05th July, 2024

1. Pachathuruthu project
2. Japan has recently introduced its first new banknotes in two decades, featuring advanced 3D hologram technology to combat counterfeiting.
3. On Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, taking over from Belgium.
4. National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) has signed MoU with Online PSB Loans Limited (OPL) to promote financial inclusion through Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)
5. AstraZeneca Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai.
6. the State Bank of India (SBI) introduced 11 new initiatives to enhance its banking services and accessibility.
7. Two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto is launching the world’s first CNG bike.
8. The Indian Army has inducted its first-ever Indigenous chip-based 4G mobile base station, called Sahyadri Long-Term Evolution (LTE) base stations.
9. SERA and Blue origin announces India as partner nation
10. New Zealand has denied India’s request for a certification trademark equivalent to a geographical indication (GI) tag on basmati rice as it is grown outside of India also.
11. L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd. (L&TMRHL) has received the Golden Peacock Occupational Health & Safety Award(GPOHSA) in the Transportation (Railways) category.
12. 10th Leon Masters title
13. Highlights of ICC Man’s trophy
14. Gujarat govt MoU with IBM
15. MoRD and MoMSME signed a SoI to enhance SHG women rural enterprise
16. BR sarangai new CJ of Jharkhand HC
17. Puma India announces its brand ambassadors
18. The Union government constituted eight Cabinet committees
19. Abhinav Kapoor named CEO of Del Monte Foods
20. New principal spokesperson appinted
21. Robert Towne passed away

State News

1. Pachathuruthu Project of Kerala

• What: Recently, Kerala’s Chief Minister asserted that the Pachathuruthu (which means “green space” or “mini forest”) initiative will key a role in achieving ambitious Net Zero Carbon target of State.

Source: Down To Earth

International News

1. Japan issues New Yen Banknotes with 3D Hologram Technology to Fight Counterfeiting
• What: Japan has recently introduced its first new banknotes in two decades, featuring advanced 3D hologram technology to combat counterfeiting.
• Holograms’ intricate patterns and properties make them difficult to duplicate completely, which deters counterfeiters.
• These state-of-the-art banknotes come in denominations of 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen.
• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hailed this move as historic, emphasizing the anti-counterfeit features of the bills.
• The holographic technology creates an illusion of historic figures’ portraits rotating in 3D on the banknotes, enhancing security and making them more difficult to replicate.
• Despite the introduction of these new notes, existing currency remains valid.

Source: WION

2. Hungary Took Over the Presidency of EU Council for 6 Months from Belgium
• What: On July 1, 2024, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, taking over from Belgium.
• This marks Hungary’s second presidency of this European body.
• During its term, Hungary will chair meetings at every level in the Council, ensuring the consistency of the EU’s work.
• The presidency of the Council of the EU rotates among the 27 EU member states every six months, allowing each member state to take over the EU presidency approximately once every 13.5 years.

Source: Europa

Banking and Economy

1. NABARD partners with Online PSB Loans Limited to Digitalize Jan Surakhsha Schemes for RRB
• What: National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) has signed MoU with Online PSB Loans Limited (OPL) to promote financial inclusion through Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• Why: It aims to smoothen and digitalize the enrolment and claim settlement processes under the Jan Suraksha Schemes (JSS) for all 43 RRBs.
• Tell me more:
• Under this initiative, NABARD will integrate all 43 RRBs onto the Jan Suraksha portal to democratise access to financial protection schemes across remote areas of the country.
• Jan Suraksha portal: It is an initiative undertaken by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI).
• It offers digital enrolment and claim settlements for the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
• The initiative aims to ensure a hassle-free experience for both banks and their customers by leveraging technology to connect the Jan Suraksha portal with the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) of RRBs through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

Source: Economic Times

2. AstraZeneca to invest Rs. 250 crores in GCC expansion in Chennai
• What: AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL) will be to investing ₹250 crore (approximately $30 million) in expanding its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai.
• With this expansion, it will be AstraZeneca’s largest global capability centre gloablly.

