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India-Russia:

Recently, a Joint Technology Assessment &

Accelerated Commercialization Programme was

launched by the Department of Science and

Technology (DST) in partnership with the

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FICCI). This programme was launched by

both the entities in collaboration with the

Foundation of Assistance to Small Innovation Enterprises (FASIE) of the

Russian Federation.

The programme aims to develop and connect Indian and Russian Science and

Technology in order to uplift the SMEs and start-ups. Both the countries will

jointly work in the field of R&D for technology upliftment and to enhance the

bilateral scientific cooperation between them.

They seek to focus on the areas like AI, Pharma, renewable energy,

environment, and robotics drones etc. The programme will be conducted in two

annual cycles with 5 projects to fund during each cycle.

FICCI: It refers to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and

Industry. FCCI is an association of business organisations in India. It was

established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi by GD Birla and

Purshottamdas Thakurdas. It is the largest, oldest and the apex business

organization in India. It provides a platform for networking and consensus

building within and across sectors and is the first port of call for Indian industry,

policy makers and the international business community. It is Headquartered in

New Delhi. The current President of FCCI is Sangita Reddy.

DST: It refers to the Department of Science & Technology. DST is a

department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India. It was

founded on 3 May 1971. It's responsibility is to promote new areas of science

and technology and to play the role of a nodal department for organising,

coordinating and promoting Scientific and Technological activities in the

country. It gives funds to various approved scientific projects in India. It also

supports various researchers in India to attend conferences abroad and to go for

International


experimental works. Minister of State Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the current head of

the department, while Ashutosh Sharma is its present secretary.

Maldives:

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is a

small island nation in South Asia. It is situated in the

Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri

Lanka and India.The Capital of Maldives is Male. The

Currency of the Maldives is Maldivian Rufiyaa. The

current President of the Maldives is Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Recently, Maldives celebrated its 55th Independence Day. President Ramnath

Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their greetings to the

neighboring country on the occasion.

From the mid-16th-century the region came under the increasing influence of

European colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in

1887. Independence from the United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential

republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. Finally, on 26

July 1965, the Maldives gained total independence from the British (despite the

fact that the British still maintained an air base on Gan island until 1976). The

freedom to govern themselves came with a number of challenges, such as how

to address the need for modernisation and economic development. Despite a

brief period in the 50s where the Maldives was a republic, once the Maldives

separated from the British, a sultanate still existed.

Ivory Coast:

Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country located on the

south coast of West Africa. The political capital of

Ivory Coast is Yamoussoukro in the centre of the

country, while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan. It

borders Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest,

Burkina Faso to the northeast, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea

(Atlantic Ocean) to the south. The currency used here is West African CFA

franc. The current President of Ivory Coast is Alassane Ouattara.


Recently, the Defence Minister of Ivory Coast Hamed Bakayoko has been

named as the Prime Minister of the country. He was presently serving as the as

interim PM of the country since the sudden death of former Prime Minister

Amadou Gon Coulibaly.

Hamed Bakayoko: He was a founding member of the Rally of the Republicans

(RDR) party. He was also in charge of the party’s daily newspaper, Le Patriote.

He not only served as the minister of new information and communication

technology from 2003 to 2011 in the national unity government but he has also

been a mayor of Abobo, one of most populous districts of the country, since

2018.

Sri Lanka:

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist

Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South

Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean to the

southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast

of the Arabian Sea. The capitals of Srilanka are

Colombo and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Colombo is the judicial capital of Sri

Lanka while Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a Colombo suburb, is the legislative

capital. The currency used here is Sri Lankan rupee. The current President and

Prime Minister of Srilanka are Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa

respectively.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed an agreement for extending a

$400-million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka. It was signed to boost the

foreign reserves and ensure financial stability of the country, which is badly hit

by the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement between Sri Lanka and RBI has

been signed under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

(SAARC) framework. The currency swap arrangement will remain available till

November 2022.

RBI also offers similar swap lines to central banks in the SAARC region within

a total corpus of $2 billion. This facility originally came into operation in 2012.

India already has a $75 billion bilateral currency swap line with Japan, which

has the second highest dollar reserves after China.

Currency Swap: It means that in a swap arrangement, a country provides dollars

to a foreign central bank, which, at the same time, provides the equivalent funds


in its currency to the former, based on the market exchange rate at the time of

the transaction. The parties agree to swap back these quantities of their two

currencies at a specified date in the future, which could be the next day or even

two years later, using the same exchange rate as in the first transaction. In Sri

Lanka’s case, it’s more than two years.

Currency Swap is beneficial as these swap operations carry no exchange rate or

other market risks, as transaction terms are set in advance. The absence of an

exchange rate risk is the major benefit of such a facility. This facility provides

the country, which is getting the dollars, with the flexibility to use these

reserves at any time in order to maintain an appropriate level of balance of

payments or short-term liquidity.

Tunisia:

Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country

in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Tunisia is

bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to

the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north

and east. Tunisia's name is derived from its capital city,

Tunis (Berber native name: Tunest), which is located on its northeast coast. The

capital of Tunisia is Tunis. The currency used here is Tunisian dinar. The

current President of Tunisia is Kais Saied.

Recently, Hichem Mechichi the Interior Minister of Tunisia, has been appointed

as the new Prime Minister of the country. He succeeded Elyes Fakhfakh, who

resigned over allegations of a conflict of interest. He has a month to form a

government. As well as being the interior minister in the outgoing government,

Mechichi has been a counselor to President Saied, handling legal matters. He

has previously been chief of staff at the Ministry of Transport. He also served in

the Ministry of Social Affairs.


Tripartite MoU:

A tripartite MoU (Memorandum of

Understanding) was recently signed by the

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research

(CSIR), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-Indian Institute

of Technology, Delhi (UBA-IITD), and Vijnana

Bharati (VIBHA) in New Delhi.

