IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 30, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 30, 2016

• On July 29, 2016 International Tiger Day was observed.
• The day is held annually on 29th July to raise awareness for tiger conservation.
• It was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the big cat population by 2022.
• The goal of this day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation. 
• The Afghan government has lost territory to the Afghan Taliban, with districts under government forces down to 65.6% from 70.5% in January, according to a US military report.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 29, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 29, 2016

• On July 28, 2016 World Hepatitis Day was observed.
• Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can affect any individual of any age including children.
• This day aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis (a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E)
• Theme of the year 2016 : Know Hepatitis-Act Now
• Note : World Hepatitis Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 28, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 28, 2016

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared Brazil free of Measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the year 2015.
• The two day BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue was successfully concluded in Patna, Bihar. 
• Delegates of BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa had attended the meeting.
• This dialogue provided a common platform to BRICS countries for sharing of best practices in foreign policy planning and assessment between the BRICS countries.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 27, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 27, 2016

• India has the highest number of stunted children in the world owing to 'severe' sanitation crisis due to lack of clean toilets and water, according to a report by international development charity Water Aid. 
• The report said that 48 million, or 40% Indian children under the age of five, suffer from stunted growth. 
• Nigeria and Pakistan rank second and third respectively.
• The US On July 26, 2016 sought the removal of customs duties by India on information and communications technology (ICT) products in a bid to introduce these products into supply chain operations. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 26, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 26, 2016

• The members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) On July 25, 2016 resolved an on-going deadlock and issued a joint statement that the ASEAN remains "seriously concerned" over recent developments in the South China sea issue. 
• Note : The deadlock was over Philippines' request to include a UN Court ruling rejecting China's South China sea claims, which was blocked by China's ally Cambodia.
• During the G-20 countries' seminar that ended On July 24, 2016, Finance chiefs of world's biggest economies signalled toward rising concerns over anti-globalisation sentiment. 
• There is more importance of inclusive economic growth after 'Brexit' vote, an official said. 
• IMF chief Christine Lagarde said that there was a consensus that more needs to be done to share benefits of growth and economic openness.
• Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has resigned, plunging the Himalayan nation into a fresh bout of political uncertainty.
• Important Note : He was elected the 38th Prime Minister of Nepal in October 2015.
• The Union Government is planning to redraw Red Corridor by reducing the number of Maoist (LWE: Left wing extremism) affected districts by about a fifth. 
• In this regard, approximately 20 of the 106 districts which have been described as being Maoist-affected and are part of the Red Corridor may be removed from the list. 
• Once these districts are taken off the list of Red Corridor, the financial aid made available to these districts annually for various developmental works will dry up.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a pilot project of e-complaint system on an experimental basis in Pune.
• The system will be launched across the state in next eight months.
• The world’s first test-tube baby,Louise Brown, was born on this day (25th July) in the year  1978 after her parents became the first couple to successfully undergo In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). 
• Louise was born in Manchester, United Kingdom and turns 38 years old On July 25, 2016. 
• Important Note : Her autobiography, titled ‘My Life As The World’s First Test-Tube Baby’, was published in 2015.
• FMCG major ITC On July 25, 2016 appointed Sanjiv Puri as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) with immediate effect. 
• He will be responsible for overseeing the FMCG, paperboards, paper and packaging, and agri businesses of ITC. 
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹5 crore on Bank of Baroda in the alleged ₹6,000 crore forex related irregularities that were observed in October last year. 
• The RBI had carried out an investigation and noted weaknesses and failures in the bank's internal control mechanisms including transaction monitoring, and assigning of Unique Customer Identification Code.
• With a user base of more than 335 million globally, Airtel is currently world's 3rd largest telecom provider. 
• Aimed to serve its 335 million user base in a much better way, Airtel recently launched MyPlan for its postpaid users with the tagline ‘Choose Anything. Waste Nothing’, allowing users to customise their bills as per their need.
• US internet firm Yahoo is being acquired by American telecoms giant Verizon Communications for nearly $5bn (£3.8bn) in cash.
• Note : Yahoo will be combined with AOL, another faded internet star, which Verizon bought last year.
• Professional cyclist, Chris Froome became Britain's first three-time winner of the Tour de France after finishing the 21-stage race in Paris.  
• The 3,529-km 23-day long Grand Tour, which started on July 2, featured a total of 198 riders from 22 teams.
• F1 driver Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix to top the drivers’ championship table for the first time this season. 
• Note : This is Hamilton’s fifth win at the Hungaroring circuit, making him the most successful driver at the track.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 25, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 25, 2016

• Clamping down on mis-labelling of 'Health Supplements', food safety regulator FSSAI  proposed banning sale of these products as 'medicines' and announced new norms for products based on Ayurveda, Sidhha, Unani and other traditional health systems.
• Under the new draft regulations announced, the companies can't claim that their nutraceuticals and health supplement products are for therapeutic and curative purposes.
• Note : India accounts for 1.5 percent of the global nutraceuticals market with the key players Heinz, Kellogg's, Nestle  , Hormel, Unilever , Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 24, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 24, 2016

• The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has announced that Conakry (capital of Guinea in west Africa) will be the World Book Capital for 2017.

