July Current Affairs Online Model Test

Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will be honoured with the prestigious 2017 Great Immigrants: The Pride of America” award on US’s Independence Day on July 4, 2017. They are among 38 immigrants to be honoured this year for their role in helping advance the country’s society, culture and economy. Among other honorees include Canadian-origin social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, who has been awarded the 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, PayPal cofounder of Ukrainian origin Max Levchin, Iranian-origin philanthropist and entrepreneur Hushang Ansary.

Kottayan Katankot Venugopal (86), a noted constitutional expert and senior advocate, has been appointed as the new Attorney General of India with effect from June 30, 2017 and shall have a tenure of 3 years. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi. Venugopal has become a law officer for the 2nd time after being an Additional Solicitor General during the Morarji Desai government during the seventies. He is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. The Attorney General for India is the Indian government’s chief legal advisor and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. He is appointed by the President of India under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and holds office during the pleasure of the President.

The 41st session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee has started in Krakow, Poland from July 2 to 12, 2017. During the session, the Committee will notably consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and examine the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List as well as many other issues concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.

The National Doctors’ Day (NDD) is celebrated every year in India on July 1 to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. The day is an attempt to emphasize on the value of doctors in our lives and to offer them our respects by commemorating one of their greatest representatives.

India’s tallest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has installed at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi. The new 101.9m ATC tower has built at a cost of Rs 350 and is likely to start operations by December 2017. Once ready, it will be the 7th tallest ATC tower in the world. The new ATC tower will have 21 controller positions with a 360 degree view at the visual control room and 12 ground controllers at the operational level. Also, this is for the first time in the country that Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) technology will be used to increase the comfort of occupants and reduce building sway.

Jehan Daruvala of Sahara Force India Academy has become the first Indian driver to win in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in Race 3 at the Nuremberg circuit on July 2, 2017. Jehan’s victory in race 3 comes 18 years after Narain Karthikeyan won in the British F3 Championship. The 2.3-km Norisring is an extremely fast and flowing layout for a street circuit and mistakes are punished by the concrete walls instead of tyre barriers. FIA Formula 3 is the toughest junior racing category in the world.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, has launched G-Ride, a digital ride sharing app for techies. The app is specially designed and deployed for the IT industry by the Group of Technology Companies (Gtech), the industry body of IT companies in the state. The G-Ride app automatically matches co-workers and neighbours and help them travel together to work. It is available in Android and iOS versions.

The Karnataka Government has recently launched the ‘Elevate 100’ scheme to identify and nurture innovative start-ups. The purpose of the scheme is to identify 100 most innovative start-ups in the state to elevate them to the next level of success. The Elevate scheme is the brainchild of the start-up cell, Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), to help start-ups across the state succeed by providing them with access to mentors, networking opportunities, and in-depth sessions for start-ups on accounting, and emerging technologies.

Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, has launched the Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency (MERIT) app and e-bidding portal for providing e-Bidding solution to States to select Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for procurement of power by transferring their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal. This system will bring transparency in states’ power distribution and sales and save Rs 20 thousand crore in next 5 to 7 years.

The 22nd edition of Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) has started at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on July 6, 2017 and will continue till July 9, 2017. Athlete Tintu Luka was the flag bearer for the Indian contingent which received a rousing welcome from the crowd. Odia athlete Srabani Nanda had the honour of taking the oath on behalf of athletes at the inaugural ceremony. Over 1,200 athletes and officials from 43 countries in Asia witnessed the largest sporting event. The official mascot of the Championship is “Olly Turtle” that represents the famous Olive Ridley sea turtle.

Achal Kumar Jyoti (64), a retired 1975 IAS Officer batch of Gujarat Cadre, is the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), who took over as the head of the Election Commission in New Delhi on today. He succeeded Dr Nasim Zaidi. Jyoti will continue as the Chief Election Commissioner till January 17, 2018. Prior to this appointment, he was Election Commissioner of India. A CEC or an EC can have a tenure of six years or hold office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

The Union Government has officially launched a student- scientist connect programme “Jigyasa” in New Delhi to develop interest among students to pursue science. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has joined hands with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to implement this programme. The programme is expected to connect 1151 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 38 National Laboratories of CSIR targeting 100,000 students and nearly 1000 teachers annually. It will also enable the students and teachers to practically live the theoretical concepts taught in science by visiting CSIR laboratories and by participating in mini-science projects. The model of engagement includes student residential programmes, scientists as teachers and teachers as scientists, popular lecture series/demonstration programme at Schools and student apprenticeship programmes among others.

