people living in areas adjoining Haats.
They also held extensive discussions on issues related to review of operations of four functional Border
Haats viz. Kalaichar (Meghalaya), Balat (Meghalaya), Kamlasagar (Tripura) and Srinagar (Tripura).
They also made suggestions for improvement, timeline for setting up six additional Border Haats that
have been agreed to earlier by both sides and roadmap for further expansion of Border Haats. They also
agreed that next meeting will be held in Bangladesh on mutually agreed dates.
Background
Border Haats (or rural market) aims at promoting the well-being of the people dwelling in remote areas
across the borders of two countries. It seeks to establish traditional system of marketing local produce
thorough local markets in local currency or according to barter basis. Though trade carried in this
informal market is not significant in terms of percentage of bilateral trade, but these local measures help
to improve economic well-being of marginalised sections of society. Border haats along India-Banlgadesh
border are established under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for Border Trade and Border
Haats between both countries in October 2010. India and Bangladesh had signed MoU on Border Haats in
April 2017 for establishment of Joint Committee to review border haats operations, suggest modifications
in operational modalities and propose new locations of Border Haats.
Explained: Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is flagship programme of Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) that
aims to enrich Rural India. The second edition (Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0) was launched in April, 2018.
Currently 748 institutions are participating under the scheme. In phase II, 605 institutions were selected.
Out of these 313 are technical Institutions and 292 are Non-Technical Institutions. 143 institutions had
taken part in phase-1.
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
The scheme aims to link higher education institutions with set of atleast five villages, so that they can
contribute to economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base.
Under this scheme, higher education institutions will participate in development activities, particularly in
rural areas.
Objective of the scheme are
To engage faculty and students of higher educational institutions in understanding rural realities.
Identify and select existing innovative technologies, enable customization of technologies or devise
implementation methods for innovative solutions as required by people.
To allow higher educational institutions to contribute to devising systems for smooth

implementation of various Government Programs.

The scheme is inspired by vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging
knowledge base and resources of premier Institutions of the country to help build the architecture of
Inclusive India. It also aims to create virtuous cycle between society and inclusive university system, with
latter providing knowledge base, best practices for emerging livelihoods and upgrade capabilities of both
public and private sectors.
Under it, institutes through their faculty and students, will carry out studies of living conditions in
adopted villages, assess local problems and needs, workout possibilities of leveraging technological
interventions and need to improve processes in implementation of various government schemes, prepare
workable action plans for the selected villages.
NITI Aayog signs SoI with Lupin Foundation for Collaborating in Aspirational Districts
NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Lupin Foundation to collaborate in Aspirational
Districts Programme to create templates for concerted development policy. Under this collaboration, both
parties will partner to improve indicators in education, health and nutrition, financial inclusion and skill
development, agriculture and water resources and basic infrastructure in Aspirational Districts.
Terms of SoI
Lupin Foundation with NITI Aayog will work in three states (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Rajasthan) to facilitate creation of deal template to develop economic strength, technological viability and
moral leadership across three districts in these states as part of Phase I of the cooperation.
Phase I of this cooperation will focus on districts of Dholpur (Rajasthan), Nandurbar (Maharashtra) and
Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh). It will help to develop comprehensive district-level action plan with integrates
various initiatives and interventions.
Lupin Foundation will work towards three main pillars of ensuring integrated developmental policy in
model states. They are social development (initiatives for health, education and women empowerment),
economic empowerment (focus on interventions in spheres of agriculture, animal husbandry and skill
enhancement) and infrastructure development (establish durable infra in form of internal roads, school
buildings and water resources).
Aspirational District Programme
The programme was launched in January 2018 aims to quickly and effectively transform some of most
underdeveloped districts of the country. It envisages rapid development of selected districts on basis of
composite index based on five parameters health and nutrition, education, financial inclusion, skill
development, agriculture and water resources and basic infrastructure.
It focuses closely on improving people’s ability to participate fully in burgeoning economy. It seeks to
bring these indicators in selected districts at par with the better performing districts in the country.
Broad contours of the programme are Convergence of Central and State Schemes; Collaboration of
Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers and District Collectors and Competition among districts driven by
Mass Movement or Jan Andolan.
Lok Sabha passes Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017
Lok Sabha has passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to reduce the number of cheque
dishonour cases pending in courts. The bill amends Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 to primarily address
issues of dishonor of cheques and deal with unnecessary delay in disposal of such cases.
Negotiable Instrument
It refers to any legal documents like cheques, promissory notes, bill of exchange etc which promises to pay
bearer or holder of instrument or person whose name is written on instrument specific amount of money
either on demand or after specified time i.e. on some future date. The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
defines promissory notes, bills of exchange and cheques. It also specifies penalties for bouncing of cheques
and other violations with respect to such negotiable instruments.
Interim compensation: The Bill inserts new Section 143 A in parent Act to allow court trying offence
related to cheque bouncing to direct drawer (person who writes cheque) to pay interim compensation to
complainant. This compensation may be paid under certain circumstances, including where drawer pleads

not guilty of accusation. It will not exceed 20% of cheque amount and will be paid by drawer within 60
days of trial court’s order to pay such compensation.
Deposit in case of appeal: The Bill inserts another new Section 148-A in the parent act specifying that if
drawer convicted in cheque bouncing case files appeal, appellate court may direct him to deposit
minimum of 20% of fine or compensation awarded by trial court during conviction. This amount will be in
addition to any interim compensation paid by drawer during earlier trial proceedings.
Returning interim compensation: In case drawer is acquitted during trial or by appellate court, then
court will direct complainant to return interim compensation (or deposit in case of an appeal case), along
with interest. This amount will be repaid within 60 days of court’s order.
Lok Sabha passes National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017
Lok Sabha has passed National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to provide post-
facto approval to those approved institutions which are funded by Centre or states, but do not have
recognition. The Bill amends National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993.
Retrospective recognition of certain teacher education institutions: The Bill seeks to grant
retrospective recognition to institutions that have been notified by central government, funded by Central
Government or State/UT government and but do not have recognition under the parent Act. Besides,
these institutions must have offered teacher education courses on or after establishment of NCTE until
academic year 2017-2018.

Retrospective permission to start new courses: The Bill grants retrospective permission these
institutions to start new course or training in teacher education to institutions.
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
It is statutory body of Central Government set up under NCTE Act, 1993 in 1995 to formally oversee
standards, procedures and processes in Indian education system. NCTE plans and co-ordinates the
development of teacher education system throughout the country (for both central as well as state
governments). It also ensures the maintenance of norms and standards in the teacher education system.
Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
Bihar Assembly passes Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2018
Bihar state assembly has passed Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2018 with 16 amendments
to dilute some of stringent provisions in Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016. The prohibition law was
enforced in the state April 2016, banning manufacture, sale or consumption of liquor.
Major changes
No mandatory jail term for first-time offence in case of consumption of liquor. If found drunk or drinking
for first time, person will have to pay fine of Rs. 50,000 or serve 3 month jail term. But for subsequent
offence person can get jail term of one-five years and fine of Rs 1 lakh. Habitual drinker will be no longer
externed from his district for two-six months.
The Bill scraps provision allowing arrest of all adult members of family in case one of them is found to be
drinking or storing liquor in the house. Henceforth, no house or vehicle will be confiscated from where
liquor is seized. But shops, land, hotels, buildings, restaurants can be seized in case they are found to be
storing liquor.
The Bill also watered down penal provision for first-time offenders who store, manufacture or sell liquor
from 10-year jail term and Rs 10 lakh fine to 5 year jail term and Rs 1 lakh fine. It also scraps fine on entire
community in case liquor is found to be frequently manufactured and sold in particular area. Henceforth
only offenders will be booked. The Bill does not give relaxation in case of bootleggers.
Banks, FIs ink inter-creditor agreement for faster NPA resolution
Banks and Financial Institutions (FIs) have signed Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) aimed at faster
resolution of stressed assets of Rs. 50 crore or more which are under consortium lending. It has been
signed by 22 public sector banks, 19 private sector banks and 32 foreign banks and 12 major financial
intermediaries like LIC, HUDCO etc.
Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA)
ICA Framework is part of project ‘Sashak’. Under it, lead lender (having highest exposure) will be

authorised to formulate resolution plan for operation turnaround of assets which will be presented to
lenders for their approval. It will be applicable to all corporate borrowers who have availed loans and
financial assistance for amount of Rs. 50 crore or more under consortium lending or multiple banking
arrangements. Each resolution plan will be submitted by lead lender to Overseeing Committee.
The decision making under ICA framework will be by way of approval of majority lenders i.e. lenders with
66% share in aggregate exposure. Once resolution plan is approved by majority lenders, it will be binding
on all lenders that are party to ICA. The plan formulated under ICA will be in compliance with RBI norms
and all other applicable laws and guidelines. Banks opposing resolution plan will have option to sell their
stressed loans to company at discount or buy out loans to that entity from all other lenders at premium.
Significance of ICA framework
The ICA framework aims for faster facilitation of the stressed assets resolution. It gives a bigger say to
lead lender in consortium and allows resolution plan to be approved if 66% of the banks in the group agree
to it. It authorises lead bank to implement resolution plan in 180 days and leader would then prepare
resolution plan. If any lender dissents, the lead lender will have the right but not the obligation to arrange
for buy-out of the facilities of the dissenting lenders at a value that is equal to 85 per cent of the lower of
liquidation value or resolution value. The dissenting lenders can exercise such right of buy-out in respect
of the entire facilities held by other relevant lenders.
Background Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
According to RBI, India’s banks had 12.5% of their total loans categorised as non-performing or
restructured at the end of March 2018. But RBI in February 2018 had withdrawn half dozen loan
restructuring schemes and tightened rules to steer more companies to bankruptcy courts. It had issued
revised framework for resolution of stressed assets.
Besides, after recommendations of Government formed Sunil Mehta Committee, Inter-creditor
Agreement was prepared under aegis of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to serve as platform for banks and
FIs to come together and take joint and concerted actions towards resolution of stressed accounts.
Government forms GoM and Committee to frame law against lynching
Union Government has created Group of Ministers (GoM) and high-level committee to deliberate and
make recommendations for a separate penal provision on incidents of mob violence. The GoM will be
headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, whereas committee will be headed by Uion Home
Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
Gauba committee
It will include secretaries of departments of Justice, Legal Affairs, Legislative Department and Social
Justice and Empowerment as its members. It will suggest measures and legal framework to effectively
deal with incidents of mob violence and lynching. It will submit its recommendations to the GoM in four
weeks.
Group of Ministers (GoM)
GoM includes Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot. It will
examine recommendations given by Gauba committee and submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
Background
The move came after recent Supreme Court direction to central government on the issue of mob violence
and lynching. The apex court had denounced sweeping incidents of lynching as an affront to the rule of
law and called for law to deal with such horrendous acts of mobocracy. It had passed a series of
“preventive, remedial and punitive” measures to deal with lynchings and mob vigilantism. It had made
Centre and state governments accountable for mob violence and lynching and had asked them to take
steps to curb and stop dissemination of irresponsible and explosive fake messages and videos on social
media platforms which incite such incidents.
July 25, 2018
Pitch Black – 18: Indian Air Force for first time participates in multinational exercise in Australia
Indian Air Force (IAF) for first time will participate in multinational air exercise Pitch Black – 18 (PB-18) in

Australia hosted Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It will be three week multi-national large force
employment exercise (27 July to 17 August 2018) conducted from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base
Tindal.
Pitch Black – 18
PB-18 Exercise will host up to 4000 personnel and up to 140 aircraft from 12 participant countries
including Australia, Canada, India, Germany, Indonesia, France (New Caledonia), Netherlands, New
Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and United States.
The multilateral exercise will feature range of realistic, simulated threats found in modern and dynamic
battle-space environment. It will provide opportunity to test and improve our force integration, utilising
one of largest training airspace areas in the world — Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air
Weapons Range. It will include day and night flying.
IAF contingent comprised of 145 air-warriors including Garud commando team, four Sukhoi-30 MKI
fighter planes and C-130 and C-17 transport aircraft. IAF men and planes will undertake simulated air
combat exercises in controlled environment and mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing its
operational capability.
After completion of exercise, on its return leg from Darwin to Subang (Indonesia), IAF fighters will be
refuelled in air for the first time by RAAF KC-30A. Moreover during transit to Australia, IAF contingent
will also have constructive engagement with Indonesian and Malaysian Air Forces. This will be IAF’s
overall third participation in multilateral air combat exercises over last three years after Red Flag exercise
held in United States in April-May 2016 and Blue Flag air combat drill in Israel in November 2017.
Exercise Pitch Black
It is a biennial warfare exercise hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is normally held in
Northern Australia, primarily at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal. The aim of the exercise is to practice
Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat, in simulated war environment. It
traditionally consists of red team and blue team based at separate locations, with one attacking other. The
first Pitch Black exercises took place in 1981 between different RAAF units. Later in 1990, it began as
training exercise between Australia and Singapore and then was expanded as multilateral exercises by
inviting international air forces with which Australia has defence ties.
Rs. 904.80 Lakhs received as part of CSR under National Culture Fund
Ministry of Culture has announced that it has received Rs. 904.80 Lakhs for conservation and
maintenance work of historical monuments as contributions part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
under National Culture Fund (NCF). It also has revenue collected through various sources like ticketing,
Parking, photography, filming, and from holding cultural events from selected centrally protected
monument which has been deposited in Consolidated Fund of India.
National Culture Fund (NCF)
NCF was established as Trust under Charitable Endowment Act, 1890 as funding mechanism distinct from
existing sources and patterns of funding for arts and culture in India. It aims at inviting individuals as well
as private institutions in the task of promoting, protecting and preserving India’s cultural heritage.
It is managed and administered by council headed by Union Culture Minister and decides the policies. Its
Executive Committee is headed by Secretary, Ministry of Culture which actualizes those policies. All
projects undertaken by NCF are completed within specified period in accordance with MoU signed by it
with concerned donor organization.
Union Government had granted one-time corpus fund to NCF, apart from this, there is no fund allocated
by to. It receives contributions and voluntary donations as endowments from many other sources.
Donations and contributions to NCF are eligible for 100% tax deduction under Income Tax Act, 1961
subject to limits and conditions prescribed.
Scientists develop world’s fastest man-made spinning object
Scientists have developed world’s fastest rotor, which will help in studying quantum mechanics. The rotor
can spin at more than 60 billion revolutions per minute, making it world’s fastest man-made object. It is
more than 100,000 times faster than a high-speed dental drill.

Key Facts
To produce fastest rotor, scientists had synthesized nanoscale dumbbell made from silica and had
levitated it in high vacuum using laser. The laser (working in straight line or in circle) when is linear,
vibrates dumbbell and when it is circular spins dumbbell spins. Spinning dumbbell functions as rotor, and
vibrating dumbbell functions like instrument for measuring tiny forces and torques, known as a torsion
balance. The nanodumbbell levitated by optical tweezer in vacuum can vibrate or spin, depending on
polarization of tincoming laser.,
Potential Applications
The fastest rotor has many applications, including material science as it can help to survivability of
different materials in extreme conditions. It can also help in learning about vacuum friction and gravity,
as understanding these mechanisms is one of essential goal for modern physics. In more advanced
version, it can be used to study things like quantum mechanics (fundamental theory in physics which
describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels of atoms and subatomic particles) and properties of
vacuum.
Parliament passes Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018
The Parliament has passed Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2018 to enhance transparency and
accountability of the government and make anti-graft provisions under the law stringent. The Bill amends
various provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act
Vineet Singh (PCA), 1988 |

Giving bribe made punishable offence: The Bill introduces offence of ‘giving a bribe’ as direct offence.
Person who is compelled to give bribe who reports matter to law enforcement authorities within seven
days will not be charged with this offence. It makes specific provisions related to giving a bribe to a public
servant, and giving a bribe by a commercial organisation
Redefines Criminal misconduct: The bill redefines provisions related to criminal misconduct to only
cover two types of offences viz. illicit enrichment (such as amassing of assets disproportionate to one’s
known income sources) and fraudulent misappropriation of property.
Prior approval for investigation: It makes mandatory for taking prior approval of relevant Government or
competent authority to conduct any investigation into offence alleged to have been committed by a public
servan. Such approval will be not necessary in cases that involve arrest of person on spot on charge of
taking a bribe.
Trial Time limit: The bill set trail time period within two if it is handled by special judge. In case of delays,
reasons for it must be recorded for every extension of six months obtained. However, total period for
completion of trial may not exceed four years.
Penalties for offences: The Bill modifies definitions and penalties for offences related to taking bribe,
being habitual offender and abetting offence. It also introduces powers and procedures for attachment
and forfeiture of property of public servants accused of corruption.

India, Uganda sign four MoUs in various fields

India and Uganda signed four MoUs in the areas of defence cooperation, visa exemption for official and
diplomatic passport holders, cultural exchange programme and material testing laboratory. The
agreements were inked following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala.
Signed Agreements are
MoU on Defence Cooperation
MoU on Visa exemption for Diplomatic and official passport holders.
MoU on Cultural Exchange Programme.
MoU on Material Testing Laboratory.
Highlights of bilateral meeting
Both leaders comprehensively reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations. India announced two Lines of
Credit worth nearly US $200 million to Uganda in energy, infrastructure, agriculture and dairy sectors.
India announced to continue to play a stable partner in the country’s journey towards development. It
also announced to give vehicles, ambulances and cancer therapy machine to Uganda.
India retired its commitment of training, capacity building and infrastructure creation are core areas of
cooperation between both countries. Both countries also agreed to work together in trade, investment and
tourism sectors, supporting mutual prosperity through reciprocity.
Significance of Visit
PM Modi visited Uganda on the second leg of his three-African nations tour after concluding his Rwanda
visit. After concluding his Uganda visit, he will visit South Africa to attend 10th BRICS Summit at
Johannesburg. It was first visit by Indian Prime Minister to Uganad in over 20 years. PM Modi also
delivered keynote address at Ugandan Parliament, making him first Indian PM to do so.
Odisha Government launches Green Mahanadi Mission
Odisha Government has launched ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’, a plantation drive under which 2 crore
saplings will be planted along Mahanadi river and its tributaries. It was launched by Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Paitnaik.
Green Mahanadi Mission
The main objective of the mission is to stop soil erosion on river banks and recharge the groundwater

reserve. It also aims to protect the Mahanadi River and keep it alive. Under this mission, more than 5 crore
saplings will be planted over an area of 41,000 hectares along the banks of Mahanadi river and its
tributaries Ib and Tel rivers. It will be implemented jointly by States Departments of Forest, Horticulture
and Watershed Development. Mainly fruit-bearing trees like mango, jackfruit and jamun will be planted
within one km radius of the river bank.
Mahanadi
Mahanadi is major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 square kilometres and
has total course of 858 kilometres. It flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha. It originates from highlands
of Chhattisgarh through collection of array of streams and reaches Bay of Bengal. It left bank tributaries
are Shivnath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo and right bank are Ong, parry river, Jonk, Telen. Mahanadi valley is known
for its fertile soil and flourishing agriculture. Hirakud Dam across the river is longest major earthen dam
in India.
India, Rwanda sign eight agreements in various fields
India and Rwanda have signed eight agreements in the fields of defence, trade, agriculture, leather and
allied products and dairy. The agreements were signed following delegation-level talks between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. PM
Modi became first Indian Prime Minister to visit Rwanda.
Highlights of Bilateral meetings Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
PM Modi and Kagame held wide-ranging talks and discussed a host of measures to boost bilateral
strategic ties. India assured Rwanda that India will continue to its development efforts. India also
extended two lines of credit (LoCs) worth $200 million to Rwanda for development of industrial parks and
Kigali Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and for development of three agricultural projects in Rwanda. PM
Modi also announced opening of the first Indian diplomatic mission in Rawanda, which will help to
establish communication between governments of two countries and also enable facilities for consular,
passport and visa. Both countries also agreed to set up task force to enable digital learning mediums for
children.
Signed Agreements are
Amendment on MoU on Cooperation in field of Agriculture and Animal Resources: It focuses on
cooperation in agriculture and livestock with strong emphasis on research, technological
development, capacity building and human resource development as well as investment
mobilization.
Agreement on Cooperation Defence on Capacity Building, Defence, Industry, Science and
Technology: Capacity Building, Defence, Industry, Science and Technology.
MoU on Cultural Exchange Program for year 2018-22: Music and Dance, Theatre, Exhibitions,
Seminars and Conference, Archeology, Archives, Library, Museums, Literature, Research and
Documentation etc.
MoU on Agricultural Research and Education between RAB and ICAR: Training and Research in
Dairy, Processing of Dairy Products, Quality and Safety of Mil, Biotechnological Intervention in
Livestock.
Trade Cooperation Framework: Facilitate, diversify and promote trade and economic cooperation
between the two countries.
MoU on Collaboration in the Areas of Leather and Allied Sectors between NIRDA and CSIR-CLRI
LoC Agreement for US $ 100 million for development of Industrial Parks and expansion of Kigali
Special Economic Zones
LoC Agreement for US $ 100 million for Agriculture irrigation scheme in Rwanda
Girinka programme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted 200 cows to villagers from Rweru villages as part of Rwandan
Government’s Girinka Programme. The programme was initiated by President Paul Kagame in response
to alarmingly high rate of childhood malnutrition and as way to accelerate poverty reduction and
integrate livestock and crop farming. Under this programme, poorest residing in region get cows from
Government and gift first female calf to neighbour to promote brotherhood. The programme is based on
premise that providing dairy cow to poor, transforms livelihoods, reconciles communities improving
agricultural productivity through use of manure as fertilizers. The program has contributed to increase in
agricultural production in Rwanda – especially milk production and products and has reduced
malnutrition and increased incomes.
2018 Earth Overshoot Day to fall on August 1
2018 Earth Overshoot Day will fall on August 1, the earliest date since ecological overshoot began in early
1970s. It is date when humanity annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can regenerate over the
entire year. It is calculated by Global Footprint Network and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Key Facts
This year the overshoot day falls two days earlier than the last year’s. Every day after August 1 will now be
considered as strain on Earth’s natural resources. In 2018, nature’s budget for entire year has already been
used up in just span of 8 months only. It means humanity is currently using nature 1.7 times faster than
Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate. It shows that mankind and human actions are putting unprecedented
pressure on environment and its resources. This has been prime cause of overshoot day constantly
moving up calendar from late September in 1997 to its earliest yet in 2018. This day depicts that 1.7 earths
will be required by humanity to satisfy its exploitative needs keeping in mind current rate of consumption
and waste production. The costs of ecological overspend include biodiversity loss, soil erosion,
deforestation, fresh water scarcity collapsing fisheries, and buildup of carbon dioxide in atmosphere,
leading to vicious circle of climate change and more unprecedented climate including severe droughts,
hurricanes and wildfires.
Global Footprint Network

