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www.tnpscportal.in Current Affairs July 2017

TNPSC Monthly Current Affairs - July 2017

India

The Union Government has launched National Bio Pharma Mission to accelerate

biopharmaceutical development in India. Under this mission, a programme

named Innovate in India (i3). The i3 aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote

entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacture in the sector. It is a flagship program in

collaboration with World Bank.

Tamil Nadu has reported its first case of Zika virus in a 27-year-old man from a village

in Krishnagiri district.

65 MoU‟s were signed by textiles India 2017 on 1st July in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Out

of these, 62 were signed by the Union Textiles ministry and remaining 3 were signed

by Gujarat Government on textile sector as G2G business.

The Madhya Pradesh government has created a new record by planting 6 crore

saplings in 24 districts of Narmada basin in just 12 hours

eVIN, the mobile application of Union Health Ministry had won the prestigious GSMA

Asia Mobile Award 2017

SIERRA ODC building was recognized as the World‟s second highest ranking Green

Building under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) certification

The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension has launched a new

training programme Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training

(COMMIT) for State Government officials to improve the public service delivery

mechanism and provide citizen centric administration through capacity building of

officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis.

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Pratap

Rudi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan jointly laid



the foundation stone of the country‟s biggest Global Skill Park was laid in Bhopal. The

skill park will function on the spirit of „With Industry -For Industry‟. It will impart skill

training to 1000 students every year by trainers of international standard with the

provision of international joint certification.

In pursuance of Article 213 of the Constitution , President Pranab

Mukherjee has approved the promulgation of The Prevention of cruelty to Animals

(Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 by the Governor of

Karnataka The promulgated ordinance legalizes Kambala, bullock cart races and bull

runs as traditional sports involving animals and exempt them from The Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

For improving connectivity as well as transport efficiency and safety on State Highways

of Rajasthan, the Union Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed

a loan agreement of $220 million. The loan will be provided as the first tranche of the

$500 million Rajasthan State Highways Investment Program, approved by ADB Board

in May 2017.

For the first time the data obtained from latest study conducted using remote sensing

and GIS has offered definite proof that the mangrove forest cover in Indian

Sunderbans has been depleting alarmingly. Moreover, variable degrees of erosion

were also observed in at least 18 islands. The continuation of this process is a serious

ecological threat.

Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries have agreed to

cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. It

provides that, neither Government will allow the use of its territory for activities harmful

to the national security and interest of the other. The present standoff between Indian

and Chinese troops in Doklam (located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan)



has highlighted India‟s very special relationship with Bhutan, including military

responsibilities.

PM Modi is the first PM of India to visit Israel in 70 years. Modi is on three day visit to

Israel. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic

ties between the two countries.

A new fast growing Israeli Crysanthumum flower on 4th July 2017 was named after PM

Narendra Modi. . Danziger Flower Farm named the flower Crysanthumum as

Modi , commemorating Modi‟s visit to Israel.

Maitree 2017 (A joint military training exercise) between Indian Army and Royal

Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. A 14

day long exercise is aimed to build and promote closer relations while exchanging

skills and experiences between the two armies. The previous edition of the exercise

was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016. It is to be remembered that earlier a joint training

exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman, named Al Nagah-II

2017, was held at Bakloh in March 2017.

The Law commission of India recommended to make marriage registration

compulsory in its 270 th report called “Compulsory Registration of marriages

“ submitted to the government under the chairmanship of Dr. Justice BS Chauhan.

Senior IPS officer Sanjay Kumar (1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of

Himachal Pradesh cadre) was appointed as Director General (DG) of National Disaster

Response Force (NDRF). He will succeed R K Pachnanda who was has taken charge

as DG the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

India became 11th country whose citizens are now eligible to enroll in the Customs

and Border Protection (CBP) initiative. The United States of America (USA) has rolled



out pre-approved expedited entry clearance for low-risk Indian travellers under its

Global Entry programme (GEP). Under this initiative, international GEP member

traveller can enter in US through automatic kiosks, rather than queuing up to clear

immigration check by meeting an immigration officer at selected airports.Indian

Ambassador to US Navtej Sarna was the first Indian national to enroll in the

programme.

Under the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) about 97% of the total

outstanding debt of all state power distribution companies (discoms) has been covered

as per the announcement of the Union Ministry of Power.

MERIT app (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and

Transparency)‟ and the e-bidding portal for offering an e-Bidding solution to States

has been launched by Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New

& Renewable Energy and Mines. The app and the portal would help the states to

select Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for procurement of power by transferring

their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilisation of domestic coal.

For the first time in the Nilgiris a rare „white tiger‟ with a pale skin was spotted by a

photographer named Nilanjan Ray. The discovery has aroused interest among

conservationists and forest officials to whether the white tiger is a true genetic mutant.

According to the scientists, white tigers lack pheomelanin, which is responsible for the

red-yellow hue in the skin coat . The tiger which was spotted does not seem to be

albino and was found to be whitish with golden brown patches.

At present due to lack of a parliamentary law, there is no transparency in the

eligibility, criteria required for a person to be appointed as an election

commissioner. So The Supreme Court has asked the Union government

to formalise appointment of election commissioners through law.



Under the Right to Education Act, no child will be detained or held back in any class or

expelled till the completion of elementary education covering classes 1 to 8 from next

academic year said by the HRD ministry .

As per the Index has been released by the UN telecommunications agency

International Telecommunication Union (ITU), India has been ranked 23rd out of 165

nations in the second Global Cyber security Index (GCI) that measures the

commitment of nations across the world to cyber security. Singapore has topped

the index followed by United States (2nd), Malaysia (3rd), Oman (4th), Estonia (5th),

Mauritius (6th), Australia (7th), Georgia (8th), France (9th), Canada (10th)

and Russia (11th). China has been placed at 34th. Equatorial Guinea is the worst

performer among all nations with a score of zero.

The Supreme Court held that government jobs or admissions secured under the

reserved category by using forged caste certifications cannot be held valid or

sustained in the eyes of law.

The Union Government has formed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs by

merging the Ministries of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty

Alleviation .

The 21st edition of the naval exercise – MALABAR, for the yaer 2017 has been kicked

off near Chennai in Bay of Bengal. It is a trilateral naval Exercise between India,

Japan and United States (US) navies. The 8 day long Malabar 2017 exercise consists

of both ashore and at-sea activities. One of the main goals of this edition of the

exercise is “submarine-hunting”.

The four major digital initiatives to push e-education has been launched by President

Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of Guru Purnima. They are Swayam, Swayam



Prabha, National Academic Depository and National Digital Library. All these digital

initiatives are operational under Union Ministry of Human Resource and Development.

India has planned to invite the ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) as Chief Guests for 2018 Republic Day celebrations. If invited

Republic Day 2018 would be the first Republic Day event that will have so many

leaders as the chief guests.

