NATIONAL NEWS
1.Chandrayaan 2 to be launched from Sriharikota at 2:43 pm:-
India’s expedition to the moon is all set to begin today with the launch of Chandrayaan-2 by using the heavy-lift launch vehicle GSLV-Mark-Three.
The rocket carrying the prestigious probe will be ignited at 2.43 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, some 90 kilometres off Chennai.Indian Space Research Organisation scientists said, the 20-hour countdown for the launch began last evening at 6.43 pm and is progressing smoothly. The launch rehearsal has been done by the scientists and engineers of the ISRO at Sriharikota on Sunday.The national space agency has said all the parameters during the rehearsal were found to be normal. Speaking to reporters in Chennai yesterday, ISRO chairman Dr Sivan said, that all preparatory arrangements have been put in place for the mission.Originally Chandrayaan-2 was planned to be launched on the 15th of this month. However, a technical snag was detected less than an hour before its scheduled lift-off, forcing the mission to be halted.To make up for the loss of seven days due to the delay in the launch, the flight duration of Chandrayaan-2 from the earth to the moon has been reduced from 54 days to 48 days by tweaking the flight path. Its lander will descend on the moon by September 7 as planned earlier.Dr Sivan said the scientists would perform fifteen crucial manoeuvres to navigate theprobe from an earth-bound elliptical orbit to the surface of the moon. Our correspondent reports, total cost of the mission is worked out to be 978 crore rupees.The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-2 include studying mineralogy and chemical composition of lunar soil, to search for water or ice in the near-South Pole of the moon, examining its atmosphere, studying lunar seismic activities and to carry out mapping of the moon using high-resolution cameras.One of its main goals is to make a soft-landing of an indigenous lander on the uncharted territory of the moon. The mission Chandrayaan-2 has evoked huge interest among the people of the nation.
It is evident from the booking of all the slots meant for the public to view the launch, within minutes of opening the online window for registration. In short, Chandrayaan-2 is set to carry the dreams of over 1.3 billion hearts to the moon, besides yielding rich dividends for the nation’s scientific pursuit and nourishing scientific attitude.
2.PM Modi hails sprinter Hima Das for winning 5 Gold medals:-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the medal haul by athlete Hima Das, saying India is proud of her feat.The sprinter continued her sensational sprint form as she clinched her fifth gold of the month by claiming the top honours in a 400 m race in Czech Republic on Saturday. Mr Modi said India is very proud of Hima Das’s phenomenal achievements over the last few days.He said everyone is absolutely delighted that she has brought home five medals in various tournaments. The Prime Minister also extended best wishes for her future endeavours.
3.PM Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on July 28:-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio on 28th of this month at 11 am.It will be the second edition of the programme after Mr Modi assumed office for the second term.
Our correspondent reports, the Prime Minister has been raising various important issues through the monthly programme which is aired on the last Sunday of every month.In the last episode of the programme, Mr Modi said awareness about Holistic Health Care has enhanced the glory of Yoga. He said, promotion of Yoga is a great example of social service. He cited examples where Yoga training is being imparted in Japan, Italy and and many other countries.
4.Congress, JD(S) coalition govt in Karnataka likely to face trust vote:-
In Karnataka, the coalition Government partners Congress and JD(S) are making last-ditch efforts for surviving the floor test that is likely to be held today.Congress leader D.K Shivakumar had informed yesterday that JD(S) has offered to part with the Chief Minister seat to Congress, in an effort to bring back the rebels. He hoped that the coalition will win the trust vote today.With the support of BSP, the coalition has the support of 100 MLAs including the Speaker while BJP has the support of 106 MLAs including an Independent.The two Independent MLAs R.Shankar and H Nagesh are said to move the Supreme Court today seeking a direction for the conclusion of the floor test by today evening.The apex court is also likely to hear the petition filed by Congress seeking clarity on the issue of the whip to the rebel MLAs and application of anti-defection provisions.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
5.Pakistan PM Imran Khan on maiden trip to US:-
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is in the US on his maiden trip to the country during which he will hold talks with US President Donald Trump.Mr Khan will try to reboot bilateral ties that were hit after the US president publicly criticised Islamabad, cancelled military aid and asked it to do more to fight terrorism.American leadership is likely to press him to take decisive and irreversible actions against terrorist and militant groups operating from Pakistani soil and facilitate peace talks with the Taliban.Nawaz Sharif was the last Pakistani prime minister to visit the US on an official trip in October 2015.
6.British PM Theresa May to hold emergency meeting on seized tanker in Iran:-
Prime Minister Theresa May will hold a meeting of Britain’s emergencies committee today to discuss Iran’s seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf.A Downing Street spokeswoman said the meeting will discuss the maintenance of the security of shipping in the Persian Gulf as well as receive the latest s from ministers and officials.British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt spoke to his French and German counterparts over the issue.Both ministers agreed with the foreign secretary that safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is a top priority for European nations while avoiding any possible escalation.Iranian authorities impounded the Stena Impero with 23 crew members aboard off the port of Bandar Abbas after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized it Friday in the highly sensitive Strait of Hormuz.