Source: Money Control

3. SBI Unveils 11 New Initiatives on 69th Foundation Day
• What: On its 69th Foundation Day, the State Bank of India (SBI) introduced 11 new initiatives to enhance its banking services and accessibility.
• Tell me more (List of initiatives)
• UPI Tap-and-Pay
• YONO Business and Corporate Internet Banking for Small Businesses: To support startups, small businesses, and partnership firms, and it facilitates transactions up to ₹50 lakhs per transaction and daily transfers up to ₹5 lakhs.
• SBI Surya Ghar Loan: This initiative offers fully digital loans for installing solar rooftops under the Government of India’s PM Surya Ghar Scheme. The process, managed on SBI’s digital platform, covers everything from registration to loan disbursement.
• Agricultural Centralized Processing Cells (Agri CPCs): SBI established 35 new Agri CPCs to streamline agricultural loan processing and mitigate risks. These cells are expected to expand SBI’s market presence in high-value agricultural credit products.
• Electronic Dealer Financing Scheme (e-DFS): Under Project Pratham, SBI revamped the e-DFS scheme, providing standalone loans up to ₹5 crore.
• SBI General Arogya Advanced Plan: This initiative ensures predictable health insurance costs, enhancing the affordability and accessibility of healthcare.
• Opening of 2ndGlobal NRI Centre in Patiala: To better serve its NRI (Non-Resident Indian) clients
• Its 1st GNC is in Ernakulam, Kerala.
• Expanded Customer Contact Centres: SBI opened two new contact centres in Gurugram, Haryana and Bengaluru, Karnataka. These centres aim to improve borrower engagement and provide prompt assistance in loan management.
• SMECC Model for Medium Loans: It focuses on enhancing the efficiency and growth of medium-sized loan portfolios. This initiative aims to streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction for loans ranging from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 2 crore.

Source: Zee Business

4. Bajaj to launch world’s first CNG bike
• What: Two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto is launching the world’s first CNG bike.
• Name of bike: Freedom 125
• Fuel Options: The Freedom 125 can run on either CNG or petrol at the flip of a switch.

Source: CNBC TV18

Defence News

1. Indian Army Inducts 1st Ever Indigenous 4G Mobile Base Station from Signaltron
• What: The Indian Army has inducted its first-ever Indigenous chip-based 4G mobile base station, called Sahyadri Long-Term Evolution (LTE) base stations.
• Tell me more:
• It was procured from Signaltron Systems Pvt Ltd, a Bengaluru(Karnataka)-based wireless communications solutions provider, through the Government eMarketplace (GeM) portal.
• This marks the first time an Indian system running on an Indian chip for complex communication technology has been inducted into the army.

Source: Indian Express

Science and Technology

1. SERA and Blue Origin Announced India as Partner Nation for Human Space Flight Programme
• What: The United States of America (USA)-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) in partnership with Blue Origin, the company owned by Jeff Bezos (Founder of Amazon).
• They have announced India as a “Partner Nation” in their human spaceflight program for citizens from countries who have sent a few or no astronauts to space.
• Tell me more:
• Under this SERA will offer citizens from across the world 6 seats on a future mission of New Shepard, Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital rocket.
• Besides India, Nigeria, and the Maldives will each be allotted a seat on the mission of Blue Origin. The mission will celebrate the historic achievement of the first Nigerian citizen to embark on a space voyage.

Source: Indian Express

Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD)

1. New Zealand rejects India’s ‘certification of trademark’ application for Basmati rice
• What: New Zealand has denied India’s request for a certification trademark equivalent to a geographical indication (GI) tag on basmati rice as it is grown outside of India also.
• Earlier, On the same ground rejected by Australia.

Source: Business Line

Awards

1. L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Bags Golden Peacock Award for Safety Excellence
• What: L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd. (L&TMRHL) has received the Golden Peacock Occupational Health & Safety Award(GPOHSA) in the Transportation (Railways) category.
• It was presented at the “Institute of Directors’ (IOD) 25th International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change-2024” in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Source: LT Metro

Sports

1. Vishy Anand Wins 10th Leon Masters Title
• What: Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand secured his 10th Leon Masters title by defeating Grand Master M Jaime Santos with a 3-1 score in the final match.
• He has previously claimed the title in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2016, and now 2024.

