IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 25th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 25th, 2017

1. Union Government launched Mobile App 'Aarambh' for Road Maintenance

i. Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Drinking Water & Sanitation- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Deputy Director General (Policy) of International Labour Organization (ILO) Ms. Deborah Greenfield have launched the Mobile App for Road Maintenance “Aarambh”.

ii. This Mobile Phone App aims at the use of GIS based mapping for making road inventories, condition surveys, and producing cost estimates and other relevant data for preparation and monitoring of annual road maintenance plans.

iii. In addition, Tomar and Greenfield also launched a Concept Note and Guidance Note for Mobilizing Funds for Maintenance of Rural Road.

2. Ram Nath Kovind takes over as country’s 14th President

i. Mr. Ram Nath Kovind took over as the 14th President of India. He administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of India Justice J S Khehar at a special function in the Central Hall of Parliament.

ii. The stage was shared by President and President-elect, Speaker, Vice President and Chief Justice of India. After the oath of new President, a 21-gun salute was honored followed by the acceptance speech of Mr. Kovind.

3. World's first floating wind farm emerges off coast of Scotland

i. The world’s first floating windfarm has taken to the seas in a sign that a technology once confined to research and development drawing boards is finally ready to unlock expanses of ocean for generating renewable power in Scotland.

ii. The £200 million Hywind project is unusual not just because of the pioneering technology involved, which uses a 78-metre-tall underwater ballast and three mooring lines that will be attached to the seabed to keep the turbines upright. It will bring power to 20,000 homes.

4. Union Government launches ‘SHe-Box’ portal for Sexual harassment
i. The Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi launched an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace in New Delhi.
ii. The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013. Currently, this facility has been extended to employees of Central Government, the scope of the portal will soon be extended to women employees of the private sector also.

5. AAI and Uttarakhand Govt ink MoU on aviation development

i. Airports Authority of India (AAI), has signed an MoU with Government of Uttarakhand and joined hands with Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA). The MoU was signed by S. Ramaswamy, Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand and Anil Gupta, General Manager (Business Development), AAI.

ii. The scope of the MoU is to identify relevant factors influencing the development of civil aviation infrastructure in Uttarakhand, assessing the commercial potential of various airports of the State, and identifying technical considerations for airport operations in the State.

6. UN selects Dubai as data hub for MENASA region

i. The UN has selected Dubai as the data hub for the Middle East North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region for the city’s integrated initiatives to mine and manage its data.

ii. The designation will be part of a portfolio of local and regional data portals, analytics and reports to engage stakeholders and help accelerate progress. It will also serve as a dedicated platform for city-to- city learning and ‘solutions transfer’ across metropolitan, national and global contexts.

7. Mithali Raj named captain of ICC Women’s World Cup team

i. India skipper Mithali Raj was chosen as the captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team by the International Cricket Council. The 34-year-old Indian was selected as captain after she led India to the final of the just-concluded ICC Women’s World Cup.

ii. Mithali led by example, scoring 409 runs during the 30- day tournament. The side includes four players from England, three from South Africa, and Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry. Mithali has been picked in the Team of the Tournament for the second time in her career.

8. Boxer Sachin Siwach wins Gold at Commonwealth Youth Games

i. World Youth Champion Sachin Siwach clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Bahamas after defeating Welsh boxer James Nathan Prober 4-1 in the final.

ii. Siwach, who won gold last year, was the only one of the 103 boxers to have clinched a gold so far in the tournament, taking place in Bahamas. The World Youth Champion was also the flag bearer of India for the tournament.

9. H S Prannoy wins US Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title
i. HS Prannoy notched up a thrilling three-game win over Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap in an all-Indian final to clinch the $120,000 US Open Grand Prix Gold. It was held at Anaheim, California USA.
ii. In the women’s singles of the tournament, Japanese Aya Ohori won the final. She has defeated Michelle Li of Canada.

10. Renowned scientist Yash Pal passes away
i. Veteran scientist, administrator and popular science communicator, Professor Yash Pal died in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He was 90. Mr. Pal made significant contributions to the field of science and to the study of cosmic rays, high-energy physics, astrophysics and development, among others.
ii. A scientist of international repute, Mr. Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2013.