It is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2003 to enable a sustainable future where all
people have opportunity to thrive within the means of one planet. It develops and promotes tools for
advancing sustainability, including ecological footprint and biocapacity, which measure amount of
resources we use and how much we have. These tools aim at bringing ecological limits to center of
decision-making.
July 26, 2018
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 Grant Thornton’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.
Key Highlights of report
The global optimism index for Q2 of 2018 was topped by Indonesia followed by Netherlands, Austria,
Philippines and China. Globally business optimism has dropped from record high net 61% in Q1 2018 to net
54% in Q2 in 2018 and businesses are optimistic about increase in revenue.
India was recently declared as 6th largest economy by World Bank, surpassing France. However, higher
twin deficits resulting in falling rupee and rising crude oil prices and inflation continue to be reasons for
sluggish business optimism in India. Confidence of Indian businesses has been low since Q3 2017.
In India also businesses are optimistic about an increase in revenue but availability of skilled workforce
remains a key constraint for growth and employment expectations are low. Red tape and information,
communications technology (ICT) infrastructure are main concern for growth in India.
Invest India and Business France sign MoU to promote investment
Invest India and Business France have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote
investment facilitation and cooperation between startups of India and France. The MoU will facilitate
direct foreign investment by providing practical investment information to enterprises. It will also
support companies pursuing those opportunities which contribute positively to economic growth of two
countries. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Key Facts
Under this MoU, Invest India and Business France will collaborate to promote business and startup
ecosystem cooperation through joint activities. They will also exchange experiences to strengthen
institutional knowledge and identify opportunities between businesses in French and Indian private
sector, creating dedicated support structure to facilitate inbound companies and startups. The
partnership will strengthen existing business relations between India and France and provide seamless
facilitation channel for new businesses and innovations from both countries to grow in each other’s
markets.
Invest India
It is official Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of Central Government. It is mandated to
facilitate investments in the country. It is first stop for potential global investors in country. It is non-
profit venture under Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and
Industries,
Business France
It is executive agency of French government under supervision of Minister for Economic Affairs and
Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development. It promotes international
business development for French companies and professionals through worldwide network of 80 trade
commissions, which have worked with over 7,500 SMEs. It mobilizes expertise of 1,400 persons in France
and in 70 other countries.
Fish losing smelling sense due to carbon dioxide level rise: Study
According to recent study, fish are losing their sense of smell as rising carbon emissions is turning water
they live more acidic. CO2 is absorbed by seawater forming carbonic acid. Due of ocean acidification, fish
will lose some of their smelling sense, making it more difficult to survive.
Background
Fish use their sense of smell for essential things such finding food and safe parts of ocean to re-produce,
recognising each other and most importantly sniffing out danger so they can avoid predators. Since1800’s
ocean CO2 levels have risen by 43%. It is predicted to be more than double current level by the end of the
century.
Key Facts
For this study, researchers compared behaviour of juvenile sea bass at CO2 levels typical of today’s ocean
conditions and those predicted for the end of the century. It was found that sea bass in acidic waters
swam less and less likely responded when they encountered the smell of a predator. It also showed that
these fish were more likely to freeze as they were feeling anxious. Though, only sea bass was used in the
research, processes involved in sense of smell that are common to many fish species. Thus, these findings
will also apply to other types of fish.

India ranks 11th in 2018 AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index
India has fallen out of top 10 destinations for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in terms of its
attractiveness according to 2018 Kearney FDI Confidence Index, in which it was ranked 11th, down from
8th in 2017 and 9th in 2016. The index was released by report published by global consultancy firm A T
Kearney.
Key Highlights of Report
Fall in India’s rankings may be due to teething troubles in implementation of goods and services tax (GST)
and Government’s demonetisation decision in 2016. These policies may have deterred investors in the
short term as they have disrupted business activity and weighed on economic growth
Several of India’s reforms such as removing Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and liberalising
FDI limits in key sectors such as retail, aviation, and biomedical industries have maintained India’s high
rankings in terms of FDI attractiveness.
In future, potential investors are likely to be cautious as they are monitoring political risks such as China
abolishing presidential term limits and upcoming general election in India. But sheer size of Chinese and
Indian markets, will continue to be draw for investors and they will remain highest-ranking emerging
markets on the index.
FDI Confidence Index Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
The index is annual analysis of how political, economic, and regulatory changes will likely affect FDI
inflows into countries in coming years. It is constructed using primary data from proprietary survey
administered to senior executives of world’s leading corporations. Companies participating in survey have
annual revenues of $500 million or more.
POSHAN Abhiyaan: 2nd meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges held in New Delhi
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) had organized 2nd meeting of National Council
on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan in New Dehli. It was chaired by NITI Aayog Vice
Chairman Rajiv Kumar.
Key Highlights of Meeting
National Council approved inclusion of 32 new districts under POSHAN Abhiyaan in the current year. This
will help to saturate all districts of Union Territories (UTs) that were left out under Phase-I and Phase-II. It
will also provide full coverage to those states, where up to 5 districts had been left. Thus facilitating in
saturation of 8 new States/UTs and taking total number of States/UTs covered under POSHAN Abhiyaan
to 23. It also gave in-principle approval to guidelines for construction of anganwadi centres in urban areas
and slums under aanganwadi services. During the meeting, WCD Ministry presented three modules from
online course for nutrition developed with assistance of National Institute of Nutrition. These courses will
be hosted independently by WCD Ministry and National Institute of Nutrition portals. It was also
announced to celebrate month of September as National Nutrition Month every year.
POSHAN Abhiyaan
POSHAN Abhiyaan (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) was launched in
Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan in March 2018. It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for
pregnant women, mothers and children.
Targets: It aims to reduce level of under-nutrition and other related problems by ensuring convergence of
various nutrition related schemes. It also targets stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young
children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth rate.
Components: Its large component involves gradual scaling-up of interventions supported by ongoing
World Bank assisted Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Systems Strengthening and Nutrition
Improvement Project (ISSNIP) to all districts in the country by 2022. The Abhiyaan will monitor and
review implementation of all such schemes and utilize existing structural arrangements of line ministries
wherever available.
Parliament passes Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018
Parliament has passed Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 that aims to curb practice of evading
criminal prosecution by economic offenders fleeing from country to evade clutches Indian law by

remaining outside jurisdiction of Indian courts. The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated by
President in April 2018.
Fugitive economic offender (FEO): It has been as person against whom arrest warrant has been issued
against him for any specified offences where value involved is over Rs. 100 crore and he has left ountry
and refuses to return to face prosecution.
Special Court: The Bill empowers Special Court (designated under Prevention of Money-Laundering Act,
2002) to declare person as FEO based on application made. The Special Court will require person to appear
at specified place at least six weeks from issue notice. Proceedings will be terminated if the person
appears.
Confiscation of properties: The Bill allows director or deputy director (appointed under Prevention of
Money-Laundering Act, 2002) to attach any property mentioned in application with permission of special
court. Upon declaration as FEO, properties of person will be confiscated and vested in central government,
free of rights and claims in property. Further it bars FEO or any company associated with him from filing
or defending civil claims.
Bar on filing or defending civil claims: The Bill bars any court or tribunal may bar FEO or associated
company from filing or defending civil claims before it.
Search warrant: The Bill does not require authorities to obtain search warrant or ensure presence of
witnesses before search.
Powers of director: The director or deputy director will have powers vested of civil court. These powers
include entering a place on the belief that individual is FEO and directing searching of building or seizing
documents.Under this law, appeals against orders of special court will lie before High Court.
Government amends definition of hydrocarbon to include shale
Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 1959 to
include shale in definition of petroleum. This change will allow private companies to explore and produce
the resource in the blocks they already operate.
Key Facts
The updated definition of petroleum means naturally occurring hydrocarbons, whether in form of natural
gas or in liquid, viscous or solid form, or mixture thereof, occurring in association with petroleum or coal
or shale but does not include coal, lignite, and helium. Prior to this, definition excluded shale and therefore
barred companies from exploiting it from fields that are producing conventional oil and gas or coal-bed
methane.
Significance
The amendment of definition of petroleum will open up exploration of all hydrocarbons in existing fields
which is line with new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP). It will help in enhancing
domestic exploration and production of hydrocarbons and increasing India’s energy security and reducing
dependency on imports.
Shale
It is fine-grained sedimentary rock that forms from compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles,
commonly called as mud. The composition of shale places it in category of sedimentary rocks known as
mudstones. Shale is distinguished from other mudstones due to laminated (rock is made up of many thin
layers) and fissile (rock readily splits into thin pieces along the laminations) nature. Some shales have
special properties that make them important resources. Black shales contain organic material that
sometimes breaks down to form natural gas or oil.
Shale gas
Shale gas is natural gas formed from being trapped within shale formations. It is unconventional source of
methane, like coal-bed gas (in coal seams) and tight gas (trapped in rock formations). It is colourless,
odourless gas, lighter than air. It is cheaper than natural gas, releases 50% less CO2, hence better source
for generating electricity. It also provides feedstock for petrochemicals industry, which is turned into
fertilizer, plastics and other useful stuff. In India, potential shale gas sites are Cambay, Gondwana,
Krishna-Godawari and Cauvery Basins.

DTAB sub-committee recommends banning 343 fixed drug combinations

The sub-committee of Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended prohibition of 343 fixed
drug combinations (FDCs) after reviewing 349 and called for regulation and restriction of remaining six.
FDC means combination of two or more drugs in fixed dosage ratio.
Key Facts
The expert sub-committee in its reports suggested banning 343 FDCs, three should be restricted for
specific indications or diseases and other three FDCs should be restricted to specific quantities of
ingredients and for specific indications. It stated that for most FDCs, their use will lead to unnecessary
overuse and patients will be exposed to risk of multiple ingredients when one will suffice.
Background
In March 2016, Union Government had banned total 344 FDC on suggestion of Kokate committee, which
had studied irrationality of various FDCs, recommended ban on 344 of them, citing rising “antibiotic
resistance” in the country as one of reasons. Later in December 2016, Delhi High Court struck down ban
stating that Government had acted in haphazard manner.
The matter then went to Supreme Court, which in December 2017 which directed health ministry’s expert
body DTAB for fresh review of safety, efficacy and therapeutic justification of these 349 FDCs. It had
stated that DTAB or its subcommittee will have to decide whether it is necessary in larger public interest,
to regulate, restrict or prohibit manufacture, sale
Vineet Singh or distribution
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | of such FDCs. Therefore, DTAB had
formed sub-committee, which studied issue and submitted its recommendations.
Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB)
DTAB is highest statutory decision-making body on technical matters related to drugs in the country . It
is constituted as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It is part of Central Drugs Standard Control
Organization (CDSCO) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
July 27, 2018
19th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas observed
The 19th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated across India on 26 July 2018 to commemorate
the success of Operation Vijay and remember brave sacrifice of Indian soldiers during 1999 India-Pakistan
Kargil War.
India-Pakistan Kargil War
The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. It had began
with infiltration of both Pakistani troops and terrorists deep inside Indian territory in strategic positions
that overlooked the only road link between Srinagar and Leh. The conflict is believed to have been
orchestrated by then Pakistan army chief General Pervez Musharraf without knowledge of then Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Based on information from local shepherds, Indian Army was able to
ascertain points of incursion and launch “Operation Vijay”. Indian Air Force’s operation Safed Sagar was a
major part of the Kargil war. It had used for the first time air power at height of 32,000 feet. On July 26,
1999, Indian Army declared mission successful. Since then day has been celebrated annually as Vijay
Diwas. The victory came at high price. The official death toll on Indian side was 527, while that on the
Pakistani side was between 357 and 453.
2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award: Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk awarded
Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are among six who have been declared winners of
2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award, often referred to as Asian version of the Nobel Prize. Others are are Youk
Chhang (Cambodia), Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz (East Timor), Howard Dee (Philippines) and Vo Thi
Hoang Yen (Vietnam). The winners will each receive certificate, medallion bearing image of late Filipino
leader Ramon Magsaysay and cash prize. They will be conferred with award during formal presentation
ceremony at Cultural Centre in Philippines in August 2018.

Key Facts
Bharat Vatwani: He is a psychiatrist who works for mentally-ill people living on the streets in Mumbai.
The award recognizes his courage and compassion in embracing India’s mentally-afflicted destitute and
his dedication to work of restoring and affirming human dignity of even most ostracized.
Sonam Wangchuk: He is educational reformer from Ladakh. In 1988, he had founded Students’ Education
and Cultural Movement of Ladakh to coach poor Ladakhi students. The award recognizes his uniquely
systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote Ladakh region
which has helped to improve life opportunities of youths. He is widely regarded as inspiration for Aamir
Khan’s character, Phunsuk Wangdu in the film ‘3 Idiots’.
Ramon Magsaysay Award
It is Asia’s highest honour and is often regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was
established in 1957 by trustees of the New York City based Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Philippine
government in the memory of Philippines’ third President Ramon Magsaysay who had died in air disaster
in March 1957. It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations from Asia region for their altruistic
and philanthropic service. It carries Medallion bearing the likeness of the late President Ramon
Magsaysay, cash prize and a certificate.
Google unveils two new AI chips
Internet search engine giant Google at its Cloud Next 2018 conference held in San Francisco unveiled two
new Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips aimed at helping customers develop and deploy intelligent connected
devices at scale. They are Edge TPU and Cloud IoT Edge.
Key Facts
Edge TPU: The new hardware chip is purpose-built application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designed
to run AI at the edge. It so small that four such chips can fit on US penny. It will bring brain to devices at
extremely low cost and high power efficiency without compromising performance. It delivers high
performance in small physical and power footprint, enabling deployment of high-accuracy AI at the edge.
Cloud IoT Edge: It is a software stack that extends Google Cloud’s powerful AI capability to gateways and
connected devices. One of companies using theis new technologies is LG CNS, a subsidiary of LG.

Artificial intelligence
AI is branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans. In contrast to
normal hardware and software, AI enables a machine to perceive (i.e. to think) and respond to its changing
environment.
Atal Innovation Mission: NITI Aayog and MyGov launches Innovate India Platform
NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and MyGov has jointly launched ‘#InnovateIndia Platform’
(https://innovate.mygov.in/innovateindia/). It is citizen centric platform that aims to serve as common
point for all innovation happening across the nation.
Innovate India Platform
It creates much-needed innovations platform for registering both grassroots and deep-tech innovators at
national level. It will help those who are searching for critical innovation for benefit of the economy as well
as national social needs. It is open to all Indian citizens. Using it, users can view, comment, share, and rate
innovations crowdsourced on #InnovateIndia platform. They can view leaderboard which is calculated
based on votes on each innovation. It allows citizens to share their organizations or someone else’s
innovation on platform by login to MyGov website. These innovations also can be shared on various social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
AIM is NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative toVineetpromote culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the
country. It is mandated to create umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of country and
revolutionizing innovation eco-system – touching upon entire innovation life cycle through various
programs.
Objectives
Develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of economy.
Provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness.
Create umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country.
The sub-schemes of AIM include establishing Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) and Atal Incubation Centers
(AICs), for providing scaling up support to Established Incubation Centres. It also includes finding ultra-
low cost solution to India’s most intractable problems through Atal Grand Challenges and Atal Vikas
Challenges.
MyGov Portal
It is citizen engagement platform launched by Central Government in 2014 to promote active
participation of citizens in country’s governance and development. Its objective is to create common
platform for Indian citizens to crowdsource governance ideas from citizens. It allows users (citizens) to
discuss and contribute on various government projects and plans. It is hosted and managed by the
National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Government extends Prime Minister’s Research Fellows Scheme all potential researchers
Union Government has announced that Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme will be open to
all potential researchers from 2019 and not limited to candidates from IISc, IITs, NITs, IIEST and IISERs.
The decision was made after Government failed to find adequate number of candidates for PMRF this
year. Only 135 fellowships were finally offered against 1,000 positions.
Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme
The scheme was announced in the Budget Speech 2018-19. It will be implemented for period of seven years
beginning 2018-19 at total cost of Rs. 1650 crore. Under it, best students who have completed or are in
final year of B. Tech/Integrated M.Tech/M.Sc courses in Science and Technology streams will be offered
direct admission in PhD programme in IITs/IISc. Maximum of 3000 Fellows would be selected in three
year period, beginning 2018-19.
Monthly fellowship: Selected students through selection process laid down in PMRF Guidelines will be
offered monthly fellowship of Rs.70,000 for first two years, Rs.75,000 for 3rd year and Rs.80,000 in 4th
and 5th years.
Research grant: Each selected fellow students will be also provided research grant of Rs.2.00 lakh for
period of 5 years to cover their foreign travel expenses for presenting research papers in international

conferences and seminars.

