08th-10th July, 2023

1. The 3rd edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) portal has been launched.
2. The virtual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has recently been concluded.
3. 3rd G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting is being held in Hampi, Karnataka.
4. Department of Fisheries has launched the ‘Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge’ in partnership with Startup India hub and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
5. Gujarat government has signed six Memorandum of Understanding with private industries for mangrove plantation under Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme.
6. Odisha CM Patnaik has launched ‘Ama Pokhari’ project for development of urban water bodies.
7. Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPPG&P), and the Public Service Division, of the Republic of Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of personnel management and public administration till 2028.
8. THDC India Limited (THDCIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide technical services as the technical consultant.
9. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Voyager Space to foster collaboration in spacecraft launch and deployment opportunities
10. Israel Innovation Authority has announced new initiative with an investment of USD 11 million to foster technological advancement.
11. Indian Tri-Services Contingent is going to participate in the French Bastille Day
12. Srilankan President Wickremesinghe to visit India for 2 days starting 21st July
13. WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) 2023has launched a report ‘Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022’ with special focus on gender.
14. Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education has released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D)combined report for 2020-21 & 2021-22.
15. PhonePe has launched one-stop Point-of-sale (POS) device which will enable merchants to accept payments via debit cards, credit cards and UPI.
16. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has reduced its stake in India Cement by 2% through open market transactions.
17. The government has amendedprovisions of the Money laundering Act to allow enforcement directorate (ED) to share information with GST
18. National Housing Bank (NHB) has operationalised the ₹10,000-crore Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF) for the creation of urban infrastructure in tier-2 and tier-3
19. Justice Sheo Kumar Singh has been appointed as the acting chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT) by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
20. Edgars Rinkevics has been appointed as the Latvia’s 7th President.
21. 10 July- National Fish Farmer’s Day (65th edition)
22. International Astronomical Union (IAU) has honoured Aswin Sekhar by naming a minor planet after him.
23. International Tennis Federation (ITF) has awarded Justine Henin with Philippe Chatrier Award (highest honour of ITF).
24. Indian Badminton player Lakshya Sen has won the men’s singles title at the Canada Open 2023 by defeating China’s Li Shi Feng in the finals.
25. Prolific literary illustrator Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri , famously known as Artist Namboothiri has passed away in Kerala
26. A case of Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare infection of the central nervous system has been reported in Kerala.
27. Phosphine gas has been discovered in the clouds of Venus

National News

1. The 3rd edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) portal has been launched.
   • Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has developed NeSDA framework based on the Online Service Index (OSI) of UN eGovernment Survey.
   • The portal aims to measure the depth and effectiveness of existing e-Governance service delivery mechanisms from the citizen’s perspective.
   • DARPG undertakes NeSDA study
     Source: darpg.gov.in
2. The virtual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has recently been concluded.
   • India based AI- Bhashini has been launched to the SCO member nations during the summit.
     • The Government of India has launched Bhashini in This native AI-based language platform will remove the language barriers by allowing people from different languages to interact with one another over digital platforms.
   • Belarus is set to become a full member of SCO by 2024.
   • Kazakhstanhas taken over as SCO’s rotating presidency from India for 2024.
     Source: HT, ET, ET
3. 3rd G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting is being held in Hampi, Karnataka.
   • The first two CWG meetings were held at Khajuraho and Bhubaneswar.
   • Priority areas of CWG-
     • Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property
     • Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future
     • Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy
     • Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.
   • An exhibition titled “Woven Narratives” is being organized as part of the 3rd G20 CWG Meeting at Hampi.
   • The delegates will visit to heritage sites like the Vijaya Vittala Temple, the Royal Enclosure, and the Yeduru Basavanna complex of the Hampi Group of Monuments (UNESCO World Heritage Site) as part of the meeting.
   • The delegates will also experience the famous Coracle Ride in the Tungabhadra River.
   • The CWG is working with delegates of the G20 members, guest nations and international organisations through an inclusive process of in-depth discussions.
     Source:  PIB
4. Department of Fisheries has launched the ‘Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge’ in partnership with Startup India hub and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
   • The challenge will identify, reward and recognize startups creating exceptional impact in the fisheries ecosystem.
   • The selected startups will be provided with a cash grant of INR 2 lakhs to help them continue building their innovations.
   • The winners will be declared on the occasion of National Fish Farmer’s Day on 10th July, 2023 at Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu.
     Source: PIB