• On July 23, 2016 National Broadcasting Day was observed.
• On this day in 1927, India got its first radio station.
• Note : The first station of the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) was inaugurated at Bombay by the British Viceroy of India Lord Irwin on 23rd July 1927.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 23, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 23, 2016

• India was ranked 110 out of the 149 nations assessed on where they stand with regard to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as per a Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Bertelsmann Stiftung index. 
• Countries were ranked on their performance across 17 goals, which are to be achieved by 2030. 
• Note : Sweden topped this index followed by Denmark and Norway.
• PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's PM Sheikh Hasina have jointly inaugurated a land port at the India-Bangladesh border, Petrapole Integrated Check Post through video-conferencing.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 22, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 22, 2016

1) Kerala Assembly passes Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Bill 2016

a) Kerala Assembly has passed the Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Bill, paving way for the appointment of CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan as Chairman of the proposed Fourth Administrative Reforms Commission.

b) The bill seeks to amend the Section 2 of the 1951 Act by adding sub-section 2 which says that "No person shall be disqualified from being the member of legislative assembly (MLA) on the grounds that he or she holds the office of profit in term of being the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission."

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 21, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 21, 2016

• India has ranked lowest among the 43 nations listed in the Natixis Global Asset Management's 2016 Global Retirement Index (GRI),making it the worst country to retire. 
• India had the worst Health and Life Quality Index. 
• In last year's GRI, India ranked 88 among the 150 countries. 
• Note : Norway was named the best country for retirement.
• TripAdvisor has ranked Mumbai the second cheapest city for travellers,with an estimated cost of $767 for a three-night stay in a four-star hotel, tourist activities and food. 
• Meanwhile, the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi has topped the list with an estimated cost of $674.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 20, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 20, 2016

• With 35 sites in UNESCO's World Heritage list, India has the sixth highest number of culturally and historically important places in the world. 
• This comes after UNESCO recently added three Indian sites, including the Nalanda University, to the list. 
• Top 5 Countries ahead of India are, 
• Italy (51)
• China (50)
• Spain (45)
• France (42) 
• Germany (41)

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 18 ,19 , 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 18, 19, 2016

• On July 18, 2016 'Nelson Mandela International Day' was observed.
• In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July "Nelson Mandela International Day" in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
• He was born on July 18, 1918.
• Important Note :
• Mandela was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 1990 for his role in the anti-apartheid movement. 
• Apart from Pakistan national Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, he is the only non-Indian to have received the award. 
• He was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1993.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 17, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 17, 2016

• After staying on top for two quarters, India slipped to the third position globally on the scale of Business Optimism because of delays in key reforms like the GST and bad loans facing state-owned banks, says a report.
• According to the latest Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), India ranked third during the April-June quarter of 2016.
• The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the truck attack in France's Nice in which 84 were killed.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 16, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 16, 2016

• On July 15, 2016 World Youth Skills Day was observed.
• This is for the second time the world is celebrating this day.
• This day was first observed by the United Nations General Assembly on 15th July 2015.
• Aim of this day : To create awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development.
• Theme of the year 2016 : Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment
• French President François Hollande On July 15, 2016 announced the extension of a state of emergency in the country by another three months following an attack in Nice, in which a truck rammed into people, killing at least 84. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 15, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 15, 2016

• Union Tourism Ministry is planning to extend its electronic visa (e-visa) service to 36 more countries including Italy, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 
• The proposal has been forwarded to the Home Ministry for approval. 
• If the proposal gets accepted, citizens of 186 countries will be able to get an online visa to travel to India.
• Peru has declared Zika outbreak as a health emergency across the northern half of the country after 102 people were infected with the virus. 
• The 90-day health emergency was declared to prevent the spread of the disease. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 14, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 14, 2016

• Israel On July 13, 2016 passed a law requiring NGOs that receive over half of their funding from foreign governments or bodies, including the EU, to provide details of their donations. 
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the law aims to prevent foreign countries from interfering in Israel's internal affairs without the public knowing.
• 82 year old Japanese emperor Akihito has announced that he is going to​ step down in the coming years. 
• Note : The ceremonial head of state, Akihito has been emperor for 27 years and his heir is 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 13, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 13, 2016