Lok Sabha passes Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018
The Lok Sabha has passed the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018.
The Bill provides for the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked persons and seeks to establish
National Anti-Trafficking Bureau to investigate trafficking cases. It also provides for the setting up of
Anti-Trafficking Units (ATUs) at e district level which will deal with the investigation, prevention, rescue,
and protection of victims and witnesses.
Key features of Bill
National Anti-Trafficking Bureau (NATB): The Bill proposes establishment of NATB to investigate
trafficking cases and implement provisions of Bill. NATB will comprise of police officers and any other
officers as required. It will take over investigation of any offence under Bill referred to it by two or more
states. Further, it may request state government to co-operate in investigation or transfer the case to
state government for investigation and trial, with approval from central government.
Functions of NATB: Coordinate and monitor surveillance along known trafficking routes, facilitate
surveillance, enforce and take preventive steps at source, transit and destination points, maintain
coordination between law enforcement agencies and NGOs and other stakeholders and increase
international cooperation with authorities abroad for intelligence sharing and mutual legal assistance.
State Anti-Trafficking Officers: The Bill mandates state government to appoint State Nodal Officer. The
officer will be responsible for follow up action as per provisions of Bill and as per instructions of State
Anti-Trafficking Committee and provide relief and rehabilitation services. It also mandates state
government to appoint Police Nodal Officer at state and district levels. The state government will also
designate Anti-Trafficking Police Officers for each district to deal with all matters related to trafficking in
the district.
Anti-Trafficking Units: The Bill provides setting up of Anti-Trafficking Units (ATUs) at district level. They
will deal with prevention, rescue and protection of victims and witnesses and for investigation and
prosecution of trafficking offences. In districts where ATU is not functional, this responsibility will be
taken up by local police station.
Anti-Trafficking Relief and Rehabilitation Committee: The Bill provides for establishment of these
committees (ATCs) at all three levels viz. national, state, and district levels. These committees will be
responsible for providing compensation, repatriation and re-integration of victims in society, among
others.
Search and rescue: The Bill empowers Anti-Trafficking Police Officer or ATU to rescue persons, if they are
in imminent danger. They will be produced before Child Welfare Committee or Magistrate for medical
examination. The district ATC will provide relief and rehabilitation services to rescued persons.
Protection and rehabilitation: The Bill mandates central and state government to set up Protection
Homes to provide shelter, food, counselling, and medical services to victims. It also mandates central or
state government will maintain Rehabilitation Homes in each district to provide long-term rehabilitation
to victims. In all cases, rehabilitation of victims will not be dependent on criminal proceedings being
initiated against accused or outcome of proceedings. Union Government will also create Rehabilitation
Fund which will be used to set up these Protection and Rehabilitation Homes.
Time-bound trial: The Bill provides for setting up designated courts in each district to complete trial
within year.
Penalties: The Bill specifies penalties for various offences including for promoting trafficking, trafficking
of persons, disclosing identity of victim and aggravated trafficking such as trafficking for bonded labour
and begging. For trafficking it prescribes rigorous imprisonment of 10 years up to life imprisonment,
along with minimum fine of Rs. 1 lakh. For publishing of any material it prescribes imprisonment between
5 to 10 years, and fine between Rs 50,000 to Rs.1 lakh.
West Bengal Assembly passes resolution to rename state as Bangla
West Bengal state assembly dominated by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Government has
unanimously passed resolution to change state’s name to ‘Bangla’ in all three languages – Bengali, Hindi

and English. The name change will only become official when resolution gets approval from Union Home
Ministry and Parliament passes Bill.
Key Facts
The main reason cited by State Government for changing name of West Bengal to Bangla is that whenever
there is meeting of all states, West Bengal figures at bottom of the list, as it is prepared according to
alphabetical order. With change in its Bangla, it will appear (or leapfrog) to fourth place after Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in list of states in alphabetical order.
Background
The move of comes West Bengal state assembly to change name of state comes almost two years after it
first passed a resolution to change the name of the State in August 2016. The state government had earlier
submitted a proposal to the Centre to change the name of West Bengal to to Bengal in English, Bangla in
Bengali and Bangal in Hindi. The proposal was turned down by Union Home Ministry.
Procedure of changing name of state
Process for changing the name of a state can be initiated by state itself. However, by virtue of article 3 of
Constitution, Parliament has power to change name of state even if such proposal does not come from the
concerned state. If initiated by state assembly, it will first pass a resolution for such change and this
passed resolution will be sent to Central government (Union Home Ministry). Then Union Home Ministry
prepares note for Union Cabinet for amendment to Schedule 1| of Constitution. Thereafter, Constitution
Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
Amendment Bill is introduced in Parliament under Article 3 of Constitution, which has to be approved
with simple majority, before President gives his assent to it. Thereafter name of state will be changed. The
example of such change is change in name of Orissa to Odisha. The Government of Orissa initiated this
change in 2008 when it forwarded resolution passed by State Legislative Assembly to Union Government
to change name of state from Orissa to Odisha. This bill was passed by Parliament as Orissa (Alteration of
Name) Act, 2010 to rename state.
2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference held in New Delhi
The 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference was held in New Delhi on July 26, 2018. The 2-day
conference was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The conference was organized by
Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).
Young Superintendent of Police Conference
The theme of two day conference was “Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police
Forces” It was attended by over 100 Superintendents of Police (SPs) & senior officers from the States &
CAPFs. The purpose of the 2-day conference is to create awareness among young SPs and Commandants
regarding latest technologies in areas of artificial intelligence (AI), predictive policing, crime analytics, dig
data analytics, geospatial technology, cybercrime, surveillance tracking & UAVs, CCTV equipment, for
effective delivery of police services to citizens.
Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)
BPR&D was established in 1970 in furtherance of objective of Union Government for the modernisation of
police forces. It is nodal national police organisation to study, research and develop on subjects and issues
related to policing. It functions under the aegis of Union Home Ministry. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
Since its formation, it has evolved as multifaceted, consultancy organisation. At present it has 4 divisions
– Research, Development, Training and Correctional Administration.
Bombali: New strain of Ebola virus discovered in Sierra Leone
Researchers working in joint US-West African study funded by USAid have discovered new strain of Ebola
virus in bats in northern Bombali region of Sierra Leone. It has been named as Bombali virus strain, after
district where it was found. The Bombali virus is overall sixth known virus strain Ebola virus. Others are
Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo and Reston. Ebola virus is a highly fatal haemorrhagic fever that is
spread through contact with bodily fluids from infected persons and animals which include non-human
primates, bats and forest antelope. Zaire strain of Ebola virus is the most deadly strain known
Bombali strain
The new Bombali strain of Ebola virus is distinct from its other virus strains. It is not yet known whether
it could develop into the deadly disease. It is also not known that if Bombali virus has been transmitted to
people or if it causes disease in people. However, results show it has the potential to infect human cells.
Further research will help in understanding more about specific risks it poses.
Background
The finding of new strain of virus comes two years after end of worst-ever Ebola outbreak that killed more
than 11,000 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The three West African neighbouring countries
were hard hit by Ebola outbreak which began in Guinea in December 2013 before spreading to Liberia and
Sierra Leone. The epidemic was declared over by World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2016 after claiming
over 11,300 lives out of nearly 30,000 registered cases. The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was
caused by Zaire virus, which was discovered in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire in
1976.
July 28, 2018
Blood Moon 2018: Century’s longest lunar eclipse of 1 hour 43 minutes seen
Blood Moon 2018 or century’s (2001 AD to 2100 AD) longest total lunar eclipse of 1 hour 43 minutes
occurred on July 27-28, 2018. The rare celestial event was visible from all parts of India. It was majorly
seen in Eastern Hemisphere including Central Asia, Eastern Africa and South East Asia. The partial eclipse
of Moon began on July 27, 2018. Moon was gradually covered by Earth’s shadow and totality phase was
seen on July 28 and total eclipse lasted up to 2h 43m. The Moon came out of Earth’s shadow and partial
eclipse ended on July 28, 2018.
Longest Total Lunar Eclipse Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
In this particular eclipse, Moon passed through central part of Earth’s umbral shadow. During this time,
Moon was located at apogee (i.e. at farthest from Earth) in its orbit and moved at slower speed in its orbit.
During this transition phase, it took longer time for Moon and greater distance of Earth’s umbral shadow
to travel, making it longest duration of total eclipse of this century. Such long duration of total lunar
eclipses earlier had occurred on July 16, 2000 for totality duration of 1 hour 46 minutes and on June 15,
2011 for totality duration of 1 hour 40 minutes.
July 28: World Hepatitis Day
The World Hepatitis Day is being observed every year on July 28 around the globe to spread awareness
about viral hepatitis. Observance of the day seeks to encourage diagnosis, prevention and treatment of
Hepatitis. It also seeks to provide single global platform to raise awareness about hepatitis and influence
real change in disease prevention, testing and treatment. The theme for World Hepatitis Day 2018 is “Test.
Treat. Hepatitis“.
The theme focuses on
Support scale-up of hepatitis prevention, testing, treatment and care services, with specific focus on
promoting WHO treatment and testing recommendations.
Showcase best practices and promote universal health coverage of hepatitis services.
Improve partnerships and funding in fight against viral hepatitis.
World Hepatitis Day
The day is being observed since 2010. It is one of the 8 official global public health campaigns marked by
the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO had passed a resolution for observance of this day on viral
hepatitis in May 2010 had passed, providing official endorsement to it. The date 28 July was chosen to
mark the birth anniversary of Professor Baruch Blumberg who had discovered hepatitis B virus. He was
awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1976) for this discovery.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis name has derived from Greek word ‘Hepar’ meaning liver and ‘itis’ meaning inflammation. Thus,
it is medical condition in which inflammation occurs in liver cells and its complications vary with type of
infection. It is mostly caused by group of viruses called hepatitis viruses. There are 5 types of hepatitis viz.
A, B, C, D and E. Each type is caused by a different hepatitis virus.
Viral hepatitis can either be hepatitis A/ E that spreads mainly through contaminated food and water or
hepatitis B/C that spreads by body fluids, blood transfusions or even from mother to baby. Hepatitis B and
C usually cause chronic hepatitis and can progress to liver cirrhosis (permanent liver damage). Hepatitis A
and E usually cause acute self-limiting illness, which resolves over few weeks. It has no specific treatment,
but to rely on good nutritious diet and rest. Hepatitis E can sometimes be dangerous, especially in

pregnant women and may cause liver failure.

Government notifies ethanol-making directly from sugarcane juice, B-molasses
Union Food Ministry has notified decision to allow sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from
sugarcane juice or an intermediate product called B-molasses. In this regard, Sugarcane Control Order,
1966 has been amended. The move would help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during
surplus years.
Key Facts
Now in case of production of ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or B-molasses, the recovery rate of
sugarcane factory will be determined by considering every 600 liters so produced as equivalent to one
tonne of production of sugar. Earlier, sugar mills were allowed to manufacture ethanol from by-product
called C-molasses, after sugar was taken out while processing raw sugarcane juice. Molasses is also used
for manufacturing spirit and alcohol among other products.
Background
Sugar mills are incurring losses as prices of sugar have fallen below production cost on account of record
output of 32 million tonnes (mt) in 2017-18 season as against annual domestic demand of 25 mt. The
production of ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or B-molasses will help to divert this overproduction.
Sugar mills are expecting revenue realisation of over Rs 5,000 crore from sale of ethanol to OMCs during
the 2017-18 sugar season (October-September). OMCs
Vineet Singh procure |ethanol from sugar mills for blending with
petrol. It has mandated blending of up to 10% ethanol in petrol but inadequate availability has restricted
this to under 4%. Higher price for ethanol will incentivise higher ethanol production.
Indian Railways launches Mission Satyanishtha on ethics in public governance for its employees
Indian Railways had organised a programme on Ethics in Public Governance and launched Mission
Satyanishtha at a day-long event held at National Rail Museum, New Delhi. It was first of its kind event
organised by any government organization in the country.
Mission Satyanishtha
The issue of ethics, integrity and probity in public life has been matter of concern all over government
sector across the country. In this context, it is also extremely important that all railway servants adhere to
impeccable conduct and integrity at all times.
Mission Satyanishtha aims at sensitizing all railway employees about need to adhere to good ethics and to
maintain high standards of integrity at work. Under it, talks and lectures on subject were organised all
over Indian Railways for this purpose.
Objectives of Mission Satyanishtha
To train every employee to understand need and value of ethics in personal and public life.
To deal with ethical dilemmas in life and public governance.
To help understand policies of Indian Railways on ethics and integrity and employee’s role in
upholding same.
To develop inner governance through tapping inner resources.
India to develop model to give flash floods warning to Asian nations: WMO
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated India as nodal centre for developing
customized model to issue advance warning of floods to Asian countries, including Vietnam, Sri Lanka,
Myanmar and Thailand. The model will be called as Flash Flood Guidance System. Indian Meteorological
Department (IMD) under Ministry of Earth Sciences will work to customize this weather model.
Flash Flood Guidance System
The model will provide forecasts by computing likelihood of rainfall and soil moisture levels to warn of
possible floods. It will carry out forecasts by using combination of satellite mapping and ground-based
observation. It will be customized weather model, originally developed by US and donated to WMO to
warn about flash floods at least six hours in advance. It already has carried out test version of this model.
Pakistan was among list of beneficiary countries of this forecast model, but it has refused to participate in
it.
Background
Like India, several southeast Asian countries depend on monsoon and are prone to its vagaries. WMO
estimates that flash floods account for 85% of flooding incidents across the world, leading to around 5,000

deaths every year. While science to warn of floods can be developed, India was yet to work out how exactly
it will warn countries of potential inundation. India currently has its own warning system for tsunamis
that also doubles up warning system for several Asian countries. At present in India, Central Water
Commission (CWC), which monitors dams, warns of rising water levels in water reservoirs, which are
usually taken to be signs of imminent floods. Recently CWC has recently tied up with internet giant
Google to develop software application to visualise rising water levels during heavy rains.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
WMO is an intergovernmental organization whose mandate covers weather, climate and water resources.
It is UN specialized agency for meteorology, operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences It is
dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on state and behaviour of Earth’s atmosphere, its
interaction with land and oceans, the weather and climate and distribution of water resources. It has 191
Member States and Territories. It originated from International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which
was founded in 1873. It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Government launches National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation
(WHO) has launched National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme to control viral hepatitis C on the
occasion of World Hepatitis Day (July 28). The programme aims to combat viral hepatitis and reduce
mortality and morbidity associated with it. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme
The programme aims at both prevention and treatment of hepatitis which is among leading causes of liver
cancer, cirrhosis of liver and acute liver failure. It aims to treat minimum of 3 lakh hepatitis C cases over a
period of three years for eliminating deadly condition by 2030.
The programme is part of National Health Mission. Under it, expensive antiviral for hepatitis B and C
infections will be made available free of cost at all government hospitals. It will set up and upgrade
facilities for diagnosis and treatment primarily of hepatitis B and C. These designated treatment centres
will provide free anti-viral to hepatitis C patients. They will also provide hepatitis B vaccine to babies born
to mothers carrying the virus within 24 hours of birth.
Key strategies under the Program
Preventive and promotive interventions with focus on awareness generation.
Safe injection practices and socio-cultural practices, sanitation and hygiene, safe drinking water
supply, infection control and immunization
Increasing access to testing and management of viral hepatitis.
Promoting diagnosis and providing treatment support for patients of hepatitis B and C through
standardized testing and management protocols with focus on treatment of hepatitis B and C.
Co-ordination and collaboration with different Ministries and departments.
Building capacities at national, state, district levels and sub-district level up to Primary Health
Centres (PHC) and health and wellness centres to scale program till lowest level of the healthcare
facility in a phased manner.
July 30, 2018
Meghalaya Milk Mission launched in Shillong
Meghalaya Milk Mission was launched in Shillong. It is Rs. 215 crores project sanctioned by Union
Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare through National Cooperative Development Corporation
(NCDC). The amount will be utilised for various training under dairy farm, chilling centre and purchase of
milch animal.
Meghalaya Milk Mission
Milk Mission has been conceptualised to plug demand-supply gap in per capita milk availability. The per
capita milk availability in Meghalaya is much lower than Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR’s)
recommendation of milk consumption per person.
It will help in achieving Centre’s goal of doubling farmer’s income by 2022 through promotion of milk
business in the state. It will generate alternate livelihoods for rural people of Meghalaya through diary
sector. 2000 farmers will be directly benefitted by it over next four years. It will also check absence of

organised marketing channels in dairy sector in Meghalaya. It will enable state to substitute import of
milk with state’s own production.
The project consists of 2000 dairy farm units, in one unit there is provision for purchase of 5 cows, shed
constructions, storage room construction, animal insurance, 13 milk tankers of 3000 litre capacity, 79 bulk
milk coolers of 500 litre capacity etc. There is also provision of Rs 1 crore for training of farmers in project.
International Tiger Day: 29 July
The International Tiger Day (also known as Global Tiger Day) is celebrated every year on 29 July to raise
awareness about tiger conservation, promote the protection of natural habitat of tigers and support tiger
conservation issues. The annual day is celebrated with the slogan “Their survival is in our hands”.
International Tiger Day
It is an annual celebration to raise awareness regarding tiger conservation. It was instituted in 2010 at
Saint Petersberg Tiger Summit in Russia in view of alarming fall in the number of wild tigers. The summit
had issued St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation where Governments of tiger populated
countries had vowed to double tiger population by the year 2020.
Background
It is has been founded that in the last century, 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared due to many factors
including habitat loss, hunting and poaching, climate change. According to WWF, only 3,890 tigers are left
in the world, of them, India with more thanVineet
2500
Singh |tigers has the |highest number.
vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
Causes of decline in their numbers

Poaching and illegal trade: Tigers face poaching for demand of every part of their body from whiskers to
tail for traditional Chinese medicines. They fetch high prices in the illegal wildlife trades.
Habitat loss: Clearing of forests for various purposes for agriculture, timber, development activity etchas
lead to loss of 93% of natural habitat of tigers. Its habitat has been fragmented, lowering chances of
survival. It is also leading to conflict with humans, where both are competing for their own space.
Climate change: Rising sea level as result of climate change is wiping out Sundarbans, one of the last
remaining habitats of majestic Royal Bengal tigers.
India’s first Mobile Open Exchange zone inaugurated at Noida
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of country’s first Mobile Open Exchange (MOX)
zone in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. UP government had signed MoU with World Trade Centre, Noida at UP
Investors Summit to develop Tech Zone which will act as catalyst for growth of mobile and allied sectors
in the state.
Mobile Open Exchange (MOX) zone
MOX will be dedicated ecosystem for mobile industry, providing integrated platform to mobile
manufacturers, research and development (R&D) and allied industries. It brings service providers, handset
manufacturers, mobile content, application and service providers, retailers and distributors at one place
which promotes indigenous R&D in hardware and start-ups in app development and other domains of the
industry.
This unique zone will play pivotal role in attracting investment and area will reap huge benefits from it.
The ecosystem will channelize foreign direct investment (FDI) and generate revenues from consumption-
based and destination-based taxes. Moreover, its proximity to universities will strengthen industry-
academia relations and provide them opportunity to work together in R&D. Chinese company already has
set up its manufacturing facility in WTC Noida complex and directly and indirectly employs over 15,000
people.
Ashok Leyland to supply 10×10 heavy vehicles to Indian Army
Indian Army has awarded Rs. 100-crore contract for 81 high mobility 10×10 vehicles to India’s leading
vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland. This is for first time Indian vehicle manufacturer will deliver heavy
duty, high mobility vehicles for the launchers. This will reduce dependency on imports
Key Facts
The heavy duty, high mobility vehicles manufactured by Ashok Leyland are fully designed, developed and
built in India. They will replace Indian Army’s ageing Russian-built Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket launchers
(MBRL). They will also carry strategic missiles developed by Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO).
The indigenous 10×10 vehicle will be powered by Ashok Leyland’s 360HP Neptune engine. It can carry
maximum load of 27 tonnes at maximum speed of 60 kmph. Some of these vehicles will be fitted with
rocket handling cranes. Ther delivery will start in this financial year and will be completed in next
financial year.
Background
India initially procured two regiments of the 12-tube, 300 mm Smerch systems from Russia under Rs.
2,600 crore signed in end 2015, and later procured additional systems under a second deal in 2007. Each
regiment has two batteries of six launchers each. The Smerch has a maximum range of 90 km. The
indigenising vehicles is key step in improving t maintenance and efficiency of Indian Army’s logistics
chain. In recent years, Indian vehicle manufacturers have managed to develop variety of heavy and
specialist vehicles required by Armed Forces, thereby reducing import dependency. Ashok Leyland also
has won tender from DRDO to develop even heavier 12×12 vehicle to mount country’s long range strategic
missiles. These vehicles can carry a maximum load of 34 tonnes.
V-46-6 and V92S2: Made in India tank engines handed over to Indian Army
Two types of indigenously built high-power multi-fuel engines V-46-6 and V92S2 were handed over to
Indian Army for first time under Make in India. These engines were manufactured by Engine Factory
Avadi (EFA), a unit of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
Key Facts
These engines are based on Russian design. V92S2 is high power diesel engine with 1000 HP capacity and
it is fitted in T-90 Battle Tank (Bhisma Tank). V46-6 is also high power diesel engines with 780 HP and it is
fitted in T-72 Main Battle Tank (Ajeya Tank). They are manufactured with 100% Made in India parts.
Significance
The indigenisation of two of three types of tanks used by Indian Army has made it battle-ready. It has
resulted in savings for exchequer for each engine cost to tune of Rs. 33 lakh for T-90 engine and Rs. 9.75
lakh for T-72 engine. It also exhibits self-reliance of OFB in manufacturing these engines in India without
any import support.
Arsenic contamination in paddy is rising in Bengal: Study
According to recent study, arsenic contamination in paddy is rising from ground water in West Bengal. It
reveals that rise in arsenic contamination of paddy plants due to concentration of arsenic accumulation
depends on variety of paddy and its stage in crop cycle. Its concentration varies with rice variety and
stage in crop cycle.
Study highlights
The study was carried out on two commonly consumed rice varieties — Minikit and Jaya — and it was
found that latter to be more resistant to arsenic. It shows processes and dependencies of arsenic trans-
location in rice from contaminated irrigation water.
It has found that arsenic contamination in paddy was higher than in previous studies. It shows that
arsenic uptake in paddy plant reduces from root to grain and that its concentration is related to variety of
rice cultivated. It was observed that highest concentration of arsenic was observed in initial or vegetative
state in first 28 days. It reduced during reproductive stage (29-56 days) and again increased in ripening
stage.
The uptake of arsenic is faster in young roots in vegetative state than in older tissues with higher
concentrations of iron in root soil in reproductive phase. It also raised concerns over disposal of
contaminated rice straw which is used as animal fodder or burnt or sometimes left in field itself to serve
as fertiliser.
Arsenic Poisoning
Arsenic is a natural component in Earth’s crust. It is widely distributed throughout environment in air,
water and land. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Intake of soluble inorganic arsenic over long period
can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning (arsenicosis), diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In India,
Arsenic pollution big problem in West Bengal and neighbouring states. In West Bengal, there are 83 blocks
in eight districts where groundwater is arsenic contaminated. Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia districts

have higher levels of arsenic concentration.