The World Bank has observed that India has made a sweeping commitment to solar

power, innovative solutions and energy efficiency initiatives to provide round the

clock electricity to its people by 2030. India is emerging as a frontrunner in the fight

against climate change.

Aaykar Setu, a new tax payer service module was launched by the Union Finance

Ministry. It compiles various tax tools, dynamic updates, live chat facility and important

links to various processes within the Income Tax Department (ITD) in a single module.

India will soon join Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC), a newly-constituted

forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and

transparent foreign exchange (Forex) market. The committee has been set up under

guidance of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), an international financial

organisation.

India‟s foreign exchange (Forex) reserves have increased by $4.007 billion to touch a

record high of $386.539 billion in the week that ended 30th June 2017 as per the report

of RBI.

Kerala government proposes stray dog zoos in responding to a question from the

supreme court on the construction of shelter homes for the stay dog population



The Indian City of Ahmedabad was declared India‟s first World Heritage

City recognizing heritage value of the Walled city‟s unique heriage.

Union Government signed an MoU with West Bengal to set up a center of excellence

in Transfusion Medicine, which is a part of the Metro Blood Bank Project of the Ministry

of Health and Family Welfare

For the first time India will import crude oil from the United States. The purchase

comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s visit to the US in June 2017 when

President Donald Trump had assured that US looks forward to export more energy

products to India. The import of crude from US could become an alternative source for

the Indian companies for the supply of heavy, high-sulphur grades as feed stocks,

which typically sell at a lower cost relative to other oil types.

India and Bangladesh have decided to construct a bridge

over Mizoram‟s Khawthlangtuipui river (also known as Karnaphuli river) to facilitate

trade and to improve communication between the two countries. The proposed bridge

is expected to serve as an important link between India and Bangladesh. It would

improve road connectivity between the two regions. The proposed bridge is also

expected to strengthen the ties between the people of the two countries.

In 12th G20 Summit held in Hamburg, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s

call for united action against terrorism and elimination of terrorist safe havens, the G20

countries strongly condemned all terrorist attacks worldwide and pledged greater

coordination to counter the menace.

President Pranab Mukhurjee inaugurated Ashiana Annexe in Dehradun which

comprises of 12 low cost dwelling units constructed to accommodate officers and staff

of Rashtrapati Bhavan during Presidential Visits to the Retreat at Ashiana.

Rajasthan became the first state to fix minimum educational qualification for co-

operative body poll. The minimum qualification for the Primary committee members will



be Class 8 , for district level committee it will be class 10 and graduartion for State

Level Committee

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a complete ban on nylon and

synthetic manja on the grounds that it poses a threat to humans and animals.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the Joint Interpretative Notes (JIN) on the

Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of

Investments.

5 States and a Union Territory (UT) have signed memorandum of

understanding (MoU) to join GeM (Centre‟s Government e-

Marketplace) initiative. They are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Telangana,

Arunachal Pradesh and Puducherry (UT). Four more states including Uttar Pradesh,

Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Haryana, will ink such MoU soon. GeM is an Online

Market platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various Ministries

and agencies of the Government. It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and

speed in public procurement of goods and services and eliminate corruption.

India has recently granted 3.2 crore rupees aid to Philippines to fight against ISIS. It is

the only Southeast Asian nation where ISIS has established its presence

CM of Meghalaya Mukul Sangma has launched LIFE( Livelihood Intervention and

Facilitation of Entrepreneurship ) program at Songsak which will focus on capacity

building and under this program , every 10 SHG‟s will be motivated to act like a bank

and help each other.

Google acquired Bengaluru- based start up Halli labs for an undisclosed sum.Halli labs

was founded by Pankaj Gupta in 2017 with the goal of applying modern Artificial

Intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques to solve old problems.

Railway Ministry has launched various initiatives namely RailCloud project, NIVARAN-

Grievance Portal and Cashless treatment scheme in Emergency (CTSE)



scheme.Railcloud is another step towards digitalization of Railways with an aim of

single digital platform for Indian railways.

National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) has declared the 100 m area from the edge of Ganga

as “No Development Zone” and directed this zone should be turned into Green Belts.

The Music maestro AR Rahman was shortlisted for the development of the music for

the British Indian Historical film Viceroy‟s House that was directed by British Film

maker of India Origin Gurinder Chadha.

The blue bordered sari of Mother Teresa was recently granted the Intellectual

Property rights by Trade Marks Registry of India.

Gopala Krishnan Gandhi was nominated as Opposition Candidate for Vice-Presidential

election 2017 by Congress President Sonia Gandhi .

Uttar Pradesh government has proposed to celebrate Bachpan Divas, Laadli Divas

and Matratva Divas every year.

Department of Industrial policy and Promotion (DIPP) will establish India‟s first

Technology and Innovation Support Center ( TISC) at Patent information Centre

of Punjab under the World Intellectual Property Organization‟s ( WIPO) TISC program.

The State of Karnataka has formed a committee to study legalities for separate State

flag

Maharashtra became the first state to launch free injectable contraceptive for Women.

The Union Government has constituted the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk

Management ( DGARM ) which was aimed at providing intelligence inputs and do big

data analytics for taxmen for better policy formulation and taking acting against GST

evaders.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released

the Government at a Glance 2017 report . The top most rank in the global index was

secured by India with 73% of people having faith in Narendra Modi govt , which was



followed by Canada in second position as Justin Trudeau‟s govt earned 62% of its

people. The other three in top 5 are Turkey, Russia and Germany.

India and Russia have been celebrating 70 years of diplomatic ties between the two

countries since the establishment of bilateral relations in 1947.

Imphal –Moreh section of NH-39 will be upgraded to improve the connectivity

between Imphal with the eastern part of Manipur under SASEC Road Connectivity

Investment Program.

India has been ranked low 116 out of 157 nations on the 2017 Sustainable

Development Goal (SDG) Index and Dashboard report released by Sustainable

Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung. India has scored

58.6 .Top countries are Sweden (1st), Denmark (2nd), Finland (3rd), Norway (4th),

Czech Republic (5th), Germany (6th), Austria (7th), Switzerland (8th) and Slovenia

(9th).United States was ranked 42nd on the Index, Russia and China ranked 62nd and

71st respectively.

India has contributed an additional $1 million to India-UN Development Partnership

Fund launched to support sustainable development projects across the developing

world. Already India had made an initial contribution of $1 million when the fund was

created. The amount was allocated for the implementation of a project benefiting seven

Small Island Developing States in South Pacific Ocean.

India‟s first solar powered diesel multiple unit (DEMU) broad gauge train has launched

by Indian Railways. The train will run from Sarai Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in

Haryana. It will replace an existing non-solar powered rake on the same route. It is

1600 Horse Power (HP) train with all solar powered coaches. These solar panels have

been manufactured under „Make in India‟ initiative. The energy generated by these

solar panels will be stored in batteries and will be used during the night.