State News

1. Gujarat government has signed six Memorandum of Understanding with private industries for mangrove plantation under Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)

2. Odisha CM Patnaik has launched ‘Ama Pokhari’ project for development of urban water bodies.
   • Around 2,000 large water bodies in all 115 urban local bodies of the state will be covered under the project.
   • 120 crores will be spent on the implementation of the initiative.
     Source: The New Indian Express

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPPG&P), and the Public Service Division, of the Republic of Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of personnel management and public administration till 2028.
   Source: Livemint
2. THDC India Limited (THDCIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide technical services as the technical consultant.
   • THDCIL will assess the landslide susceptibility areas and recommend mitigation measures for vulnerable slopes between Udhampur and Ramban on NH 44.
     Source: Economic Times
3. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Voyager Space to foster collaboration in spacecraft launch and deployment opportunities
   • Under this MOU, Voyager Space and NSIL will explore launch and deployment opportunities for small satellites orbited by Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
   • NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), under Department of Space (DOS) is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
     Source: prnewswire.in

International News

1. Israel Innovation Authority has announced new initiative with an investment of USD 11 million to foster technological advancement.
   • The program includes initiatives in three different verticals –
     • Delivery technology
     • Health
     • Technology solutions for schools and campus security.
       Source: News on Air
2. Indian Tri-Services Contingent is going to participate in the French Bastille Day
   • PM Narendra Modi will attend this year’s parade as the guest of honour.
   • The Bastille Day Parade will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French partners.
   • The Bastille Day (Fete Nationale Francaise) or National Day of France is celebrated on July 14.
   • The day marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution.
     Source: The Print
   • Srilankan President Wickremesinghe to visit India for 2 days starting 21st July
     • This will be Mr. Wickremesinghe’s first visit to India since being appointed President of Srilanka in 2022.
       Source: The Hindu

Reports and Indices

1. WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) 2023has launched a report ‘Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022’ with special focus on gender.
   • The report has compiled data on global progress towards achieving universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
   • The report also provides an in-depth analysis of gender inequalities between and within countries.
   • Parameter wise performance (in 2022) –

2. Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education has released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D)combined report for 2020-21 & 2021-22.
   More about the report-
   • Aim:To assess the performance of the school education system at the District level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis.
   • Methodology: PGI-D structure comprises of total weight age of 600 points across 83 indicators, which are grouped under 6 categories, Outcomes, Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure Facilities & Student’s Entitlements, School Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning and Governance Process.
   • The categories are further divided into 12 domains such as Learning Outcomes and Quality (LO), Access Outcomes (AO), Teacher Availability, Learning Management (LM), Infrastructure, Facilities, school Safety and Child Protection (SS&CP), Digital Learning (DL) among others.
   • Categories:PGI-D has 10 grades under which districts are categorized with Daksh being the highest grade (above 90%) followed by Utkarsh (81%-90%); Ati-Uttam (71%-80%); Uttam (61%-70%); Prachesta-1 (51%-60%); Prachesta-2 (41%-50%); Prachesta-3 (31%-40%); Akanshi-1 (21% to 30%); Akanshi-2 (11% to 20%); Akanshi-3 (for districts that score less than 10%)
   • Findings:
     • No districts in the country figure in the top two grades — “Daksh” and “Utkarsh” in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 index.
     • 121 districts are graded as Ati-Uttam for 2020-21.
     • Among the best-performing districts in 2020-21, the maximum are from Rajasthan (26) followed by Gujarat (22) and Punjab (19).
       Source: The Hindu

Banking and Economy

1. PhonePe has launched one-stop Point-of-sale (POS) device which will enable merchants to accept payments via debit cards, credit cards and UPI.
   • The device will be preloaded with the PhonePe POS App and support transactions through tap/swipe/dip and interoperable dynamic QR codes.
     Source: Economic Times
2. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has reduced its stake in India Cement by 2% through open market transactions.
   • The current shareholding of LIC stands at 3.833% from 5.875%.
     Source: The Hindu Business Line