India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), which is released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The index measures the commitment of nations across the globe to ensuring cybersecurity to their digital systems. India is ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the maturing category, which refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cybersecurity and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives. The index has been topped by Singapore with a 0.925 score. The top 10 most committed countries to cybersecurity are Singapore, United States, Malaysia, Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada. Russia is ranked 11th.

The 22nd World Petroleum Congress (WPC) International Conference will takes place in Istanbul, Turkey from July 10 – 12, 2017. Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, will represent India in the conference. The tri-annual WPC Conference is widely recognized as the `Olympics` of the oil and gas industry. It attracts Ministers, CEOs of Oil and Gas MNCs, experts and academics from the hydrocarbon sectors and provides an ideal forum to showcase potential of India’s hydrocarbon sector, highlight the recent policy reforms to international investors and interact with policy makers, technologists, scientists, planners and management experts, entrepreneurs, service providers and vendors in order to attract foreign investments into India’s growing oil and gas sector.

Indian athletes, Mohammad Anas and Nirmala Sheoran have won the gold medal in the men’s and women’s 400 metres athletics event on the second day of the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the 1500 m race, it was Chitra PU and Ajay Kumar Saroj who bagged the other two gold medals for India. The other medal winners on the second day included Rajiv Arokia (silver), Jisna Mathew (bronze), Tejinder Pal Singh Toor (silver) and Dutee Chand (bronze).

The Ahmedabad city has been declared as a World Heritage City (WHC) at the 41st session of UNESCO’s world heritage committee at Krakow in Poland. With this, the 606-year-old walled city of Ahmedabad, which was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah, has become India’s first World Heritage City. The city was also the center for India’s non-violent freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi. The walled city has 26 ASI-protected structures, hundreds of ‘pols’ that capture the essence of community living and numerous sites associated with Mahatma Gandhi who lived here from 1915 to 1930. The Ahmedabad city has also stood for unity with its elegant carvings in its Hindu and Jain temples as well as standing as one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture and Hindu Muslim art. Now, Ahmedabad will join the world heritage cities like Paris, Cairo and Edinburgh. Out of total 287 world heritage cities across the globe, there were only two cities in the Indian subcontinent- Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka. The UNESCO tag will add immense value to Ahmedabad city which will also boost tourism.

Lt Col Srinivas Gokulnath has the first Indian to complete the 4,900 kilometre Race Across America (RAAM) in solo category, which is the toughest cycle race in the world. He completed the race in eleven days, 18 hours and 45 minutes, which begin from California. Lt Gokulnath stated that his postings at Siachen Base Camp and at 15,000 feet on the Uri mountains helped him achieve the feat of finishing the race. A solo rider has 12 days to finish the race and has to ride over 400 kilometres a day to finish it in given time. Sleep is for under 3-hours a day.

Debi Prasad Dash, a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (customs) officer, has taken over as director-general of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the premier agency that tackles smuggling and black money. Dash was the acting DRI chief for the past 5-months. Earlier, he has worked in the UN Security Council, Commonwealth Secretariat and the CBI. The DRI is the major intelligence agency that works to secure India’s national and economic security by preventing the outright smuggling of contraband such as firearms, gold, narcotics, Fake Indian Currency notes, antiques, wildlife and environmental products. Furthermore, it also works to prevent the proliferation of black money, commercial frauds and trade based money laundering. The headquarters of DRI is located in New Delhi.

Arun Jaitley, the Union Finance Minister, has launched a new tax payer service module ‘Aaykar Setu’ in New Delhi on July 10, 2017 that compiles various tax tools, live chat facility, dynamic updates and important links to various processes within the Income Tax Department in a single module. This e-initiative would not only provide better taxpayer services but would also help in reducing the direct physical interface between assesses and tax assessing authorities.

The 2017 Family Planning Summit (FPS) has started in London, United Kingdom (UK) on July 11, 2017 to discuss efforts to reach Family Planning 2020 goals and ensure that more women and girls around the world are able to plan their families and their futures. The summit has been organized by the UNFPA, the United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is taking place on 11 July, which is World Population Day (WPD), a day to focus attention on population issues, including family planning. The event will focus on four key issues: innovative financing models for procuring and delivering high-quality contraceptives; strengthening supply chains and expanding the range of contraceptives available to women; empowering young people with access to family planning information and care; and reaching the hardest to reach, such as women in humanitarian crises or facing cultural barriers.

Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to provide women an injectable contraceptive for free. The state’s public health department launched a programme “Antara” on July 10, 2017 to cover Pune, Mumbai, Raigad, Nandurbar, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Sangli, Ratnagiri, and Beed. The programme will be launched in 23 district hospitals, 20 medical colleges and 12 women’s hospitals. The new method under government-funded contraceptives, called Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA), will add to existing contraception options for women, such as intrauterine devices, pills, and permanent sterilisation procedure— tubectomy. The contraceptive injections will deter pregnancy for three months and allow conception seven months after the injection is stopped. The injection will be given intramuscularly to women in age bracket of 18-45 years.

Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, has been honoured with the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Living Legend of the Year award at the 6th edition of ‘Maruti Suzuki Sportsperson of the Year’ Charity Gala Awards on July 6, 2017 at ITC Grand Central in, Mumbai, Maharashtra. However, Milkha could not attend the function. Beside this, Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu was bestowed with the Sportsperson of the Year award while Indian cricketer KL Rahul was presented with Gamechanger of the year award. The 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed to Abhinav Bindra. The Coach of the Year award 2017 was given to Pullela Gopichand for mentoring a host of shuttlers like Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, B Sai Praneeth, HS Prannoy, and many others to do well on the international circuit over the last few years.

The world’s first centre for breeding Saola, a critically endangered hoofed mammal, will be constructed at Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. The centre is scheduled to be inaugurated in 2018 as a joint effort by the Saola World Working Group (SWWG) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which will help tackle the ungulate endemic. Saola is recognised by two parallel horns with sharp ends, which can reach 51cm in length and are found on both males and females.

The National Gandhi Museum (NGM) is located in New Delhi i.e. showcasing the life and principles of Mahatma Gandhi. The museum first opened in Mumbai, shortly after Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. The museum relocated several times before moving to Rajghat, New Delhi in 1961, next to the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. The museum is in news because Dr. Y P Anand, the former Director of National Gandhi Museum (NGM), has authored the book ‘Historical Background to the Imposition of Salt Tax under the British Rule in India (1757-1947) and Mahatma Gandhi s Salt Satyagraha (1930-31) against the British Rule Background’. The book is recently launched by the Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism, at Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi on July 13, 2017. This book is extremely important for India, especially in the present times, wherein there is a need for humanity in the world.

Justice Vikramajit Sen, the former Supreme Court Judge, has been appointed as the new Chairperson of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) for three years. Justice Sen succeeded Justice Mukul Mudgal. The BCCC is an independent self-regulatory body set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) in June 2011 to look into complaints pertaining to all non-news general entertainment channels in India.

The book “Narendra Modi: The Making of a Legend” has been authored by Bindeshwar Pathak, the Sulabh International founder and a Padma Bhushan recipient. The book is recently launched by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in New Delhi. The coffee table book is all about PM Modi and the inspiring journey of his life. It has images and text depicting Modi’s journey, his struggles and several initiatives taken by him since he took oath as country’s prime minister in 2014.

Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Petroleum Minister, has launched the India’s first petroleum Research & Development (R&D) facility for testing high-end BS-VI quality fuel emissions in Faridabad in the National Capital Region (NCR). The R & D facility will be operated by state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and is designed to test all types of fuel including petrol, diesel, ethanol-blended petrol, bio-diesel, CNG, LNG, hydrogen-CNG and 2G-ethanol blends to ensure they meet the superior BS-VI norms that are to be implemented across the country by April 2020. In addition to generating emission data, the facility will also evaluate the fuel blends for energy-efficiency and engine durability.

The 2017 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships have started at the Nepal Army Sports Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 23, 2017. The delegates from 38 countries including India are taking part in the weeklong event. More than 300 weightlifters will compete for total 96 medals, 48 each in men’s and women’s categories. In the championship, players from 13 to 17 years of age group taking part in youth category and 15 to 20 years in junior category. All four categories have eight weight divisions. The competitions have started from July 24 and will continue till July 29.

Raveesh Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the new spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Currently, he is posted in Frankfurt as Consul General of India and will succeed Gopal Baglay, who has been appointed as the joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The MEA which is also known as the Foreign Ministry is the responsible for the conduct of foreign relations of India. The Ministry comes under Government of India (GoI) and is responsible for the country’s representation in the United Nations. It also advises other Ministries and State Governments when the latter have dealings with foreign governments or institutions.

India and Bangladesh have signed a pact to connect both the countries by waterways. The waterways will facilitate movement of passengers and goods between India’s northeast and West Bengal with Bangladesh. Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya has stated that infrastructure for the services would be set up along the major rivers in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Brahmaputra in Assam. The services are expected to start by the end of year 2017.