India and European Union (EU) have established Investment Facilitation Mechanism

(IFM) which will allow for a close coordination between EU and India with an aim to

promote and facilitate EU investment in India.

For the third consecutive time in the past two years, Raipur‟s Swami Vivekananda

Airport was ranked first in Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Survey among 49 airports

in the country. It has achieved 4.84 score on a five point scale index. It was followed by

Udaipur (2nd), Amritsar (3rd) and Dehradun (4th) airports which have scored 4.75,

4.74 and 4.73 respectively.

Scientists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the presence of

millions of tonnes of precious metals and minerals deep under the waters within the

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of peninsular India. They have confirmed the

presence large amount of lime mud, phosphate-rich and calcareous sediments,

hydrocarbons, metalliferous deposits and micronodules.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has notified regulations for

inspection and investigation of service providers registered with it. Under the

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) implemented by IBBI, service providers are

insolvency professional agencies, entities, professionals and information utilities. The

investigation authority has to serve a notice intimating the entity concerned about the

probe at least 10 days in advance.

Former Sikkim CM Nar Bahadur Bhandari passed away.

The Telangana government has imposed a cap on the weight of bags carried by the

school children ( from class 1-10) in order to prevent any resulting physical effect and

anxiety disorder in students. The maximum weight should not exceed - for class 1& 2

- 1.5 kg, for classes 3 to 5 should be 2-3 kg, for class 6 & 7 it should be 4 kg, For

class 8 & 9 it should be 4.5 Kg and for class 10 it should be 5kg. It also added there

should not be any homework given to students of classes 1 to 5



Smriti Irani replaces Venkaiah Naidu as Information and Broadcasting Minister as her

additional charge.

TR Zeliang ( 19th CM ) was appointed as the new Chief minister of Nagaland , as

Shurhozelie Liezietsu and 9 ruling Naga People‟s Front legislators failed to appear for

the floor test.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Union Government to replace the oversight

committee set up to supervise the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI)

with a fresh panel of five eminent doctors. The committee was led by former Chief

Justice of India R.M. Lodha.

Britain‟s first woman Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill was elected to Home Affairs Select

Committee in the UK Parliament. She will be one of 11 MPs on the cross-party home

affairs committee.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for the first time in its trading

history has crossed Rs 5 lakh crore in market capitalization.

India launched a solar project to electrify remote villages of Agaween in Egypt , this

project was inaugurated by India‟s ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharya and

Major general Alla Fathi Abou Zeid, Governor of Matrouh.

PM Modi will be inaugurated the memorial for former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul

Kalam at his birth place Peikarumbu near Rameshwaram on 27th July 2017.

The Supreme Court of India said that the “ Right to Privacy “ cannot be absolute right

and State may have some power to put reasonable restriction on it.

UIDAI has launched mAadhaar app for syncing Aadhaar data on mobile phone. Once

you register in mAadhaar app , your Aadhaar card profile including phone no , address

and other details get stored on the app. At present this app is available only on

android phones and can be downloaded from Google play Store.



Lok Sabha has cleared the Public private partnership bill 2017 of the Indian Institute of

Information Technology . The proposed bill grants statutory status to 15 IIT‟s and

declared them as Institutions of National Importance.

The Union Cabinet has apprised of an MoU between India and Netherlands on co-

operation in Space Technology . It have called ISRO and Netherlands Space Office

(NSO) to work out on the action plan for implementing this plan.

President Pranab Mukharjee inaugurated the bicentenary (200th) celebration of Paika

Rebellion (1817) of Odisha organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in New

Delhi. Paika Rebellion of 1817 was India‟s first organized armed rebellion against

British Raj.

The Indian Army has signed MoU with Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) to raise one regiment of the advanced Medium Range Surface

to Air Missiles (MRSAM) defence system.

Indian Navy‟s second LCU (landing craft utility) Mark IV L52 ship built by Garden

Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, was formally launched in

Kolkata, West Bengal.

The Union Cabinet has extended the second phase of the BharatNet project that forms

the backbone for the Union government‟s Digital India initiative. The second phase

aims at covering the remaining 1.50 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPS).

The Union Cabinet gave its nod to Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to raise

Rs.660 crore in bonds for extra budgetary resources (EBRs) in 2017-18.The funds

received will be used exclusively for capital expenditure to improve infrastructure

funding.

The Union Finance Ministry has launched a pension scheme exclusively for senior

citizens aged 60 years and above named “Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana



(PMVVY)”. Under this scheme, senior citizens will get a guaranteed interest of 8% for

10 years depending upon the investment made by them.

Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY), a sub-scheme under Deendayal

Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launched by the

Union Ministry of Rural Development AGEY aims to provide an alternative source of

livelihood to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) by facilitating them to operate

public transport services in backward rural areas.

The Lok Sabha has passed The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education

(Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Bill amends the Right of Children to Free and

Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 to extend the deadline for teachers to acquire

the prescribed minimum qualifications for appointment.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved sale of

government‟s 51.11% stake along with management control in HPCL (Hindustan

Petroleum) to ONGC. HPCL will continue as PSU after the acquisition.

India witnessed third highest number of terrorist attacks in 2016, more than Pakistan

according to the Country Report on Terrorism released by the US State Department.

Iraq stands first.

11. Iran and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to step up military

cooperation and the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Former chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) and Internationally-

renowned space scientist Udupi Ramachandra Rao (85) passed away in Bengaluru.

Prof Rao is credited with having played an instrumental role in building up Indian

satellite programmes right from nation‟s first satellite Aryabhatta

Union Government sanctioned funds for the 50 buses from its “ Nirbhaya Fund “ to

launch all -women “ Pink “ Ac buses with CCTV cameras in Uttar Pradesh



The State of Kerala will be hosting the 5th edition of South India‟s Writers Ensemble (

SIWE) with the core theme “ Tolerance

The Supreme Court asked the Secretary of Ministry of Consumer Affairs to think over

finding ways and means to effectively implement the provisions of the National Food

Security (NFS Act) , 2013 in “ Letter and spirit”.

Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha which

empowers RBI to issue other directions for resolution, appoint or approve authorities or

committees to advise the banking companies for stressed asset resolution.

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 24th July 2017 has launched

an online portal „SHE-box” (Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) to enable women

employees of the central government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at

the work place.

Union Government have launched a mobile app “ Aarambh “ for performance of rural

roads.The mobile phone app aims at use of GIS based mapping for making road

inventories, condition surveys,etc

Freedom fighter K.E. Mammen (96) passed away. He participated in the Quit India

Struggle. In recent years, he was an active social worker, forefront in the anti-liquor

campaign in Kerala.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the use of

stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018. FSSAI ban order issued under Section

(15) FSS Act, 2006 has deemed that any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with

tea may cause a serious health hazard

Lucknow metro was named as India‟s first metro to have its own FM radio station.