Government constitutes high level empowered committee to revive stressed thermal power plant
Union Government has constituted High Level Empowered Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary to
address issues of Stressed Thermal Power Projects. The committee has representatives from Ministry of
Railways, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal and lenders having major exposure to
the power sector.
Key Facts
The Committee will look into various issues with view to stressed assets or non-performing assets in
thermal power and maximise efficiency of investment including changes required to be made in fuel
allocation policy, regulatory framework, mechanisms to facilitate sale of power, ensure timely payments,
payment security mechanism. It will also consider if changes are required in provisioning norms,
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), asset restructuring company (ARC) regulations and any other
measures proposed for revival of stressed assets to avoid investments from turning bad.
Background
Department of Financial Services under Ministry of Finance in its report had suggested setting up
empowered panel, besides giving operating thermal power plants not facing insolvency action 6 months
more months to resolve issues. The report came after Allahabad High Court in June 2018 had ordered that
no action will be taken against power producers
Vineet Singhtill they are heard.
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
The power generation companies had challenged Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) February 2018 circular that
laid down stricter timelines for initiating insolvency proceedings. It also mandated that banks classify
even one-day delay in debt servicing as default. Private power producers feared that t RBI’s new
regulations will push projects with capacity of about 60,000-70,000 megawatts (MW) towards bankruptcy
and had sought more time. RBI is not in favour of giving more time these power plants.
NASAMS-II: India plans to procure advanced air defence system from US
India is in talks with United States to procure National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System-II
(NASAMS-II), an advanced air defence system at $1 billion to defend National Capital Region (NCR) from
aerial attacks. The proposal is in Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) stage now which was approved by Defence
Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
NASAMS-II
NASAMS-II is an upgraded version of the NASAMS developed by Raytheon in partnership with
KONGSBERG Defence and Aerospace of Norway. It has been operational since 2007. It features new 3D
mobile surveillance radars and 12 missile launchers for quicker reaction.
NASAMS-II is highly adaptable mid-range solution for any operational air defence requirement. It
provides tailorable, state-of-the-art defence system that can maximise the ability to quickly identify,
engage and destroy current and evolving enemy aircraft, UAV or emerging cruise missile threats.
NASAMS-II is armed with 3D Sentinel radars, short and medium-range missiles, launchers, fire-
distribution centers and command-and-control units to quickly detect, track and shoot down multiple
airborne threats. It is part of the air defence network guarding US capital city Washington DC. It is also
deployed in several NATO countries.

Significance for India

India’s purchase of NASAMS-II will help in preventing 9/11-type on NCT Delhi. It will also complement
India’s other systems such as the medium and long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems under
procurement. With this, India will join league of nations including US, Russia and Israel etc. who have
their own missile defence systems to protect their national capital regions.
Background
India is deploying multi-tiered air defence network to fully secure its airspace from incoming fighter
aircraft, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It is also in advanced stage of talks with Russia for
procurement of very long range S-400 air defence systems. Apart from these imports, Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) is in the final stages of developing its two-tier Ballistic Missile
Defence (BMD) system which is designed to track and destroy nuclear missiles both inside (endo) and
outside (exo) earth’s atmosphere. Phase-I of indigenous BMD is expected to be deployed soon.
Government unveils blueprint of Deep Ocean Mission
Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has unveiled blueprint of Deep Ocean Mission (DOM). The mission
proposes to explore deep-ocean by emulating success of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in
designing and launching satellites. For this mission, Centre has drawn up a five-year, Rs. 8,000 crore plan
to explore deep recesses of the ocean.
Features of Mission
The focus of DOM is on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and
underwater robotics related technologies. Two key projects planned under it include desalination plant
powered by tidal energy and submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 metres.
Background
India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) spreads over 2.2 million sq. km and in the deep sea, lies unexplored
and unutilised. Besides, India has been allotted site of 1,50,000 sq. km in Central Indian Ocean Basin
(CIOB) by United Nations International Sea Bed Authority (UN-ISBA) for exploitation of polymetallic
nodules (PMN). These are rocks scattered on seabed containing iron, nickel, manganese and cobalt. It is
envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet energy requirement of India for next 100
years. It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the
bottom of the seas in CIOB.
July 31, 2018
DAC approves acquisition of 8 Fast Patrol Vessels for Coast Guard
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approval proposal for
acquisition of 8 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for Indian Coast Guard at an approximate cost of Rs 800 crore.
It also approved platform specific guidelines for procurement of Naval Utility helicopters. Similar
guidelines for the other categories will be issued soon. DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making
body on capital procurement of Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).

8 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs)

These vessels will be procured under ‘Buy (lndian-lDDM)’ category. They will be indigenously designed
and manufactured. Their induction will strengthen maritime security by undertaking day and night
patrolling and policing of Maritime Zones of India. They will play important role ininterception of vessels
and personnel engaged in anti-sabotage anti-terrorist, anti-smuggling operations as well as provide
assistance for Search and Rescue medical evacuation, disaster relief operations and assistance during
pollution response operations, etc.
July 30: World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
World Day against Trafficking in Persons is observed every year on July 30 to raise awareness of the
plight of human trafficking victims, and promote and protect their rights. This year, theme chosen by
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is ‘responding to the trafficking of children and young
people’. It highlights fact that almost third of trafficking victims are children. It draws attention to issues
faced by trafficked children and to possible action initiatives linked to safeguarding and ensuring justice
for child victims.
Background
Human trafficking is trade of humans, most commonly for purpose of forced labour, commercial sexual
exploitation or sexual slavery for the trafficker or others. International Labour Organization (ILO)
estimates that 21 million people are victims ofSingh
Vineet forced labour globally.
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | This estimate also includes victims
of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. Every country in the world is affected by human
trafficking, whether as country of origin, transit or destination for victims. According to UNODC Global
Report on Trafficking in Persons, children make up almost third of all human trafficking victims
worldwide. Additionally, women and girls comprise 71% of human trafficking victims.
World Day against Trafficking in Persons
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in
Persons by adopting resolution A/RES/68/192 in 2013. The resolution had declared that observance of day
is necessary to raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for promotion and
protection of their rights.
DAC approves implementation of Strategic Partnership guidelines
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has approved
implementation of Strategic Partnership guidelines. It is considered as major step towards boosting
private sector participation in domestic defence manufacturing. The policy had come into effect in May
2017 but progress was delayed due to lack of specific guidelines.
Strategic Partnership Guidelines
SP model aims to revitalise defence industrial ecosystem and progressively build indigenous capabilities
in private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon system for future needs of armed
forces. It lay emphasis on incentivisation of transfer of niche technology and higher indigenous content.
The SP model has four segments — submarines, single engine fighter aircraft, helicopters and armoured
carriers/main battle tanks which will be specifically opened up for the private sector. Under this model, one
Indian private company will be selected in each segment which will tie-up with shortlisted global
equipment manufacturers to manufacture platforms in India through technology transfer under Make in
India. All procurements under the SP model would be executed by specially constituted Empowered
Project Committees to “provide focussed attention and ensure timely execution.”
Significance
These guidelines lay emphasis on incentivisation of transfer of niche technology and higher indigenous
content from global majors, who in collaboration with Indian partners are ready to make India regional
and global defence manufacturing hub. It will give major fillip towards encouraging self-reliance and
aligning defence sector with the ‘Make in India ‘ initiative.
Lok Sabha passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018
Lok Sabha has passed Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to provide death penalty to those convicted of
raping girls below the age of 12 years. The Bill replaces ordinance promulgated by President in April 2018
and amends Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code, Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences (POCSO) Act and Indian Evidence Act.
Key Provisions of the Bill

It provides for stringent punishment of jail term of minimum 20 years or life imprisonment or death for
rape of girl less than 12 years. It provides punishment with imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence
in case of gang rape of girl below 12 years.
It increases minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years for crime of rape of girl under 16 years, which
can be extended to imprisonment for rest of life. It increases minimum punishment for rape of women
from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, which can be extended to life imprisonment.
It provides for speedy investigation and trial, which must be completed in two months. It proposes 6
months’ time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases. It provides dedicated manpower for investigation
of rape cases in time bound manner.
It provides no provision for anticipatory bail for person accused of rape or gang rape of girl under 16 years.
It has also been provided that court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and representative of
victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.
It has provision for maintaining national database and profile of sexual offenders by National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB). This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for monitoring, tracking and
investigation including verification of antecedents by police.
India Post Payments Bank to start operations with 650 branches in August 2018
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is expected to go live with 650 branches in addition to 3,250 access
points co-located at post offices in August, 2018 following final clearance from Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
to start. RBI has given approval to IPPB after testing its entire system.
Key Facts
IPPB was incorporated on August 17, 2016 under Companies Act, 2013 as a public limited company with
100% Government of India equity under Department of Posts (Ministry of Communication & Technology).
It was the third entity to receive payments bank permit after Airtel and Paytm.
Around 11,000 gramin dak sevaks (in rural area) and postmen (in urban area) will provide doorstep
banking services. IPPB also has been given permission to link around 170 million postal savings bank (PSB)
account with its account. It will also carry out RTGS, NEFT, IMPS transaction that will enable IPPB
customers to transfer and receive money from any bank account.
Payments bank
Payments bank is new model of banking allows mobile firms, supermarket chains and others to cater to
banking requirements of individuals and small businesses to further enhance financial inclusion. It will be
set up as differentiated bank and will confine its activities to acceptance of demand deposits, remittance
services, internet banking and other specified services but cannot undertake lending services. Payments
bank can accept deposits maximum up to Rs 100,000 per account from individuals and small businesses.
They can issue ATM/debit cards but not credit cards and can also issue other prepaid payment
instruments. They also can distribute non-risk sharing simple financial products like mutual funds and

insurance products.
Lok Sabha passes Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018
Lok Sabha has passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 by voice vote to replace
Ordinance promulgated by President in May 2018. It amends Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973
which sets up Central Council of Homoeopathy and regulates homoeopathic education and practice
Supersession of Central Council: The Bill amends 1973 Act to provide for supersession of Central Council
with effect from May 18, 2018. The Council will be reconstituted within 1 year from date of its
supersession. In the interim period, Board of Governors constituted by central government will exercise
powers of Central Council.
Board of Governors: It will consist of up to seven members including persons of eminence in field of
homoeopathy education, eminent administrators, appointed by Union Government. The Central
Government will select one of these members as Chairperson of Board. With regard to policy decisions,
directions of the central government will be final.
Permission for existing homoeopathy colleges: The Bill states that if any homoeopathy medical college
has been established or if any established homoeopathy medical college has opened new courses or
increased its admission capacity before ordinance was promulgated, then it will have to seek permission
from Union Government within 1 year. If homoeopathy medical college fails to seek such permission, then
medical qualification granted by it to student will not be recognised under this law.
Scutoid: Scientists discover new shape after studying human cells
Scientists have identified new shape called scutoid while studying epithelial cells. Epithelial tissue is one of
four kinds of tissue that forms human bodym which acts as safety shield of body that make up cell walls lining
our blood vessels and organs. Scutoid shape has five sides on one end and six on the other and a triangular
surface on one of its longer edges. and It is completely new to geometry and resembles beetle’s scutellum
(shield-like structure) from top-down view.
Key Facts
Scientists had used computer modeling and imaging to identify this shape. It had produced strange,
prism-like shape, one with six sides on one end, five on other, and strange triangular protrusion coming
out of one of sides. Scientists had used microcopy and computer imaging to supplement findings of
computer modeling by taking up-close look at epithelial tissues of fruit flies and zebrafish. As predicted,
they discovered scutoid shape.
Significance
As tissues and organs develop, epithelial cells squish together, twisting and turning into highly efficient
and complex 3-D structures of scutoid shape that help block microbes from entering our skin or organs. It
also makes the packing stable and “energetically efficient.”
The discovery of scutoid shape will help to explain how cells arrange themselves in tightly packed three-

dimensional (3D) structures that serve as protective barriers in body. It will contribute to the field of
tissue engineering specifically development of artificial organs. It will be useful in other fields beyond
biology, such as mathematics and engineering.
STA-1: India becomes first South Asian country to get access to US cutting-edge technology
United States has designated India as Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) country that will allow
country to buy highly advanced and cutting-edge sensitive technologies from America. This coveted
status brings India in par with US’s closest allies and partners such as NATO.
STA-1 designation authorizes export, re-export and transfer (in-country) of speciﬁed items on Commerce Control
List to destinations posing a low risk of unauthorised or impermissible uses. Currently there are 36 countries on
STA-1 list. India is only South Asian country to be on the list. Other Asian countries designated as STA-1 are Japan
and South Korea.
Key Facts
Under STA-1, India and US have reached understanding under which India will receive license-free access
to wide range of dual-use technologies in conjunction with steps that India has committed to take to
advance its export control objectives. STA-1 treatment will expand scope of technology exports subject to
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that can be made to India without individual licenses. It will
further enhance bilateral defence trade relationship and result in
Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | a greater volume of US exports to India.
Significance
This new designation reflects India’s membership in three of four multilateral export control regimes, as
well development of its national export control system. It will allow US companies to more efficiently
export much wider range of products to Indian high technology and military customers. It will benefit US
manufacturers while continuing to protect its national security.
It will provide India greater supply chain efficiency, both for defence and for other high-tech products that
will increase activity with US systems, interoperability of systems and will reduce time and resources
needed to get licensing approved. It will improve India’s partnership with United States to improve its
own export control regimes and has met most of the export control rules which the US thinks is useful. It
will be also competitive advantage for US, in terms of supplying those kinds of products to India.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Under which of the following international organizations, the “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly
and Regular Migration” has been finalized recently?
[A] United Nations
[B] International Refugee Organization
[C] Refugees International
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: A [United Nations]
Notes:
For the first time ever, United Nations Member States have agreed an all-encompassing “Global
Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” to better manage international migration, address its
challenges, strengthen migrant rights and contribute to sustainable development.
2. World’s largest visa centre has been opened in which of the following cities recently?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Dhaka
[C] Islamabad
[D] Bangkok
Correct Answer: B [Dhaka]
Notes:
India’s home minister Rajnath Singh has recently inaugurated the world’s largest state-of-the-art visa
centre in Dhaka with modern facilities, promising shorter waiting times for applicants. This Integrated
centre at Jamuna Future Park (JFP), Dhaka is the largest Indian visa centre in the world with 18,500

square feet commercial area.

3. Which country has taken the seat vacated by United States at the UN Human Rights Council?
[A] New Zealand
[B] South Africa
[C] Iceland
[D] Norway
Correct Answer: C [Iceland ]
Notes:
The UN members have unanimously elected Iceland to take a seat on the world body’s 47-member
Human Rights Council. US had left the UNHRC in June, 2018 calling it a cesspool of political bias for its
criticism of Israeli regime’s crimes against Palestinians.
4. Bansagar Dam project is a joint venture between which of these three states?
[A] Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
[B] Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan
[C] Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
[D] Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Correct Answer: A [Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar]

Notes:
On 15 July, 2018, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Bansagar canal project in
Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. This dam project is a joint venture between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar and includes a total canal network of 171 kms. These canals will bring waters from Shahdol
district in Madhya Pradesh for Adwa Barrage, Meza Dam and Jirgo reservoir. The project promises to be
greatly beneficial for the farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh. It would
hopefully benefit 1 lakh 70 thousand farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts.
5. Recently, ISRO successfully tested the high thrust version of the Vikas Engine at its Propulsion
Complex (IPRC) in Tamil Nadu’s Mahendragiri. Vikas Engine is a useful liquid rocket engine
powering which of the following?
[A] PSLV
[B] GSLV
[C] GSLV Mk-III
[D] All of Above
Correct Answer: D [All of Above]
Notes:
Vikas (acronym for VIKram Ambalal Sarabhai) Engine is the workhorse liquid rocket engine powering
the second stage of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), second stage and the four strap on
stages of Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the twin engine core liquid stage (L110) of GSLV
Mk-III.
6. As per the Census 2011 data, 24,821 people in India have registered Sanskrit as their mother
tongue (in comparison to 14,135 in Census 2001). In which of the following states of India, Sanskrit
is an official language?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Uttarakhand
Correct Answer: D [Uttarakhand]
Notes:
Sanskrit is one of the languages in the Eighth Schedule and is also an official language in Uttarakhand.
7. United Nations’ World Youth Skills Day is observed on which of the following dates?
[A] 15 July
[B] 16 July
[C] 17 July
[D] 18 July
Correct Answer: A [15 July ]
Notes:
World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on 15th July every year. This day is celebrated to expand awareness
on the importance of investing in youth skills development. The United Nations General Assembly
decided in resolution A/RES/69/145 to depute 15 July as World Youth Skills Day.
8. A PIL (public interest litigation) by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay has sought
doing away with the law allowing candidates contesting more than one seat in elections in Lok
Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas. As per existing laws, on how many maximum seats an MP / MLA
candidate is allowed to contest?
[A] Two
[B] Three
[C] Four
[D] Five
Correct Answer: A [Two]
Notes:
Under the existing legal regime, a candidate is allowed to contest from up to a maximum of two
constituencies in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly polls. The PIL filed seeks to limit this to one seat
because it leads to wastage of public money in getting the election conducted once again for the
constituency which is left vacant by the winning candidate.
9. Which of the following missiles of India is a “supersonic cruise missile”?
[A] Agni-V
[B] BrahMos
[C] Prithvi-III
[D] Aakash
Correct Answer: B [BrahMos]
Notes:
On 16 July, India’s supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was test fired from the Integrated Test Range
(ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha under extreme conditions. Brahmos is India’s only supersonic cruise missile
and it can cruise at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, or three times the speed of sound.
10. Which of the following IITs of India has unveiled “world’s first” remotely operable Local
Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope?
[A] IIT Kharagpur
[B] IIT Madras
[C] IIT Bombay
[D] IIT Delhi
Correct Answer: B [IIT Madras]
Notes:
On July 16, 2018 IIT-Madras unveils “world’s first” remotely operable LEAP (Local Electrode Atom Probe
(LEAP) microscope.
11. Which of the following state governments has launched ‘Paudhagiri’Campaign?
[A] Haryana
[B] Punjab
[C] Rajasthan

[D] Delhi
Correct Answer: A [Haryana]
Notes:
Paudhagiri campaign has been launched by Haryana CM M L Khattar for increasing the green cover in
the state. Under this campaign, 22 lakh students from class 6 to 12 of all government and private schools
in Haryana will plant a sapling each during three months of monsoon — July, August and September.
12. What term has been used for medical professionals assisting patients seeking treatment under
the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM)?
[A] Ayushman Saathi
[B] Ayushman Sahayak
[C] Ayushman Sahkari
[D] Ayushman Mitra
Correct Answer: D [Ayushman Mitra ]
Notes:
Ayushman Mitra Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) will be a medical
professional assisting patients seeking treatment. Their main work will be to assist patients coming to
the hospital, and coordinate between patients and
Vineet Singh hospitals. The
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | AB-NHPS aims at providing a coverage
of Rs 5 lakh per family annually and benefiting more than 10 crore poor families.
13. On July 16, 2018, India has become the Asia Pacific vice-chair at World Customs Organisation.
In which city, the headquarters of World Customs Organisation are located?
[A] Paris
[B] London
[C] Geneva
[D] Brussels
Correct Answer: D [Brussels]
Notes:
The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels,
Belgium. It was founded in 1952 and its main work is in areas covering the international conventions and
standards related to customs, trade, IPR protection etc.
14. Which country has topped the 2018 ‘Soft Power 30’ index?
[A] France
[B] United States
[C] Australia
[D] United Kingdom
Correct Answer: D [United Kingdom]
Notes:
UK has topped an annual global ranking of nations’ soft power. The 2018 ‘Soft Power 30’ index is
published by UK-based strategic communications consultancy firm Portland and the University of
Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. This index has listed 30 countries in which France gets
second place, Germany third and United States fourth. India does not feature in this list.
15. What is the objective of National Youth Empowerment Scheme which is under discussion
currently in Union government?
[A] To provide skill training to youth
[B] To provide institutional credit to youth for self employment
[C] To provide military training to youth
[D] To provide scholarship to academically strong youth
Correct Answer: C [To provide military training to youth]
Notes:

The planned National Youth Empowerment Scheme will provide military training to 10 lakh young men
and women every year to instil nationalism, discipline and self-esteem.
16. Recently, the Government of India has increased the monetary threshold for filing appeals in
tax disputes in courts and tribunals to bring down the tax litigation in the country. What is the
new monetary threshold for filing appeals in tribunals?
[A] Rs. 10 Lakh
[B] Rs. 20 Lakh
[C] Rs. 35 Lakh
[D] Rs. 50 Lakh
Correct Answer: B [Rs. 20 Lakh]
Notes:
On July 12, the government sharply increased the monetary threshold for filing appeals in tax disputes
in various courts and decided to withdraw many pending appeals to cut down litigation and improve
ease of doing business. The new monetary threshold for filing appeals in tribunals handling income tax
as well as customs, excise and service tax disputes has been doubled from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.20 lakh. In the
case of high courts, the monetary threshold is now Rs.50 lakh instead of Rs.20 lakh earlier. In the
Supreme Court, the threshold has been increased from Rs25 lakh to Rs 1 crore. This will bring down tax
litigation by 37%. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
17. Which country is poised to host the 2018 BIMSTEC summit?