The MoU was signed to offer access to CSIR rural technologies for UBA. It

will not only lay the foundation for cooperation as well as joint action in the

area of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) for rural development of India but will

also enable access to the structural networks to achieve the collaboration of

district administration, local Panchayat Raj Institutes (PRIs), voluntary

organizations and the institutions that participate with UBA.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) is the flagship national program of the Ministry

of Human Resource Development (MHRD). It aims to bring the

transformational change in rural development processes by enabling knowledge

institutions to help build the architecture of an inclusive India.

The MoU will pave the way for effective coordination between CSIR, IIT

Delhi, and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha) towards meeting the objectives of the Unnat

Bharat Abhiyan.

National

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NEP 2020:

It refers to the National Education Policy 2020. The new

NEP 2020 has recently been approved by the Union

Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra

Modi for the 21st century. It will be replacing the 34 year

old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. The National Education Policy

(NEP) draft has been developed by a committee chaired by K. Kasturirangan.

It is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is based on

the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and

Accountability.

It has a target of 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio by 2035 and provision for

multiple entry and exits. It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge

society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college

education more holistic, flexible & multidisciplinary, as per the requirements of

21st century.

The new National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes on mother-tongue and

multi-lingualism.

MoTA:

It refers to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. MoTA is

a branch of Government of India (GoI). It was set

up on October 1999 after the bifurcation of

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (India) to have a more focused

approach on the integrated socio-economic development of the Scheduled

Tribes (STs), the most underprivileged of the Indian Society.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the Nodal Ministry for overall policy planning

and coordination of programmes for development of STs. To this end, the

Ministry has undertaken activities that follow under the subjects allocated in the

Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and amendment(s)

thereafter. Before the formation of the ministry the tribal Affairs was being

handled by different ministries which were:

1. As a Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs known as Tribal Division

since after independence up to September 1985.


2. Ministry of Welfare: From September 1985 to May 1998.

3. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment from May 1998 to September

1999.

The current Union Minister of MoTA is Arjun Munda and Minister of State of

MoTA is Renuka Singh Saruta.

Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) ws awarded the SKOCH Gold

Award for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship

Schemes” project. This project was launched to show GoI's commitment to

realize the dreams of Digital India and bringing transparency as well as ease in

the delivery of services. MoTA integrated the 5 Scholarship Schemes with DBT

Portal under the guidance of DBT Mission in order to align with the larger

vision of ‘Digital India’.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) participated in the DIGITAL INDIA &

E-GOVERNANCE-2020 Competition. The 66th SKOCH 2020 Competition

was held with name “INDIA RESPONDS TO COVID THROUGH DIGITAL

GOVERNANCE”.

Digital Education June 2020:

Union Minister for HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal

‘Nishank’ recently launched “India Report on Digital

Education, 2020”. The minister, during the virtual

launch, stated that report highlights the innovative

methods adopted by Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and

Union Territories to ensure accessible as well as inclusive education to children

at home and reducing learning gaps.

India Report on Digital Education, 2020 comprises of various initiatives taken

to provide remote learning and education for all by taking schools to the

students. Some of the initiatives are as follows: Swayam Prabha TV Channel,

DIKSHA platform, Online MOOC courses, On Air – Shiksha Vani, DAISY by

NIOS for differently-abled, e-PathShala, etc.

Indian policy News


FDI:

It refers to the Foreign Direct Investment. FDI is

an investment from a party in one country into a

business or corporation in another country with

the intention of establishing a lasting interest.

Lasting interest differentiates FDI from foreign

portfolio investments, where investors passively

hold securities from a foreign country. Foreign direct investment can be made

by expanding one’s business into a foreign country or by becoming the owner

of a company in another country. It is an important non-debt monetary source

for India’s economic development. Economic liberalization started in India in

the wake of the 1991 crisis and since then, FDI has steadily increased in the

country. There are 2 types of FDI route. the first one is the Automatic route,

under which The non-resident or Indian company does not require the prior nod

of the RBI or government of India for FDI and the Government Route, under

which the government’s approval is mandatory.

Recently, the Government of India (GoI) notified changes in Foreign Direct

Investment (FDI) norms on civil aviation, which is also called as the Foreign

Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Third Amendment) Rules,

2020. The main aim of the government is to augment the Make in India

initiative which is turn will attract global companies in India looking to

establish alternative manufacturing hubs

As per the amendments:

It will permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 % stake of Air India.

The exceptions which permitted Overseas Citizens of India 100% FDI in air

transport, but not Air India is removed.

This category of citizens has been replaced with NRIs, now allowed to commit

100% FDI in air transport, including Air India, through automatic route.

Substantial ownership and effective control of Air India Limited shall continue

o be vested in Indian National as stipulated in Aircraft Rules.

Last month, the government for the third time extended the deadline to bid for

Air India. The deadline was extended by two months till August 31st. The

divestment process for the national carrier was initiated on January 27th.


Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers:

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in India is the

federal ministry with administrative purview over three

departments. The three departments are Department of

Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Department of Fertilizers

and Department of Pharmaceuticals. The Department of

Chemicals and Petrochemicals was under the Ministry of

Industry until December 1989, when it was brought under

the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals. On June 5, 1991, the Department of

Chemicals and Petrochemicals was transferred to the Ministry of Chemicals and

Fertilizers. The current Union Minister and Minister of State of Chemicals and

fertilizers are D. V. Sadananda Gowda and Mansukh Mandaviya respectively.

Recently, the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda

Gowda launched 4 schemes for the promotion of domestic manufacturing of

bulk drugs and medical devices parks in the country. Four schemes were

formulated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, two each for Bulk Drugs and

Medical Devices parks. These schemes will work towards the development of

Indian pharmaceutical capacities and reduce India’s dependence on imports,

making it self reliant.

