1 President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Geoscience Awards-2022
President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Geoscience Awards-2022 at a function in New Delhi . The Ministry of Mines presents these awards with the objective of honoring individuals and teams for their achievements and contributions in various fields of Geosciences. The award was given to 22 geoscientists including two women . Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the field of geosciences is very vast. It also includes the study of natural disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis. He said that these subjects are called Public Good Geosciences as they are very useful from the point of view of the safety of the people. National Geosciences Award for Lifetime Achievement Dr. Om Narayan Bhargava Best known for his work in the Himalayas over the past four decades. The National Young Geoscientist Award was presented to Dr. Amiya Kumar Samal, who is an assistant professor at Banaras Hindu University.
2 National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attends Friends of BRICS meeting in Johannesburg
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the Friends of BRICS meeting in Johannesburg . The issue of cyber security was discussed in detail in the meeting . Apart from BRICS, participating BRICS friendly countries are Belarus, Burundi, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Cuba. Shri Doval highlighted the need for collective efforts to deal with the challenges posed by cyber security. He said the Global South needs to overcome resource limitations and India will always be at the forefront of working with the Global South in this endeavour.
3 India and Argentina agreed to exchange young researchers and startups in the field of biotechnology and agriculture
India and Argentina have agreed to exchange young researchers and startups, especially in the fields of biotechnology and agriculture . This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science and Technology after meeting a high level delegation led by Omar Angel Perotti, Governor of Argentina ‘s Santa Fe Province, in New Delhi . Dr Singh said that the two countries also decided to hold a comprehensive dialogue between delegations of academia, research and development institutions and industry in the field of science and technology and biotechnology.
4 Israeli parliament passes bill limiting judiciary’s powers amid protests
Israel’s parliament has approved a bill that would overhaul the judiciary and limit its powers despite strong opposition. The bill was passed 64-nil after the opposition boycotted it. By becoming this law, the right of the Supreme Court to quash those actions of the government, which it considers unfair, will end. It said even last-minute negotiations for a deal, led by President Isaac Herzog, failed to prevent the government from holding a vote on it. Throughout Israel’s history, planned reforms have led to widespread protests. Opponents have warned that this could threaten Israel’s democracy.
5 Social media platform Twitter unveils new logo
Social media platform Twitter has unveiled its new logo . Twitter has removed the blue bird for X on its website as part of a wider rebranding . The social media network’s site featured a white X on a black background as the company’s new logo. Twitter owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yacarino unveiled the new logo for the social media network. Mr Musk bought social media platform Twitter last year for $44 billion. After this the unveiling of the new logo is the latest change. Under Musk’s ownership, Twitter changed its business name to X Corp, indicating a shift toward a broader corporate identity and a departure from traditional social media platforms.
6 The Conservative Popular Party won the general election in Spain.
Spain appears to be heading for a political deadlock after inconclusive national elections. The path to form a new government seems difficult as both the right wing and left wing parties do not get a clear majority. Conservative Popular Party won the election, but missed out on a major victory. Due to this, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was forced to step down. And the party led by Alberto Núñez Fiju performed below expectations in most polling stations. Sanchez’s Socialist Party came second. He and his allies celebrated the result as a victory as their combined allies won slightly more seats than the Popular Party (PP) and far-right regions. Sanchez is likely to get support from this block, which will take his total to 172 seats. The Southern bloc, backed by Phiju, has 170 seats.
7 Jammu and Kashmir: Annual Machail Mata Yatra will start in Kishtwar
The much-awaited 43-day annual Machail Mata Yatra will begin in Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir and conclude on September 5. This yatra is the second most famous pilgrimage in Jammu division. During this time thousands of devotees from all over the country travel to the Paddar valley and after an arduous journey of 30 km, offer prayers at the holy temple of Goddess Durga at Machail village .
8 Delhi government started ‘Happiness Week 2023’ in government schools of the capital
The Delhi government has started ‘ Happiness Week 2023 ‘ in the government schools of the capital . Education Minister Atishi inaugurated the week-long festival at Sarvodaya Co-Ed School, Kalkaji . On this occasion, the Education Minister joined the Happiness Class along with the children and participated in the activities. On this occasion, he said that the journey of Happiness Curriculum has been wonderful in the last 5 years. And this has increased the concentration of children in studies and has also helped them to remain stress free. The Happiness Curriculum, which was started in July 2018 in all Delhi Government Schools from Nursery to Class VIII, has achieved stupendous success in the last 5 years with lakhs of students attending Happiness Classes daily.