The Madras High Court have ruled out that “ Vande Mataram “ should be

made compulsory in educational institutions and offices of the state of Tamil Nadu

The Canadian Woman Swimmer Kylie Masse had won the 100 m backstroke

Parliament has passed The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims)

Bill, 2016. Admiralty laws deal with cases of accidents in navigable waters or involve

contracts related to commerce on such waters.

Professor Yash Pal (90) has passed away in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He is a globally

renowned physicist, academic and higher education reformer. He was known for his

contributions to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder. He

had served as the first Director of the newly set up Space Applications Centre,

Ahmedabad, in 1973.

Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban

Development has approved construction of 30,000 affordable houses in Maharashtra‟s

Sholapur district for the urban poor on private land. It is first such project to be taken

up on private land under PMAY(U).

Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) launched the first two Naval

Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPVs) — Shachi and Shruti at their shipyard in Pipavav,

Gujarat. These two NOPVs are the first warships to be launched by a private sector

shipyard in India. These ships are part of a five-ships being constructed for the Indian

Navy under the P-21 project.

India was ranked 132nd in the new global Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index.

Lok Sabha passed the Companies Act (Amendment Bill) 2016. It amends the

provisions related to the composition of the Selection Committee of the National

Companies Law Tribunal and the National Companies Law Appellate Tribunal.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the police cannot arrest the accused without

conducting a preliminary inquiry under dowry harassment cases. The ruling was made



by a SC bench of Justices A K Goel and UU Lalit. With this, apex court put an end to

immediate arrest of the husband and his family members in the dowry harassment

cases filed under Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Union Cabinet has approved the Labour Code on Wages Bill which will ensure a

minimum wage across all sectors by integrating existing labour related laws.

The Parliament has passed The Collection of Statistics (Amendment) Bill, 2017 after it

was approved by the Rajya Sabha, which was already passed by Lok Sabha. The bill

aims at amending the Collection of Statistics Bill, 2008, which facilitates the collection

of statistics related to social, economic, demographic, scientific and environmental

aspects, by central, state and local governments.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apprised Joint

Declaration of Intent (JDI) between on Indo German-Centre for Sustainability

(IGCS).which was concluded during the fourth Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC)

between India and Germany in Berlin held in May 2017.

The Union Cabinet has approved revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds

(SGB) Scheme with a view to achieve its intended objectives. It aims to make it more

attractive, mobilise finances as per the target and reduce the economic strains caused

by imports of gold and reduce Current Account Deficit (CAD).

The Jim Corbett National Park , Uttarakhand records second highest tiger count in

India behind Karnataka which has 400 big cats . The count of tiger shot up to 242 with

an increase of 63 big cats in the year 2017.

The Lok Sabha passed the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Bill, 2017 by voice

vote. The Bill declares the IIMs as institutions of national importance. The bill seeks to

empower these institutions to attain standards of global excellence in management,

management research and allied areas of knowledge. It also promises to grant



administrative, academic and financial autonomy to these B-Schools and allow them to

grant degrees.

Sagar Vani, an integrated information dissemination system that will serve the coastal

community, especially the fishermen community with the advisories and alerts towards

their livelihood as well as their safety at Sea has been launched by the Union Ministry

of Earth Science.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has received final nod from the

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit

(BBPCU) and operate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).

Delhi Metro has secured the platinum rating for adherence to green building norms for

its 10 residential colonies from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and The Delhi

Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) has become the world‟s first completely „green‟

Metro system for adhering to green building norms for its residential colonies.

Operational Guidelines for Planning and Implementation of Family Participatory Care

(FPC) for improving newborn health has been released by the Union Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare. They will serve as a guiding document for those intending to

introduce FPC in their facility as an integral part of facility based newborn care.

India is the world‟s third-biggest exporter of beef according to recently released OECD-

FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 report. Brazil was ranked as the world‟s top beef

exporter followed by Australia.

Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2, which is coming under Jiyo Parsi scheme , a Central

Sector Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis has launched by the Union

Ministry of Minority Affairs in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Its main objective is to reverse the

declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured

interventions. It aims to stabilize and increase the population of Parsis in India.



India and Pakistan will hold talks on two hydropower projects namely Kishenganga

and Ratle under the 1960 Indus waters Treaty (IWT) at the world Bank Headquarters

in Washington on 31st July 2017

International

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet –ngor sworn in as the Chief executive of Hong Kong

Germany has passed a controversial law under which it would fine social media

websites such as Face book , Google and you tube if they fail to remove hate

speech or unlawful content within 24 hours.

999: The world‟s oldest emergency services phone number had marked

its 80th anniversary on 2nd July, 2017. It is the best known phone no in Britain to

alert police, fire, ambulance and coastguards to emergencies

India on 3rd July 2017 has successfully test fired indigenously developed quick

reaction surface to air missile ( QR-SAM) off the Odisha Coast, Chandipur. It was

developed by DRDO.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the most recent

outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

ICCG‟s 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and

Resource Economists (EAERE) was held in Athens, Greece. TERI, the New Delhi-

based The Energy Resources Institute was ranked number two under the category

„2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-Absolute Global Rankings‟

among world‟s best climate think tank by the International Centre for Climate

Governance (ICCG).



Hwasong-14 the North Korea‟s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has

successfully test-fired into waters near Sea of Japan . It was claimed by North

Korea and the claim was confirmed by United States. The launch appeared to be

North Korea‟s most successful missile test since its ballistic missile programme.

An emergency meeting of the UNSC was called by the United States, Japan and

South Korea to agree on a response to the North Korea‟s ICBM test. In the

emergency meeting, the US has said that the launch of an ICBM by the North

Korea is a clear and sharp escalation. Under the new sanctions, the US has

decided to use trade restrictions targeting those countries that continue to have

dealings with North Korea. France has expressed its support for a new resolution.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee acting on a proposal brought

by Palestine has put the West Bank city of Hebron on its list of world heritage in

danger. The inclusion of the Old City of West Bank into the list of World Heritage in

danger is aimed at drawing world‟s attention to the situation in Hebron.

Vietnam has granted ONGC Videsh a two-year extension to explore oil block 128 in

the South China Sea.

The United Nations announced that the Member states will adopt a legally binding

treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons. The treaty will be adopted on 7th July, 2017.It

will be first multi lateral nuclear disarmament treaty to be concluded in more than 20

years

The United Nations has adopted a historic global treaty banning nuclear weapons.

The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 members in favour. The Netherlands was

the only country who voted against the treaty. Singapore abstained from voting.

Hyden Cross became the first transgender man to give birth to a girl baby in

the United Kingdom .



