IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 5th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 5TH, 2017

1. Indo-Thailand joint military exercise begins in Himachal Pradesh

i. A 14-day joint military training exercise between India and Thailand started in Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise of the Indian Army with the Royal Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district.

ii. The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies. 'Exercise Maitree 2017' is a continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army.
iii. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016.

2. TERI ranked second among world's climate think tanks                                              

i. An international body which focuses on climate policies has ranked The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) among the top think tanks in the world. TERI was ranked number two by the International Center for Climate Governance (ICCG).

ii. The New Delhi-based think tank was ranked under the category '2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World--Absolute Global Rankings' during ICCG's 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens in Greece.

3. Karnataka launches ‘Elevate 100’ scheme for start-ups

i. The Karnataka government has launched the ‘Elevate 100’ scheme to identify and nurture innovative start-ups. The aim is to identify 100 most innovative start-ups in the state to elevate them to the next level of success.

ii. 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.

4. New Israeli flower named after PM Modi

i. A new fast-growing Israeli flower was today named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture to mark the first visit of an Indian PM to the Jewish nation.

ii. Israeli Crysanthumun flower will now be called “MODI”.

5. Govt launches e-bidding portal for domestic coal-based IPPs

i. The Ministry of Power launched a portal for optimum utilization of domestic coal by independent power producer (IPP). An official statement said this web portal would save the consumer close to Rs. 20,000 crore five years down the line.

ii. Acc. to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, with the help of this portal, Producers can reduce power costs by 10 paise per unit by rationalizing coal supply made possible through the e-bid portal.

6. Unions to observe July 19 as ‘Save public sector banks’ day

i. The United Forum of Bank Unions has decided to observe July 19, the 48th anniversary of nationalization of major banks, as ‘Save public sector banks’ day.

ii. Members will wear a commemorative badge on the day, display posters in front of all branches, distribute leaflets and hold rallies/demonstrations at all centers across the country.

7. Himachal Pradesh DGP Sanjay Kumar appointed new NDRF chief

i. Himachal Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kumar has been appointed as the new chief of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

ii. The Union home ministry has approved the appointment of Mr. Kumar to the top NDRF post. The post of NDRF director general (DG) fell vacant after incumbent R K Pachnanda was appointed as the chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).