As per these 4 schemes, the scheme will remain open for applications for a

period of 120 days from the date of issuance of guidelines and the approval will

be received by the applicants within 90 days from the closure of application

window. The applications will be received only through an online portal and the

total financial outlay of the scheme is Rs 6,940 crore. The main aim of the

Scheme for promotion of Bulk Drug Parks is to establish three bulk drug parks

in the country. Maximum grant-in-aid for one bulk drug park is limited to

Rs.1000 crore.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for promoting domestic

manufacturing of Medical Devices aims to boost domestic manufacturing of

medical devices in four target segments. This will be achieved by offering

financial incentives on sales to a maximum number of 28 selected applicants for

a period of 5 years.

PLI schemes aims to boost domestic manufacturing of 53 bulk drugs, on which

India is critically dependent on imports.


Ford:

Ford Motor Company, commonly known as Ford,

is an American multinational automaker that has its

main headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb

of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford and

incorporated on June 16, 1903. The Company's

business includes designing, manufacturing,

marketing, and servicing a full line of Ford cars,

trucks, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles.

Recently, two Boston Dynamics robot dogs named Fluffy and Spot is being

used by Ford plant in Michigan to help scan the Blue Oval's Van Dyke

transmission plant as it gears up for a retooling. The robodogs will roam the

Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Dearborn, MI on four legs, much like a dog

would. Ford is leasing the Boston Dynamics Spot robots and deploying them in

early August.

Boston Dynamics' robot dog runs, walks, and prances, rhythmically tapping its

four feet before it sinks down on its haunches and crouches. It runs, walks, and

prances, rhythmically tapping its four feet before it sinks down on its haunches

and crouches.

India and European Union (EU):

India and European Union (EU) recently renewed its

Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation

for the next five years (2020-2025) at the 15th India-EU

Summit, a virtual one which was led by Prime Minister

Sri Narendra Modi from India’s side.

The European Union delegation was headed by European Council President

Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der

Leyen.

The renewal of the agreement will expand the cooperation in scientific and

technological research for economic and social benefit. The Agreement was

initially signed in 2001 and renewed two times in 2007 and 2015. The

Science and Technology


cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean

energy, bio-economy, health, and ICT.

In the last 5 years, the level of co-investment on India-EU Research Technology

Development Projects for addressing societal challenges such as affordable

healthcare, water, energy, food & nutrition has been stepped up.

KMF:

It refers to the Kutch Mainland Fault. KMF is the major

east-west trending fault. The fault line extends for over

150 km from Lakhpat to Bhachau. The crust of Kutch is

very fragile and it holds 4 major faults which frequently

liberate energy in the form of earthquakes.

Recently, the Kutch Mainland Fault (KMF), which has been dormant for the last

1,000-odd years, has been accumulating stress within and could trigger an

earthquake. This was suggested by a recent study. The study also gives evidence

that there were 4 major earthquakes on KMF between 5600 and 1000 BP

(before present), a time scale used by geologists to define events that happened

before the origin of radiocarbon dating technology in the 1950s.

The devastating earthquake had occurred on 26 January 2001 from the South

Wagad fault system.

MoES:

It refers to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. MoES was formed in

the year 2006 from a merger of the India Meteorological

Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather

Forecasting, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune,

and Earth Risk Evaluation Centre, and the Ministry of Ocean Development. The

Ministry mandate is to look after Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean Science &

Technology and Seismology in an integrated manner. Currently, the ministry is

headed by Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

Recently, MoES announced the winners of “MoES National Awards for

excellence in Earth System Science“.

The winners for different categories are:

1. Professor Ashok Sahni was awarded the Life Time Excellence Award


2. Dr. S. Suresh Babu for National Award for Atmospheric Science &

technology

3. N. V. Chalapathi Rao for National award for Geoscience & technology

4. Dr. M. A. Atmanand for National Award for Ocean Technology

5. Dr. Lidita D. S. Khandeparker for Anna Mani award for woman scientist

6. Dr. Indra Sekhar Sen for Young Researcher Awards

7. Dr. V. V. S. S. Sarma fpr National Award for Ocean Science & technology

This award by MoES aims to recognize the major scientific contributions made

by eminent scientists and engineers in various fields of Earth System Science. It

also seeks to encourage women and young researchers for coming into the

mainstream of Earth System Science.

Legends of Chess:

Legends of Chess is a unique online chess event. The

tournament is part of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour.

Recently, Viswanathan Anand finally won in Legends

of Chess tourney making his debut on the Magnus

Carlsen Tour. Indian ace, Viswanathan Anand finally snapped the string of

defeats at the Legends of Chess online tournament. He beat Boris Gelfand of

Israel 2.5-0.5 in the seventh round.

Playing against long-time rival after six straight losses, he won his first game of

the tournament despite conceding early advantage on Monday night. Anand

won in 45 moves with black pieces and continued the good work by claiming

the second game in 49 moves.

The victory moved him to the eighth spot with 6 points ahead of Hungarian

Peter Leko (5 points) and Chinese world number three Ding Liren (3). Anand,

ranked 15th in the world, faces Liren in the eighth round later.

Sports News


Carlsen, Liren, Nepomniachtchi and Anish Giri, semifinalists at the Chessable

Masters (part of the Magnus Carlsen Tour), received an automatic invite and are

up against six legends aged 40-52, who have been at the top of world chess at

various points in their career.

Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) beat Peter Leko (Hungary) 3-2; Magnus Carlsen

(Norway) beat Peter Svidler (Russia) 2.5-1.5: Anish Giri (the Netherlands) beat

Ding Liren (China) 2.5-1.5; Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine) beat Vladmir Kramnik

(Russia) 3-1.