Source: Chess.com

2. Highlights of ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup
• What: India men’s national cricket team, captained by Rohit Sharma, won the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa (The Proteas), captained by Aiden Markram, by 7 runs in the finals held in the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
• Tell me more:
• This marks India’s 2nd T20 World Cup title.
• India previously won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup held in 2007 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh (MS) Dhoni.
• With this win, India became the 3rd Country to win the title twice after England (2010 & 2022) and West Indies (2012 & 2016).
• Other highlights

• Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) announced prize money of Rs 125 Crores for Team India for winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
• Important stats of the 2024 T20 World Cup:
• Most runs
• Rahmatullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan (281)
• From India (257): Rohit Sharma
• Most Wickets
• Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan (17)
• From India: Arshdeep Singh (17)
• Virat Kohli became the first-ever cricketer to score 3,000 runs across both 20-over and 50-over Cricket World Cups.
• Indian cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma & Jadeja Announced Retirement from T20I
• Australia’s David Warner retired from International Cricket
• New Zealand Trent Boult retired from International Cricket
• ICC Named Six Indian in Team of the Tournament for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024:
• Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel.
• The team of the tournament also includes Rahmanullah Gurbaz(Afghanistan ); Nicholas Pooran(Trinidad and Tobago); Marcus Stoinis(Australia); Rashid Khanl (Afghanistan); Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan ); and 12th man: Anrich Nortje (South Africa).

Source: Sportstar

Memorandum of understanding

1. Gujarat Signed MoUs with IBM, Microsoft & NASSCOM to Enhance AI Capabilities

• What: The Gujarat government recently signed MoUs with tech giants IBM, Microsoft, and NASSCOM to advance Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities in the state.
• Tell me more:
• IBM Collaboration:
• IBM and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, entered into an MoU to establish an “AI Cluster” at Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City.
• IBM will also collaborate on developing AI curriculum for state schools and universities.
• IBM’s “watsonx” will be leveraged to boost innovation and collaboration among financial institutions at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Microsoft Partnership:
• Microsoft and the DoST signed an MoU to establish an “Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence” in GIFT City.
• The AI Center will focus on key technologies such as machine learning, cognitive services, and bot services.
• NASSCOM Collaboration:
• The Gujarat government also signed an MoU with NASSCOM to enhance AI capabilities in the state.

Source: Hindustan Times

2. MoRD & MoMSME Signed a SoI to Enhance SHG Women Rural Enterprises
• What: The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) signed a Statement of Intent (SoI).
• Why: To collaborate on formalizing and strengthening Self Help Group (SHG) women-led rural enterprises through MoMSME’s flagship schemes.
• Tell me more (About the SoI)
• The SoI emphasises a whole-of-government approach, facilitating the empowerment of Lakhpati Didis, a SHG member with an annual household income exceeding Rs. 1,00,000.
• This SoI will strengthen the collaboration between both ministries, supporting SHG Didis in entrepreneurship through MoMSME’s flagship initiatives like Yeshaswini- Apna Udyam, Apni Pehchaan, and Udyam Assist.

Source: PIB

Appointments

1. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi is Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice
• What: Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. He was previously a judge of the Orissa High Court.
• Additionally, Justice Muhamed Mustaque Ayumantakath has been named the acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Source: Indian Express

2. Puma India Named Indian Cricketers Riyan Parag & Nitish Reddy as Brand Ambassadors
• What: PUMA India, a leading sports brand, has named Indian Cricketers Riyan Parag and Nitish Kumar Reddy as its new brand ambassadors.
• Note: Puma India’s Brand Ambassadors includes Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, Avani Lakhera, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Shanaya Kapoor.

Source: Business Line

3. Appointment of Cabinet Committees
• What: The Union government constituted eight Cabinet committees.
• About Cabinet committees
• These are constituted under the Transaction of Business Rules,1961.
• The cabinet makes use of the committee system to facilitate decision-making in specific areas.
• These include cabinet committees on:
• Appointments, Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Security, Investment and Growth, Skill, employment and livelihood

Source: Indian Express

4. Abhinav Kapoor named CEO of Del Monte Foods
• What: Del Monte Foods, a 50:50 joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific Ltd, announced Abhinav Kapoor as its new chief executive officer (CEO)

Source: Economic Times

5. Dhirendra Ojha appointed principal spokesperson of Government
• What: Dhirendra Ojha, a senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer, has been appointed as the principal spokesperson of the central government.
• In addition to this role, he will also hold the charge of the principal director general at the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Source: Pioneer

Miscellaneous

1. Robert Towne, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter passed away

• What: Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter known for his work on the films “Chinatown” and “The Last Detail,” passed away.
• He won Oscar for best original screenplay for the movie “Chinatown” (1974).

Source: Pinkvilla

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