Current Affairs, July 2020

31st July, Current Affairs:

• India's federal fiscal deficit touched a record $88.5 billion in the April-June quarter, 83.2% of the target for the whole of the current fiscal year.
• India replaces Italy to claim 5th spot in terms of the number of fatalities due to the covid infection. With 35,747 fatalities due to coronavirus, India becoming fifth-highest coronavirus death toll in the world.
• Aviation regulator DGCA today said the suspension of scheduled international flights to and from the country has been extended till August 31.

30th July, Current Affairs:

• The Delhi Cabinet has decided to slash Value Added Tax (VAT) rates on diesel effectively reducing its price to ₹73.64 down from ₹82 per litre.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in Port Louis in Mauritius.

29th July, Current Affairs:

• The first five Rafale jets landed in Ambala Wednesday afternoon. Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command Air Marshal B Suresh welcomed the first five IAF Rafales at Air Force Station Ambala.
• The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has approved the New Education Policy (NEP). The Cabinet also approved changing the name of the HRD Ministry to Education Ministry. There will be a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Either one of the mother tongue or the local/regional language will be the medium of instruction up to Class 5 in all schools, the government said.
• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science have been announced. This year the Life Time Excellence Award is being awarded to Professor Ashok Sahni for his significant contribution in the field of Geology, Vertebrate Paleontology and Biostratigraphy.
• The annual five day Haj pilgrimage commences today in Saudi Arabia.
• International Tiger Day being observed today. The Day is celebrated every year across the globe to create awareness about tiger conservation.

28th July, Current Affairs:

• World Hepatitis Day is observed today.
• England's Stuart Broad on Tuesday became only the 7th bowler in world cricket to pick 500 Test wickets when trapped West Indies batsman Kraigg Brathwaite during the final day of the on-going 3rd Test in Manchester.
• China announced the suspension of extradition treaties of Hong Kong with Canada, Britain and Australia.

27th July, Current Affairs:

• The first batch of five Rafale jets flew out of France today and will arrive in India on Wednesday, when the fighter jets will officially be inducted and join the Indian Air Force fleet in Haryana's Ambala.
• Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries toppled ExxonMobil Corporation to become the world's largest energy company after Saudi Aramco.
• Government has banned 47 more Chinese apps. Earlier, it had banned 59 China-based apps on the grounds of national security and data privacy.
• The Nation remembers former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary today.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted all CRPF personnel on the 82nd Raising Day of the force.
• Juventus win their ninth straight Serie A title after a win over Sampdoria by 2-0.

26th July, Current Affairs:

• Nation pays tributes to war heroes on Kargil Vijay Diwas. The day marks India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil war.
• Maldives celebrates its 55th Independence Day today.

25th July, Current Affairs:

• In flood hit Assam, over 50 thousand displaced people are taking shelter at relief camps. The current wave of floods affected 28 lakh people.
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju o Saturday announced Haryana as the host state for the fourth edition of Khelo India Youth Games.
• India has achieved a remarkable feat by conducting a record number of 4 lakh 20 thousand COVID-19 tests in a single day on Friday.

24th July, Current Affairs:

• The human clinical trials of the indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, kicked off at the AIIMS. It is India’s first Covid-19 vaccine trial.
• Government has issued detailed guidelines regarding celebration of Independence Day on 15th August amidst COVID-19.
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finalised the rescheduled window for Indian Premier League (IPL) from September 19 to November 8 in United Arab Emirates. The decision is pending for Government approval.

23rd July, Current Affairs:

• National Broadcasting Day is observed today in India. This day is observed as on this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.
• China has launched its first independent mission to Mars from the Wenchchang spacecraft launch site. The Mars probe has been named Tianwen 1.

21st July, Current Affairs:

• The iconic Amarnath Yatra, the annual Hindu pilgrimage to a Jammu and Kashmir shrine, will not take place this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon passed away while undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Lucknow. He was 85.

20th July, Current Affairs:

• Intense rain and floods have killed at least 85 people and displaced more than 2.75 million since May, 2020 in Assam. The State Government of Assam announced that so far 108 animals of Kaziranga National Park died in the flood.
• The prestigious Ballon d’Or will not be awarded this year because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the soccer season. Ballon d’Or has been given out every year since Stanley Matthews won the first one in 1956.

17th July, Current Affairs:

• Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 34th La Liga title with one game to spare by beating Villarreal 2-1 at home.
• India's wealthiest woman Roshni Nadar Malhotra is appointed as the chairperson of HCL Technologies. She will replace her father, Shiv Nadar.