[A] Nepal
[B] Myanmar
[C] India
[D] Bangladesh
Correct Answer: A [Nepal]
Notes:
The 2018 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
Summit is to commence from August 30, 2018 in Nepal. This is the fourth summit of BIMSTEC since its
formation in 1997. Nepal is hosting it for the first time. It will see the heads of states from Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand along with Nepal.
18. The Indian railway is soon expected to get Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), its
first publicly-owned dedicated corridor for freight trains on August 15, 2018. The Western
Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) does not cover which of the following states?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Punjab
[D] Haryana
Correct Answer: C [Punjab ]
Notes:
The 1504 kilometers of Western DFC cover Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and UP. The
Eastern DFC cover UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana.
19. Which committee has been constituted by the Union Government to synergise National Cadet
Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS)?
[A] Parag Motwani committee
[B] Jagrati Ray committee
[C] Milind Zaidi committee
[D] Anil Swarup committee
Correct Answer: D [Anil Swarup committee]
Notes:

The Union Government has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Anil Swarup ( former
Secretary of School Education) to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps (NCC) and
National Service Scheme (NSS). The Committee will deal with on issues like expansion, strengthening
training infrastructure, rationalizing resources, reducing manpower deficiency affecting NCC and NSS.
The Committee will also submit recommend for building synergies between these two institutions viz.
NCC and NSS and further strengthen them for empowering the youth. At present, there are 13.5 lakh
cadets in NCC in the age group of 12 to 26 years with pan India presence in about 703 out of 716 districts.
20. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has recently organized the Conference of Heads of
AYUSH National Institutes. Where is the headquarters of AIIA?
[A] Jabalpur
[B] Raipur
[C] New Delhi
[D] Patna
Correct Answer: C [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes was organized by All India Institute of Ayurveda
(AIIA) under the Ministry of AYUSH at India International Centre, New Delhi on 17th and 18th July 2018.
The aim of the conference was to upgradeVineetquality of education, research, hospital care facilities in the
national AYUSH institutions throughout the country and develop them as light house institutions. The
AIIA is a public Ayurveda medicine & research institution and is located in New Delhi.
21. India’s first greenfield skill training centre is proposed to come up in which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Manipur
Correct Answer: A [Odisha]
Notes:
India’s first greenfield skill training centre will come up at Baranga near Bhubaneswar in Odisha. For
this, the Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan laid the
foundation stone of NSTI Bhubaneswar on July 16. The aim of the state-of-the-art institute will be to
impart training to the trainers & create a skill-based ecosystem to meet expectations of the industry.
The National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) would provide a variety of hybrid skill training programmes,
both long and short term, along with advanced diploma programme. The institute would impart
training in Systems Applications Products (SAP), Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare and agriculture,
mobile repairing, solar technician and technician mechatronics, advanced Diploma in IT Networking and
Cloud Computing, Training of Trainers (ToT) in Pedagogy for Sector Skill Councils, ToT for conventional
courses including fitter, electrician, plumbing and welding. The Institute will be set up at a cost of Rs.
160 crore, on a 5 Acre land.
22. Under which Article of the Constitution, the President has recently nominated Classical
dancer Sonal Mansingh to the Rajya Sabha?
[A] Article 84
[B] Article 83
[C] Article 80
[D] Article 81
Correct Answer: C [Article 80]
Notes:
On July 14, Classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, columnist Rakesh Sinha, Sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra
and farmer leader Ram Shakal have been nominated by the President Ram Nath Kovind to the Rajya
Sabha. The new nominations have been made to fill the vacancies caused due to the retirement of
nominated members Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha, Anu Aga and K Parasaran. Under Article 80 of the
Constitution, the President can nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha “from amongst persons who
have special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art and
social service.” The nominated members have six-year term. The other sitting nominated members
include boxer Mary Kom, columnist Swapan Dasgupta, advocate K.T.S. Tulsi, economist Narendra
Jadhav and BJP members Subramanian Swamy, Roopa Ganguly, Suresh Gopi and Sambhaji Chhatrapati.
23. The scientists from which IIT institute has created mini-organs that mimic hair growth?
[A] IIT Delhi
[B] IIT Kolkata
[C] IIT Bombay
[D] IIT Indore
Correct Answer: A [IIT Delhi ]
Notes:
The scientists from IIT Delhi have developed a silk-based hydrogel that emulates the process of hair
growth, an advance that may help screen novel drugs for treating hair loss without using animal tests.
The hydrogel is developed by combining a mixture of silk proteins, isolated from silkworm cocoons, and
gelatin. Tyrosinase enzyme was used to develop a stable hydrogel system. The system provided an ideal
environment to develop a complete 3D model of hair follicle regeneration. Hair loss is a common ailment,
and can be stressful for the people experiencing it. A number of factors including genes, illness, trauma
and surgeries can lead to temporary or permanent hair loss. However, as per researchers, alopecia –
condition that occurs due to abnormal growth cycle or reduction in the size of hair follicles – is the
major reason contributing to permanent hair loss. The study is published in the Journal of Cellular
Physiology, which shows how the 3-dimensional mini organs can mimic the different stages of hair
growth in humans.
24. Who has been selected for the 2018 Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy?
[A] S R G Rajanna
[B] Aruna Sairam
[C] K Oman Kutty
[D] Premeela Gurumurthy
Correct Answer: B [Aruna Sairam]
Notes:
Aruna Sairam, the renowned Carnatic vocalist, has been selected for the 2018 Sangita Kalanidhi award of
the Music Academy. She will preside over the 92nd annual conference to be held between December 15,
2018 and January 1, 2019. The award will be conferred to her on January 1, the day of Sadas. Beside her,
Mridhangist Thanjavur R. Ramadoss and vocalist K. Oman Kutty will receive the Sangita Kala Acharya
award. T.T.K. Awards will be given to veena player Kalyani Ganesan and nagaswaram player S.R.G.
Rajanna. Dr. Premeela Gurumurthy, the Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu University for Fine Arts, will get
the musicologist award and dancer Shanta Dhananjayan will get the Nritiya Kalanidhi award, which will
be conferred on her January 3
25. As per the ‘Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops in 2017’ report, what is India’s
rank among countries with world’s largest area under Genetically Modified Crops?
[A] Third
[B] Fifth
[C] Sixth
[D] tenth
Correct Answer: B [Fifth]
Notes:
According to the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops in 2017 by International Service
for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), India has the world’s fifth largest cultivated
area under genetically modified (GM) crops. However, this entire area is under single crop – cotton.
Currently, the country with highest area under transgenic crops, at 75 mh, is the United States. US
grows GM soyabean, maize (corn), cotton, alfalfa, canola, sugar-beet, potato, apples, squash and papaya.
26. Who received the Golden Ball award for best player at the 2018 FIFA World Cup?
[A] Luka Modric
[B] Kylian Mbappe

[C] Harry Kane

[D] Thibaut Courtois
Correct Answer: A [Luka Modric]
Notes:
The French National Football team has clinched the 2018 FIFA World Cup by defeating Croatia 4-2 in a
thrilling final match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15. Croatia were playing in their first
World Cup final. They were the smallest country to reach the Final in the modern era. For France, it was
a first World Cup crown since winning on home soil in 1998. England’s Harry Kane won the World Cup
Golden Boot Award as top scorer with 6 goals. Croatia captain Luka Modric won the Golden Ball award
for the World Cup’s best player despite being on the losing side. Kylian Mbappe of France won the Young
Player of the Tournament Award after scoring his 4th goal of the competition in the final. Belgium’s
Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper. Now, France joined Uruguay and
Argentina in winning the World Cup for a second time, after their 1998 triumph over Brazil when Didier
Deschamps — now the coach — was the captain.
27. The UNEP has partnered with which technological giant for monitoring impact of human
activity on global ecosystem?
[A] Microsoft
[B] Google Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[C] Facebook
[D] Infosys
Correct Answer: B [Google]
Notes:
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has partnered with Google to monitor the impacts of human
activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools. The purpose of the partnership is to
develop a platform to enable governments, NGO’s and the public to track specific environment-related
development targets with a user-friendly Google front-end. The partnership was launched during the
High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN headquarters in New York. Initially,
the focus will be on fresh-water ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and
lakes. These areas account for 0.01% of the world’s water but provide habitat for almost 10 per cent of
the world’s known species and evidence suggests a rapid loss of freshwater biodiversity. Google will
periodically produce geo-spatial maps and data on water-related ecosystems by employing massive
parallel Cloud computing technology.
28. The Madhya Pradesh government has recently inaugurated the 250MW NTPC Solar Power
Plant in which district?
[A] Panna
[B] Mandsaur
[C] Indore
[D] Jabalpur
Correct Answer: B [Mandsaur]
Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has inaugurated the state-run power giant National Thermal Power
Corporation Limited (NTPC)’s 250 MW Solar Power Plant at Suwasra in district Mandsaur. This project
has been set up mainly on non-agricultural land and generation of electricity has been achieved without
affecting the natural eco-system with zero carbon emission at an investment of about Rs 1,500 crore.
This is one of the biggest solar plant developed using domestically manufactured Solar cells and modules
under the Make in India initiative. The Project has been commissioned in June 2017 and generated
electricity is being supplied for consumption in Madhya Pradesh, the sole beneficiary.
29. The Government of India (GoI) has given ‘In-Principle’ approval for construction and operation
of LIGO-India Laboratory in which district of Maharashtra?
[A] Hingoli
[B] Nagpur
[C] Aurangabad
[D] Kolhapur
Correct Answer: A [Hingoli ]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has given ‘In-Principle’ approval for construction and operation of LIGO-
India (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in India) Laboratory in Hingoli District of
Maharashtra. The LIGO-India Observatory is scheduled to be operational in 2024 in collaboration with
the LIGO Laboratory in United States. This is the 3rd observatory identical to two other LIGO
observatories in USA: Hanford ( Washington) and Livingston ( Louisiana). Regarding to this, a MoU was
signed between DAE-DST of India and National Science Foundation of USA in March 2016. This
information was provided by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-
Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 18th of July
2018.
30. The NMCG has organised “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan” in which of the following main stem
Ganga basin states?
[A] Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh
[B] West Bengal
[C] Bihar and Jharkhand
[D] All of the above Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Correct Answer: D [All of the above]

Notes:
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has organised “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan” in five
main stem Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal from
9th July to 15th July 2018. It has been observed as ‘Shubharambh Saptah’. The campaign has been
initiated as part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami Gange programme.
The aim of the campaign is to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding
the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga Rejuvenation. Plantation activities are being
carried out with great enthusiasm all along the banks of the River Ganga with participation of local
people. Some of the plants which are being sown during the campaign are Kanji, Sheesham, Farmis,
Jamun, Arjun, Gutal, Siras, Chhitvan, Mango, Neem, Semal, Jungal Jalebi, Gulmohar, Kadam, Sagwan,
Saal, etc.
31. Which country to host the biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise
“Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18)”?
[A] India
[B] Australia
[C] Canada
[D] Japan
Correct Answer: B [Australia]
Notes:
The biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise “Pitch Black 2018 (PB-18)” will be
hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Australia, which is scheduled from 24th July to 18th
August. For the first time, the Indian Air Force is participating in the mega exercise with fighter aircraft,
which will involve over 100 aircraft from around the globe. The IAF contingent consists of 145 air-
warriors including Garud team, 04 X Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17. The contingent is being led by
Group Captain CUV Rao VM and would aim to undertake simulated air combat exercises in a controlled
environment and mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing IAF operational capability.
32. As part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 7th Defence Technology and Trade
Initiative (DTTI) meeting was chaired by whom from Indian side?
[A] Minister of Defence
[B] Defence Secretary
[C] Defence Production Secretary
[D] Minister of State for Defence

Correct Answer: C [Defence Production Secretary]

Notes:
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 on July 18, 2018. The
meeting was co-chaired by, Secretary (Defence Production), Dr Ajay Kumar and Under Secretary of
Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD, US Government Ms Ellen M Lord. The purpose of the
meeting is to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and create
opportunities for co-production and co-development of defence equipment. The DTTI is an important
forum leading to the 22 dialogue between the two countries. The meetings are held twice a year,
alternately in India and the USA.
33. Who is the author of the book “The House of Islam: A Global History”?
[A] Abdullah Quilliam
[B] Maajid Nawaz
[C] Ayaan Hirsi Ali
[D] Ed Husain
Correct Answer: D [Ed Husain]
Notes:
The book “The House of Islam: A Global History” has been authored
Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | by Self-proclaimed former Islamist
radical Ed Husain. It explores the intricacies of Islam and the inner psyche of the Muslim world. Through
the book, he makes three suggestions to help heal the rancour in the Islamic world – create a Middle
East union, implement a Muslim Marshall plan and expel extremists from within Islam. The author also
feels that as long as the house of Islam provides shelter for Salafi-jihadis, the rest of the world will attack
Islam and Muslims. Salafi-jihadis claim to be the truest of true Muslims and inject total certainty into
the minds of their adherents, so that they would be prepared to kill if they could. He suggested that
there needs to be a global declaration by all 50-plus Muslim governments and their Islamic leaders,
disowning these theological brigands as disbelievers.
34. Rita Bhaduri, who passed away recently, was the veteran personality of which field?
[A] Film Industry
[B] Painting
[C] Sports
[D] Journalism
Correct Answer: A [Film Industry]
Notes:
Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri (62), who worked extensively in films and television shows, has passed
away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on July 17, 2018. In her over three decades-long career in the
entertainment industry, Rita acted in over 70 movies like Raja, Julie, Beta, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar and 30 TV
shows including Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Choti Bahu, Kumkum, Khichdi and many others.
35. The 2018 Nelson Mandela International Day (NMID) is observed on which date?
[A] July 17
[B] July 19
[C] July 18
[D] July 16
Correct Answer: C [July 18]
Notes:
The 2018 Nelson Mandela International Day (NMID) marked the 100th birth anniversary of Nelson
Mandela, the former South African President & Nobel Peace Prize winner, i.e. on July 18. The Nelson
Mandela Foundation (NMF) dedicated this year’s Mandela Day to ‘Action Against Poverty’, honouring
Nelson Mandela’s leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. The
day is an opportunity to reflect on the life and work of a legend who embodied the highest values of the
United Nations (UN). Mandela was South Africa’s first black president, who spent 27 years in three
different prisons and was an anti-Apartheid icon who led a memorable life. His negotiations in the early
1990s with South African President F.W. de Klerk led to the end of the country’s apartheid system of
racial segregation. For their efforts, both of them jointly received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993.
36. What is the India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 20, as per Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s
latest report “Asian Development Outlook (ADO)”?
[A] 7.6%
[B] 7.5%
[C] 7.3%
[D] 7.4%
Correct Answer: A [7.6%]
Notes:
According to Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s latest report “Asian Development Outlook (ADO)”, India’s
GDP growth has been projected to rise 7.3% in current fiscal year FY19 (2018-19). The report, which was
published in April 2018, stated that Indian economy’s growth will further accelerate to 7.6% in FY20
(2019-20) because the measures taken to strengthen the banking system and tax reform will boost
investment. The report also pointed that South Asia, led by India will continue to be the fastest growing
sub-region despite rising tensions between the US and its trading partners. The ADO has also retained
the combined growth forecast for the major industrial economies — the US, the Euro zone and Japan —
as growth in the US and the Euro area remains robust.
37. Rajmata Satvashila Devi Bhosle, who passed away recently, was related to which of the
following organizations? Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[A] Sawantwadi sansthan

[B] Vishalgad sansthan
[C] Sangli sansthan
[D] Kolhapur sansthan
Correct Answer: A [Sawantwadi sansthan]
Notes:
Rajmata Satvashila Devi Bhosle (83), the noted activist from Konkan region in Maharashtra, has passed
away at Sawantwadi on July 18, 2018. She was associated with Sawantwadi Sansthan. She was the wife of
the last King of the Sawantwadi Kingdom late Shivramraje Bhosle who was coronated before the merger
of the princely state into Union of India.
38. Which city is hosting the 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting 2018?
[A] Durban
[B] Moscow
[C] New Delhi
[D] Beijing
Correct Answer: A [Durban]
Notes:
The 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting was held at Durban, South Africa on July 20, 2018. In it, J P
Nadda (the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) highlighted the achievements of India in the
health sector. He said that to reduce Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), India has already initiated
universal screening for prevention and management of five common NCDs including hypertension,
diabetes and three common cancers of oral cavity, breast and cervix at pan India level. Beside this, India
has started a unique initiative called AMRIT Deendayal pharmacy Centres that provide medicines for
cancer & cardiovascular diseases and cardiac implants at significantly reduced prices. Apart from this,
the unique programme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ has also launched that rests on the twin pillars of Health and
Wellness Centres for provision of comprehensive primary healthcare services and National Health
Protection Mission for secondary and tertiary care that aims to cover around 100 million families.
39. Which road suburban railway station in Mumbai has been rechristened as Prabhadevi station?
[A] Boisar
[B] Andheri
[C] Churchgate
[D] Elphinstone

Correct Answer: D [Elphinstone]

Notes:
On July 19, the Elphinstone Road station on the suburban rail network of Mumbai has been rechristened
as Prabhadevi station in honour of a local deity Prabhadevi and to erase a “colonial” name. The new
nomenclature of the station will be PBHD. The station was named after Lord Elphinstone who had taken
over as the then Governor of Bombay in 1853 (1853-1860), the year railways were introduced in India. The
deity Prabhadevi also has its own importance as the area is locally known as Prabhadevi, after the temple
that was first established by Raja Bhimdev in 13th century.
40. Which state government has launched an online portal ‘Aabhaar Aapki Sewa Ka’ for
pensioners?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Chhattisgarh
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Correct Answer: B [Chhattisgarh ]
Notes:
The Chhattisgarh government has launched an online portal and mobile app ‘Aabhaar-Aapki seva ka
(Gratitude-For Your Service)’ to provide transparency in the pension facility. Through this app and the
website, 80,000 pensioners of the state will now get all the information related to pension and payment
online. The pensioners will get the benefit of senior pension with the State government’s 7th pay scale
before January 1, 2016. This pension system was launched by the Online Pension Management System
(OPMS) for the pensioners of the state.
41. Which non-banking finance company has won the 2018 NABARD award for its service to Self-
Help Group (SHG) linkage?
[A] Muthoot Finance Ltd
[B] Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd
[C] Repco Micro Finance Ltd
[D] Bajaj Finance Ltd
Correct Answer: C [Repco Micro Finance Ltd]
Notes:
Repco Micro Finance Ltd (RMFL), a non-banking finance company promoted by Repco Bank, has won the
2018 NABARD award for its service to Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage in Tamil Nadu for the fiscal year
2017-18. Since its inception, the NBFC has disbursed loans amounting to Rs 2,500 crore to over 10 lakh
beneficiaries through 50,000 SHGs.
42. Viresh Kundu has won bronze in which Greco-Roman wrestling category at the 2018 Asian
Junior Championships in New Delhi?
[A] 97kg category
[B] 86kg category
[C] 69kg category
[D] 78kg category
Correct Answer: A [97kg category]
Notes:
Viresh Kundu has won bronze in the 97kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the 2018 Asian Junior
Championships in New Delhi on July 18, 2018. Viresh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh and trains in
Zirakpur, defeated South Korea’s Jeongyul Kwon by 14-5 in the 97 kg Bronze medal play-off to win his
first international medal.
43. What is the theme of the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue 2018?
[A] ASEAN-India Relations: Peaceful Village
[B] ASEAN-India Relations: Way for next 25 Years
[C] Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Co-operation
[D] Strengthening India-ASEAN Eco-Social Co-operation

Correct Answer: C [Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Co-operation]
Notes:
On July 19, the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue has started in New Delhi with theme ‘Strengthening
India-ASEAN Maritime Co-operation’. The Delhi Dialogue is a premier annual track 1.5 event to discuss
politico-security, economic and socio-cultural engagement between India and ASEAN. In the 2-day
event, the political leadership, policymakers, officials, diplomats, business leaders, think-tanks and
academicians from India and ASEAN Member States are participating in the discussions. This is the first
major event to be organized after the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit that was held in New Delhi
in January 2018.
44. Which of the following countries has passed a law to declare that only Jews have right of self-
determination?
[A] Palestine
[B] Israel
[C] Spain
[D] New Zealand
Correct Answer: B [Israel]
Notes:
Israel has passed a law to declare that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. The
nation-state law, backed by the right-wing government, was passed by a vote of 62 for and 55 against
and two abstentions in the 120-member parliament after months of political argument. The law was
enacted just after the 70th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel. It stipulates that Israel is the
historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination
in it. The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official language alongside Hebrew, downgrading
it to a special status that enables its continued use within Israeli institutions. The members of the Arab
minority have criticized the law as racist and verging on apartheid.
45. Myanmar has become the 68th signatory to the Framework Agreement of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA). Where is the headquarters of ISA?
[A] Australia
[B] France
[C] Belgium
[D] India
Correct Answer: D [India]
Notes:
Recently, Myanmar has joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) and became the 68th
signatory to the Framework Agreement of the ISA. The primary aim of the alliance is to work for
efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It is headquartered at Gwal
Pahari village in Gurugram, Haryana. The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015. It is open to all 121
prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
46. Gopal Das Neeraj, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?
[A] Journalism
[B] Cartoon
[C] Poetry
[D] Sports
Correct Answer: C [Poetry]
Notes:
Gopal Das Neeraj, the Doyen of Hindi poetry, has passed away in New Delhi on July 19, 2018. Neeraj, who
was awarded Padma Shri (1991) and Padma Bhushan (2007), was born in Purvali village of Uttar
Pradesh’s Etawa district. He won 3 Filmfare awards and penned some of the all-time hits like Likhe jo
khat tujhe. His works include: ‘Dard Diya Hai’, ‘Asawari’ ‘Likh Likh Bhejat Pati’ and more.