The winner of the event will qualify for the USD 300,000 Grand Final

scheduled from August 9 to 20.

NBA G League:

The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is

the National Basketball Association's official

minor league basketball organization. The

league was known as the National Basketball

Development League from 2001 to 2005, and

the NBA Development League from 2005 until

2017. It was founded in 2001. As of the 2019–20 seasons, the league consists of

28 teams, all of which are either single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team.

The current president of the league is Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Recently, Indian forward Princepal Singh has signed to play in the NBA G

League next season. the announcement was made by the League President

Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

He will train and compete alongside the new G League team featuring elite

youth prospects. He is the first NBA Academy graduate to sign with the NBA G

League and first NBA Academy India graduate to sign a professional contract.

Princepal Singh: He started playing basketball at the Ludhiana Basketball

Academy. He joined The NBA Academy India in 2017 as part of the academy's

inaugural class of student-athletes identified through the ACG-NBA Jump

Program. NBA Academy India is an elite basketball training center in Delhi

National Capital Region (NCR) for the top prospects from throughout India. He,

on November 2018, transitioned to The NBA Global Academy which is the

league's hub for top male and female prospects from outside the U.S.


The Biel International Chess Festival:

It is an annual chess tournament that takes place in

Biel/Bienne, Switzerland since 1968. It consists of two

events, the Grandmaster Tournament, held with the

round-robin system, and the Master Open Tournament

(MTO), held with the Swiss system.

Recently, Indian Grandmaster, P Harikrishna finished second in the rapid

section of the 53rd Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland. The Biel

Chess Festival, the first major event to be played over the board amid the

COVID-19 pandemic, is being organized by adhering to all health protocols

without any spectators.

The World No. 26 scored 10 points, two less than Radoslaw Wojtaszek of

Poland, who finished on top. Earlier, P Harikrishna had finished on top in the

ACCENTUS Chess960 tournament, with 5.5 points.

Sports Ministry:

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is a branch of the

Government of India (GoI). It administers Department of

youth affairs and Department of Sports in India. The

Ministry was set up as the Department of Sports at the time

of organization of 1982 Asian Games New Delhi. Its name was changed to the

Department of Youth Affairs & Sports during celebration of the International

Youth Year, 1985. It became a separate Ministry on 27 May 2000.

Subsequently, In 2008, the Ministry was bifurcated into Department of Youth

Affairs and Department of Sports under two separate Secretaries. The ministry

gives the annual National Sports awards in various categories, including the

Arjuna Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards. The current Minister of

Youth Affairs and Sports is Kiren Rijiju (MOS independent charge).

Recently, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has constituted a Selection

Committee for selecting awardees for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna,

Dronacharya Awards, Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards, Rashtriya Khel

Protsahan Puruskar Award and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy

for the year 2020.


The Chairman of the committee is retired Justice of Supreme Court Justice

Mukundakam Sharma. The other eminent personality from sports included in

the committee are Virender Sehwag (Cricket), Sardar Singh (Hockey), Monalisa

Baruah Mehta (Table Tennis), Deepa Malik (Para-athletics), Venkatesan

Devarajan (Boxing) as well as well-known media persons including Sports

Commentator Manish Batavia and Sports Journalists Alok Sinha and Neeru

Bhatia.

The selection committee will also include officials from the Sports Ministry,

Director General, SAI, Shri Sandip Pradhan, LS Singh, Joint Secretary (Sports

Development) and Commander Rajesh Rajagopalan, CEO Target Olympic

Podium Scheme.

Other than this, two additional Members who have been Dronacharya Awardees

may be invited by the Chairperson while considering the nomination for

Dronacharya Award.

Apple Inc.:

It is an American multinational

technology company headquartered in

Cupertino, California, that designs,

develops, and sells consumer electronics,

computer software, and online services. It

is considered one of the Big Tech

technology companies, alongside

Amazon, Google, Microsoft and

Facebook. It was founded on 1 April 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak,

Ronald Wayne. It is headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States.

Recently, Apple has become the world’s most valuable company. This

technology giant dethroned oil giant Saudi Aramco to become the most

valuable publicly listed company in the world after it reported a gain of 10 per

cent in its shares.

Economic News


Flipkart:

Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company based in

Bangalore, Karnataka, India. It was founded on

October 2007 by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal.

The company initially focused on book sales,

before expanding into other product categories such

as consumer electronics, fashion, home essentials & groceries, and lifestyle

products. Flipkart also owns PhonePe, a mobile payments service based on the

Unified Payments Interface (UPI). In August 2018, U.S.-based retail chain

Walmart acquired a 81% controlling stake in Flipkart for US$16 billion, valuing

it at $20 billion.

Recently, Walmart-owned Flipkart announced that 6 lakh artisans across the

country will be added this year to their Samarth programme.

Samarth Programme is an initiative started by Flipkart in 2019. The e-

commerce company had collaborated with 5 non-governmental organizations

(NGOs) to help local artisans use the online e-commerce platform to sell their

products. The Programme supports 6 Lakh artisans (weavers, craftsmen etc.)

across India earn their bread and butter by selling their handmade art &

craftwork to sell their products online to a customer base of nearly 200 million.

At present, with the help of government partnerships, this initiative has been

able to bring artisans online from the remotest parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha,

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and Karnataka.

Other Initiatives: Over the course of the year, Flipkart has partnered with

several government entities including UP Khadi and Village Industries Board,

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-

NULM), and Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development

Corporation.

It also supports MSMEs through a special initiative called Walmart Vriddhi. It

is a make in India Initiative which empowers nearly 50,000 MSMEs to

manufacture ‘Make in India’ product for local and global markets. The

company also provides necessary training and support along with access to a

huge e-commerce ecosystem of its peers and mentors group.


