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1)  World Brain Day celebrates globally on July 22

•The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) celebrates World Brain Day on every July 22, focusing on a different theme each year. According to WHO, good brain health is a state in which every individual can realize their own abilities and optimize their cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioural functioning to cope with life situations.

What is the theme of World Brain Day 2022?

•World Brain Day (WBD) 2022 is dedicated to the theme “Brain Health for all” as our brains continue to be challenged by pandemics, wars, climate change and the myriad of disorders impacting human existence globally.

2)  Five years of Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana completed

•The five years of the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana are now complete. 21 July, 2017 marked the official launch of the programme. The programme is a social security programme for the elderly that aims to provide them with a guaranteed minimum pension based on a guaranteed return on the purchase price or subscription fee. The minimum investment required to participate in this scheme has been increased to one lakh 56 thousand 658 rupees for a pension of 12,000 per year and to one lakh 62 thousand 162 rupees for a pension of at least 1,000 rupees per month. The programme, which was in place through 2020, has now been extended for an additional three years, through March 31, 2023.

3)  Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’ scheme

•Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’, a scheme to empower indigenous weavers in Assam’s Guwahati. The state government will procure handloom items directly from indigenous weavers via a web portal under the scheme. The scheme will help in preserving the heritage of handlooms and textiles in the state.

4)  Egypt’s Seif Ahmed named as FIH acting president

•The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed Egypt’s Seif Ahmed as its acting president following Indian administrator Narinder Batra’s resignation from the post. Batra resigned as FIH president and also quit as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief. He also gave up his International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership which was directly linked with his IOA position.

•Executive Board has officially accepted Batra’s resignation and unanimously appointed Ahmed as its interim chief till fresh elections are held on November 5 during its two-day virtual Congress. Ahmed played for Egypt’s national team in 1968 and has a long association with the sport as an umpire and technical official. He is a member on the FIH Executive Board since 2001. The FIH is also concerned that Hockey India has been placed under a three-member Committee of Administrators by the Delhi High Court when the country is scheduled to host the 2023 World Cup.

6)  Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al Salem named as new Kuwait’s Prime Minister

•Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has issued a decree to appoint Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al Salem as a new Prime Minister. The appointment of a new PM comes three months after former Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Hamad Al-Sabah submitted his resignation, the fourth in the past two years and a half.

7)  Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigned

•Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi has stepped down from his post after key coalition parties withdrew their support for his government on measures tackling the high cost of living. Draghi submitted his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella. However, Draghi’s government will continue to function under a caretaker capacity till a new leader is elected. He was elected as Prime Minister of Italy in February 2021.

•Draghi’s exit will also be a setback to the western alliance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Italian leader has taken an uncompromising stand towards Moscow and was a key architect of the tough sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

•Italy’s inflation rate hit 8 per cent in June, its highest level since 1986, according to the statistical agency. Faltering on a tight schedule of promised reforms would also jeopardise Rome’s ability to receive €200bn from the EU recovery fund.

8)  Zero coupon, zero principal bond declared by Govt as securities

•The government has designated “zero coupon zero principal instruments” as securities in preparation for the creation of a social stock exchange. A Not for Profit Organization (NPO) that will be registered with the social stock exchange segment of a recognised stock exchange will issue a zero coupon, zero principal instrument. According to a formal announcement released on Friday, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) will establish the laws that would apply to these instruments.

9)  Rajarshi Gupta named as Managing Director of ONGC Videsh

•Rajarshi Gupta has been appointed as Managing Director of ONGC Videsh. He was recommended for the position by the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB). He has more than 33 years of wide-ranging experience in supervisory, managerial and strategic planning capacities in domestic and international operations of ONGC and ONGC Videsh.

10)  FICCI downgrades India’s GDP growth forecast for 2022-23 to 7%

•Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has downgraded India’s economic output estimate for this financial year by 40 basis points to 7% for 2022-23. In April, FICCI had estimated India’s growth at 7.4% for 2022-23. Owing to geopolitical uncertainties and their impact on Asia’s third largest economy.

