India- Russia military industrial conference held at Lucknow.

NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves IIITs laws(amendment) bill,2020.

• The union cabinet has approved to confer the status of ‘institutions of national importance’ to the five Indian Institutes of Information technology(IIIT) along with the existing 15 IIIT in Public Private Partnership.
• The five IIITS in PPP mode includes the IIITs in Bhopal, Raichur, Agartala, Bhagalpur and Surat.

Indian navy to get its 3^rd Scorpene-class submarine.

• Indian navy is to get the delivery of its 3^rd Scorpene-class submarine by the end of this year, and all the six will be delivered by 2021.
• The name of the 3^rd Scorpene submarine is “KARANJ”.
• The names of other submarines are. INS Kulvari(1st), INS Khanderi (2nd).
• These submarines are constructed under the Mumbai based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders(MDL).

India- Africa Defence Conclave

• The ‘Lucknow declaration’ was adopted at the first indo-African defence conclave in the ongoing Defexpo 2020.
• Along with the defence minister of India there were twelve African countries along with representatives of thirty-eight other African countries were present at the conclave.
• They have come together to deepen cooperation to combat the growing threat of terrorism and to preserve maritime security by sharing information in a joint declaration.

Russian helicopters(RH) signed a roadmap with IRHL

• At the ongoing Defexpo 2020, Russian helicopters have signed a roadmap with the Indo-Russian helicopters ltd(IRHL).
• It was signed for the localization of Ka-226T light utility helicopter production in India.
• CEO of Indo-Russian helicopters ltd(IRHL): N.M Srikanth.

India- Russia military industrial conference held at Lucknow.

• On the sidelines of the Defexpo 2020 at Lucknow, India-Russia military industrial conference(IRMIC) was held where 14MoUs were signed between Russian OEMs and Indian companies.
• Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was signed between India and Russia at Vladivostok, Russia last year on the joint manufacturing of spare parts in India and now this IGA provides the substructure for the above partnership.

PM to attend celebrations signing on BODO ACCORD

• An event celebrating the signing of Bodo Accord at Kokrajhar in Assam is to be attended by PM Narendra Modi today.
• Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and his ministerial colleagues will also attend the event.
• The tripartite Bodo Accord was signed between the Centre, the Assam government and the Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
• The main aim of the agreement is to bring political and economic benefits to the Bodo tribe, the largest tribal group in Assam.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NASA Astronaut returns to earth after setting new space record

• Nasa’s Christina Koch has the world record for the most time spent by a woman in space.
• She was on her 11-month mission before she landed on earth.
• Koch walked through the previous record of her fellow astronaut American Peggy whitson (289 days stay in space) by spending 328 days on international space station(ISS).

Hollywood legend actor kirk Douglas passed away.

• The Veteran actor Kirk Douglas (103 years) from Hollywood passed away today at Beverly Hills, California in US.
• He was born in New York in 1916, and won his first Oscar nomination for the 1949 boxing story Champion.

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Fitch predicts India’s GDP growth at 5.6%

• Fitch ratings has predicted India’s GDP growth will be 5.6% in the next financial year (2020-21) which is lower than the government’s economic survey prediction.
• The economic survey had projected a GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent.

RBI keeps Repo Rate, Reverse Repo rates unchanged.

• RBI’s monetary policy committee has released its 6^th Bi-monthly monetary policy for the year 2019-20.
• RBI governor said referring to the MPC that RBI would maintain the repo rate unchanged 5.15%.
• Along with the Repo rate, Reverse repo rate and the marginal standing facility rate also remains unchanged with 4.90% and 5.40% respectively.

DoT approves merger of Bharti, Tata Tele merger.

• The Department of telecom(DoT) has approved the merger of Telecom operator Tata Teleservices(Maharashtra) consumer mobile business with Bharti Airtel.

SPORTS NEWS

SOURAV GANGULY – Goodwill Ambassador for Indian team for TOKYO Olympics

• BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to become the Goodwill Ambassador for the Indian team for TOKYO Olympics, invited by the Indian Olympics Association. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be held in the months of July and August.
• Headquarters of Indian Olympics Association: New Delhi.

Abigail Spears banned for 22-month on failing dope test.

• Abigail Spears, The Former Australian Open mixed doubles champion tested positive for the banned substances Prasterone and Testosterone at the 2019 US open in New York.
• Her ban was backdated to November 7, 2019 and will end on September 6, 2021.