Co-branded Contactless Credit Card:

It is a new RuPay credit card. It is empowered

with Near Field Communication (NFC)

technology which will enable users to expedite

their transactions at the POS machines by just

tapping the card on the machines instead of

swiping. The card will reward frequent railway travelers by offering them

maximum savings proposition on their travel together with exclusive benefits.

Recently, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and SBI

Card launched a new Co-branded Contactless Credit Card on RuPay Platform.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal dedicated this new card to the Nation. Launch

of this card is one of the many “Make In India” activities undertaken by the

Railways.

The newly launched card aims to ensure a safe, convenient and improved travel

experience for the rail passengers.

Kashmir:

Indian-administered Kashmir is known for its high-quality

saffron, a spice derived from the crocus flower. The

Kashmir variety of saffron is considered the best in the

world and it is the most expensive. It is largely grown in

the small town of Pampore, where thousands of hectares

of land is used for saffron cultivation. It is just about half

an hour's drive from Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar.

Pampore is often called Kashmir's saffron town. The current Lieutenant

Governor of J&K is GC Murmu.

Recently, the Union Government has issued a certificate of Geographical

Indication (GI) registration for Saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley.

Kashmir Saffron, with the GI tag, seeks to acquire more prominence in the

export market and would help the farmers get a better remunerative price. It

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would also stop the prevalent adulteration of Kashmir Saffron which will help

the authenticated Saffronfetch much better prices.

GI Tag: It refers to a geographical indication tag. GI is a sign used on products

that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that

are due to that origin and in order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a

product as originating in a given place. The Gi certification enables those who

have the right to use sign in order to prevent third parties using the sign.

Kerala:

It is a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. It was

formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the

States Reorganization Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking

regions of the erstwhile states of Travancore-Cochin and Madras. It is bordered

by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and

the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. Its capital is Thiruvananthapuram. The

current Governor and Chief Minister of Kerala are Arif Mohammad Khan and

Pinarayi Vijayan respectively.

Recently, the Aditya ferry, built by Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, which

belongs to the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) has won the

prestigious Gustave Trouve Award for Excellence in Electric Boats and

Boating. The low cost passenger ferry operating in Vemabanad backwaters won

the award after competing against five other finalists from Europe in the public

transport category.

Aditya: It is India’s first solar-powered ferry. It was launched in November

2016 and started its services in 2017. It is a sun-powered commuter ferry that is

one of the great stories of the future of electric marine propulsion. It is operated

by the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) and built by Navalt

Solar and Electric Boats, Kochi. It has been designed by Designed by the

Department of Ship Technology, Cochin University of Science and Technology.

It has been plying on the Vaikkom-Thavanakkadavu route in Alappuzha district

since January 2017. It has an eco-sounder, GPS, hydraulic steering, and an

automatic pump to remove water from the haul.

Gustave Trouve Award: Gustave Trouvé Award is the world’s only

international awards exclusively for electric boats. It was instituted by

Plugboats this year in honour of Frenchman Gustave Trouve who created the


world’s first outboard motor, connecting an electric motor to a rechargeable

battery on a boat and sailed in down the Seine river in 1881. He invented the

world’s first outboard motor, connecting it to a rechargeable battery to sail a

boat down the Seine River in silence.

This award recognizes and honours the innovations and achievements of

individuals and organizations that design and develop electric boats, motors and

related systems.

The plugboats announced the inaugural Gustave Trouvé International Awards

on 26th May 2020 marking the 139th anniversary of the invention of the electric

board. The awards, handed out for the first time.

Guwahati:

Guwahati is the largest city in the Indian state of Assam and

also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. It lies

along the Brahmaputra River in the northeast Indian state of

Assam. It is called the 'Gateway to North East India'. The

current Governor and the Chief Minister of Assam are Professor Jagdish Mukhi

and Sarbananda Sonowal respectively.

Recently, Minister of Guwahati Development Department Siddhartha

Bhattacharya inaugurated Guwahati’s first manhole cleaning robot named

“BANDICOOT”. It is an automatic sewer cleaning device. Guwahati has

become the first city in the Northeast region to get a manhole cleaning robot and

the third city in the entire country to procure this innovative technology to clean

manholes after Gurugram and Coimbatore.

BANDICOOT: BANDICOOT has been developed by Genrobotics, an Indian

startup company under the Make in India initiative. The funding for this robot

development was provided by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) under

the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The robot supports easy

removal of sludge from the underground drain which in turn will help the

elimination of manual scavenging.


Sunil ydv SS:

He is the founder SS Motivation. He has been recently

honoured with “Karamveer Chakra Award” by Global

Fellowship Award instituted by United Nations and

International Confederation of NGO (iCONGO) at the

ReX ConcLIVE hosted in IIT Delhi.

He received the award for his relentless contribution to

society through his Telegram channel “SS Motivation.” He addresses social

issues and motivates people every day through his channel. He has been

honoured with awards like Rastra Prerna, Iconic Personality of India, Incredible

Indian Icon and Humanitarian Excellence.

Karamveer Chakra: The Karamveer Chakra is a global award given annually to

people who contribute to society by showing courage, initiating change, and

walking through the less-travelled life paths. The award is tribute to its

ambassador Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India.

Verghese Kurien known as father of the white revolution of India, is the first

recipient of Karmaveer lifetime achievement award. Some of the recipients are

Joyanto Mukherjee, Jason Fernandes, Hariharan Iyer, Deepika Narayan

Bhardwaj, Devika Vaid, Harish Iyer, Dr. Shruti Kapoor, Manju Latha

Kalanidhi, Anurag Chauhan, Jyoti Dhawale, Kajol, Geeta Sankar, Sudha

Menon, Dr. Renu Agrawal and Binayak Dewan.