47. What is the theme of 2018 World Youth Skills Day (WYSD)?
[A] Skills for All
[B] Improving the image of TVET
[C] Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment
[D] World Skills for peace and prosperity
Correct Answer: B [Improving the image of TVET]
Notes:
The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed every year on July 15 to call for increased prospects for
youth to gain access to quality training and skills development. The purpose of the day is to spread
awareness on the importance of youth developing skill development. The 2018 theme is “Improving the
image of TVET (Technical & Vocational Education and Training)”.
48. Which IIT institute has developed an online tool “TreadWill” to help people deal with mental
health issues?
[A] IIT Delhi
[B] IIT Bombay
[C] IIT Kanpur
[D] IIT Indore Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Correct Answer: C [IIT Kanpur ]

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed an online tool “TreadWill” to help people
cope with issues related to mental health. The tool has been developed by a team with collaborative
support from the Computer Science and Engineering and Humanities and Social Sciences, HSS
(Psychology) departments. TreadWill is a website designed to help people deal with stress, low mood,
lethargy and other depressive symptoms through different online exercises, questionnaires and games.
It will help in overcoming depressive symptoms and becoming more resilient against stressful events in
the future.
49. Who has been appointed the new vice-chancellor of the Panjab University (PU)?
[A] Kapil Kapoor
[B] Shankarji Jha
[C] M Jagadeesh Kumar
[D] Raj Kumar
Correct Answer: D [Raj Kumar]
Notes:
Professor Raj Kumar of the Banaras Hindu University has been appointed the new vice-chancellor (V-C)
of the Panjab University (PU) in Chandigarh. The term of the appointment will be 3 years with effect
from July 23, 2018, or from the date he assumes charge as V-C. He will succeed Arun Kumar Grover. The
appointment was made by the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is chancellor of the university, by
exercising powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947.
50. Which Indian sportsperson has clinched historic men’s singles gold at Asia Badminton Junior
Championship 2018?
[A] Lakshya Sen
[B] Pranav Chopra
[C] Sameer Verma
[D] Kunlavut Jadeja
Correct Answer: A [Lakshya Sen]
Notes:
Lakshya Sen from India has clinched historic men’s singles gold at the Asia Badminton Junior
Championship 2018 in Jakarta on July 22. In the final, he defeated top-seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of
Thailand by 21-19, 21-18. With this, he became the 3rd Indian shuttler to win singles gold at the
competition after Gautam Thakkar and Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu. Sindhu, who is an Olympic

silver medalist, won the title in 2012 while Thakkar won gold all the way back in 1965.
51. Which country has announced plans to explore concepts to save UNESCO World Heritage-
listed Great Barrier Reef?
[A] Indonesia
[B] Malaysia
[C] Maldives
[D] Australia
Correct Answer: D [Australia ]
Notes:
Recently, Australia announced plans to explore concepts such as firing salt into clouds and covering
swathes of water with a thin layer of film in a bid to save the embattled Great Barrier Reef. The UNESCO
World Heritage-listed reef, about the size of Japan or Italy, is reeling from two straight years of
bleaching as sea temperatures rise because of climate change. The site contains the world’s largest
collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. Experts
have warned that the 2,300-kilometre long area could have suffered irreparable damage. To resolve the
issue, the Australian Government offered US$1.5 million to attract innovative ideas to protect the site.
Out of 69 submissions, 6 schemes has been shortlisted that will be tested to see if they are feasible. The
short-listed projects include mass producing coral larvae with the aid of 3D-printed surfaces to support
new growth, and large-scale harvesting and relocation of larvae.
52. Afghan player Samira Asghari has been nominated for the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) membership. She is associated with which sports?
[A] Football
[B] Sprint
[C] Basketball
[D] Boxing
Correct Answer: C [Basketball ]
Notes:
A young Afghan basketball player, Samira Asghari has been nominated for the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) membership. She is among 9 candidates for membership of the body in a move to boost
women’s rights. Regarding to this, IOC President Thomas Bach stated that the nomination of Samira
Asghari will send a message not only to men and women in Afghanistan but also in all those countries
where women are facing serious obstacles to pursue sport. For membership, 5 of the 9 candidates due to
be voted in October are “Individual Members” proposed by a special committee, 3 of those are women.
The other four represent either National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or international sports
federations (IFs) which are entitled to representation. All four are men.
53. Mansi Ahlawat bagged Silver in which wrestling category at the 2018 Junior Asian Wrestling
Championships in New Delhi?
[A] 57 kg category
[B] 53 kg category
[C] 51 kg category
[D] 54 kg category
Correct Answer: A [57 kg category]
Notes:
In the Junior Asian Wrestling Championships 2018, Indian wrestler Mansi Ahlawat had to settle for a
Silver after she lost to Japan’s Akie Hanai in the 57 kg category final in New Delhi on July 20. In the 53
kilogram category, the Bronze medal was won by Swati Shinde after she defeated Thailand’s Duangnapa
Boonyasu in the play-off. Earlier, India had clinched a Silver medal through Divya Kakran in the 68 kg
category, while the two Bronze medals came through Reena in 55 kgs and Karuna in 76 kgs.
54. Which country to host the 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] Nepal
[C] Sri Lanka

[D] Myanmar
Correct Answer: B [Nepal]
Notes:
The 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018 will be held in Kathmandu from 30 to 31 August. The main focus of the
summit will be to increase connectivity between the BIMSTEC nations including roads, airways and
transmission lines. The Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional economic bloc comprising 7 member states lying in the littoral and
adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. The group was formed in
1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is
the current chair of BIMSTEC. It focuses on 14 areas of cooperation, including trade and investment,
technology, energy, transport and communications, tourism, counter-terrorism and climate change.
55. Which of the following central oil PSUs has/have signed Joint Venture (JV) pact for North –
East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid (N-ENGPG)?
[A] IOCL
[B] ONGC
[C] GAIL
[D] All of the above Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |

Notes:
In a major initiative to connect all the North-East (N-E) states to the National Gas Grid, the 5 central oil
PSUs – IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL, and NRL – have signed a joint venture agreement for executing the
North – East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid (N-ENGPG) in Guwahati on July 19, 2018. As per the agreement, a
Joint Venture (JV) company will develop, build, operate and maintain the Natural Gas Pipeline Grid
(NGPG) connecting Guwahati to the other major North -Eastern cities and major load centres such as
Numaligarh Refinery and integrating it with gas producing fields in the region. The project will connect
the state capitals of all the 8 NE states – Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura,
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with an expenditure of Rs 6000 crore for 1500 Km length gas pipeline in
a tentative four years time schedule. The project will be implemented in 3 phases.
56. The Government of India (GoI) has launched the Student Police Cadet Programme to build
bridge between Police and the larger community. The programme will cover which of the
following topics?
[A] Fight against Corruption
[B] Values and ethics
[C] Disaster Management
[D] All of the above
Notes:
On July 21, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the Student Police Cadet Programme
to build a bridge between the Police and the larger community through school students by inculcating
values and ethics in them. The programme focuses on students of Class 8 and 9th and special care has
been taken to ensure that it does not lead to increase the workload of students. The programme does not
have any prescribed text book nor is any exam envisaged. Only one class in a month is proposed. The
programme seeks to cover broadly two kinds of topics: Crime prevention and control, and Values and
ethics. Under the first part, the topics covered are – Community Policing, Road Safety, Fight against
Social Evils, Safety of Women & Children, Fight against Corruption and Disaster Management. The
topics covered under the second part are – Values & Ethics, Respect for Elders, Empathy & Sympathy,
Tolerance, Patience, Attitude, Team Spirit and Discipline. The programme will first be implemented in
government schools in both urban and rural areas.
57. The Lok Sabha has recently passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 to attach &
confiscate assets of defaulters. The cases involved in economic offences of how much value will
come under its purview?

[A] Rs 500 crore or more

[B] Rs 100 crore or more
[C] Rs 1000 crore or more
[D] Rs 50 crore or more
Correct Answer: B [Rs 100 crore or more]
Notes:
During the monsoon session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill
2018, which will empower authorities to attach and confiscate properties and assets of economic
offenders like loan defaulters & fraudsters who flee the country. The bill will replace an ordinance
promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind in April 2018. It is expected to re-establish the rule of law as
the accused will be forced to return to India and face trial for his offences. The bill proposes the
formation of a special court under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) to declare a
person a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO). A FEO is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been
issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or
being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution. The cases where the total value
involved in such scheduled offences is Rs 100 crore or more, will come under its purview.
58. Which Indian personality has been crowned the Miss Asia (Deaf) 2018 ?
[A] Deshna Jain Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[B] Pratista Sharma

[C] Sonali Bhargav
[D] Chandra Prabha Kumari
Correct Answer: A [Deshna Jain]
Notes:
Deshna Jain (20), who is from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, has been crowned the 2018 Miss Asia
(Deaf) title and was the 3rd runner-up in the 2018 Miss International (Deaf) contest held in Taipei,
Taiwan, from July 8-July 16. At 20, she is also the youngest contestant to take part in the event. It’s the
first time since 2009 that an Indian has won any title in the much coveted Miss and Mister Deaf
International pageants. Earlier, Deshna became the Miss India (Deaf) 2018 in Jaipur, Rajasthan and
represented the country at international platform.
59. Who has been named as the 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year in the
men’s category?
[A] Anirudh Thapa
[B] C R Srikrishna
[C] Sunil Chhetri
[D] Subrata Pal
Correct Answer: C [Sunil Chhetri]
Notes:
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri was named the 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF)
Player of the Year in the men’s category. Recently, Chhetri became the 2nd Indian footballer to play 100
international games after Baichung Bhutia. He is a star striker for both India and Bengaluru FC. Beside
him, Kamala Devi was adjudged the 2017 AIFF Woman Player of the Year and Young Anirudh Thapa was
declared as the 2017 Emerging Player of the Year. E Panthoi was named as the 2017 woman Emerging
Player of the Year.
60. NABARD has launched the South East Asia’s first-ever Centre for Climate Change (CCC) at
which Indian city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Udaipur
[C] Shimla
[D] Lucknow
Correct Answer: D [Lucknow]

Notes:
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched the South East Asia’s
first-ever Centre for Climate Change (CCC) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The purpose of the centre is to
accelerate concerted climate action by various stakeholders in government, private, financial and non -
government actors. The Lucknow Centre would help NABARD in increasing its capacity building efforts
manifold. Besides, the new institution would also extend professional support to stakeholders for
designing climate related projects and take up collaborative studies and action research projects in area
of climate change. It would also support capacity building and project preparation effort in developing
countries in the region as also in Africa.
61. Which state police has launched drive to bust an international smuggling racket of pangolin?
[A] Assam
[B] Odisha
[C] Meghalaya
[D] Tripura
Correct Answer: B [Odisha]
Notes:
The Odisha police has launched a drive to bust an international syndicate that peddles “endangered”
pangolin, one of the world’s most illegallyVineet
traded mammals. Through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty
(MLAT), the Odisha police will crack the international pangolin smuggling racket. MLAT is an agreement
between nations to exchange information or provide legal assistance for enforcing laws. Pangolins are
the only known mammals with large keratin scales and they use those scales to protect themselves from
predators in the wild. They are toothless, nocturnal, live in burrows and feed mainly on ants and
termites. Of the 8 species found worldwide, two are found in India: Indian Pangolin (Manis
crassicaudata) and Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). Both the species are listed in Schedule I of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Hence, hunting, trade or any other form of utilisation of the species or
their body parts and derivatives is banned. Beside this, In the International Union for Conservation of
Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, Chinese pangolin are listed as “critically endangered” and Indian Pangolin as
“endangered”.
62. Which most advanced System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting has been launched the
Union Government in Delhi?
[A] SATARA
[B] SAHAR
[C] SAFAR
[D] SAPAR
Correct Answer: C [SAFAR ]
Notes:
Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union Environment Minister, has launched a state-of-the-art Air Quality and
Weather Forecast System– SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) at Chandni Chowk
in Delhi on July 21, 2018. The system, first of its kind in India, was developed indigenously in record time
by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological
Department (IMD). The new system will be able to track UV-Index, PM1, Mercury and Black carbon in
real time. SAFAR will monitor all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed
and wind direction. In addition to regular air quality parameters like PM2.5, PM10, Sulfur Dioxide,
Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, the new system will also monitor the existence of Benzene,
Toluene and Xylene. It will be an integral part of India’s first Air Quality Early Warning System
operational in Delhi and will strengthen the existing air quality network of SAFAR, Central Pollution
Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
63. Which state has topped the list of best-governed states, as per Public Affairs Index (PAI) for
2018?
[A] Kerala
[B] Bihar
[C] Karnataka
[D] Gujarat

Correct Answer: A [Kerala ]

Notes:
According to the Public Affairs Index (PAI) for 2018, Kerala stands as the best-governed state in the
country, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat. Apart from this, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha ranked the lowest on the index, indicating higher social and
economic inequalities. The Bengaluru-based think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC ) has been releasing
the index annually since 2016 and ranks the states according to their socio-economic development. The
think tank PAC was founded in 1994 by renowned Indian economist and scholar late Samuel Paul. It
works to mobilize a demand for better governance in the country.
64. Which of the following is the official mascot for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games?
[A] Someity
[B] Keito
[C] Zabivaka
[D] Miraitowa
Correct Answer: A [Someity]
Notes:
On July 22, the official mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been unveiled
during a ceremony in the Japanese capital Tokyo.
Vineet The Olympic
Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | mascot “Miraitowa” is a blue-checked
pointy-eared figure, which fuses the Japanese words ‘mirai’, which means future, and ‘towa’, which
means eternity. Its Paralympic counterpart “Someity” is derived from a type of cherry blossom ‘Somei-
yoshino’. It is represented as a pink-checked and wears a cape and is sounds similar to English phrase
“So mighty”. The Tokyo Olympics are schedule to run from July 24 to August 9, 2020. The Paralympics
will take place between August 25 and September 6.
65. Which Indian wrestler clinched gold in 74 kg freestyle category in junior Asian wrestling
Championships 2018?
[A] Deepak Punia
[B] Mohit Sharma
[C] Suraj Rajkumar Kokate
[D] Sachin Rathi
Correct Answer: D [Sachin Rathi]
Notes:
India won 8 medals in the 2018 Junior Asian Wrestling Championship (JAWC) which concluded in New
Delhi on July 22. The medals comprised 2 gold, 3 silver and as many bronze. Here, Indian wrestler Sachin
Rathi won gold in 74 kg freestyle category by defeating Bat-Erdene of Mangolia in the final on July 22.
Beside him, Deepak Punia also clinched gold in 86 kg weight category in the event. Suraj Rajkumar
Kokate and Mohit have won bronze in the 61Kg and 125kg category, respectively. Iran with 189 points
topped the team championship. India with 173 points finished second while Uzbekistan with 128 points
came third.
66. Which typhoon has recently hit Chinese financial hub Shanghai and disrupted transport and
shipping?
[A] Typhoon Ampil
[B] Typhoon Maria
[C] Typhoon Jelawat
[D] Typhoon Ketsana
Correct Answer: A [Typhoon Ampil]
Notes:
On July 22, Typhoon Ampil hit Chinese financial hub Shanghai that brought heavy rainfall and disrupted
transport and shipping. More than 600 flights from the city’s two airports were cancelled and high-
speed rail services also impacted. The National Meteorological Centre stated that the typhoon first hit
the island of Chongming, 45 km east of the city, with winds of up to 100kmh near its eye. As per reports,
the city had already relocated 190,000 people from coastal areas. It said that Shanghai Tower, the tallest
building in China, has suspended rooftop sightseeing. In neighbouring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces,
more than 42,500 people were relocated. More than 28,000 ships, including 22,900 fishing boats, have
returned to port in Zhejiang.
67. The Government of India (GoI) has reduced the minimum annual deposit requirement for
accounts under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana from Rs. 1,000 to ____?
[A] Rs 550
[B] Rs. 350
[C] Rs. 250
[D] Rs. 750
Correct Answer: C [Rs. 250]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has reduced the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts
under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 250. The move will enable more people to take
advantage of the girl child savings scheme. The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi
Account Rules, 2016 for the purpose. The interest rate on Sukanya Samriddhi account is revised every
quarter, just like other small savings schemes and PPF. For the July-September quarter, the rate has
been fixed at 8.1%. Under the scheme, a parent or legal guardian can open an account in the name of the
girl child until she attains the age of 10 years. As per the government notification on the scheme, the
account can be opened in any post office branch and designated public sector banks. The deposits made
to the account, and also the proceeds and maturity amount, would be fully exempted from tax under
section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Deposits can be made up to 14 years from the date of opening of the
account. After this period, the account will only earn interest as per applicable rates.
68. Fakhar Zaman, who has become the fastest player to score 1000 ODI runs, is belong to which
country?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] Australia
[C] Pakistan
[D] South Africa
Correct Answer: C [Pakistan]
Notes:
Fakhar Zaman from Pakistan has become the fastest player to score 1000 runs in One-Day International
(ODI) cricket during the 5th match against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on July 22, 2018. He took 18 innings
to achieve the feat and broke West Indies great Vivian Richards’ record. Richards was the first crickter to
complete 1000 runs in ODIs, in Jan 1980, in his 21st innings. Apart from this, Zaman also became the
first Pakistan batsman to score a double ton in ODI cricket history and also stitched a world record
partnership of 304 runs for the opening wicket with Imam-ul-Haq. For India, Captain Virat Kohli holds
the record for being the fastest Indian to cross the 1000-run mark after he took 24 innings to reach the
milestone.
69. NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with which pharmaceutical company to
collaborate in Aspirational Districts Programme?
[A] Cipla
[B] Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
[C] Aurobindo Pharma
[D] Lupin Foundation
Correct Answer: D [Lupin Foundation]
Notes:
The NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Lupin Foundation to collaborate in
Aspirational Districts Programme. The purpose of the programme is to improve indicators in education,
health and nutrition, financial inclusion and skill development, agriculture and water resources, and
basic infrastructure in Aspirational Districts of India. As per the terms of the SoI, Lupin Foundation,
with the NITI Aayog, will work in 3 states – Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan – to facilitate
the creation of an ideal template to develop economic strength, technological viability and moral
leadership across three districts in these states as part of Phase I of the cooperation. The phase I of this

cooperation with NITI Aayog will focus on the districts of Dholpur in Rajasthan, Nandurbar in
Maharashtra and Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, and help develop a comprehensive district-level action
plan with integrates various initiatives and interventions.
70. Which ministerial committee has been set up by the Odisha government for development of
Odia film industry?
[A] S B Behera committee
[B] Prafulla Samal committee
[C] Ananta Das committee
[D] Kirti Patnaik committee
Correct Answer: A [S B Behera committee]
Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has set up a ministerial committee to prepare a draft policy for
the development of Odia film industry. The committee will also examine different problems being faced
by the Odia cinema industry and recommend measures for renovation of the Kalinga Studio, located on
the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The committee, headed by Finance Minister S B Behera, will have to
submit its report to the government within one month suggesting steps to be taken for the purpose.
71. Which state government has launched e-Pragati Core initiative to provide integrated services
to citizens?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Karnataka
[D] Kerala
Correct Answer: A [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government has launched ‘e-Pragati core initiative’ at Undavalli to provide
integrated services to citizens. The aim of the digital initiative is to connect citizen to 34 departments,
336 autonomous organisations and 745-plus government services. In simple words, e-Pragati will act as
a platform to connect all departments and stand alone to resolve the issues. As of now, the initiative
offers around 20 services and 100 more will be added by the year-end. The e-Pragati authority will
achieve the goals of the project by supporting the seven development missions launched in the areas of
e-Governance, Social Empowerment, Skill Development, Urban Development, Infrastructure, Industrial
Development and the Services sector. Through this project, the State government intends to realise the
vision of ‘Sunrise AP 2022’.
72. Who has been named the first-ever female high court chief justice of Pakistan?
[A] Asifa Quraishi
[B] Riffat Hassan
[C] Maria Ulfah
[D] Tahira Safdar
Correct Answer: D [Tahira Safdar]
Notes:
Justice Tahira Safdar has been named as the new Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court. With this,
she will become the first-ever female high court chief justice in Pakistan. Justice Safdar will take charge
of her new role following the retirement of incumbent Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Mohammad
Noor Muskanzai, who attains superannuation on 31 August. Safdar belongs to Quetta and is the
daughter of renowned lawyer Syed Imtiaz Hussain Baqri Hanafi. She made history in 1982 when she
became the first woman civil judge in Balochistan. Currently, Justice Tahira is a member of the 3-judge
special court conducting the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf for committing treason by
proclaiming a state of emergency on 3 November, 2007.
73. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue new 100 Rupee notes with motif of which
UNESCO World Heritage site?
[A] Sanchi Stupa