•However, in its latest round of Economic Outlook Survey (July 2022), it revised the growth projection on account of geopolitical uncertainty and its repercussions for the Indian economy. The present round of surveys that drew responses from leading economists representing the industry, banking, and financial services sector, was conducted in the month of June 2022.

11)  ADB cuts India GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7.2%

•The Asian Development Bank (ADB), has slashed India’s GDP growth forecast to 7.2 per cent for FY23. Earlier this was estimated at 7.5 per cent. Meanwhile, the Manila-based multilateral development bank has revised down FY24 growth forecast to 7.8 per cent, from 8 per cent estimated earlier. It, however, raised the inflation forecast for India to 6.7% for FY23 from the 5.8 % estimated earlier.

12)  Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index June 2022: India ranks 118

•India’s rankings fell by three spots in the median mobile speeds, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index. India has at the number 115th spot in May this year, but it dropped down to 118th in June. In April and May, India’s mobile broadband speeds improved. But the month of June 2022, saw the median mobile download speeds in India decrease from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps, according to the data.

•India’s median download speeds on fixed broadband marked an improvement at 48.11 Mbps in June 2022, from 47.86 Mbps in the previous month. This pushed the country’s global ranking three notches higher, to 72nd spot in June 2022 from 75th in May 2022.

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1)  15th President of India: Draupadi Murmu

•Daughter of a tribal family coming from a very ordinary house in Odisha, Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India. The 2022 Indian Presidential Election was the 16th presidential election that was held in India on the 18th of July 2022. Murmu becomes India’s first woman tribal president. She also becomes the second woman to hold the post after Pratibha Patil. The tenure of incumbent president Ram Nath Kovind will end on 24 July.

2)  ISRO used PSLV to launch 345 foreign spacecraft from 34 different nations since 1999

•Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, announced that ISRO has signed six agreements with four nations for the launch of foreign satellites between 2021 and 2023. According to the Minister, the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has successfully launched 342 foreign satellites from 34 countries since 1999 on a commercial basis. Dr. Jitendra Singh stated in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha today that the launch of these foreign satellites on a commercial basis will generate roughly 132 Million Euros.

3)  Jawaharlal Nehru Port becomes first 100% Landlord Major Port of India

•Jawaharlal Nehru Port has become the first 100 per cent Landlord Major Port of India having all berths being operated on the PPP model. The PPP model of investment in Indian ports has made remarkable progress in the last 25 years, beginning from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, resulting in capacity addition and productivity improvement. JNP is one of the leading container ports in the country and is ranked 26th among the top 100 global ports (as per Lloyds List Top 100 Ports 2021 Report).

4)  13th Petersburg Climate Dialogue begins in Germany

•The 13th Petersberg Climate Dialogue began in Berlin, Germany. The two-day informal ministerial meet is being chaired by Germany and Egypt, hosts of this year’s annual climate meet (COP-27). The informal ministerial meeting proposes to build consensus and provide political direction to resolve divergences aimed at improving the implementation of climate action, the core goal of COP-27.

5)  Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as 9th President

•Veteran Sri Lankan politician and six-time Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the 9th President of the Island nation by the Parliament. He secured 134 votes in the presidential election by the 225-member parliament. The 73-year-old Wickremesinghe will serve the remaining term of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which ends in 2024.

6)  Tamil Nadu tops in Smart City Fund utilisation

•Tamil Nadu tops the list of states so far as utilisation of funds under the government’s flagship Smart City Mission is concerned. While Tamil Nadu has spent over Rs 3932 crore out of the Rs 4333 crore released by the Centre, Uttar Pradesh is in the second position with the utilisation of Rs 2699 cr out of the Central share release of Rs 3142 crore. As on 8 July 2022, the Centre has released Rs 30,751.41 crore for 100 Smart Cities, out of which Rs 27,610.34 crore (90%) has been utilised.