Hardik Satishchandra Shah:

He is a 2010-batch IAS officer. He has recently been

appointed as the Private Secretary (PS) to Prime Minister

Narendra Modi on co-terminus basis. He is is currently

serving as a Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office

(PMO). Before moving to the PMO last year, he worked as

the PS to Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Person in News


Kala Narayanasamy:

She is an Indian-origin nurse, who is the Deputy Director of

Nursing at Woodlands Health Campus.

She was recently conferred with the President’s Award for

Nurses in singapore. She was awarded this prestigious award for serving on the

frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. She utilized the infection control

practices that she had learned during the 2003 severe acute respiratory

syndrome (SARS) outbreak, in the current pandemic. The other awardees were

Tay Yee Kian, Patricia Yong Yueh Li, Alice Chua Foong Sin and Chin Soh

Mun.

President’s Award for Nurses: The President’s Award for Nurses is the highest

accolade in the nursing profession. The President’s Award for Nurses in

Singapore recognizes the efforts of nurses who have shown sustained

outstanding performance and contributions to patient care delivery, education,

research and administration. Seventy-seven nurses have received the award

since its inception in 2000.

Eid-Al Adha:

Eid Al-Adha is the last of the two Islamic

holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and

considered the holier of the two. The day falls

on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of

the Islamic Lunar Calendar; Dhu-al-Hijjah. The

day that celebrations fall on depends on a

legitimate sighting of the moon, following the completion of the annual Holy

Pilgrimage of Hajj - which is an obligation for all Muslim’s who fit specific

criteria, one of the important Five Pillars of Islam.

It is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice

his only son in obedience of God's command. It is observed by the sacrifice of a

sheep, cow, goat, buffalo or camel. This is also known as Udhiya. The days of

animal sacrifice total three days, from the 10th to the 12th of Dhu-al-Hijjah. It

Art and Culture


is also called the Festival of Sacrifice, Sacrifice Feast, Festival of Sacrifice;

Sacrifice Feast; Greater Eid or Bakraeed.

At Eid al-Adha, many Muslims make a special effort to pray and listen to a

sermon at a mosque. They also wear new clothes, visit family members and

friends and may symbolically sacrifice an animal in an act known as qurbani.

This represents the animal that Ibrahim sacrificed in the place of his son.

Recently, Eid-Al Adha was celebrated worldwide by the muslims amid the

Pandemic crisis. In India, Eid-ul-Azha or Baqraeed is being celebrated with

religious fervour and due reverence across the country today. Most of the

worshippers offered Eid Namaz or prayers in local mosques adhering to

physical distance while in some states, where lockdown is imposed, people

offered prayers in their homes.

Shravan:

As per Hindu Vedas and Puranas the holy month of

Sawan or Shravan is dedicated to worshipping

Lord Shiva to gain success, a good marriage and

prosperity. It falls on the fifth month of the Hindu

calendar and July or September month of the

Gregorian calendar. This year the month starts

from July 6, 2020 and goes on till August 3, 2020 which is when it comes to an

end on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

Shravana is considered to be a holy month in the Hindu calendar due to the

numerous festivals that are celebrated during this time. Also special worship of

Lord Shiva and fasting is observed on Mondays. The month of Shravana is very

important for the entire sub-continent of India as it is connected to the arrival of

the South-West monsoons.

The holy month is marked by complete devotion to Lord Shiva. One of the

reasons the month is related to Lord Shiva is that the cosmos is filled with Shiva

Tattva, thus worshipping Lord Shiva during this month is believed to easily

appease Him and attract His divine grace. Another reason, as per the Hindu

Vedas and Puranas, the Gods and Demons decided to Samudra Mantha or churn

the ocean to decide who among them was the strongest to get Amrit from it.

However, the 'halahala' or poison also came out along with it which had the

potential to destroy the world. Lord Shiva then drank that poison and saved the


world. Therefore, Lord Shiva is worshipped as a gesture of gratitude in the

whole month of Shravan.

Shiva: Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists

of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the

world. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma is the creator of the

universe while Vishnu is the preserver of it.

During this month there are many other Hindu festivals such as:

Krishna Janmashtami: Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Sri Krishna

comes on the eight day after the full moon and is celebrated with great pomp

across the world, especially in the Vaishnava traditions.

Raksha Bandhan: Raksha Bandhan also called Rakhi Purnima or simply Rakhi

in many parts of India and Nepal, is a Hindu religious festival which signifies

and celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on

Shraavana Poornima (Full Moon). In simple words, Raksha bandhan means

"Bond of Protection"

Naryal Poornima: Shraavana Poornima (full moon) day is celebrated as Narali

Purnima in western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa,. On this

day, an offering of a coconut is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to Lord

Varuna, the God of the Sea. In the coastal regions of Maharashtra i.e. Konkan, a

coconut is offered to the sea for calming it down after the monsoon season.

Narali Purnima is the beginning of the fishing season and the fishermen, who

depend on the sea for a living, make an offering to Lord Varuna so that they can

reap bountiful fish from the sea. Fishermen start fishing in the sea after this

ceremony.

Nag Panchami: Nag Panchami is also celebrated in many parts of India on the

fifth day after Amavasya of Shraavana month. The snake god Nāga is

worshiped. The last day of the Shraavana is celebrated as Pola, where the bull is

worshiped by farmers from Maharashtra.

Avani Avittam: In southern and central parts of India including Kerala, Andhra

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha, Shraavana Poornima day is when

the Brahmin community performs the rituals of Avani Avittam or Upakarma.

Basava Panchami: In Karnataka Basava Panchami is celebrated on 5th day after

amavasya. In 1196 AD this day Lingayat dharma guru Basava merged with god.