Saima Wazed Hossain was appointed as a WHO Good will ambassador for

autism in South Asia. He facilitated “ Thimphu declaration” on autism .

The Lake District was awarded the status of World heritage by UNESCO . It was

praised by the committee for its inspiring natural beauty which has provided for

generation of writers , like Poet William Wordsworth, who described the lake as “

the loveliest spot man hath found”. The Lake District is a mountainous region

in North West England.

Iraq announced victory over Islamic state in Mosul on 8th July, 2017 after nine

months of bitter fighting to displace the extremist group from the city where it

proclaimed its caliphate.

Brazil‟s Valongo Wharf Archaeological site added to UNESCO‟s World Heritage

List .

Cambodia‟s Sambor Prei Kuk temple zone was awarded UNESCO‟s World

Heritage Status

Japan‟s men only island , Okinoshima gains UNESCO‟s World Heritage Tag

UNESCO added German Caves with World‟s oldest known art to heritage list

.These caves are located at Swabian Jura region of Germany.

China recently sent troops to open first overseas military base in Djibouti which is

on the north western edge of Indian Ocean.

Saudi Arabia has recently approved Physical education program at girl‟s schools

Malta has voted to legalise same-sex marriage , despite opposition from

the Catholic Church.

China‟s Nobel laureate Liu Xiabo has passed away .

The Bank of England has unveiled a new 10- pound plastic note featuring a portrait

of Jane Austin, British Novelist at the Winchester Cathedral , the place where she

was buried .



Dubai was selected by the UN as the Local Data Hub for Middle East, North Africa

and South Asia region.

Bolivian President Eva Morales has declared that his nation has achieved “ total

independence from world Bank and IMF” in July 2017

BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum have signed by the Tax authorities of

the BRICS- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to establish a mechanism

for taxation cooperation.

2017 BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers‟ meeting held in Chongqing,

China. BRICS countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa have agreed to

work together to ensure stable employment and better quality of life for their people.

They passed BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration. BRICS

Summit to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017.

Shehbaz Shariff to succeed Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Four Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain announced

their willingness to start a dialogue with Qatar if it agrees to show a willingness to

stop funding terrorism

Appointments

Achal Kumar Jyoti will took over as Chief Election Commissioner of India due to

Nazim Zaidi‟s retirement from his post on 6th July, 2017

RK Pachnanda took over as Director –General of Indo-Tibetan Border Place

KK Venugopal was appointed as the attorney general of India . He will

succeed Mukul Rohatgi who chose to return to private practice after his three years

term.



Justice Vikramajit Sen was appointed as the Chairman of BCCC ( Broad casting

content complaints Council). His appointment was approved by the Board of

Directors of Indian Broadcasting Foundation(IBF). He succeeds Mukul Mudgal

whose 3 year term comes to an end.

Lilly Singh was appointed as the UNICEF‟s Global Goodwill ambassador.

A group of researchers discovered a very distant galaxy, which is about 1000 times

brighter than a milky way which was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal

Letters.

NDA nominee Ramnath Govind was elected as the 14th President of India by

beating opposition candidate Meira Kumar by 1086 votes. He will be only the

second Dalit leader after K R Narayanan since Independence to occupy India‟s

highest ceremonial post.

Sanjay Kothari was appointed as the Secretary to President Ram Nath Govind.

The GST council recently constituted a selection committee to identify members

and head of the National Anti- Profiteering Authority . PK Sinha will be

the Chairman of the Committee.

Economy

After 17 years of debate, India has launched historic indirect tax regime GST on

1st July, 2017

National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE), India‟s first demutualised online national

multi-commodities exchange will merge with Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX). The

merged entity will create India‟s third biggest commodity exchange. The largest

commodity exchange by volume is the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) followed by

National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX).



Though the GSTN ( Goods and service Tax Network ) has been operational, it is yet

to get the security clearance from Union Home Ministry which is a mandatory

requirement as it has private participation.

India has slipped to the 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss

banks.

This is the first time the EPFO(The Employees‟ Provident Fund Organisation )

has roped in private banks, namely, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak

Mahindra Bank and Bank of Baroda for the purpose of collection of provident fund

dues from the employers and payments to its subscribers. This move of the EPFO will

help the organisation to save nearly Rs 300 crore per year as the five banks have

agreed to zero transaction charges. Already the EPFO had tied up with five other

banks. The five other banks are State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank,

Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank and Union Bank of India.

India is expected to register a growth of 6.9% in this financial year according to BMI

Research, a Fitch group company

RBI has issued the revised directions on „Customer Protection – Limiting Liability of

Customers in unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions‟ amidst a recent increase

in customer grievances related to un authorised transactions. The bank has to credit

the amount involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction to the customer‟s

account within 10 working days of reporting of fraud. The bank has to do this without

waiting for settlement of insurance claim if any. The banks should ask its customers to

mandatorily register for SMS alerts and e-mail for email alerts for electronic banking

transactions.

India has become the fourth largest foreign investor into the UK in 2016-17 as per the

official figures published by the UK‟s Department for International Trade. The US

remains the top most investor in the UK, China (2nd), France ( 3rd)



Union Government exempts import of aircraft, aircraft engines from ambit of GST.

The Union Government has increased import duty on sugar to 50% to support

domestic prices.

India will be the world‟s largest milk producer by 2026 and will account for the biggest

increase in wheat production globally according to recently released OECD-FAO

Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026.

The Union Government has saved around Rs 57,000 crore in 2016-17 through Direct

Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme under which subsidies are given directly to

beneficiaries.

Food supplied by religious organization will attract no Goods and Service Tax.

Union Ministry of Finance has announced that the services provided by educational

institutions to the students and staff are fully exempted from GST.

The GST council on 17 July 2017 increased the compensation cess rate on

cigarettes to make the total tax incidence on cigarettes in GST regime at par with the

total tax included in pre-GST regime. This move will raise the prices of cigarettes.

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has entered into

a MoU with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for exchange of

information concerning Central Counterparties (CCPs) under the European Markets

Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). CCPs are entities that help facilitate clearing and

settlement activities.

The Union Cabinet approved promulgation of the Central Goods and Services Tax

(Extension to Jammu & Kashmir) Ordinance, 2017 and Integrated Goods and Services

Tax (Extension to Jammu & Kashmir) Ordinance, 2017. Both ordinances replace

Ordinance by the Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and

Ordinance by the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017

respectively.



The Union Cabinet has approved signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in

respect of tax matters between India and the BRICS countries namely, Brazil, Russia,

China and South Africa. The MoC aims to promote cooperation amongst BRICS

Revenue administrations on common areas of interest in tax matters and capacity

building and knowledge sharing.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its July World Economic Outlook (WEO)

Update has retained India‟s projected GDP growth rate at 7.2% for 2017-18, slightly up

from 7.1% in the previous year.