7.Dhaka international airport hit by power cut:-
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday suffered a major disruption in power supply lasting for more than seven hours.The power breakdown started around 8 in the morning and it was restored in the afternoon around 3 p.m. Chief Engineer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh told newspapers that the a power line was cut off during a drive against illegal electricity connections near a rail track.The power cut affected the air-conditioning and water supply at the airport causing inconvenience to the passengers. However, regular activity of the airport was not affected.
SPORTS NEWS
8.Indian bodybuilder Ravinder Malik clinches Mr South Asia title:-
Indian bodybuilder Ravinder Kumar Malik has clinched Mr. South Asia title. He has crowned the overall champion at 12th South Asian Bodybuilding andPhysique Sports Championship in Kathmandu yesterday.
Malik, the winner of 80 kg category, was adjudged best bodybuilder among the winners of nine senior men’s weight categories. Afghanistan won team championship by securing a top position with 535 points. Host Nepal finished second with 445 points, while India remained third with 380 points. Afghanistan won a total 15 medals including six gold, four silver and five bronze. Nepal bagged three gold, seven silver and six bronze and India claimed four gold, five silver and one bronze medal. The Maldives won three gold and two bronze medals, Pakistan bagged one gold, two silver and two bronze, while Bhutan finished last with a bronze medal. A total of 91 bodybuilders participated in the championship organised by South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation under the auspices of Nepal Bodybuilding and Fitness Association.
9.BCCI announces Indian squads for West Indies tour:-
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the three Indian squads (ODIs, T20Is and Tests) for the upcoming tour of the West Indies.India’s tour of the West Indies will begin with a three-match T20I series starting August 3rd in Florida. Virat Kohli will lead the team in all three series after the captain made himself available for the full tour.
Our correspondent reports, it was initially reported that Kohli would be rested for the limited-overs series but the 30-year-old has decided to play all three formats in the West Indies.Rohit Sharma has been brought back in the Test squad while Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the limited-overs series along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya.Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant is a part of the ODI, T20I and Test squads along with Kohli and Rohit. Wriddhiman Saha will rejoin the Test side after a gap of more than a year.All will be missing the services of MS Dhoni in the limited-overs series after the former captain made himself unavailable for the next two months.Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the limited-overs series against the Windies but has been named in the Test squad alongside Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma.The selectors have also picked Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the spinners for the Test series.The West Indies tour will also be a litmus test for coach Ravi Shastri after India’s exit in the semi-final stage of the World Cup 2019.
10.India set up quarter-final clash with Indonesia at Badminton Asia Junior C’ships:-
India has set up a quarter-final clash with Indonesia at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2019 (Mixed Team Event) in Suzhou, China. After blanking both Mongolia and Macau China by an identical score of 5-0 on the opening day, India lost to Korea 1-4 today and finished 2nd in Group C. Hence, they made it to the last eight. Maisnam Meiraba’s great effort was the silver lining of the day for the Indian contingent in their 1-4 loss. He fought for 1 hour 32 minutes to subdue Korea’s Hyeon Seung Park.
There were encouraging performances from other Indians too. The doubles teams in mixed event and boys combine,especially stood out for their gutsy displays in a losing cause.
BUSINESS NEWS
11.FDI inflow registered growth of 79% during last 6 years:-
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has increased during the last six years from 36.05 billion US Dollars in 2013-14 to 64.38 billion US Dollars in 2018-19, registering a growth of 79 per cent.Giving details about the FDI inflow, sources in the Commerce Ministry said it has been the endeavour of the government to put in place an enabling and investor-friendly FDI policy.The intent is to make the FDI policy more investor-friendly and remove the policy bottlenecks that have been hindering investment inflow into the country.
12.Inflation in India will be strengthened in the current financial year:-
ADB:-Given the strengthening of rupee and reduction in growth estimates, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reduced the country’s inflation estimates to 4.1 per cent for the current fiscal. In the supplementary report of Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2019, ADB also said that India will be the main role in reducing inflation in the South Asian region. Due to the reduction in Indian estimates, the reduction in the price of South Asia from 2017 to 2019 from 4.7 per cent to 4.5 per cent.It is worth mentioning that in the supplementary report of the ADO, India’s growth estimates for fiscal year 2019-20 have been reduced from 0.2 percent to 7 percent in April. ADB said in the latest report that due to the high growth in food inflation, given the strongness and relative low growth rate since October 2018, India’s inflation for fiscal year 2019-20 decreased by 0.2 per cent to 4.1 per cent. Has been calculated. Similarly, for the financial year 2020-21, the country’s inflation estimates have been reduced to 4.4 per cent.Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its monetary policy review of June, marginally increased the retail inflation projection to 3-3.1 per cent for the first half of the current financial year. Despite estimating the normal monsoon this year, the RBI had increased the retail inflation forecast, expressing the possibility of an increase in food inflation and especially the inflation of vegetables.
