- National:
- The Indian Government has extended the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for a period of two years up to June 30, 2024.
- On 19th July 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the amendments to two key bills: The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 and the Mediation Bill, 2021.
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has equaled the record set by former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and became India’s second longest-serving Chief Minister.
- 20th July 2023, the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) released a Revamped India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 (IESS 2047 V3.0) to assess the integrated impact of various green energy policies of Government of India.
- India’s first ever Construction Innovation Hub (CIH) has been established in Kerala to promote affordable and sustainable building facilities to foster collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
- The Indian Army launched an all-women motorcycle rally in partnership with TVS Motor Company to commemorate the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas. The rally, called the ‘Nari Sashaktikaran Women Motorcycle Rally’, started from the National War Memorial in Delhi and will end at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Ladakh.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘Semicon India 2023’, a premier showcase of India’s semiconductor capabilities and chip design innovation, on July 28 in Gandhinagar.
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive its first Airbus C295 transport aircraft in September 20231. IAF crews will carry out acceptance trials of India’s first C295 transport aircraft at the Airbus Defence and Space’s Seville facility in southern Spain in early September before taking delivery of the plane.
- On 20th July 2023, the government of Telangana and the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched the ‘Saagu Baagu’ (agriculture advancement) project Phase 1 Insights report in Telangana, Hyderabad.
- Economy:
- Sri Lanka is considering the possibility of allowing the usage of the Indian rupee for local transactions just like the dollar, euro and yen to facilitate Indian tourists and businessmen
- Go Airlines (India) Ltd has received claims worth ₹240 billion ($2.9 billion) from operational and financial creditors so far as part of the carrier’s ongoing insolvency
- Non-resident Indians (NRIs) who invest in India through Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) set up in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) can get tax exemption
- According to a report by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks wrote off bad loans worth over Rs 2.09 lakh crore during the financial year 2022-23. This loan write-off aided banks to bring down gross non-performing assets (GNPA) or loans defaulted by borrowers to a 10-year low of 3.9 percent of advances in March 2023.
- World:
- The International Seabed Authority’s member nations have agreed on a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep-sea mining regulations, despite conservationists’ calls for a moratorium on mineral extraction they say would avert marine threats.
- President Joe Biden is expected to sign a proclamation on Tuesday that establishes a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago whose abduction, torture and killing in Mississippi in 1955 helped propel the civil rights movement.
- Sports:
- Eight-time Paralympic medallist Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands and quad wheelchair tennis pioneer, Rick Draney of the United States, were elected to receive tennis’ ultimate honour – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
- Indian compound archers Sarita and Rakesh Kumar won India’s first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Para Championships after clinching the top podium in the compound mixed team open event.
- Shubhankar Sharma finished tied-eighth at the British Open, which is the best result by an Indian golfer at the Open Championship. He carded 68-71-70-70 to finish five under par in the tournament marked by unabating rain.
- Important Days:
- National Flag Adoption Day is celebrated on July 22 every year in India. The day celebrates the adoption of the Indian tricolour as the National Flag of India before independence.The theme of National Flag Adoption Day is to make people realize the value of the national flag and teach them to respect it the most.
- World Brain Day is celebrated on July 22 every year. The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) established this day to promote brain health and raise awareness about various neurological disorders. The theme for World Brain Day 2023 is ‘Brain Health and Disability: Leave No One Behind’.
- Obituary:
- Tony Bennett, the legendary pop, jazz and big-band vocalist, has passed away at the age of 96 after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease1. He was a 20-time Grammy winner and made history as one of the only artists to chart new albums each decade from the 1950s up to the present.
- Appointments:
- A. Madhavarao (Retd.) has assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on July 19, 2023. He had joined Bharat Dynamics Limited in March 2020 as Executive Director and was currently holding the post of Director (Technical) with additional charge of Director (Production)
- Vijay Sampla, the senior BJP leader, has resigned as the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Tuesday. He is likely to be given organizational responsibility in the saffron party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year.
Questions:
Q.1 When is National Flag Adoption Day celebrated in India?a. July 22
b. August 15
c. January 26
d. June 22
Q.2 How many Grammy Awards did Tony Bennett win during his career?
a. 10
b. 15
c. 20
d. 25
