- National:
- The meeting of Labour and Employment Ministers of G-20 countries took place in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The meeting was presided over by Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
- NITI Aayog convened an electric mobility enablers conference named “Policy Support & Enablers to Accelerate India’s Electric Mobility” to give a big boost to the growth of electric mobility in the country.
- India and the United States have jointly launched a call for proposals on Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives.
- UN Women and UNDP have launched a report called “The paths to equal: Twin Indices on Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality” in 2023. The report introduces two new indices: The Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) measures women’s power and freedoms to make choices.
- The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is conducting a Cell Broadcast Alert System testing in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to enhance emergency communication during disasters and ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.
- On 12th July 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a bill amending IIM Act to include the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) in Mumbai as the 21st Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
- NITI Aayog has released a revamped version of India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 (IESS 2047 V3.0) to assess the integrated impact of various green energy policies of the Government of India.
- The first-ever “Credit Guarantee Scheme” for Livestock Sector has been launched by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) to support the rural economy by leveraging Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Livestock sector.
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s One District One Product (ODOP) programme launched its first collaboration with the Government of Gujarat in New Delhi to promote the indigenous crafts and artisans of the State.
- The Coal Ministry has been awarded the “Best Engagement” Award for Procurement through the GeM Portal. The Ministry of Coal has successfully set new benchmarks in the e-procurement ecosystem, creating a level playing field for stakeholders and fostering fair competition.
- In a historic move, the Rajya Sabha has brought gender parity with the nomination of 50 per cent women members to the panel of Vice Chairpersons by reconstitution of the post.
- World:
- U.S. President Joe Biden will host a second summit with leaders of Pacific island nations in September. Joseph Yun, the U.S. official responsible for negotiations with three key Pacific island states said that the summit is expected to take place around the time of the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York in September.
- Iraq’s prime minister ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d’affaires from Sweden on Thursday as a man desecrated a copy of the Quran in Stockholm with permission from Swedish authorities.
- Sports:
- The Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have stormed into the semi-finals of the Korea Open 2023 badminton tournament. They won their quarter-final match against the Japanese pair Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
- India has been ranked 99th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings update, showing progress in international football. This is the first time since 2018 that India has entered the sub-100 region.
- The Indian surfing team won the bronze medal at the Asian surfing championship held at Thulisdhoo Island in Maldives. 18 countries from Asia took part in the championship. India’s star performer was Srikanth from Kovalam, who made it to the semifinals.
- Important Days:
- International Chess Day is celebrated on July 20th every year since 1966 to honor the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1924 . In 2023, it will be celebrated on Wednesday, July 20th.
- International Moon Day is celebrated on July 20th every year to mark the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission.The theme for International Moon Day 2023 is “Lunar Exploration Coordination & Sustainability”.
- Appointments:
- Director General Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. He is an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy and joined the Indian Coast Guard in January 1989.
- Awards:
- The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) has bagged the SKOCH Award under the theme “State of Governance India 2047” in the Gold category for its outstanding efforts in creating marketing avenues for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
- Moksha Roy, a seven-year-old Indian-origin girl, has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award for volunteering for several sustainability initiatives, including raising funds for children, since the age of three.
- Banking:
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) along with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have decided to ease rules for trading in stocks that remain under the Enhanced Surveillance Measure (ESM) framework.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Uttar Pradesh-based United India Co-operative Bank Limited as the bank doesn’t have adequate capital. Subsequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on July 19, 2023.
- Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched an environmental initiative called ‘PNB Palaash’. It is an eight-month campaign to embrace sustainability, which shall lead to cost savings and operational efficiencies through measures such as energy and resource conservation, paper reduction, waste management and streamlined digital processes.
- India’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank’s market capitalization touched $151 billion, becoming the 7th largest lender in the world. This comes days after HDFC Ltd merged with it, in a $40 billion deal.
Questions:
Q.1 When is International Moon Day celebrated?a. July 4th
b. July 20th
c. August 15th
d. September 5th
Q.2 What award did Moksha Roy receive for her volunteering efforts?
a. Nobel Peace Prize
b. Academy Award
c. Pulitzer Prize
d. Points of Light award