[B] Rani Ki Vav

[C] Hampi
[D] Konark
Correct Answer: B [Rani Ki Vav]
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue new Rs 100 denomination currency notes in the
Mahatma Gandhi series. The base colour of the new denomination is lavender and contains other
designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme both at the observe and reverse.
The dimension of the banknote will be 66m x 142 mm which is the same size as that of the Rs 200 note.
The obverse (front) side of the note contains a see-through register with denominational numeral 100, a
latent image with the numeral and also a Devanagari version of the same. The new banknote has a motif
of ‘Rani Ki Vav’ (the Queen’s Stepwell) on the reverse, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The
heritage site is a stepwell located on the banks of Saraswati river in Patan, Gujarat. It was built as a
memorial to an 11th-century king Bhima I .
74. Which state government has released its first-ever tribal atlas to highlight the tribal
demography of the state?
[A] Manipur
[B] Madhya Pradesh Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[C] Odisha
[D] Tamil Nadu
Correct Answer: C [Odisha]
Notes:
On July 23, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released the first-ever tribal atlas of Odisha — a set of maps
and statistics – to highlight the tribal demography of the state. The atlas has been brought out utilising
the data of Census 2011 and other relevant statistics, which is said to be the first of its kind in the
country. The atlas has been prepared by the SC & ST Research and Training Institute in collaboration
with Academy of Tribal Language and Culture. It has been edited by Prof A B Ota, director of SC & ST
Research Institute, and reviewed by development commissioner R Balakrishnan. The atlas displays the
salient features of tribal population of Odisha with a series of maps, charts and diagrams. It contains 60
plates pf maps along with corresponding graphs and diagrams which portray the distributional aspects
of the Odisha’s tribal population, ecological setting of the tribal habitats, their socio-cultural attributes
such as linguistic/dialectical affinity, sex composition and literary levels.
75. The Union government has constituted which high-level committee to suggest laws against
mob lynching and violence?
[A] A.K. Dhasmana committee
[B] Rajiv Gauba committee
[C] Bhaskar Khulbe committee
[D] Inderjit Singh committee
Correct Answer: B [Rajiv Gauba committee]
Notes:
On July 23, the Union government has constituted a high-level committee to suggest laws against mob
lynching and violence. The high-level committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, will
submit its suggestions to the Home ministry within 4 weeks. Beside this, the government has also
constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to consider the
recommendation of the high level committee. The GoM will then examine the report and submit its
suggestions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The move came after the Supreme Court asked the
government to enact a law to deal with such incidents, terming them as “horrendous acts of mobocracy”.
76. The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in which
city?
[A] Agartala
[B] Dispur
[C] Guwahati
[D] Shillong
Correct Answer: A [Agartala]
Notes:
The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in Agartala,
Tripura on July 22-23, 2018. In the meeting both sides noted the positive impact of Border Haats on the
livelihoods of the people living in areas adjoining the Haats. Extensive discussions were held on issues
related to review of operations of the four functional Border Haats and suggestions for improvement,
timeline for setting up the six additional Border Haats that had earlier been agreed to by both sides and
the roadmap for further expansion of Border Haats. It was agreed that the next meeting would be held in
Bangladesh on mutually agreed dates. The Joint Committee also visited the Border Haat at Kamlasagar
(Sipahijala District, Tripura) – Tarapur (Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh) on 22 July 2018, appreciated its
vibrant functioning and noted the need for improvement of infrastructure.
77. The Lok Sabha has passed the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on cheque
bounce cases. The bill shall amend which act to resolve the issue?
[A] Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
[B] Negotiable Instruments Act 1882
[C] Negotiable Instruments Act 1880
[D] Negotiable Instruments Act 1884 Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Correct Answer: A [Negotiable Instruments Act 1881]
Notes:
On July 23, the Lok Sabha passed the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 that allows a court
hearing a cheque bounce case to direct the drawer — the person who wrote the cheque — to pay
interim compensation to the person who filed the complaint. The interim compensation, to be paid
within 60 days of the court’s order, can be up to 20% of the value of the cheque. The court may direct the
payee to repay the interim compensation, with interest, if the drawer is acquitted. Now , the bill will go
to the Rajya Sabha for its nod. If bill gets Parliament’s nod, it will preserve the sanctity of cheque
transactions by stopping the practice of people trying to deliberately delay cases through filing of
appeals and obtaining stay a on proceedings. The bill, which amends the Negotiable Instruments Act
1881, is aimed to reduce the number of cheque dishonour cases pending in courts.
78. The 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference 2018 will be organized by Bureau of Police
Research & Development (BPR&D). Where is the headquarters of BPR&D located?
[A] Lucknow
[B] New Delhi
[C] Patna
[D] Bhopal
Correct Answer: B [New Delhi]
Notes:
The 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference will be organized by Bureau of Police Research &
Development (BPR&D) with theme “Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police
Forces” in New Delhi on July 26, 2018. The 2-day conference will be inaugurated by Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh. It will be attended by over 100 Superintendents of Police & senior officers from
the States & CAPFs. The purpose of the 2-day conference is to create awareness among young
Superintendents of Police and Commandants regarding latest technologies in areas of Artificial
Intelligence; Predictive Policing/ Crime Analytics/ Big data Analytics; Geospatial Technology; Cyber
Crime; Surveillance Tracking & UAVs; CCTV Equipment, for effective delivery of Police Services to
citizens. The headquarters of BPR&D is located in New Delhi.
79. Who is the author of the book “The Dhoni Touch: Unravelling the Enigma That Is Mahendra
Singh Dhoni”?
[A] Nuwan Kulasekara
[B] Vijaya Kumar
[C] Jagdish Singh Rajput
[D] Bharat Sundaresan
Correct Answer: D [Bharat Sundaresan]

Notes:
The book “The Dhoni Touch: Unravelling the Enigma That Is Mahendra Singh Dhoni” has been authored
by Bharat Sundaresan. The author tracks down the cricketer’s closest friends in Ranchi and artfully
presents the different shades of Dhoni-the Ranchi boy, the fauji, the diplomat, Chennai’s beloved ‘Thala’,
the wicketkeeping Pythagoras-and lays bare the man underneath. The 203-page tome is an exercise in
finding out what makes Jharkhand’s universal hero remain an iceberg while the fires rage around him.
80. Which city to host the 3rd edition of Kabira festival 2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Mathura
[C] Varanasi
[D] Udaipur
Correct Answer: C [Varanasi ]
Notes:
The 3rd edition of Kabira festival 2018 will be held in Varanasi on November 16 to celebrate the spirit of
15th-century mystic poet Kabir. The annual festival conceived by the Mahindra group and Teamwork
Arts, will feature a two-day programme of music, literature, talks and city explorations. The festival will
reverberate with music, poetry, discussions and| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com
Vineet Singh more. It will| bring together incredible artists, writers
and performers who have imbibed the essence of Sant Kabir.
81. Which city is hosting the men’s team event of the World Junior Squash Championships 2018?
[A] Chennai
[B] Kolkata
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Kochi
Correct Answer: A [Chennai]
Notes:
The men’s team event of the World Junior Squash Championships 2018 has started in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu on July 24. A total of 24 countries, divided into 8 groups, are taking part. India has been seeded 5th
and placed in Group ‘E’ with Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Egypt, which has dominated in the individual
events of the world junior championship, has been given the top billing. It had finished runner-up at the
last edition in Poland in 2016. Canada has been seeded two and England three. Pakistan, winner of the
title in 2016, has been seeded a lowly 11th. The final is scheduled on July 29.
82. Who has won the 2018 Formula 1 German Grand Prix tournament?
[A] Kimi Raikkonen
[B] Sebastian Vettel
[C] Valtteri Bottas
[D] Lewis Hamilton
Correct Answer: D [Lewis Hamilton]
Notes:
Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver who races in Formula One for Mercedes AMG Petronas, has won
the 2018 Formula 1 German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring track in Germany.
83. The 19th Kargil Vijay Diwas 2018 has celebrated on which date?
[A] July 25
[B] July 26
[C] July 24
[D] July 28
Correct Answer: B [July 26]
Notes:
The Kargil Vijay Diwas (KVD) is celebrated every year on July 26 to commemorate India’s emphatic
victory against Pakistan. The day is named after the success of Operation Vijay. On this day, 26 July
1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders.
The celebrations of the 19th KVD 2018 has started at Drass War Memorial in Jammu and Kashmir on
July 24 and will continue till July 26. It remembers the supreme sacrifice of 500 war heroes who laid
down their lives and those who are still alive.
84. Who has been declared as the best male athlete in the 15th National Youth Athletics
Championships 2018?
[A] Jaydeep Rathod
[B] Navtejdeep Singh
[C] Dhanvir Singh
[D] V.A. Shashikanth
Correct Answer: C [Dhanvir Singh]
Notes:
Punjab shot-putter Dhanvir Singh set the new record at the 15th National Youth Athletics
Championships in Vadodara on July 23, 2018. He clinched gold medal by throwing 19.69m in his 5th
attempt to crack the record of 19.34m set by Navtejdeep Singh in 2011. In the event, Dhanvir was
declared as the best male athlete while Kerala’s sprint hurdler Aparna Roy won the honours in the girls
section. In women’s 400 metre hurdles, Kerala’s Priya won the gold and set the new record by crossing
the finish line in a season-best time of 1:02.52 seconds. In doing so, she erased the previous meet record
of 1:02.58 seconds set by P O Sanya in Bambolim in 2015. In women’s 200 metre race, Kerala’s Ancy Sojan
won the gold in 24.91 seconds. Haryana won the overall title with 165 points while Kerala (150) finished
in the 2nd place.
85. In which state, acid attack victims have been included under disability and will be eligible to
get all benefits as per Disabilities Act 2016?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Odisha
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Assam
Correct Answer: C [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
In Madhya Pradesh, acid attack victims have been included under disability and they will be eligible to
get all benefits of various schemes of the government as per Disabilities Act 2016. According to the
Commissioner of Social Justice and Disabled Welfare, now 21 types of disabilities including acid attack
have been included in place of 7 types of disabilities mentioned earlier in the Disabilities Act 2016. Not
only this, Disabled students will also be provided with laptops and tricycles under the Chief Minister’s
Disabled Education Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme vision impaired, hearing impaired, students
with bone deformities and mentally retarded students with minimum 50% marks in Class 9th and those
who have been admitted in Class 10th will be benefitted. The state government will also give 50%
discount to the disabled persons for travelling on buses. State Government has issued notification for
this and action will be taken against the bus operator who does not follow the order.
86. Which state government has recently decided to set up a separate directorate for the
Divyangs?
[A] Kerala
[B] Punjab
[C] Haryana
[D] Assam
Correct Answer: D [Assam]
Notes:
The Assam government has recently decided to set up a separate directorate for the Divyangs. The
Social Welfare minister, Pramila Rani Brahma said that appointment to Divyangs will be given at around
4500 posts by December 2018. Beside this, the Social Welfare department will also give Rs 1000 per
month to all Divyangs as stipend. The minister said that the new Anganwadi centres to be constructed
for the benefit of the women and children.

87. The Langshiang Falls is located in which state?

[A] Tripura
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] Meghalaya
[D] Nagaland
Correct Answer: C [Meghalaya]
Notes:
The Langshiang Falls is a major waterfall in the Kynshi River near the village of Sangriang, in West Khasi
Hills district of Meghalaya. The total height of the falls is generally quoted at around 337m.
88. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched which Childline contest to
spread awareness on human trafficking?
[A] #Childline1090
[B] #Childline1095
[C] #Childline1098
[D] #Childline1099
Correct Answer: C [#Childline1098] Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
Notes:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest “#Childline1098” to spread
awareness on human trafficking and to mark the 2018 World Day against Trafficking in Persons. In it,
people are invited to share images of the Childline 1098 logo that they spot at unique locations and send
it with a tagline. The #Childline1098 contest carries a cash price of Rs 2,000. The details of the contest
are available on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the ministry. The Childline 1098 is India’s first 24-
hour, free, nationwide emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. At present, it
is operational at 450 locations including 76 key railway stations. As Railways often act as carriers of
trafficked children, the Ministry signed an MoU with the Ministry of Railways to rescue and rehabilitate
runaway, abandoned, kidnapped and trafficked children via Railways.
89. Which union ministry has organized the 2nd meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition
Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan in New Delhi?
[A] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
[B] Ministry of Panchayati Raj
[C] Ministry of Food Processing Industries
[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Correct Answer: D [Ministry of Women and Child Development]
Notes:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has organized 2nd meeting of National
Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan on 24th July 2018 in New Delhi under
the Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. In it, it was declared that Month of
September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month (NNM) every year. During the meeting, the
National Council approved to include 32 new districts in the current year 2018-19 under POSHAN
Abhiyaan by which it will saturate all the districts of the UTs which are left to be included under Phase-I
and Phase-II. The POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched nationwide from
Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on 8th March 2018. It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition
for pregnant women, mothers and children.
90. Which country is hosting the 10th edition of BRICS Summit 2018?
[A] South Africa
[B] Brazil
[C] Russia
[D] China
Correct Answer: A [South Africa ]
Notes:

South Africa is hosting the 10th edition of BRICS Summit 2018 in Johannesburg on July 25 with theme
“BRICS in Africa – collaboration for inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the 4th industrial
revolution”. In it, the heads of the five BRICS nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are
participating. They are expected to deliberate on global hot-spot issues, international peace and security,
global governance and trade issues among others. The five BRICS countries account for 26% of the
world’s landmass and are home to 43% of the world’s population. The bloc is composed of emerging
markets and the developing world.
91. Pawan Shah, who is in news recently, is associated with which sports?
[A] Badminton
[B] Cricket
[C] Hockey
[D] Basketball
Correct Answer: B [Cricket]
Notes:
In Cricket, Pawan Shah has created history by registering the 2nd highest individual score in Under-19
internationals against hosts Sri Lanka in the first innings on the 2nd day of the final ‘Youth Test’ in
Hambantota on July 25, 2018. The Indian innings was declared when the 18-year-old Pawan Shah from
Pune was dismissed at 282. His score came off 332 balls with 33 boundaries and a six in just under 7
hours. With this score, Shah became the 2nd Indian to score a double-century after Tanmay Srivastava,
who had scored 220 against Pakistan in Peshawar in September 2006. Though, he failed to beat
Australian Clinton Peake’s 304 not out against India in Melbourne in 1995, which is still the highest
score at this Under-19 level.
92. Which city is hosting the 18th UNICEF International Children’s Film Festival 2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Chennai
[C] Kolkata
[D] Pune
Correct Answer: C [Kolkata ]
Notes:
The 18th UNICEF International Children’s Film Festival 2018 has been inaugurated by West Bengal
Governor K N Tripathi in Kolkata on July 25 in which 36 films from 17 countries would be screened. The
2018 theme is ‘Value of Girls’, which will be promoted through films, workshops and discussions. The
festival has been organised by Cine Central, one of the oldest cine clubs of the country in collaboration
with the UNICEF, Nandan and Talash Society. The inaugural film is Moana from the USA. After
screening of the opening film, the 2nd phase of the festival would be held from August 9 to 12 at Nandan,
and then the festival will be taken across the state and the films will be screened in different district
towns till September 30. Other films to be screened in the festival include Doctor Funes Formula
(Mexico), White Bridge (Iran), The Monkey King – Uproar in Heaven (China), The Magicians
(Netherlands), The Shamer’s Daughter (Denmark), Giraffada (France), We are the Best (Sweden).
93. Which state government has launched a plantation drive ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’?
[A] West Bengal
[B] Odisha
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Chhattisgarh
Correct Answer: B [Odisha]
Notes:
The Odisha government has launched a plantation drive ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ to stop soil erosion
and recharge groundwater reserve of Mahanadi river. Under the mission, more than 5 crore saplings will
be planted over an area of 41,000 hectares. The plantation will be done on either side of major rivers of
Odisha as well along roadside length of about 5,000 km over a period of five years at an expenditure of
around Rs 5,000 crore. To provide additional livelihood opportunities to the locals, the volunteers will
plant fruit-bearing trees like mango, jackfruit and jamun within one kilometre radius of the river bank.
Apart from Mahanadi, plantation will also be done on the banks of river Tel and Ib. The plantation drive

will be implemented jointly by the departments of Forest, Horticulture and Watershed Development.
94. India’s first state-run all-woman hotel “Hostess” will come up in which state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Karnataka
[C] Himachal Pradesh
[D] Mizoram
Correct Answer: A [Kerala]
Notes:
India’s first public sector hotel “Hostess” run entirely by women for women will come up in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The flagship project of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation
(KTDC) has been launched by the state Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran. ‘Hostess’ will offer
state-of-the-art facilities, including automated security features, technology-oriented check-ins and
check-outs, laundry service, complimentary breakfast, microwave oven and fitness centre. The facility
will have 22 AC rooms and two AC dormitories to host 28 people at a time. Rooms will be charged Rs
1,500 and the dormitory facility Rs 500 for four hours.
95. Which state government has recently constituted inter-district council to identify the
developmental priorities of the State? Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Haryana
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Assam
Correct Answer: B [Haryana ]
Notes:
The Haryana government has recently constituted an inter-district council, under the chairmanship of
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, to identify the developmental priorities of the State. The inter-
district council will prepare district specific action plans, assessment of development needs, and
delegate powers to panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies. Further the body will regularly
review the progress of various flagship programmes of the Centre and the state governments. The
finance minister, development and panchayat minister, urban local bodies minister, presidents of zilla
parishads, mayors of municipal corporations and presidents of municipal councils or committees at
district headquarters would be permanent members of the council.
96. Which former chairman of Coal India Ltd (CIL) has authored the book “When Coal Turned
Gold: The Making of a Maharatna Company”?
[A] Gopal Singh
[B] PB Bhattacharyya
[C] Suresh Kumar
[D] Sutirtha Bhattacharya
Correct Answer: B [PB Bhattacharyya]
Notes:
The book “When Coal Turned Gold: The Making of a Maharatna Company” has been authored by Partha
Sarathi Bhattacharyya, the former chairman of Coal India Ltd (CIL). The author tells the story of how he
dealt with the Dhanbad coal mafia, how he changed the way the industry was perceived, how he dealt
with the trade unions and the government and, most importantly, how he was able to script one of the
greatest success stories the country had ever seen. In all, it’s the story of Coal India Ltd’s (CIL)
transformation from a hugely loss-making enterprise since its formation in the 70s into a profitable
Maharatna PSU. It must be noted that CIL contributes to around 82% of India’s coal production and is
headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.
97. The National Traders Conclave 2018 has been organized in which city?
[A] Mumbai
[B] Chennai
[C] New Delhi
[D] Hyderabad
Correct Answer: C [New Delhi]
Notes:
The National Traders Conclave 2018 has been organized by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in
New Delhi from July 23 to 25 to address various grievances of the trading community and focus on
effective solutions. A speaker of CAIT informed that among the rising problems in trades in recent
times, FDI in both multi and single-brand retail and merger of Walmart and Flipkart are posing huge
challenges on Indian Market. Regarding to this issue, CAIT demanded that the Centre stop the Walmart-
Flipkart deal saying it would encourage predatory pricing and benefit only investors and promoters. The
conclave, which is being attended by 1,500 trade leaders, had decided to launch a nationwide movement
against the deal. The traders’ union also demanded that the government form a policy for e-commerce
and constitute a regulatory authority for such businesses. The headquarters of CAIT is located in New
Delhi.
98. Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel has bagged the Senior Fellowship Award for 2016-17 instituted
by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Centre (CCRT). The CCRT is an autonomous
organisation under which union ministry?
[A] Ministry of Human Resource Development
[B] Ministry of Minority Affairs Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs

[D] Ministry of Culture
Correct Answer: D [Ministry of Culture]
Notes:
Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel, a Kalaburagi-based artist, has bagged the Senior Fellowship Award for
2016-17 instituted by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Centre, an autonomous
organisation under the Union Ministry of Culture. The fellowship, which carries a cash of Rs 4.8 lakh, is
offered to those eligible to work on a particular subject in the field of art and culture for two years. Mr.
Patel is selected to work on Deccan Heritage with a special reference to Bahmani Sultanate through his
digital painting. He is the only artist from Karnataka selected for the fellowship for the year. Mr. Patel
has extensively travelled across the globe and exhibited his artworks in 24 countries. He is also the
recipient of National Lalitkala Academy award in 2014. As a freelance artist, he is currently serving as
member of the Karnataka Lalithakala Academy.
99. Which Bollywood personality has been conferred D Litt (Honoris Causa) by Kazi Nazrul
University in West Bengal?
[A] Sharmila Tagore
[B] Aishwarya Rai
[C] Rani Mukerji
[D] Kajol
Correct Answer: A [Sharmila Tagore]
Notes:
On July 26, Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore has been conferred D Litt (Honoris Causa) by West
Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at a special convocation of Kazi Nazrul University (KNU) held at
the Raj Bhawan. Tripathi, who is also the university Chancellor, also conferred D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) on
renowned scientist at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, S M Yusuf at the same occasion. Beside this,
Kazi Nazrul University had conferred honorary D Litt on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
during its third convocation at its Asansol campus on May 26.
100. Swapan Sarkar, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?
[A] Politics
[B] Sports journalism
[C] Law
[D] Art
Correct Answer: B [Sports journalism]