Important Days

July 1 – International day of co-operatives : First Saturday of July , was observed

across the world and the theme for 2017 is Co-operatives ensure no one is left

behind.

July 11 – World Population Day with the theme – Family planning : Empowering

People , Developing Nations

July 15- The World Youth Skills Day is observed globally every year to raise

awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development. 2017 Theme

is “Skills for All”.

July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day was observed globally to commemorate

the great South African anti-apartheid revolutionary , politician and philanthropist.

July 26 –Kargil Diwas was celebrated every year. The 18th anniversary of Kargil Vijay

Diwas was celebrated across India to commemorate the success of Operation

Vijay and remember brave sacrifice of Indian soldiers during the 1999 India-Pakistan

Kargil War.



July 28 – World Hepatitis Day with the theme of 2017 : “ Eliminate Hepatitis “ to

mobilize intensified action towards the health targets in 2030 Sustainable Development

Goals.

July 29 - the International Tiger Day was observed every year to promote the

protection and expansion of the wild tigers habitats and to gain support through

awareness for tiger conservation.

Awards & Honours

Writer Preethi Shenoy was honoured with Indian of the year award at a function

organized in New Delhi . She was awarded by Brands Academy , one of the most

reputed brand companies in India.

Telangana IPS officer Mahesh Bhagwat was recognized for his vital role in elevating

human trafficking as a government priority and his innovative approach to investigating

cases and dismantling trafficking . He has conferred with 2017 Trafficking in Persons

Report Heroes award.

Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen (54) and former US Surgeon

General Vivek Murthy (39) have been chosen for prestigious Great Immigrants: The

Pride of America Award 2017.

IROAF ( Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel ) won the Golden Peacock

Award for Eco Innovation for the year 2017 for introducing eco friendly and cost

saving Dual Fuel 1400 HP Diesel engines on DEMU trains.

Veteran BJP Leader LK Advani received “ Life Time Achievement Award “for his

contributions as a Parliamentarian in Lok Sabha on 19th July 2017 . He received the

award from Vice President Hamid Hansari. Other recipients are JD –U Leader Sharad

Yadav ( Life Time achievement for Rajya Sabha representative ), MK Premachandran (

Best Parliamentarian in Lok Sabha),Congress Leader Kumari Sushmita Dev ( Best



Woman Parliamentarian in Lok Sabha), BJP leader Meenaksh Lekhi (Best Debut

Woman Parliamentarian in Lok Sabha), CPI-M Leader Seetharam Yechury ( Best

Parliamentarian Rajya Sabha), Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan ( Best Woman

Parliamentarian in Rajya Sabha), Congress Mp Rajni Patil (Best Debut Woman

Parliamentarian in Rajya Sabha)

Japan‟s imperial decoration „Order of the Rising Sun‟ award was conferred by Former

Union Minister Ashwani Kumar for his contribution to fostering Japan-India ties during

the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan to India in December 2013, and

contributed to the success of the visit in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh‟s

Government.

Science and Technology

A team of scientists have developed world‟s sharpest laser with a line width of only

10 mHzand named it as “ Super Laser “.This precision can be useful for various

applications such as optical atomic clocks, radio astronomy, precision

spectroscopy, testing the theory of relativity and carry out new precision

measurements on ultra cold atoms.

The World‟s most detailed scan of the brain‟s internal wiring has been produced by

the Scientist‟s at Cardiff University .The scan showed fibres in the white matter

called axons. These are the brain‟s wiring which carry billions of electric signals.

This detailed scan will help increase understanding of a range of neurological

disorders and can be used instead of invasive biopsies.The scanner is currently

being used for research into many neurological conditions including Multiple

Sclerosis, schizophrenia, dementia and epilepsy.

NASA is developing the first -ever mission that will work as planetary defence

mechanism against potential cosmic body impacts in future. The mission, The



Double Asteroid Redirection Test

(DART) is being designed, built and managed by the John Hopkins Applied

Physical Laboratory

The reason for unprecedented heavy rainfall in Chennai for three days

between November 30th to December 2nd in 2015 has been found out by a study

conducted by the scientists of University of Hyderabad and the Indian Institute of

Technology – Bombay and the reason behind it was that the extreme El Nino

conditions and warming of the Bay of Bengal. Based on several experiments, the

scientists have attributed around 21% of the intensity of the extreme Chennai

rainfall to the extreme El Nino condition. El Nino usually causes less than normal

rainfall in the case of south-west monsoon. However, it does the reverse in the

case of the northeast monsoon. It causes above-normal rainfall during the

northeast monsoon. This is due to the difference in seasonal wind patterns between

the two monsoons.

A student- scientist connect programme “Jigyasa, “has been launched by the

government in New Delhi. The programme would be implemented by the Council of

Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

The researchers have found that surface of Mars has chemical compounds

called perchlorates that can wipe out living organisms.

Scientists have created mini version of ringed planet Saturn by electrifying tiny

drops of fluid. They added that this discovery would help to create new ways of

generating microscopic and uniform particles and capsules often used in drugs,

inks, cosmetics, paints and ceramics.



NASA‟s unmanned spacecraft Juno has successfully peered into the Jupiter‟s giant

storm known as the Great Red Spot. It became first space probe to complete flyby

of Jupiter‟s Great Red Spot.

One of the biggest ice bergs ever recorded has just broken away

from Antarctica has calved away from the Larsen C Ice Shelf of Antartica.

Indian scientists have discovered a super cluster of 43 galaxies , Saraswathi which

is located in the direction of constellation Pisces.

Vietnam was selected by IUCN for the construction of World‟s first Saola breeding

centre.

Scientists from Harvard Medical School for first time have encoded a small movie

clip in the DNA of living bacterial cells by using the CRISPR (clustered regularly

interspaced short palindromic repeats.) gene-editing technique and then played it

back. Scientists have found out that despite the genetic modification, the bacteria

thrived and multiplied. The film stored in the DNA of bacteria was also well

preserved and was intact even in new generation of bacteria.

NAZA‟s New horiozon space craft unveiled new maps of Pluto and Charon

A recent study published by “ The Journal of Experimental Medicine “ in July 2017

has unveiled that a commonly used drug for malaria “ hydroxychloroquine” can

effectively block the Zika virus from crossing the placenta and getting into the

foetus and damaging its brain . It can be used by pregnant women also since it

has the approval.

Department of Bio-Technology was formally launched an indigenously developed

new born hearing screening device “ SOHUM “at Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhui on

17th July, 2017

New species of bird like dinosaur was identified in Canada that lived nearly 71

million years ago. The species was named as Albertavenator curriei which means



Currie‟s Alberta hunter . The species which was found in Alberta has been named

in honor of famous Canadian paleontologist Philip J. Currie.