9 Uttar Pradesh government to construct Kalyana Mandapam for conducting marriages and other religious functions
The Uttar Pradesh government will construct Kalyana Mandapams in each district of the state for conducting marriages and other religious functions . Announcing this in a public meeting in Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Kalyan Mandapam program will start from Gorakhpur. About Rs 1.5 crore will be spent on the construction of each Kalyana Mandapam. It will have facilities like hall, guest room, lawn and parking. The Kalyana Mandapam will have the facility to organize marriage programs at low cost for the weaker sections of the society. The Chief Minister also announced the construction of an international sports stadium in Gorakhpur. He laid the foundation stone of a mini sports complex in the city and inaugurated several development projects.
10 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the 164th Income Tax Day celebrations
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that tax revenue has increased in the last few years even without increasing tax rates. Smt. Sitharaman addressed the 164th Income Tax Day celebrations in New Delhi . He said that the efficiency in the tax collection system has helped in strong tax collection. He said that the Indian economy is becoming more formal. He said that continuous efforts are being made to make income tax people friendly.
11 The third meeting of the G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group under the chairmanship of India began in Chennai today
The third meeting of the G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group under the chairmanship of India began in Chennai . The inaugural session was addressed by Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, India’s G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P.K. Mishra addressed. Shri Amitabh Kant said that the G-20 countries have the responsibility of a strong, sustainable and inclusive growth. He said that the discussions today in the conference have the power to convert challenges into opportunities. Mr. P.K. Mishra highlighted that the G-20 has already identified “Early Warning and Early Action” as one of the five priorities.
12 Newly constructed National Martyr’s Memorial unveiled at Jagjivan RPF Academy Lucknow
Shri Sanjay Chander, Director General, Railway Protection Force inaugurated the newly constructed National Martyr’s Memorial and National Railway Safety Museum at Jagjivan RPF Academy, Lucknow. unveiled. This martyr’s memorial is spread over an area of 4800 square meters and the names of 1014 martyred RPF personnel since 1957 have been inscribed on this memorial and RPF has paid tribute to them. A visitor to this museum will get at a glance a complete overview of the history, origins, achievements, duties and responsibilities of the Railway Protection Force. The museum, spread over a total area of 9000 square feet, has 37 thematic display panels, 11 display cabinets, info-graphic history of police system, 87 artefacts, 500 pages from the National Archives of India, 36 weapons from the bygone era, 150 railway items related to security, 15 mannequins of different ranks of Railway Protection Force and many other important items.
13 Salt Pan Workers of the Little Rann of Kutch
On July 18, 2023, the Saltpan workers (commonly known as Agariyas) submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Gujarat . In this, the saltpan workers have sought your intervention in response to the directions of the Forest Department as they restricted their entry into the Little Rann of Kutch . The Little Rann of Kutch was declared a Wild Ass Sanctuary in the year 1972. declared. Residential settlement survey was conducted in the year 1997 allowing land leasing to salt cultivators and saltpan workers. With this the traditional agaria were kept out of the benefits of the settlement survey. The Residential Settlement Survey of 1997 is being examined by the Gujarat High Court and the National Green Tribunal involved in the settlement of land-illegal activities. Census data shows that there has been a significant increase in the wild ass population in the region, from 700 in 1973 to 6,082 in 2019. The possibility of human-animal conflict in the wild ass sanctuary has been ruled out due to the work of saltpan workers as per census data. The Koli, Sandhi and Miyana communities living in 100-125 villages around the Little Rann of Kutch in northern Gujarat, Kutch and Saurashtra regions depend on salt manufacturing, Who are called saltpan workers. They have been working in this profession since the British rule i.e. 600-700 years.
14 Pratihar ruler Mihir Bhoja
The controversy surrounding the unveiling of a statue of 9th-century ruler Emperor Mihir Bhoj in Haryana’s Kaithal district has led to a massive boycott by the Rajput community . Mihir Bhoj or Bhoj I (836 – 885 AD) was the greatest ruler of the Pratihara dynasty . Mihir Bhoj made Kannauj his capital. He was a devotee of Vishnu , so he adopted titles like Varaha and Prabhasa in honor of Lord Vishnu . The achievements of Mihir Bhoj are described in his Gwalior Prashasti inscription.