Notes:
Swapan Sarkar (67), the Veteran sports journalist, has passed away in New Delhi on July 26, 2018. He was
a versatile sports writer and covered football, tennis, cricket, badminton, table tennis and athletics for
his publications. He worked for a number of dailies and was also the Delhi sports correspondent of
Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) from mid 1990’s. Earlier, he had worked for Kolkata’s english daily Amrita
Bazar Patrika (ABP) and Northern India Patrika. He has briefly worked for Gujarat Samachar. Sarkar was
a regular in the Delhi sports circuit having covered events like 1982 Asian Games, 2010 Commonwealth
Games along with tournaments like Nehru Cup, Federation Cup, Durand Cup and DCM. He has also
covered events like Davis Cup, National Athletics meet.
101. The museum for all former Prime Ministers of India will be constructed in which city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Gandhinagar
[C] Lucknow
[D] Kolkata
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]
Notes:
The museum for all former Prime Ministers of India will be constructed in the Teen Murti Bhavan
complex that houses the Nehru Memorial Vineet
Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi. The decision was
taken at the 43rd annual general meeting of the NMML chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
on July 26, 2018. The Teen Murti Bhavan complex is spread over 25 acres and the present museum for
Jawaharlal Nehru occupied half an acre. The new museum would be constructed at a cost of Rs 270 crore
and will be separate from the existing structure of the Nehru Memorial. The NMML, as per the
Memorandum of Association, is mandated with five tasks and maintenance of a museum of Nehru
“personalia, memorabilia’’, and other objects pertaining to his life and the freedom movement is just one
of them. The other tasks include acquiring, maintaining and preserving papers of nationalist leaders of
modern India and other eminent Indians; establishing and maintaining a library on the history of
modern India; and facilitating research in modern Indian history.
102. Which state government has launched smartphone scheme “Sanchar Kranti Yojna” to the
people of the state?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Chhattisgarh
[C] Odisha
[D] Jharkhand
Correct Answer: B [Chhattisgarh]
Notes:
The ambitious scheme of Chhattisgarh government “Sanchar Kranti Yojna” has been launched by
President Ram Nath Kovind at Jagdalpur in the Naxal-affected Bastar region of the state on July 27,
2018. Under the scheme, 50 lakh smartphones will be distributed free of cost to rural households, urban
poor and college students across the state. The scheme, at an outlay of Rs 1,467.90 crore, is aimed at
increasing mobile penetration in a state, which is the lowest in the country at 29% against the national
average of 68%.
103. Which city hosted the Global Disability Summit 2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Paris
[C] London
[D] Geneva
Correct Answer: C [London]
Notes:
The Global Disability Summit 2018 was held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England on
24th July 2018. It was co-hosted by the UK government with the International Disability Alliance (IDA)
and the Government of Kenya to galvanize global efforts to address disability inclusion around the
world. The motto of the Conference was to firm up the commitments of the country leaders towards the
cause of persons with disabilities. From India, Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Union Minister for Social
Justice & Empowerment, attended the summit. Besides India, global leaders from more than 40
countries attended the summit and have committed themselves to work in the direction of economic
empowerment of persons with disabilities. The purpose of the summit was to raise global attention and
focus on a neglected area.
104. Which renowned historian authored the book “Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World
(1914-1948)”?
[A] Romila Thapar
[B] M G S Narayanan
[C] Sanjay Subrahmanyam
[D] Ramachandra Guha
Correct Answer: D [Ramachandra Guha]
Notes:
The book ‘Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World (1914-1948)’ has been authored by Ramachandra
Guha, the renowned historian and author. It will be published by Penguin Random House India and will
come in public domain in September 2018. As per sources, the book will not only narrate the story of
Gandhi’s life, from his departure from South Africa to his dramatic assassination in 1948, but also the
history of our freedom movement and its many strands. The book will also include new readings of
Gandhi ji’s arguments with B.R. Ambedkar, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Subhas Chandra Bose, among
others.
105. Which citizen centric platform has been jointly launched by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
and MyGov?
[A] Swachh India Platform
[B] Educate India Platform
[C] Innovate India Platform
[D] Indian culture Platform
Correct Answer: C [Innovate India Platform]
Notes:
The citizen centric online portal “Innovate India Platform” has been jointly launched by NITI Aayog’s
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and MyGov on July 26, 2018. The portal will serve as the common point
for all the innovation happening across the nation. Through the portal, users can view, comment, share,
and rate the innovations crowdsourced on the #InnovateIndia platform. They can view the leaderboard
which is calculated based on the votes on each innovation. Citizens can also share their or other
organisations’ innovation on the platform by logging into the MyGov website. These innovations can
also be shared on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.
106. The Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme will be implemented between centre and states (except for
northeast and special category states) in which ratio to empower rural women?
[A] 60:40
[B] 70:30
[C] 50:50
[D] 80:20
Correct Answer: A [60:40]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has approved a new scheme ” Mahila Shakti Kendra” to empower rural
women through community participation. The cost for implementing the scheme from 2017-18 up to
2019-20 would be shared in the 60:40 ratio between the Centre and states, except for North East and
Special Category States where the ratio is 90:10. The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels and
at the national level (domain based knowledge support) and state level (State Resource Centre for
Women) technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women is provided. This
information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, DR. Virendra Kumar in
reply to an Unstarred Question in the Rajya Sabha on July 26, 2018.
107. Who of the following Indians have won the 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award?

[A] Thodur Madabusi Krishna and Sanjiv Chaturvedi

[B] Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk
[C] Devdutt Pattanaik and Ramachandra Guha
[D] Medha Patkar and Kailash Satyarthi
Correct Answer: B [Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk]
Notes:
Two Indians, Dr. Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are named among the six winners of the
prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for the year 2018. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
stated in its citation that Vatwani is being recognised for his tremendous courage and healing
compassion in embracing India’s mentally-afflicted destitutes. Wangchuk has been recognised for his
uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote
northern India, improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth in Jammu and Kashmir. The others
award winners are from Cambodia, East Timor, Philippines and Vietnam. The Magsaysay Award
winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the image of the late Filipino leader Ramon
Magsaysay, and a cash prize. They will be conferred with the Magsaysay Award during a formal
presentation ceremony at the Cultural Centre in the Philippines on August 31, 2018. The award is often
referred to as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
108. IRDAI has constituted which committee to review third party motor cover costs?
[A] P J Joseph committee
[B] S P Chakraborty committee

[C] Nitin G Dossa committee
[D] D R Dharmaraj Bala committee
Correct Answer: A [P J Joseph committee]
Notes:
The 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. Apart from examining the third party cover pricing aspects, including data
related ones; the committee has been tasked to revisit the classification of vehicles, in view of the
development in the industry. Its term will be till December 31. This is for the first time IRDAI has formed
such a committee, which will be headed by IRDAI Member P.J. Joseph.
109. Which Assamese film bagged the best movie award at the 3rd Love International Film
Festival 2018 in Los Angeles?
[A] Amazon Obhijaan
[B] Xhoihobote Dhemalite
[C] Calendar
[D] Kothanodi
Correct Answer: B [Xhoihobote Dhemalite]
Notes:
Assamese film “Xhoihobote Dhemalite” (“Rainbow Fields”) has bagged three top awards at the 3rd Love
International Film Festival in Los Angeles. Besides the best movie, it also won the awards for best actress
(Dipannita Sharma) and best music (Anurag Saikia) at the festival. The film, which is directed by Bidyut
Kotoky, deals with the sensitive issue of children of Assam growing up in violent times and witnessing
brutality around them. Based on true events, the film also features seasoned actors like Victor Banerjee,
Nakul Vaid, Naved Aslam, Nipon Goswami and Nikumoni Barua. More than 150 films from 36 countries
were screened during the festival.
110. What is the theme of the 2018 World Hepatitis Day (WHD)?
[A] Hepatitis: Think Again
[B] Eliminate Hepatities
[C] Test. Treat. Hepatitis
[D] Know Hepatitis-Act now
Correct Answer: C [Test. Treat. Hepatitis]

Notes:
The World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is observed every year on July 28 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. The 2018 theme is “Test. Treat. Hepatitis”. Hepatitis is a viral infection that
causes inflammation in the liver. According to WHO’s official report ‘Eliminate Hepatitis’, “Viral
hepatitis affected 325 million people worldwide in 2015, with 257 million people living with hepatitis B
and 71 million people living with hepatitis C – the two main killers of the five types of hepatitis.
111. Indian mountaneer Shivangi Pathak has recently scaled which highest peak of Africa?
[A] Mt Speke
[B] Mt Stanley
[C] Mt Gurage
[D] Mt Kilimanjaro
Correct Answer: D [Mt Kilimanjaro]
Notes:
Shivangi Pathak (17) from Haryana, who became the India’s youngest women to scale Mt Everest from
Nepal side, has recently scaled the highest peak of Africa “Mt Kilimanjaro”, which is located in Tanzania.
The mountain is about 4,900 metres from its base to 5,895 metres above sea level. Her next target is to
scale Europe’s highest peak. Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
112. Who has been conferred with the Odisha’s highest literary award ‘Atibadi Jagannath Das
Samman’ for 2018?
[A] P K Kunhalikutty
[B] Ramakanta Rath
[C] P P Thankachan
[D] Ramesh Chennithala
Correct Answer: B [Ramakanta Rath]
Notes:
Noted litterateur Ramakanta Rath has been conferred with the Odisha’s highest literary award ‘Atibadi
Jagannath Das Samman’ for 2018 for his life time contribution to Odia literature. He received the award
at a special function organised by Odisha Sahitya Akademi on July 26, 2018. The award carries a citation
and cash prize of Rs one lakh. Rath, a Padma Bhusan awaredee, was earlier conferred with the Sahitya
Akademi Award in 1977, Saraswathi Samman in 1992, Bishuva Samman in 1990 and some others.
113. Cherkallam Abdullah, who passed away recently, was the noted politician from which state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Karnataka
[C] Kerala
[D] Telangana
Correct Answer: C [Kerala]
Notes:
Cherkallam Abdullah (76), the senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former Kerala
Minister, has passed away on July 27, 2018. He was a prominent leader of the Opposition Congress-led
UDF in north Kerala. A 4-time MLA from Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district since 1987, Abdullah was
the local self development minister in the A K Antony cabinet from 2001-2004.
114. Who has become the world’s oldest verified living person?
[A] Kane Tanaka
[B] Chiyo Miyako
[C] Nabi Tajima
[D] Jeanne Calment
Correct Answer: A [Kane Tanaka]
Notes:
Kane Tanaka (115), a Japanese super centenarian, has become the world’s oldest verified living person
following the death of Chiyo Miyako on July 22, 2018. Born on 2nd January 1903, Tanaka is in good
health, occasionally playing board games and taking short walks in the facility’s hallways. She credits
family, sleep and hope as her secrets for longevity.
115. Which Indian shuttler has lifted the 2018 men’s singles Russian Open Badminton trophy?
[A] H S Prannoy
[B] Kidambi Srikanth
[C] Sourabh Verma
[D] Rohan Kapoor
Correct Answer: C [Sourabh Verma]
Notes:
Ace Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma has lifted the 2018 Russian Open Badminton trophy at Vladivostok
on July 29. In the title clash, Sourabh defeated Japan’s Koki Watanabe by 18-21, 21-12, 21-17, and win his
first title of the season. In Mixed Doubles, the pair of Rohan Kapoor and Kuhoo Garg lost in the Final
against the Russian-Korean team of Vladimir Ivanov and Min Kyung Kim, 19-21, 17-21.
116. Which state government will implement Pranam Scheme to ensure that govt staff take care of
their parents & physically challenged siblings?
[A] Karnataka Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[B] Assam
[C] Tripura
[D] Odisha
Correct Answer: B [Assam ]
Notes:
In a unique and first-ever in the country, the Assam government has decided to implement a Pranam
Scheme to ensure that government staff take care of their parents & physically challenged siblings. The
scheme will part away with 10 to 15% of state government employees’ monthly salary if they are found
guilty of not taking adequate care of their dependent elderly parents and physically challenged siblings.
117. The Central government has launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control programme in
collaboration with which organisation to combat the disease by 2030?
[A] UNICEF
[B] UNHRC
[C] WHO
[D] UNISDR
Correct Answer: C [WHO]
Notes:
On 2018 World Hepatitis Day (WHD), the National Viral Hepatitis Control programme has been
launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) in New Delhi to combat the disease by 2030 in the country. Under the initiative,
free drugs and diagnostics for Hepatitis B and C will be provided at all government hospitals. This
initiative will provide laboratory testing and management of viral Hepatitis with a de-centralized
approach. The aim of the programme is prevention and treatment of Hepatitis which is inflammation of
the liver due to a viral infection. It is among the leading causes of liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and
acute failure of the organ. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-2030), diseases like
AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other
communicable diseases should be eliminated by 2030. Viral hepatitis was included as a focus area in the
health related goal Goal 3.3 with world leaders pledging to fight and eliminate it by 2030.
118. Which union ministry has launched Mission Satyanishtha on ethics in public governance for
its employees?
[A] Ministry of Railways
[B] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
[C] Ministry of Defence

[D] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Railways]
Notes:
In first of its kind event held by any government organization, the Indian Railways launched a program
“Mission Satyanishtha” on ethics in public governance for its employees at National Rail Museum in
New Delhi on July 27. The aim of the program is to sensitize all railway employees about the need to
adhere to good ethics and to maintain high standards of integrity at work.
119. Which country has been designated as a nodal centre for preparing flash-flood forecasts to
Asian nations by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)?
[A] Thailand
[B] Vietnam
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] India
Correct Answer: D [India]
Notes:
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated India as a nodal centre for preparing
flash-flood forecasts to Asian nations including
Vineet Singh Vietnam, Sri Lanka,
| vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com | Myanmar and Thailand. That means
the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will have to
develop a customized weather model that can issue advance warning of floods. Using a combination of
satellite mapping and ground-based observation, this system — called the Flash Flood Guidance System
— aims to provide forecasts six hours in advance. Like India, several south-east Asian countries depend
on the monsoon and are prone to its vagaries. The proposed model will provide forecasts by computing
the likelihood of rainfall and the soil moisture levels to warn of possible floods. The WMO has estimated
that flash floods account for 85% of flooding incidents across the world, causing some 5,000 deaths each
year.
120. It is in news that the tiger population in the reputed Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) has
doubled to 60 from 30. The MTR is located in which state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Karnataka
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Correct Answer: C [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
In Tamil Nadu, the tiger population in the reputed Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) has doubled to 60
from 30, due to intensive conservation efforts. The MTR is located in Nilgiri District of the state. On the
occasion of International Tiger Day (ITR-2018), forest officials and nature enthusiasts, in and around the
Annamalai, Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam tiger reserves in the state were engaged in a door to door
awareness programme for tiger conservation. The awareness programmes regarding the importance of
preserving the tiger population in the country, were held in various schools.
121. Which city is hosting the 2018 Unified Commanders’ Conference (UCC) to review country’s
security preparedness?
[A] Dharmshala
[B] New Delhi
[C] Raipur
[D] Srinagar
Correct Answer: B [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Unified Commanders’ Conference (UCC) for the year 2018 has started at New Delhi on July 30 to
review external security challenges as well as the country’s preparedness. The 2-day annual conference
will provide a platform for discussions at the Apex Level on all ‘Joint Issues’ among the three Services &
Ministry of Defence. The scope of this conference is to enable the forum to facilitate joint stock taking of

the previous year’s performance of all Services & Departments of Ministry of Defence and jointly chart
the course for the next year. The conference will be attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chiefs
of Army, Navy and Air Force among others.
122. The completed draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been officially published by
which state government?
[A] Assam
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] West Bengal
[D] Manipur
Correct Answer: A [Assam]
Notes:
On July 30, the second and final draft of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been officially
published bearing the names of 2 crore 89 lakh 83 thousand 677 citizens of the state. The NRC will
feature the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, who have been residing in the
North-eastern state before 25th March 1971. Out of 3,29,91,385 applicants 2,89,83,677 have been found
eligible for inclusion in complete draft of NRC. That means, the names of 40,07,708 people did not appear
in the NRC draft. The Registrar General of India, Mr Sailesh stated that persons whose names are not
included in the list will be informed individually about the reasons for non-inclusion. Apart from this,
the persons who do not find their names in the draft have the legal right to apply again by filing claims
on the NRC website or by visiting a NRC Seva Kendra from the 30th of August to 28th of September.
123. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a monitoring committee to oversee the
Yamuna rejuvenation project. Who is the The current chairperson of the NGT?
[A] Anupriya Patel
[B] Adarsh Kumar Goel
[C] Faggan Singh Kulaste
[D] Neeta Verma
Correct Answer: B [Adarsh Kumar Goel]
Notes:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a 2-member monitoring committee to oversee the
Yamuna rejuvenation project. The committee, comprising former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra
and retired NGT expert member Bikram Singh Sajwan, has been directed to submit the first action plan
by September 2018 and report by December 2018. The green panel also directed the Haryana and Uttar
Pradesh governments to assist the committee on the project. The Tribunal directed the authorities to
take strict action against encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains. It also directed the Delhi
Development Authority and the Delhi Jal Board to hold a meeting on July 30 for identifying land for
setting up of a sewage treatment plant on a drain which falls under phase-II of the Yamuna cleaning
programme. The current chairperson of the NGT is Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, retired Supreme Court
Judge.
124. The 2018 International Tiger Day (ITD) is observed on which date?
[A] July 29
[B] July 28
[C] July 30
[D] July 31
Correct Answer: A [July 29]
Notes:
The International Tiger Day (ITD) is celebrated every year on July 29 to spread the message to protect
these endangered species and assist in maintaining ecological integrity. It was created in 2010 at the
Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia with the goal to bring worldwide attention to the dwindling
numbers of tigers and their plight. According to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum (GTF), the
total number of wild tigers has risen to above 3,000 in 2016. The number is expected to increase in the
new tiger counting, which started in January 2018. India is home to 70% of tigers in the world.

125. Which country’s team has won the boy’s title at the WSF-World junior squash team
championship 2018?
[A] Czech Republic
[B] USA
[C] Egypt
[D] India
Correct Answer: C [Egypt]
Notes:
The Egypt squash team has won the boy’s title at the 6th WSF-World junior squash team championship
2018 by defeating England by 2-0 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on July 29. Egypt’s Marwan Tarek, who lost
the individual championship final, defeated Nick Wall of England in straight games. Czech Republic and
USA finished third and secured the bronze medal. Host India finished 11th overall.
126. Bajrang Punia has clinched gold in which wrestling category at the 2018 Yasar Dogu
International tournament?
[A] 68kg
[B] 57kg
[C] 85kg Vineet Singh | vineet.vineetsingh@gmail.com |
[D] 71kg
Correct Answer: D [71kg]
Notes:
Wrestler Bajrang Punia has clinched gold in the 71kg freestyle at the 2018 Yasar Dogu International in
Istanbul, Turkey. It was his second consecutive gold medal, after he recently won gold at the 2018 Tbilisi
Grand Prix in Georgia. Meanwhile, Sandeep Tomar finished with silver after losing 2-8 in the 61kg final
against Iran’s Mohammad bagher Yakhkeshi. In the women’s competition, Pinki was the lone gold
medallist in the 55kg category with her 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Olga Shnaider. Beside this, Sangeeta
Phogat (59kg) and Geeta (65kg) won bronze medals in their respective categories. Overall, Indian
wrestlers returned with 10 medals, including 7 by women in the event.
127. Which acclaimed Bengali author has passed away, whose story ‘Abhimanyu’ was made into a
Hindi movie ‘Ek doctor ki maut’?
[A] Vijayendra Ghatge
[B] Ramapada Chowdhury
[C] Sushant Sanyal
[D] Subhash Mukhopadhyay
Correct Answer: B [Ramapada Chowdhury]
Notes:
Acclaimed Bengali writer Ramapada Chowdhury (95), whose story ‘Abhimanyu’ was made into a Hindi
movie ‘Ek doctor ki maut’, has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on July 29, 2018. ‘Abhimanyu’ was
based on the life and work of Dr Subhas Mukhopadhyay who created India’s first and the world’s second
test-tube baby in 1978. Director Tapan Sinha turned the story into a award winning Hindi film ‘Ek doctor
ki maut’ in 1990. Mrinal Sen’s Hindi film ‘Ek din achanak’ (1989) was also based on Chowdhury’s story
‘Beej’. Chowdhury had penned famous literary works such as ‘Pratham Prahar’ (1954), ‘Banpalashir
padabali’ (1960), ‘Ekhoni’ (1969), ‘Kharij’, ‘Bari badle jay’ (1988), ‘Abhimanyu’ (1982). His last book ‘Harano
Khata’ was published in 2015. He was conferred the Sahitya Academy award for ‘Bari badle jay’ in 1988
and was also the recipient of Rabindra Puraskar, Ananda Puraskar and Rabindranath Tagore Memorial
International Prize.
128. Which state has become the first Indian state to implement the National policy on bio fuels?
[A] Kerala
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Punjab

Correct Answer: C [Rajasthan ]

Notes:
Rajasthan has become the first Indian state to implement the National policy on bio fuels, which was
launched by the Union Government in May 2018. The desert State will lay emphasis on increasing
production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields
of alternative fuels and energy resources. The policy on bio fuels seeks to help farmers dispose of their
surplus stock in an economic manner and reduce the country’s oil import dependence. It has expanded
the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing
materials, starch containing materials and damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice and rotten
potatoes for ethanol production.

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takers and bribe-givers.

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faulty ammunition during firing.

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World Economic Outlook (WEO)

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duties in transition periods of up to 7 years.

a banyan tree on Dalal Street.

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ISRO signs contracts with 3 vendors to assemble 27 Satellites

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days will not be charged with this offence.

importance of afforestation for task of Ganga Rejuvenation.

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Key Features of Bill

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ensuring that growth in the region remains robust.

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1997 through Bangkok Declaration. It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

strategic relationship between the two countries.

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implementation of various Government Programs.

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academic year 2017-2018.

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