The Uttar Pradesh government has recently constituted “Maa committee” to check mid day meal quality in state-run primary schools to ensure that the students will get nutritious food prepared in hygienic conditions. It will be a committee of six mothers, from all sections of the society, whose students are studying in that school. From cleanliness in kitchen to quality of food being served to children, the committee will keep an eye on minute details.

Mervyn Rose (87), an Australian tennis player, has passed away in Australia on July 23, 2017. He won 7 Grand Slam titles (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) in his tennis career and represented Australia in the Davis Cup from 1951 to 1957. He coached numerous female and male players, including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Ernie Ewart, Michael Fancutt, Brett Prentice and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Rose is remembered for his unique character and for great coaching and mentoring to both amateur and professional players.

India has been ranked 132nd among 152 nations in a new global Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) index, which was prepared by international NGO Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI). The new global ranking of governments is based on what they are doing to tackle the gap between rich and poor. The report highlights India’s less-than adequate spending on welfare measures on account of its low tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio compared to that of some other nations as well as the disparity between wages of men and women for the same work. India collects just 16.7% of GDP as taxes, while South Africa manages to collect over 27%, pointed out the report. The CRI index ranks nations on the basis of their welfare spending, the progressive nature of their tax system and prevailing wage inequality in the labour market. The list is topped by Sweden, followed by Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Finland.

Aditya Patil and Suhaani Lohia have clinched bronze medals at the 13th edition of Asian Schools Chess Championship (ASCC) 2017 in Panjin, China. Aditya won bronze in the Under-7 rapid championship, while Suhaani Lohia won the bronze in the Under-9 girls blitz championships. Both these prodigious talents are products of the South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA).

The Haryana government has officially prohibited flushing/mixing of liquid nitrogen with any drink or food article. The ban has been issued under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006). As per officials, the state food department will now conduct surprise checks in restaurants and bars, especially those in Gurgaon, to check whether the ban was being flouted. According to expert medical opinion, any drink or food article whose preparation involves flushing/mixing of liquid nitrogen is harmful for humans. Liquid nitrogen is a colourless liquid having a boiling point of -195.79 °C and is used to instantly freeze food and drinks. It is used in bars to quickly chill glasses, freeze ingredients, and provide a smoky effect to drinks and in molecular gastronomy. It releases a large volume of gas as it evaporates, which can burst the stomach if consumed in a sufficiently large quantity. It is also used to cool computers and in cryogenic medical procedures like removing warts and cancerous tissues by freezing them.

Recently, Indian boxers has won five gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem in the Czech Republic, clinching five gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the event in the Czech Republic. Shiva Thapa (60 kg), Manoj Kumar (69 kg), Amit Phangal (52 kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (56 kg) and Satish Kumar (+91 kg) category has recently claimed gold medals after winning their respective summit clashes on July 30, 2017. Kavinder Bisht in 52 kg and Manish Panwar in 81 kg settled for silver medals. Earlier, Sumit Sangwan had claimed a bronze in 91 kg category after going down in the semifinals.

Maneka Gandhi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, has launched an online complaint system ” Sexual Harassment e-box (SHe-Box)” for registering sexual harassment complaints at workplace in New Delhi on July 24, 2017. Initially, this online portal is open for central government women employees only and later on, complaints from private sector will be entertained effectively. The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (SH Act). This portal will provide a platform to women working or visiting any office of Central Government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace under the SH Act. Beside this, the Ministry will soon conduct a national level survey to examine the magnitude of sexual harassment at workplace.

Raveesh Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the new spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Currently, he is posted in Frankfurt as Consul General of India and will succeed Gopal Baglay, who has been appointed as the joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The MEA which is also known as the Foreign Ministry is the responsible for the conduct of foreign relations of India. The Ministry comes under Government of India (GoI) and is responsible for the country’s representation in the United Nations. It also advises other Ministries and State Governments when the latter have dealings with foreign governments or institutions.

The 2017 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships have started at the Nepal Army Sports Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 23, 2017. The delegates from 38 countries including India are taking part in the weeklong event. More than 300 weightlifters will compete for total 96 medals, 48 each in men’s and women’s categories. In the championship, players from 13 to 17 years of age group taking part in youth category and 15 to 20 years in junior category. All four categories have eight weight divisions. The competitions have started from July 24 and will continue till July 29.

The Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 in New Delhi to prescribe the energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India. The updated version of ECBC provides current as well as futuristic advancements in building technology to further reduce building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. The purpose of the code is to optimize energy savings with the comfort level for occupants, and prefers life-cycle cost effectiveness to achieve energy neutrality in commercial building. The ECBC 2017 was developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with technical support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the U.S.-India bilateral Partnership to Advance Clean Energy – Deployment Technical Assistance (PACE-D TA) Program.

The World Refugee Day (WRD) is observed every year on June 20 to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. This year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appointed Syrian refugee Muzoon Almellehan as its newest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador on June 20, 2017 to promote child education. The WRD 2017 has marked a key moment for the public to show support for families.

The 9-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar will determine whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right or not under the Constitution. The nine-judge bench also comprises Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Abhay Manohar Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer. The bench is dealing with the limited issue of right to privacy and matters challenging the Aadhaar scheme would be referred back to a smaller bench. The hearing is in progress.

The 2017 BIO International Convention has started at the San Diego Convention Centre in San Diego, California from June 19 to 22, 2017, which is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). It is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry that offers key networking and partnering opportunities and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry. Y S Chowdary, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, is leading the Indian delegation at the 2017 Convention. The event features keynotes and sessions from key policymakers, scientists, CEOs, and celebrities. The Convention also features the BIO Business Forum (One-on-One Partnering), hundreds of sessions covering biotech trends, policy issues and technological innovations, and the world’s largest biotechnology exhibition – the BIO Exhibition.

Rajiv Gauba, the 1982 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, will be the new home secretary in the union ministry for home affairs. He will succeed Rajiv Mehrishi, who will complete his term on August 30, 2017. Until then Gauba will serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Home Ministry. Prior to this appointment, he was posted as urban development secretary as officer on special duty.

Prof Yash Pal (90), the internationally acclaimed physicist and higher education reformer, has passed away in Noida in Uttar Pradesh on July 25, 2017. He was born in 1926 in Jhang district of British India that is now in Pakistan. He gained recognition due to his contribution in the study of cosmic rays. Professor Yash Pal was lappointed as the Chief Consultant of the Planning Commission. He acted as the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology from 1984 to 1986. He was appointed as the Chairman of University Grants Commission where he served a full single-term of five years and also served as the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University. He served as a member of UN Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Development. He is also known for his appearances on the science programme, Turning Point on Doordarshan and explaining scientific concepts in layman’s language. Pal was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013 for his contribution to Science.

Ravi Mittal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Finance, has been appointed as the part-time member of the board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA). He succeeded N S Rao at IRDAI, who is a joint secretary level officer. Former finance secretary Sushma Nath is another part-time member on the IRDAI board. Besides, Maruthi Prasad Tangirala, a 1990-batch IP&TA&FS officer, has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) at IRDAI and his position will be equivalent to a joint secretary. Tangirala has replaced Sriram Taranikanti, who is a 1992 -batch IAS officer.

Fanaceso Totti, the legendary Italian footballer, has finally confirmed his retirement from professional football on July 17, 2017 and announced that he had accepted an offer from his former team Roma to become a club director. Totti is regarded as one of the most talented Italian players of all time for his vision, technique, and goalscoring ability. He is the second-highest scorer of all time in Italian league history with 250 goals; he also holds the record for the most goals scored in Serie A while playing for a single club.

Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, has recently dedicated the state’s longest road bridge “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu” to the nation. The 2.88 km bridge is built on river Kathajodi (a tributary of Mahanadi) at an approximate cost Rs 114 crore. The Netaji Setu will not only lessen the distance between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by 12 km, it will also help divert traffic and ease commute.

The United Nations (UN) World Day against Trafficking in Persons is observed every year on July 30 to raise awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims, and promote and protect their rights. The 2017 theme “Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons” highlights the large mixed migration movements of refugees and migrants. The theme puts the spotlight on the significant impact of conflict and natural disasters, as well as the resultant, multiple risks of human trafficking that many people face. It addresses the key issue concerning trafficking responses: that most people are never identified as trafficking victims and therefore cannot access most of the assistance or protection provided.

Ravi Mittal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Finance, has been appointed as the part-time member of the board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA). He succeeded N S Rao at IRDAI, who is a joint secretary level officer. Former finance secretary Sushma Nath is another part-time member on the IRDAI board. Besides, Maruthi Prasad Tangirala, a 1990-batch IP&TA&FS officer, has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) at IRDAI and his position will be equivalent to a joint secretary. Tangirala has replaced Sriram Taranikanti, who is a 1992 -batch IAS officer.