According to recent study, ghost nets (abandoned, lost or dumped fishing nets)

have emerged as the greatest killers of the marine ecosystem off Kerala

coast. There are four types of ghost nets that infest the bottom of the seas.

The first are the large fishing vessels that stray into the territorial waters and deploy

large nets. The second type of ghost nets are smaller and are used by fishermen,

but are cut off by a passing vessel. They too drift at the bottom of the ocean floor

and get attached to the rough features there. The third type of ghost nets are those

that get caught in violent currents and swivel down to the ocean floor, where they

get stuck. The fourth type are ghost nets are those which get abandoned at sea

after three or four uses. These nets remain under water for decades if not

centuries.

United States Navy successfully tested the world‟s first-ever active Laser Weapons

System (LaWS). It is primarily intended to take on drones, aircraft, and small

vessels that could be used in an attack.

Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed a 3D-printed soft

silicone heart that closely resembles and functions like the human organ. It is not

exact biological replica of the actual, but can help to save lives of people who suffer

from cardiac failure. It can be also used as an artificial heart in cases when patient

is awaiting a heart transplant.

NASA Langley Research Centre turns 100 years old of its establishment on

17th July 2017 . On this occasion NASA released a 45 minutes documentary that

looks back across the 100 years.

A star locating just 11 light years away from earth is sending out the strange radio

signals were detected scientists on 12 May 2017 by using the Arecibo



Observatory , a large telescope located in Puerto Rico . These strange signals are

coming from Ross 128 (a little red dwarf star)was confirmed.

India‟s Sundar Singh Gurjar (21) won gold medal in the men‟s javelin throw event at

World Para Athletics Championships held in London, United Kingdom. Sundar

Singh Gurjar hails from the Karauli district in Rajasthan.

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won 2017 British Grand prix. It was his overall fifth

British Grand Prix title.

Scientists for the first time have produced human antibodies in the laboratory. They

are produced by body‟s B cells (B lymphocytes). They have developed

revolutionary technique which can help in rapid development of new vaccines to

treat a wide range of infectious diseases.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) developed a mobile app “India Quake

“ for automatic dissemination of earthquake parameter ( location, time and

magnitude ) after the occurrence of earthquakes. The Union Minister of Science &

Technology Harsh Vardhan launched the app on the Foundation day of Ministry of

Earth Sciences in New Delhi .

Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University, US used the CRISPR-Cas9

genome editing technology to alter human DNA in single-cell embryos, which

allows specific sections of DNA to be altered or replaced. This is for the first

time they have successfully edited genes of human embryos to correct defective

DNA that cause inherited diseases.

Scientists from NASA for first time are planning to chase the shadow of the

moon using two of NASA‟s WB-57F research jets during the upcoming total solar

eclipse in US. The purpose of the chase is to capture the clearest ever images of

the Sun‟s outer atmosphere.



The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has adopted three Codex standards

for black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme. It is for first time pepper,

cumin and thyme, spices will have such universal standards. These standards were

adopted at 40th session of CAC held in Geneva.

Scientists have discovered new species of glow-in-the-dark

shark named Etmopterus lailae and belongs to lantern shark family that is living

1,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the northwestern Hawaiian

islands.

The World‟s smallest spacecraft were successfully launched into low earth orbit

by Indian rock et PSLV known as “ sprites “ . The six prototypes of

Sprites were launched in June 2017 as part of the Breakthrough Starshot

project designed to test technologies that would eventually be used for interstellar

missions. They are smallest spacecraft that have managed to establish contact with

ground stations. The mission was designed to test the performance of the Sprites‟

electronics when in orbit. Sprites have been developed by researchers at Cornell

University.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed super-stretchy and

strong artificial (synthetic) spider silk, almost entirely composed of water. The fibres

of the synthetic spider silk are spun from hydrogel, a soupy material which is 98%

water. The remaining 2% of the hydrogel is made of naturally available silica and

cellulose.

Tata motors rolled out the country‟s first Bio-CNG ( bio-methane) bus . The bus

was rolled out at the Bio-energy programme called “Urja Utsav “ which was

organisded by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural gas .



Google has introduced recruiting app “ Hire “ for businesses , which makes it easy

to identify talent, build strong candidate relationships and efficiently manage the

interview process end to end.

Australian researcher has discovered a new giant ocean sun fish species , which

was named as the hood winker (mola tecta)

India‟s first dedicated space observatory AstroSat along withChandra and Hubble

Space Telescope and the ground-based High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet

Searcher (HARPS) observatory have detected a massive coronal explosion on

Proxima Centauri, sun‟s closest star neighbour.

The World‟s largest conference on cyber space and related issues will be hosted by

India in New Delhi in November 2017. The theme for the GCCS 2017 is „Cyber4All:

An Inclusive, Sustainable, Developmental, Safe and Secure Cyberspace„.

The researchers from University of Hyderabad have found that Castor bean

plants can prove useful in fighting soil pollution. It was found that these plants can

absorb toxic heavy metals from soil from these polluted areas due to industrial

pollution.

Spanish scientists have discovered novobiocin compound that could be used as a

potential drug to fight the effects of a Zika virus infection. The Zika virus has been

named after Zika forest in Uganda where it was first isolated in 1947. Zika virus is

vector borne disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the same

mosquito that transmits dengue.

NASA has extended invitation to eclipse viewers from around America to participate

in a Nationwide science experiment during US total Solar eclipse .

Flammable ice (also known as methane hydrate or methane clathrates) is a natural

gas consists of methane trapped within water crystals have successfully produced



by China. It is the world‟s largest natural gas resource is trapped beneath

permafrost and ocean sediment where low temperature and moderate pressure

combine to trap methane in this specific way.

The Gelator, which is a hydrophobic material that has property of oleilophilic (oil-

loving) and takes up oil when it comes in contact with it have developed by the

scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER),

Thiruvananthapuram. It can be used to recover marine oil spills with a simple,

efficient and cost-effective method.

USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), the world‟s largest nuclear-powered aircraft

carrier at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia was officially inducted by The United

States (US) Navy. Its operational deployment will be in 2021 after undergoing final

outfitting and testing. It is the most advanced aircraft carrier in the world. USS

Gerald Ford is first in the series of three of the futuristic ships of the Ford-class

carriers ordered by US Navy.

The world‟s first full—scale floating wind farm is being built off the coast of Scotland

in the North Sea. The wind farm, known as Hywind is a trial project which aims to

bring power to 20,000 homes.

Iran has successfully launched its most advanced satellite carrying rocket called

“Simorgh “ into space . The development marks a significant step forward for the

Islamic Republic‟s young space program.

New artificial intelligence (AI) software called SurfNet was developed by the

Scientists including one of Indian origin. This software can create three dimensional

(3D) models from 2D photographs.