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) to check child diarrhoeal deaths. 
• The IDCF drive was launched by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda in New Delhi. 
• It will be observed from 11th to 23rd July, 2016 across the country.
• Astronomers have discovered a new dwarf planet, named 2015 RR245, beyond Neptune which goes around the Sun in a 700-year wide orbit. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 12, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 12, 2016

• On July 11,2016 World Population Day was observed.
• This day was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.
• Objective : To increase the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues.
• Theme of the year 2016 : 'Investing in teenage girls'
• The G-20 nations have agreed to improve international trade governance, seeking to remain committed to an "open global economy" and work towards "trade liberalisation and facilitation". 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 11, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 11, 2016

• The 2-day long 2016 Warsaw summit of the NATO was concluded at National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland. 
• It was the 27th summit biannual summit of NATO since its inception in 1949.
• The summit was attended by Heads of State and Heads of Government of NATO members including the USA President Barack Obama, Polish president Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
• Besides, the summit also saw the presence of Heads of Government of non-member States and organizations of NATO including Afghanistan.
• NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 10, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 10, 2016

• Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh issued a statement after Eid ul-Fitr celebrations banning child marriages in the country, where around 30% underage girls are married. 
• He warned that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years. 
• China has started a year-long campaign this month to stop violence targeting medical staff in overcrowded hospitals by angry patients. 
• Important Points to Note :
• China has been facing issues like illegal trading of appointment tickets, long queues to see top doctors and corruption that increase the cost of medical care. 
• Since 2013, China has reportedly faced 71,000 such instances of conflict that needed mediation.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 8, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 8, 2016

• On July 7, 2016 Global Forgiveness Day was observed.
• This day was created in 1994 by the Christian Embassy of Christ's Ambassadors.
• Note : There is already a Forgiveness Day in August (which is observed on 1st sunday in August each year), founded by the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance, but the Global Forgiveness Day is different. This was founded by CECA (Christian Embassy of Christ’s Ambassadors).
• On July 7, 2016 World Chocolate Day was observed.
• This day marks 466 years since chocolate was introduced to Europe.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 7, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 7, 2016

• On July 6, 2016 World Zoonosis (also spelled zoönosis and zoonoses)Day was observed.
• Zoonosis is an ailment that is transmitted from animals to human beings.
• Zoonosis is derived from the Greek words zoon (animal)and nosos (ailment).
• Approximately 150 zoonotic diseases are known to exist.
• This day is observed every year to emphasize and bring the problem awareness amongst people, and teach them to take right action.
• Theme for the year 2016 : The disease threat in human-animal interface

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 5,6, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 5,6, 2016

• India is going to host meet of the heads of Anti-Narcotics agencies of BRICS nations to discuss issues related to narco-terrorism and money laundering. 
• This one day meeting will be held on 8th July 2016.
• This meeting will be hosted by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• Aim of this meeting : To take into consideration of illicit drug trafficking including diversion of precursors and chemicals, usage of new psychoactive substances.
• The government has On July 5, 2016 renamed the Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras High Courts. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 3,4 JULY, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 3,4, 2016

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) On July 3, 2016 issued an Orange alert for the next 24 hours inUttarakhand. 
• This comes after heavy rains and cloudbursts in the state killed at least 38 people, flooded rivers, and blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH-58). 
• Important Note : An orange alert implies that people in the affected areas should prepare themselves for the upcoming weather conditions.
• Haryana state Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma On July 3, 2016 announced that the Texts from the holy books of various religions will be incorporated in the curriculum of government schools from this month. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 2, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 2, 2016

• The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan launched a Program to help advance educational opportunities for Afghan women.
• Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Promote Scholarship Program will provide aid to 720 Afghan women over the next five years.
• United States President Barack Obama On July 1, 2016 signed into law measures to give the public greater access to government documents and records under the Freedom of Information Act.
• The new law requires agencies to consider releasing records instead of presuming the information is secret. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 1, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY, 2016

• The California Secretary of State's Office On June 30, 2016 announced that the state will vote to decide if the recreational use of marijuana should be made legal, in November. 
• The proposed "Adult Use of Marijuana Act" secured the required 4,02,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. 
• The November ballot can legalise private recreational use and personal cultivation of marijuana.
• World Bank President Jim Yong Kim met Prime Minister Narendra Modi On June 30, 2016 in Delhi. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 30, 2016

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 30,2016

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has elected Ethiopia, Bolivia, Sweden and Kazakhstan as the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). 
• These newly-elected countries will replace Spain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Angola and Venezuela.
• These countries have two-year term starting from 1 January 2016 till 31 December 2018. 
• The annual 11-day-long 'Summerfest' music festival begins On June 29, 2016 in Milwaukee, the United States.