15th July, Current Affairs:

• Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has been appointed as a Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.
• CBSE has announced the results of Class X Examinations. The overall pass percentage is 91.46 percent.
• US President Donald Trump has signed a bill to impose sanctions on Chinese officials implementing oppressive law against Hong Kong.
• The UK has banned its companies from sourcing 5G equipment from Chinese telecom company Huawei.

14th July, Current Affairs:

• The Congress party has dismissed Sachin Pilot from Rajasthan State Cabinet and also from the post of party’s state president.
• India's richest man Mukesh Ambani surged past Silicon Valley tech titan Elon Musk as well as Alphabet co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to become the world's sixth-richest person.
• Iranian government has decided to proceed with the construction of a rail line from the Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the Iran-Afghan border, without the aid of India, citing concerns over delays and funding from the Indian side.

13th July, Current Affairs:

• Technology giant Google today announced a India Digitization Fund, via which the company will invest $10 billion (about ₹75,000 crore) over the next five-seven years.
• Central Board of Secondary Education announces result of class 12th examination. The pass percentage of Class 12 students was 5% higher than the previous year, with 88.8% of students passing the exam in comparison to 83.4% in 2019.
• West Indies won the first international cricket match since the sport's return after the coronavirus outbreak, beating hosts England by 4 wickets in the first Test.

11th July, Current Affairs:

• India's 2018 Tiger Census has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest on-camera wildlife survey. The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 estimated 2,967 tigers or 75 per cent of the global tiger population in the nation.
• The 2020 General Elections of Singapore is conducted today for its 105 seats unicameral Parliament. With 83 seats win, incumbent Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will continue as the Prime Minister of Singapore.

10th July, Current Affairs:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Asia's largest solar energy project in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa. The Solar Park has been developed over a total area of 1500 hectares, by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL). RUMSL is a Joint Venture of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Madhya Pradesh UrjaVikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN). This solar power plant has a total of three units. Each unit is producing 250 megawatts of electricity.
• From now onwards, Foreign and Indian coaches for training Indian Athletes will now have a four-year contract in alignment with the Olympic cycle.
• India recorded 1.2 million snakebite deaths in the 20-year period from 2000 to 2019 with an average of 58,000 deaths caused by snakebite annually.

9th July, Current Affairs:

• The Union Cabinet approves 12 thousand 450 crore rupees investment in three public sector general insurance companies Oriental Insurance Company Limited, National Insurance Company Limited and United India Insurance Company Limited.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today inaugurated six new bridges built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the Jammu Division of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through Video Conference. All the six bridges with strategic importance along the International Border and Line of Control were constructed in record time.
• Indian Army has directed all personnel to remove 89 apps, including Facebook and Instagram, from their mobile phones by July 15.

8th July, Current Affairs:

• Nirav Modi's assets worth over ₹329 crore confiscated under Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
• International cricket has returned after a gap of nearly 4 months, with the first Test between England and West Indies at Southampton starting today.

7th July, Current Affairs:

• A Himalayan butterfly named Golden Birdwing is now the largest butterfly in India. For the last 88 years, Southern Birdwing butterfly is considered the largest butterfly in India.
• India's Covid recovery rate crosses 61%.
• The Union Home Ministry has permitted conduct of examinations by Universities and Institutions.

6th July, Current Affairs:

• China has withdrawn troops by at least a kilometer in the tense Galwan river valley in eastern Ladakh. Indian soldiers have also pulled back and a buffer zone has been created between the troops of both sides.
• Himachal Pradesh becomes the first State in India to have LPG Gas connection in every household within a state.

5th July, Current Affairs:

• Guru Purnima is celebrated today in India.
• Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal inaugurates world's largest COVID Care Centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Delhi. The centre has over ten thousand beds.

2nd July, Current Affairs:

• Government has decided to reopened all monuments to the public from next Monday for the first time since the country went into lockdown in March to fight the spread of coronavirus.
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today inaugurates the first Plasma Bank of the country for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. The facility has been set up at Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has won presidential polls in his bid to stay in power until the middle of the next decade. The vote paves the way for Putin, who has ruled for two decades, to remain President until 2036.
• Legendary West Indies batsman Everton Weekes died today at the age of 95. He was hailed as "a founding father" of the sport in the Caribbean.
• More than 126 miners are reported to be killed in a Jade mine collapse in Hpakant township in Kachin State of northern Myanmar.

1st July, Current Affairs:

• Senior diplomat Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as the next Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva.
• ICC chairman Shashank Manohar has stepped down after the completion of tenure and Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja will assume responsibilities on a temporary basis. Manohar took charge as ICC Chairman in November 2015.
• KK Venugopal has been re-appointed as Attorney General of India for a period of one year.

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