National
1. KABIL set up to ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian market
i. A joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India limited has been set up with the participation of 3 Central Public Sector Enterprises.
ii. These CPSEs are National Aluminium Company Limited, Hindustan Copper Limited and Mineral Exploration Company limited.
iii. KABIL will ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian domestic market.
2. BIS to set up Pashmina testing centre in Leh
i. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) will work together to promote the pashmina products at the high-level market for the proper value of this fine product of pashmina (Lena-Ladakhi).
ii. Ladakh region and parts of Himachal and Kashmir have world-class Pashmina production.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:
- Bureau of Indian Standards Director General: Surina Rajan.
3. MIB launches a competition for designing Postage Stamp
i. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched a competition for designing a Postage Stamp along with the First Day Cover to commemorate Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
ii. International Film Festival of India (IFFI) started way back in 1952, is an ‘A’ grade film festival accredited to the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) and is one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in Asia.
iii. IFFI showcases a collage of the best of contemporary and classical films from around the globe.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main:
- Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.
State News
4. India, UK launch clean air initiative in Bengaluru
i. The Innovating for Clean Air (IfCA), is a UK-India joint initiative providing Indian and UK stakeholders opportunities to test interventions related to air quality and EV integration, was launched in Bengaluru.
ii. This initiative provides a unique measurement system for air quality by integrating satellite and sensor data, and helping to support India's transition to electric vehicles". The programme is led by Innovate UK -- part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Main 2019:
- Capital of Karnataka: Bengaluru; CM of Karnataka: B. S. Yediyurappa
- Governor of Karnataka: Vajubhai Vala.
5. Mobile library service launched by Delhi Public Library
i. Culture and Tourism Minister flagged off a mobile library bus service which aims to reach out to readers in Delhi, especially those in slums, resettlement colonies and rural areas.
ii. The 5 buses mobile library service was launched under the "Ghar Ghar Dastak Ghar Ghar Pustak" Scheme of the Delhi Public Library (DPL).
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:
- Culture and Tourism Minister: Prahlad Singh Patel.
6. One Nation One Ration Card scheme launched on pilot basis in 4 States
i. One Nation-One Ration Card scheme launched on a pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
ii. Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states. Their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:
- Minister of Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
7. West Bengal launches awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’
i. The West Bengal Government has launched an awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’ for preserving the greenery and keeping the environment clean.
ii. The State Government will distribute more than 1 lakh saplings throughout the state for spreading of greenery.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:
- CM of West Bengal: Mamta Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankar.
Economy
8. Crisil cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 6.9% for FY 2019-20
i. Ratings agency CRISIL has cut its forecast for India's GDP growth by 20 basis points for FY 2019-20.
ii. It has lowered India's GDP growth to 6.9% from 7.1%.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:
- MD & CEO of CRISIL: Ashu Suyash.
Rank & Reporting
9. India slips to 7th largest economy in 2018
i. According to the World Bank, India has been pushed to the 7th place in the global GDP rankings in 2018. In 2017, India had emerged as the 6th largest economy.
ii. The US remains the top economy with a GDP of $20.5 trillion in 2018. China was the 2nd largest economy with $13.6 trillion, while Japan took the 3rd place with $5 trillion.
iii. India’s GDP was at $2.7 trillion in 2018, while UK and France were at $2.8 trillion.
India still remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Mains:
- President of World Bank: David Malpass; Headquarters: Washington DC, USA; Established: 1944.
Appointment
10. Guruprasad Mohapatra takes charge as DPIIT secretary
i. IAS Officer Guruprasad Mohapatra assumed charge as the secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
ii. Prior to taking over as secretary of DPIIT, he served as chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
iii. Mohapatra replaces Ramesh Abhishek, who has retired.
11. Ravi Capoor assumes Charge as Secretary Textiles
i. Ravi Capoor, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, assumed charge of the office of Secretary, Ministry of Textiles in New Delhi.
ii. Ravi Capoor has vast experience of working in international agencies like the World Bank, European Union, United Nations, Department for International Development in the Primary Education Project with Government of India.
12. Atish Dabholkar appointed as the new director of ICTP
i. Atish Dabholkar, a theoretical physicist from India, has been appointed as the new director of Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He will succeed Fernando Quevedo, who has led the centre since 2009.
Awards
13. Ravish Kumar wins Ramon Magsaysay award 2019
i. Indian journalist Ravish Kumar has been awarded the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless”.
ii. The Magsaysay award was started in 1957 and celebrates the memory and leadership example of the former Philippine president Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay.
iii. It is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader.
iv. Ramon Magsaysay Award is regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. The awardees are presented with a medallion with a right side facing profile image of Ramon Magsaysay along with a certificate.
v. The other winners of the award are:
- Ko Swe Win (Myanmar): He is a human rights defender and the chief editor of Myanmar Now news agency.
- Angkhana Neelapajit (Thailand) is human rights activist and a leading human rights defender in Southern Thailand.
- Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab (Philippines) is a musician who has served in the music faculty of the University of the Philippines and has conducted free workshops for thousands of students all across the country.
- Kim Jong-Ki (South Korea) is an activist working with violence and mental health issues in youth and a South Korean agrarian movement leader who pioneered wasteland cultivation, and strove to demonstrate through his work that life as a farmer can be fulfilling and productive.
Science and Technology
14. IIT-KGP researchers develop tech for solid waste management
i. A research team at IIT Kharagpur has developed a technology which can generate energy from solid waste with high moisture content.
ii. The new technology Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) can convert municipal solid waste to biofuel, soil amendment and absorbents.
iii. These processes require high energy input to combust municipal solid waste generated in India which has high moisture content due to tropical weather, open collection systems and mixed waste.
Obituaries
15. Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse, passes away
i. Veteran actor Russi Taylor, who voiced Disney's Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years, has passed away.
ii. The artiste also lent her voice to roles on other classic TV animated series like "TaleSpin", "The Little Mermaid", "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" and "Kim Possible". Taylor was named a Disney Legend in 2008.
Miscellaneous
16. 143rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya
i. 143rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya celebrates on 2nd of August. Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter and the designer of the flag on which the Indian national flag was based was born on this day in 1876, near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. Venkayya's design for the National Flag was finally approved by Mahatama Gandhi in a Congress meeting in Vijayawada in 1921.