7)  In 272 of the most needy districts, Govt starts “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan”

•To address the issue of drug abuse among Indian youth, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment began implementing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in the 272 most susceptible districts in August 2020. The National Survey of Extent, Pattern and Trends of Substance Use conducted in 2004 and the Comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted in 2018 both show a change in the pattern of substance abuse, according to Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A. Narayanaswamy.

•According to A. Narayanaswamy, the participation of stakeholders including women, children, educational institutions, and civil society groups is given special consideration under the “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” programme.

8)  India sign an agreement with Namibia to reintroduce cheetah

•A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Namibia aims to bring back cheetahs to the country after nearly seven decades. The first eight cheetahs are expected to arrive in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park by August 15. Separately, India is anticipated to receive 12 cheetahs from South Africa; a draught deal has already been signed, and a final one is forthcoming, according to authorities with knowledge of the situation.

9)  Sanjay Agarwal to chair the committee Center established to strengthen MSP system

•A committee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was established by the government eight months after it made a similar commitment in exchange for repealing three divisive agriculture policies. Sanjay Agrawal, a former agricultural secretary, will preside over the committee. The government has made a provision for Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to have three representatives on the committee, but the farm organisation has not yet provided any candidates for the group.

10)  India Innovation Index 2021: Karnataka, Manipur and Chandigarh topped

•Karnataka, Manipur and Chandigarh topped the third edition of NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index, which ranks the states and the union territories on their innovation performance. NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery released the India Innovation Index 2021 in presence of apex public policy think tank member Dr VK Saraswat, CEO Parameswaran Iyer and senior adviser Neeraj Sinha.

11)  Morgan Stanley cuts India’s FY23 GDP forecast to 7.2%

•American brokerage Morgan Stanley cut its FY23 real GDP expansion estimate for India by 0.40 per cent to 7.2 per cent on slower global growth and GDP growth will slow down to 6.4 per cent in FY24. A majority of watchers are expecting FY23 GDP growth to come at over 7 per cent levels. The RBI estimate also stands at 7.2 per cent.

•Global growth, Morgan Stanley said, is likely to slow to 1.5 per cent YoY in the quarter ending December 2022 from 4.7 per cent in the quarter ended December 2021. Slower trade growth, tighter financial conditions and changes in commodity prices are the three main reasons, it said, is why they see the pace of global growth slow going ahead.

12)  Henley Passport Index 2022: India ranks 87th

•The Henley Passport Index has recently released the list of the World’s Most Powerful Passports for the year 2022. Three Asian nations Japan, Singapore and South Korea bagged the top three positions on the list, reversing pre-pandemic rankings that were dominated by European nations. India is ranked 87th on the list of the world’s most powerful passports in 2022, according to the latest Henley Passport Index from Henley & Partners, an immigration consultancy.

13)  Due to an intense heat wave, England under its first-ever red weather warning

•As temperatures have continued to soar, the UK Meteorological (Met) Office issued the first-ever red extreme heat warning for areas of England, including London. Temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius, and a red warning, the maximum level used by the Met Office under its alert system, indicates a risk to life is possible. The unusual warning, which is categorised as a national emergency, signifies that life is in danger for people of all ages.

Who is Draupadi Murmu?

Draupadi Murmu is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She is the leading NDA presidential candidate in the presidential election. The opposition in the presidential election is Yashwant Sinha. Draupadi Murmu is a tribal leader who comes from Rairangpur in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. If Draupadi Murmu becomes the President of India in 2022 she will be the first tribal and the second woman to hold the highest political position in India. In this article, we will know more about Draupadi Murmu.

Draupadi Murmu: Biography

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1)  International Moon Day observed on 20 July

•The General Assembly declared International Moon Day, a United Nations-designated international day to be observed annually on 20 July. International Moon Day 2022 is chosen as the day to educate and promote awareness on the status and prospects for humanity. In cooperation with United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the International Moon Day 2022 will be observed as an annual event and general public celebrations will be held all over the world.