India‟s first unmanned, remotely operated tank Muntra has rolled out by the

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at its Chennai lab. It



has been launched in three variants Muntra-S, Muntra-M and Muntra-N for

surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and

biological threats. It is also likely to be used in Naxal-hit areas.

A team of researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (

SEAS) have developed a super strong , flexible bio-glue for wound healing without

toxicity.

Sports

Germany defeated Chile in the finals to win the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. This is

the first confederation cup for Germany to take to its home . This tournament was held

in Russia as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Google has rolled out a new doodle commemorating the 140th anniversary of World‟s

oldest tennis tournament , Wimbledon Championship.

SerbianTennis player Novak Djokovic defeated France‟s Gael Monfils to clinch

the Eastbourne international Men‟s Singles title . Karolina Pliskova won the title

for women‟s singles which was held on 1st July 2017 in Eastbourne, United Kingdom.

The Indian national football has managed to secure the 96th spot as per the

updated FIFA world football rankings. At present, Germany leads the rankings and

among Asian countries, Iran leads at No. 23.

The 2017 Asian Athletics Championship is the 22nd edition and will be held from 6 July

to 9 July 2017 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Manpreet Kaur and Govindan

Laxman has managed to win gold medals on the opening day of Asian Athletics

Championships. Vikas Gowda, though failed to defend his title in the men‟s discus

throw has managed to win a bronze medal in the men‟s discus throw.



The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 2017 agreed to award two cities for

hosting 2024 and 2028 Games. The two cities are Paris and Los Angeles

Mithali Raj , Indian Captain ( Women Cricket Team ) became the first player to score

6000 runs in Women‟s ODI cricket after scoring her 34th run against Australia in

Bristol.

India will host the 8th edition of Theatre Olympics for the first time ever from 17th Feb to

* April 2018 simultaneously in 15 cities across India. The Inaugural ceremony will take

place in New Delhi.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel has inaugurated Oorja CRPF under -19 Football Talent

Hunt Tournament in New Delhi on 12th July 2017.

India‟s Harinder Pal Sandhu (28) won the Victorian Open squash tournament by

defeated Rex Hedrick of Australia held in Melbourne, Australia.

Switzerland‟s Roger Federer won 2017 Wimbledon title in the men‟s single

category by defeating Marin Cilic of Croatia It was Federer‟s record eighth Wimbledon

title and overall 19th Grand Slam. Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) defeated Venus Williams

to win her first Wimbledon title in the women‟s single category. Łukasz Kubot (Poland)

and Marcelo Melo (Brazil) pair defeated Oliver Marach (Austria) and Mate Pavić

(Croatia) pair to win 2017 Wimbledon title in Men‟s Doubles category. Russian pair

Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina defeated Chan Hao-ching (Chinese Taipei)

and Monica Niculescu (Romania) to win 2017 Wimbledon title in Women‟s Doubles

category. Jamie Murray (United Kingdom) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland) defeated

Henri Kontinen (Finland) and Heather Watson (United Kingdom) to win 2017

Wimbledon title in mixed Doubles category.

International Swimming Federation ( FINA) took the decision about the host cities of

both Short Course swimming championships in a meeting at Budapest. The Chinese



city of Hangzhou is set to host the short course swimming championship in 2018, Abu

Dhabi will be the host in 2020, Russian city of Kazan in 2022 and Hungarian city of

Budapest in 2024 respectively.

India‟s Harinder Pal Sandhu has defeated Rhys Dowling of Australia to win South

Australian Open squash title. This will be Sandhu‟s first PSA tournament victory in

Australia.

Valtteri Bottas ( Mercedes) won the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix held at Red Bull Ring,

Austria

India showed its best performance ever in the Asian Athletics Championship, clinching

a total of 29 medals including 12 golds.

Ravi Shastri took over as new Coach of Indian Cricket Team in July 2017, after Anil

Kumble who resigned recently .

Zaheer Khan was appointed as the bowling coach for Indian Cricket Team on July

2017

2017 ICC Women‟s World Cup title was won by England by defeating India by 9 runs

at Lord‟s Cricket Ground in London.

Ace Indian Shuttler H S Prannoy defeated his compatriot Parupalli Kashyap in the final

match held at Anaheim, California and won the 2017 Yonex US Open Grand Prix Gold

badminton tournament title. It was his third grand prix gold title of badminton. In

the women‟s singles category of the tournament, Aya Ohori of Japan won the final by

defeating Michelle Li of Canada.

Men‟s World Boxing Championship 2021 will be hosting by India.

India‟s Ajay Singh has won bronze medal in 77 kgs men‟s junior category in the 2017

Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships held at Kathmandu,

Nepal. Earlier, S. Nirpupama Devi had won bronze in 69 kgs women youth



category. Konsam Ormila Devi from Manipur had won gold medal in 44kg weight

category. His win takes India‟s medal tally to three in the championship.

Bharat Arun was appointed as the new bowling coach of team India by the Board of

Control for cricket in India on 18th July 2017.

India‟s Karamjyoti Dalal has won bronze medal at the World Para Athletics

Championships 2017 in the discus-throw.

India won maximum gold medals in Tennis at the 6th Youth Common wealth Games

2017 held in England.

Somdev Devvarman , former Indian Tennis player was chosen as head Centre of

Excellence at the Delhi Law Tennis Association ( DLTA).

The 2017 Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix was won by Sebastian Vettel of

Germany ( Ferrari driver ) which was held at Hungaroring in Mogyoroid

Mohun Bagan on 29th July 2017 conferred former club captain and coach Subrata

Bhattarcharya with the Prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna Award at the club‟s annual

day programme in Kolkatta. Jhulan Goswami( Indian women Cricket Team veteran

pacer ) with a special award. Debabrata Das was honoured with Best Cricket player of

the year award

The 2017 Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix was won by Sebastian Vettel of

Germany ( Ferrari driver ) which was held at Hungaroring in Mogyoroid

Mohun Bagan on 29th July 2017 conferred former club captain and coach Subrata

Bhattarcharya with the Prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna Award at the club‟s annual

day programme in Kolkatta. Jhulan Goswami( Indian women Cricket Team veteran

pacer ) with a special award. Debabrata Das was honoured with Best Cricket player of

the year award



India on 29th July 2017 defeated Kazakhstan to clinch 2017 FIBA Women‟s Asian

Cup‟s Division B title held at Kanteerava indoor stadium in Bangalore. To celebrate the

win , the Basketball Federation of India ( FBI) announced a cash award of Rs. 10 lakh

for the Indian Team . On the other hand Japan defeated Australia to clinch the Division

A title.

Books

The book titled “ Indira: India‟s Most Powerful Prime Minister “ was written by Sagarika

Ghose

Compiled by Sarala Dhavamanoharan for www.tnpscportal.in

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