15 A dangerous Internet ransomware virus named Akira
In recent times, a dangerous Internet ransomware virus named Akira is making headlines due to its malicious activities. This sophisticated malware is designed to encrypt important personal information and data on victims’ systems. The primary objective of Akira ransomware is to steal important personal information from its victims. This sensitive data may include financial records, personal identification details and confidential documents. The attackers then take advantage of this information to extort money from the victims.
16 Price Stabilization Fund
In order to address the current spurt in tomato prices and ensure affordability to the consumers, the government has started procurement of tomatoes through the Price Stabilization Fund . These tomatoes are being made available to the consumers at highly subsidized rates. Price Stabilization Fund came into existence in the financial year 2014-15. Its primary objective is to absorb and mitigate extreme price fluctuations in essential food commodities and select commodities. The measure helps protect consumers from sudden price hikes and supports farmers by ensuring remunerative prices for their produce.
17 French star Leon Marchand breaks Michael Phelps’ 400m IM world record
In a thrilling development at the World Swimming Championships in Japan , 21-year-old Leon Marchand defeated legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps in the 400m individual medley. achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the last individual world record of . Under the guidance of Bob Bowman, the legendary coach who played a key role in the illustrious career of Michael Phelps, Leon Marchand clocked 4 minutes and 2.50 seconds in the 400m individual medley to set a new world record. This outstanding performance surpassed Phelps’ previous record of 4:03.84, which had been unbeaten since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Considered the most decorated athlete in Summer Olympic history, Michael Phelps accomplished an extraordinary feat by winning a total of 28 medals in five Olympics. Of these achievements, an impressive 23 were gold medals, the highest number of Olympic golds ever achieved. Phelps also holds world records in several events, such as the 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m butterfly. and the 200m and 400m individual medley (IM). Although Phelps retired in 2016, his legacy lives on through his contributions to relay programs. His world records in the 4×100 m freestyle and 4×200 m freestyle are unbroken, the first being the longest standing world record and the last remaining world record from the 2008 Olympics.
18 Bal Gangadhar Tilak Jayanti
Recently the Prime Minister of India has paid tribute to Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his birth anniversary on July 23, 2023 . Born on July 23, 1856, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a freedom fighter, lawyer and educationist better known as Lokmanya Tilak . Founder of Deccan Education Society in the year 1884 and he also established Fergusson College in the year 1885 . Tilak stressed the need for self-rule or Swarajya and his popular slogan was ” Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it! ” Tilak, Indian National Congress in the year 1890 Joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and played an important role in the Surat partition in the year 1907 and advocated Poorna Swaraj or Swarajya. He promoted Swadeshi and Boycott movement to promote Indian self-reliance. Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in Belgaum in April 1916, aiming for Hindu-Muslim unity through the Lucknow Pact in 1916. He published newspapers named Kesari in Marathi language and Maratha in English language and wrote books on Vedas named ‘Gita Rahasya’ and ‘Arctic Home’. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who made a significant contribution to India’s freedom movement, died on August 1, 1920.
19 Chandrashekhar Azad Jayanti
On 23rd July we celebrate the birth anniversary of Chandra Shekhar Azad , an iconic and fearless freedom fighter of India . Born in 1906 in Bhabhra village (now in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh), Azad joined Mahatma Gandhi ‘s non-cooperation movement at the young age of 15 and adopted the name ” Azad ” as a symbol of his defiance against British rule . The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) Became a prominent member of the A.P., a revolutionary group dedicated to armed struggle against the colonial government. Azad was also involved in daring acts of resistance including the Kakori train robbery. Due to his organizational skills and mastery of disguise, Azad took a vow never to be captured alive. He died on February 27, 1931 in a fierce shootout with the police.
20 Income Tax Day 2023
The Income Tax Department celebrates 24th July every year as ‘ Aayakar Divas ‘ to commemorate the introduction of the provision of Income Tax in the country. On this day in the year 1860 , Income Tax was originally introduced in India by Sir James Wilson , to compensate for the losses incurred during the First War of Independence. On July 24, 1860, Sir James Wilson introduced income tax for the first time in India. In 1857, Wilson compensated for the damage done to British rule during the First War of Independence. did this for. ‘Income Tax Day’ was celebrated for the first time on July 24, 2010 to mark the completion of 150 years of Income Tax in India. Headquartered in New Delhi, the Income Tax Department is responsible for direct tax collection for the Government of India. It functions under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, and is headed by an apex body called the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