2)  World Chess Day 2022 celebrates globally on 20 July

•World Chess Day is celebrated annually on July 20 globally. The day marks the date of the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924. On this day, we can observe the day by teaching someone or learning how to play the game. Also, we can consider a 24-Hour Marathon or share your story about your own chess strategy.

3)  PM Narendra Modi unveils ‘SPRINT Challenges’ to boost usage of Indigenous Technology

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled ‘SPRINT Challenges’, aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy, during the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ in New Delhi. This collaborative project is named SPRINT {Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC)}.

•In a bid to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, NIIO, in conjunction with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy. The seminar was organised by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).

4)  West Bengal Governor La Ganesan assigned additional charge

•Following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has been selected by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as its vice presidential candidate, La. Ganesan took the oath of office as the new governor of West Bengal. In the presence of the speaker, Mamata Banerjee, various state ministers, and Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Prakash Shrivastava, he was sworn into office.

•According to a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation after the NDA nominated him to run for vice president.

5)  Godavari Islands: Andhra Pradesh conducts the first-ever blackbuck survey

•In order to create a conservation strategy to safeguard the endangered species, the Andhra Pradesh State Wildlife Department has begun the first-ever study of blackbucks along a length of islands in the Godavari between Dowleswaram and Yanam. Following reports of large numbers of blackbucks becoming stuck on the islands affected by the Godavari floods, the survey was proposed.

6)  Lt Gen (Retd) Raj Shukla appointed as member of UPSC

•Retired Army officer Raj Shukla has been appointed as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC recommends candidates to the government for appointment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Central Services — Group A and Group B.

7)  NAARM received Sardar Patel Award of ICAR

•The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) has bagged the Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award 2021 (in the Large Institute Category) for its overall performance. Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director of NAARM, received the award from the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi. The awards were given away at a function to mark the 94th Foundation Day of the ICAR.

8)  Border dispute agreement struck between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam

•According to the chief ministers of both states, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have taken a step toward settling their seven-decade-old boundary dispute by signing the Namsai Declaration. Following their third round of discussions on the matter, the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu and his Assam colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma signed the declaration in Namsai.

9)  Former SC judge Vineet Saran appointed as new BCCI ethics officer

•Former Supreme Court judge, Vineet Saran has taken over as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ethics officer and ombudsman. He has succeeded Justice (Retd) D. K. Jain, whose term ended in June last year. Saran, 65, is a former Chief Justice of Odisha High Court, and also served as a judge in Karnataka and Allahabad High Court.

10)  L&T Tech: First company to directly obtain and implement 5G spectrum

•The first IT company to publicly indicate interest in the government’s direct distribution of spectrum for exclusive 5G networks is L&T Technology Services. According to CEO Amit Chadha, it will acquire spectrum to set up a 5G private network and develop use cases for the technology. In addition, the engineering and research and development services company will roll out 5G solutions for parent company Larsen & Toubro globally.

11)  Uttarakhand CM Dhami released the book “BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL”

•Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami released the book “BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL”, Temple Tales of Uttarakhand written by Ms Aradhana Johri (Senior IAS) on the temples of Uttarakhand. This book will be known as an authentic introduction to the divine temples of Uttarakhand in the country and abroad. Former IAS officer Aradhana Johri who had served earlier as the District Magistrate of Nainital.

12)  Los Angeles to host 2028 Summer Olympic Games

•The 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be hosted in Los Angeles, United States. The opening ceremony for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will take place on July 14, 2028, and continue till July 30. However, Los Angeles has previously hosted the Olympics in 1984 and 1932. The LA28 Games will feature more than 3,000 hours of live sport across 800 events in more than 40 sports. 15,000 athletes are expected to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, according to LA 28.

•Meanwhile, the Paralympic Games will begin in Los Angeles on August 15, 2028, and end on August 27. This will be the first time that Los Angeles will be hosting the Paralympic Games. It must be noted that the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France.