Union Minister of Environment released detailed report of tiger census on Global Tiger Day

NATIONAL NEWS

Union Minister of Environment released detailed report of tiger census on Global Tiger Day

• Environment Minister has released a detailed report of the tiger census on the International tiger day, celebrated on July 29^th every year to create awareness on tiger conservation.
• India has made a Guinness record on its efforts in monitoring its tiger population as the world’s largest camera-trap survey of wildlife.
• The report released by the minister says that the country now has nearly 70 per cent of the global tiger population.
• The governments of the 13 tiger range countries have resolved to double the number of tigers by 2022.
• This is ahead of the Saint Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation was signed by the countries in 2010.
• LIDAR survey technology to be used for the first time for effective fodder and water augmentation in forest area.
• Lidar is a method for measuring distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor.

Fact: Union Minister of Environment - Prakash Javadekar

          Minister of State of the Environment Ministry - Babul Supriyo

Union Minister for HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launches India Report- Digital Education June 2020

• Union Minister for HRD, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched India Report on Digital Education for the year 2020.
• The report includes all the initiatives and the innovatives ideas taken up by the ministry in the education department of states and Union Territories for ensuring the students access and inclusive learning at home.
• For a Quality digital education, HRD ministry has developed many platforms as follows - DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha TV Channel, Online MOOC courses, On Air – Shiksha Vani,   DAISY by NIOS for differently-abled, e-PathShala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) and e-learning portals etc..
• To ensure inclusive learning in remote areas where internet connectivity and electricity is poor, States and UTs have also distributed textbooks at children’s doorsteps.

Indian climate activist becomes a member of the new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change in UN.

• Indian climate activist, Archana Soreng has been included in the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’s new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.
• This is a 7 member team where they will advise him regularly on taken decisions on global actions and will provide solutions in overcoming the climatic crisis.
• It was the 1st time a Secretary-General has convened a summit for young people entirely devoted to climate action.

Fact: United Nations Headquarters – New York, USA.

Central Govt. with World Bank decides to convert ravines of Chambal region into arable land

• The area of ravines in the region of Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh is to be converted into cultivable land by the central government in collaboration with the World Bank.
• Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare gave the announcement.
• The aspects of the project are related to the technology, infrastructure, capital cost, and investment and other will be considered before the initiation of the project with minimum budget allocation.
• Around 3-lakh hectares land of this region are non-cultivable, this conversion will improve and support the integrated development of the Bihad area in the region of Gwalior-Chambal.
• In addition to the agricultural and environmental development, this project will also create employment opportunities.

Fact: Headquarters of World Bank – Washington D.C, USA

         Union Minister of Agriculture and farmer’s welfare – Narendra Singh Tomar

India’s GDP boosts to 2.5% by AI: Report by ICRIER, Google & NASSCOM

• The report titled, ’Implications of AI on the Indian Economy’ says that a unit increase in Artificial Intelligence(AI) concentration can result in a 2.5% increase in India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in the immediate term.
• National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) along with the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and Google has given the report.
• The report says Indian AI market for start-ups attracted USD 762.5 million in 2019.

Fact: President of NASSCOM – Debjani Gosh.

         Headquarters of NASSCOM, ICRIER – New Delhi, India

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PM Narendra Modi and PM of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth to jointly inaugurate the new Supreme Court Building of Mauritius

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth are preparing to jointly e-inaugurate the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius.
• The building has been constructed with Indian grant assistance and will be the first India assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis after Covid.
• The new Supreme Court building project, is one of the five projects being implemented under the ‘Special Economic Package’ of USD 353 million extended by the Government of India to Mauritius in 2016.

Fact: Capital of Mauritius - Port Louis

ECONOMIC NEWS

FM Nirmala Sitharaman attends 5th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB

• Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman has attended the 5^th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• The meeting discussed all about the decisions on official businesses including the presidential election of AIIB.
• In addition, the discussion went on the theme of “AIIB 2030-Supporting Asia’s Development over the Next Decade”.

Fact: Headquarters of AIIB – Beijing, China

         AIIB President - Jin Liqun

BANKING NEWS

IRCTC, SBI Card launch new Co-branded Contactless Credit Card on RuPay Platform

• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and SBI Card jointly launched a co-branded contactless credit card, “IRCTC -SBI Platinum Card” on RuPay Platform to reward the frequent railway travellers.
• The card is equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology by which users can facilitate their transactions at the point of sale (POS) machines by Tap and Pay Option.
• This enables a safe and secure payment by the consumers.

Fact: Union Minister of Railways - Piyush Goyal

          CEO of SBI cards - Ashwini Kumar Tewari

SBI provided USD 16.20 million-liquidity support for local businesses in Maldives as COVID-relief

• State Bank of India (SBI) provided liquidity support of USD 16.20 million as a COVID-relief for the Government of Maldives to overcome liquidity shortage.
• The transaction has done during the Independence Day of the Maldives on July 26, 2020.
• The growing relationship between both nations lays upon the ‘India First’ policy of Maldives and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy of India.
• An Assistance of USD 400 million has been made available already to Maldives through an extended currency swap arrangement, which was inked in July 2019 by both nations.

Fact: SBI Chairman – Rajnish Kumar

          President of Maldives - Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

APPOINTMENTS

Tata AIA Life Insurance Appointed Naveen Tahilyani as its new MD & CEO

• The Tata American International Assurance (AIA) has appointed Naveen Tahilyani as its MD&CEO.
• His appointment was under regulatory approval from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Tahilyani replaces Rishi Srivastava.

Fact: Headquarters of Tata AIA Life Insurance – Mumbai.