3. The government has amendedprovisions of the Money laundering Act to allow enforcement directorate (ED) to share information with GST Network.
   • The move would help recovery of Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded through money laundering.
   • GSTN handles the technology backbone of the indirect tax regime and is the repository of all GST-related information, including return, tax filing and other compliances.
   • As per the amendment to the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, GSTN has been included in the list of entities with which ED will share information.
     • The government has already allowed the ED to share information about economic offenders with 25 agencies including Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), Intelligence Bureau, and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), among others
     • With the addition of GSTN, the list of entities now stands at 26.
       Source: Economic Times
4. National Housing Bank (NHB) has operationalised the ₹10,000-crore Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF) for the creation of urban infrastructure in tier-2 and tier-3
   • Features of the Fund-
   • Coverage: 459 tier-2 cities with population of 50,000 to less than a lakh and 580 tier-3 cities with population of 1 lakh to less than a million are being covered under UDIF as of now.
   • Minimum and maximum size of the project: ₹5 crores (₹1 crore for northeast & hilly States) and ₹100 crores
   • Loan Repayment: The principal amount is to be repaid in 5 equal annual instalments within 7 years from the date of withdrawal, including a moratorium period of 2 years while interest will be payable on quarterly basis.
   • Interest rate: The current rate of UIDF loans is bank rate minus 1.5 percente., 5.25%
   • Focus areas: Basic services like sewerage and solid waste management, water supply and sanitation, construction and improvement of drains/storm water drains, etc. and impact-oriented projects would be prioritised.
     Source: The Hindu Business Line

Appointments

1. Justice Sheo Kumar Singh has been appointed as the acting chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT) by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
   • He was appointed as a judicial member of the NGT in 2020.

2. Edgars Rinkevics has been appointed as the Latvia’s 7th President.
   • Latvia is a member of both European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and gained its independence in 1991.
     Source: Indian Express

Important Days

1. 10 July- National Fish Farmer’s Day (65th edition)
   • History of the day- The day is celebrated to commemorate the successful induced breeding of Indian Major Carps on this day in 1957. The scientists who achieved this feat were Professor Dr. Hiralal Chaudhury and his colleague Dr. Alikunhi.
     Source: ANI

Awards

1. International Astronomical Union (IAU) has honoured Aswin Sekhar by naming a minor planet after him.
   • The honour has been conferred on him at the 2023 edition of Asteroids Comets Meteors Conference held in Arizona.
   • Asteroids are small celestial bodies within the solar system that orbit the Sun. They are rocky, airless remnants from the initial formation of our solar system.
     Source: Deccan Chronicle
2. International Tennis Federation (ITF) has awarded Justine Henin with Philippe Chatrier Award (highest honour of ITF).
   • The award is named after the former ITF president (Philippe Chatrier) and was introduced in 1996. It recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the sport on and off the court.
   • Henin has won the French Open four times, the S. Open twice and the Australian Open once. She was a two-time runner-up at Wimbledon. She won Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games.
     Source: Business Standard

Sports

1. Indian Badminton player Lakshya Sen has won the men’s singles title at the Canada Open 2023 by defeating China’s Li Shi Feng in the finals.
   • This is Lakshya Sen’s second BWF Super 500 title after the India Open in 2022. He also became the Commonwealth Games champion in August 2022.
     Source: The Hindu

Miscellaneous

1. Prolific literary illustrator Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri , famously known as Artist Namboothiri has passed away in Kerala.
   • Namboothiri also served as the chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.
   • In 2003, the Akademi honoured him with the Raja Ravi Varma Award.
     Source: Indian Express
2. A case of Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare infection of the central nervous system has been reported in Kerala.
   • The infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as ‘brain-eating amoeba’.
   • The amoeba is mostly found in stagnant freshwaters and enters the body through the nose.
   • PAM infections are not spread from one person to another.
     Source: The Hindu
3. Phosphine gas has been discovered in the clouds of Venus planet.
   • The discovery has been made by James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) at Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii. 
   • Phosphine is developed by bacteria that live in very low-oxygen environments.
     Source: Livemint

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