Shri Baladeva Janamotsuv: Shraavana Poornima day is also celebrated as Shri

Baladeva birth Ceremony. Lord Krishna's elder Brother Prabhu Balarama was

born on this Poornima.

Gamha Purnima: Gamha Purnima is celebrated in Odisha. On this date, all the

domesticated Cows and Bullocks are decorated and worshipped. Various kinds

of country-made cakes called Pitha and sweets mitha are made and distributed

within families, relatives and friends. In Oriya Jagannath culture, the lord

Krishna & Radha enjoy the rainy season of Shravana starting from Shukla

Pakhya Ekadashi (usually 4 days before Purnima) and ending on Rakhi Purnima

with a festival called "Jhulan Yatra". Idols of Radha-Krishna are beautifully

decorated on a swing called Jhulan, hence the name "Jhulan Yatra".

Kajari Purnima: In central parts of India such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh

and Jharkhand Shraavana Poornima day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. It is an

important day for the farmers and women blessed with a son. On the ninth day

after Shravana Amavasya, the preparations of the Kajari festival start. This

ninth day is called Kajari Navami and varied rituals are performed by women

who have sons until Kajri Purnima or the full moon day.

Pavitropana: In parts of Gujarat, Shraavana Poornima day is celebrated as

Pavitropana. On this holiday, people perform the grand pooja or the worship of

Lord Shiva. It is the culmination of the prayers done throughout the year.

Jandhyam Poornima: Jandhyam is Sanskrit for sacred thread, and Poornima

denotes the full moon in Sanskrit. Jandhyala Purnima is observed on the full

moon day (Poornima) in the month of Shraavan in Andhra Pradesh. Brahmins

perform the sacred thread changing ceremony on this day and it is also known

as Yajurveda Nutanasahitha Upakarma.

Pavitra Ekadashi: On Ekadashi Day [11th day], Vaishnavas in Maharashtra,

Gujarat and Rajasthan celebrate it as the birth of Pushtimarga, the path of grace.

On this day, Lord Krishna appeared in front of Shri Vallabhacharya. Shri

Vallabhacharya offered him a thread (soothan), which was pious (pavitra).

Since that day every year, Pavitra Ekadashi is celebrated. Such threads are

offered from Ekadashi till Raksha Bandhan.

Salono: In Haryana and Punjab, in addition to celebrating Raksha Bandhan,

people observe the festival of Salono. Salono is celebrated by priests solemnly

tying amulets on people's wrists for protection against evil. The day is dedicated


to local saints involving devotees receiving such amulets. In Haryana, the

festival of Salono also involves sisters tying threads on brothers to ward off evil.

Despite the two festivals being similar in its practices, Salono and Raksha

Bandhan are distinct observances with the threads tied for Salono being called

ponchis.

Shravani Mela: Shravani Mela is a major festival time at Deoghar in Jharkhand

with thousands of saffron-clad pilgrims bringing holy water around 100 km on

foot from the Ganges at Sultanganj, Bihar. Shravan is also the time of the

annual Kanwar Yatra, the annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva, known as

Kanwaria make to Hindu pilgrimage places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and

Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters of Ganges River.

Pola: Pola is a festival respecting bulls and oxen which is celebrated by farmers

in Maharashtra. Pola is a thanksgiving festival of farmers and their families for

their bulls. It is celebrated in Maharashtra to acknowledge the importance of

bulls and oxen, who are a crucial part of agriculture and farming activities. It

falls on the last day or the new moon day of Shraavana.

Hindu saint Sri Guru Raghavendra Swami, who advocated Sri Madhvacharya's

Dvaita philosophy, achieved Videha Mukti on Sraavana Bahula Dwitiya in

1671 AD.

Supreme Court:

The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum

and final court of appeal under the Constitution of India,

the highest constitutional court, with the power of

constitutional review. It consists of the Chief Justice of

India and a maximum of 34 judges, it has extensive powers in the form of

original, appellate and advisory jurisdictions. It is regarded as the most powerful

public institution in India. It was established on 26 January 1950. It is

headquartered in New Delhi. The current CJI of the Supreme Court is Sharad

Arvind Bobde.

Recently, a Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court has held that a

Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test on the

Indian Polity


recommendation of the Cabinet. He can't say no and he has to call the house

whenever the Chief Minister asks him to do so.

The judgement was taken as there has been a deadlock between the Rajasthan's

Governor Kalraj Mishra and the Rajasthan's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over

summoning of an Assembly session for a floor test.

The Apex court reffered to the five-judge Constitution Bench judgement in

Nabam Rebia (Arunachal Pradesh) case.

NABAM REBIA JUDGMENT: The Constitution Bench judgment of the

Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia versus Deputy Speaker on July 13, 2016, held

that a Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test

on the recommendation of the Cabinet.

The Apex Court in its judgement said that a Governor cannot employ his

“discretion”, and should strictly abide by the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet to

summon the Assembly for a floor test.

The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House only on the aid

and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head.

Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general

discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of

Ministers”.

Article 163(1) of the Constitution said that the Governor was bound by the

advice of his Council of Ministers and he has to convene the Assembly.

Even the Constituent Assembly was wary of extending the Governor’s

discretion. Though the draft Constitution had vested the Governor with the

discretion to summon and dissolve, it was later omitted by the framers of the

Constitution.

Governor’s discretionary powers are limited to specified areas like giving assent

or withholding or referring a Bill to the President or appointment of a Chief

Minister or dismissal of a government which has lost of confidence but refuses

to quit, etc.


MHRD:

It refers to the Ministry of Human Resources and

Development. The Ministry of Human Resource

Development (MHRD) was formerly known as the

Ministry of Education. It was founded on 26 September

1985. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India.It is responsible for the

development of human resources in India. The current Minister of MHRD is

Ramesh Pokhriyal.

Recently the MHRD has been renamed as Ministry of Education. The changing

of the name was approved by the Union Cabinet. The HRD Ministry is

currently headed by Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

The name was changed as it was a key recommendation of the draft New

Education Policy. The HRD ministry name was adopted in 1985, during the

tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as it was changed from the

Ministry of Education. The changes in the name has been proposed in order to

focus on education and learning.

The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which has been approved by

the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will

replace the existing National Policy on Education which was first formulated in

1986 and last modified in 1992.

Anandiben Patel:

She has served as the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, she

was the first female chief minister of the state. Earlier on

June 28, Patel was given the additional charge of Madhya

Pradesh during the absence on leave of Governor Lalji

Tandon.

Recently, she is appointed as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh by President of

India Ram Nath Kovind to discharge the functions of the Governor of Madhya

Pradesh. This development comes after the Governor of MP Lalji Tandon

passed away. The power conferred by Articles 155 and 160 of the Constitution

was exercised by the President.


MoEFCC:

It refers to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change. MoEFCC an Indian government

ministry was formed in 1985. It is headquartered in

New Delhi. The ministry is responsible for planning,

promoting, coordinating, conservation and survey of

forest, flora and fauna of India, prevention and control

of pollution, afforestation, land degradation mitigation and overseeing the

implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. The

current Minister of MoEFCC is Prakash Javedkar.

Recently, the Union Environment Ministry launched the National Transit Pass

System (NTPS), an online system for issuing transit permits for timber, bamboo

and other forest produce. As of now, the pilot project will be functional in

Telangana and Madhya Pradesh only. The system will be will be operational in

all states by Diwali.

This online system will enhance seamless movement of forest produce. It will

bring ease of business and expedite issuance of transit permits for timber,

bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest

offices. Through mobile application e-pass will be issued for transit of forest

produce.

NTPS will enhance seamless movement of forest produce. Transit of timber,

bamboo and other forest produce is governed by various state specific acts and

rules.

Nag River:

The Nag River is a river flowing through the city of

Nagpur in Maharashtra. Nagpur city derives its name

from the Nag river. It forms a part of the Kanhan-Pench

river system. This River originates in Lava hills near

wadi.

Recently, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court observed that

Industrialisation and urbanisation has reduced Nag River to a cursed lady by

heavily polluting it.

Environment


The river serves as drainage for Nagpur and as a result its ecosystem is heavily

polluted by urban waste from the city. The Nag River Rejuvenation was cleared

by National River Conservation Directorate in November 2019.

International Tigers day:

Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger

Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness

for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July.

International Tiger Day was established in 2010 at

Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia to raise

awareness about the decline of wild tiger numbers, leaving them in the brink of

extinction and to encourage the work of Tiger conservation. In the Summit, a

declaration was made that the Heads of the Governments of Tiger Range

countries had resolved to double tiger numbers across their global range by

2022 by signing the Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation.

Several events every year are organized by animal organizations like IFAW,

WWF, and the Smithsonian Institute.

Recently, International Tigers day was observed on July 29, 2020. The Global

Tiger Day 2020 slogan is ‘Their Survival is in Our Hands’.

There are currently 13 tiger range countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,

Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia,

Thailand and Vietnam.

On the occasion of International Tigers day, the Union Environment Minister

Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State Babul Supriyo released the All India

Tiger Estimation-2018. The All India Tiger Estimation is undertaken every four

years, the latest in 2018.

The report states that India has 70% of the total tiger population in the world.

Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is set to releases the Tiger Census report as

well to commemorate Global Tiger Day 2020.


Kargil Vijay Diwas:

The Day is named after the successful 'Operation

Vijay'. Kargil Vijay Diwas is a day when the

country pays homage to the Kargil War heroes

and celebrates victory over Pakistan in the Kargil

War. On July 26, 1999, India successfully

regained command over all the high outposts.

The Kargil War was fought for more than 60 days. India defeated Pakistan

successfully completed ‘Operation Vijay’, ending the three-month war in the

Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LOC).

Recently, the 21st Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated across the

country. However, celebrations were muted this year in wake of the coronavirus

pandemic. The India Army paid tributes to the martyrs and the soldiers who lost

their lives at the heights of Kargil.

Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi:

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy,

Khadakvasala, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and

the erstwhile College of Naval warfare, Karanja and the

prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi.

Recently, Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, AVSM, NM has

assumed charge as the Commandant, Indian Naval Academy (INA). He has

replaced the Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM who served as the

Commandant, Indian Naval Academy (INA) from 12 June 2019 to 27 July

2020.

IAF:

It is an acronym for the Indian Air Force of India. IAF

is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. It was

officially established on 8 October 1932 as an

auxiliary air force of the British Empire which

honoured India's aviation service during World War II

Defence


with the prefix Royal. With the government's transition to a Republic in 1950,

the prefix Royal was removed. The present Commander-in-Chief of IAF is Ram

Nath Kovind. The Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is a four-star officer

and is responsible for the bulk of operational command of the Air Force. The

present Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh

Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC and the Vice Chief of the Air Staff

(VCAS) is Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora, AVSM, ADC.

Recently, a fleet of 5 French-manufactured Rafale multi-role combat jets

arrived in India. Giving the country's air power a strategic edge over its

adversaries in the neighbourhood, the Jets landed at the Ambala Air Force base

covering a distance of 7,000 km from the Merignac airbase in French port city

of Bordeaux. The Rafales were escorted by two Sukhoi 30 MKIs after they

entered the Indian air space.

The fleet, comprising three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, are being

inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known

as the 'Golden Arrows'.

The Rafale jets, known for air-superiority and precision strikes, are India's first

major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were

imported from Russia. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent

weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-

air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the

mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.

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