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18th July is observed as Nelson Mandela Day every year

July 18, 2020
Nelson Mandela
  • Nelson Mandela International Day (also Mandela Day) is held every year on July 18 globally to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
  • The day 18 July marks the birth anniversary of the great South African leader, who was born in 1918.
  • United Nations officially declared July 18 as UN Mandela Day in November 2009.
  • The first UN Mandela Day was held on 18 July 2010.
  • He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership for his anti-apartheid activism in 1993.
  • He 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.

DCGI Given approval to India’s first Homemade Pneumonia Vaccine

July 18, 2020
Pneumonia vaccine
  • The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to India’s first fully indigenously developed vaccine against pneumonia ‘Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine’.
  • The vaccine has been developed by the Pune-based firm Serum Institute of India.
  • After reviewing the phase I, II, and III clinical trial data for vaccines, submitted by Serum Institute, the drug regulator gave the market approval to the homemade vaccine.
  • Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine is the first indigenously developed vaccine in the field of pneumonia.

Footwear training center started by KVIC in Delhi

July 18, 2020
  • A first-of-its-kind footwear training center for the marginalized community was inaugurated here by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
  • It will provide a comprehensive two-month training program to leather artisans for making high-quality footwear.
  • The center has been established with the help of the Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI), Agra, a unit of the MSME ministry.
  • The training center will also provide logistics support to the artisans in starting their own shoe-making business once their two-month training is completed.
  • The artisans will also be provided a tool kit worth Rs 5,000 for carrying out their activities in the future.
  • The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is also setting up a similar footwear training center in Varanasi.

Telangana launched ‘CybHer’ campaign with an aim to Tackle Cybercrime Against Women & Children

July 18, 2020
  • The Telangana Director-General of Police, Mahender Reddy has launched an online cyber awareness campaign “CybHER” with an aim to make cyberspace safe for Women and Children.
  • This month-long campaign has been organized by the Women Safety Wing of the Telangana State Police in collaboration with the Legal Aid Centre, and Symbiosis Law School at Hyderabad.
  • The CybHER campaign aims to bring to light the immediate risks and threats faced by the vulnerable, women and children on cyberspace, which itself is as an interactive and informative platform for a healthy discussion on cyber safety.

Odisha Extends Madhu Babu Pension Benefits To Transgender Community

July 18, 2020
  • The Odisha government has decided to include transgender community under its social welfare scheme- Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY).
  • In order to avail the benefit, transgenders will have to visit the official website of MBPY and apply for the pension in the given form.
  • Pension ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 900 will be provided to them in accordance with their age group.
  • The CM has also ordered to provide additional Rs 1000 Covid financial assistance to Madhu Babu pensioners.
  • The Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) is a pension scheme introduced in the Indian State of Odisha with the objective of providing financial assistance to the destitute elderly and destitute differently-abled persons in the state. The chief minister of Odisha launched the Madhu Babu pension scheme by merging the two pension schemes, i.e., name, Revised Old Age Pension Rules, 1989, and Disability Pension Rules, 1985.

NABARD launches development projects worth Rs 44 lakh in A&N Islands

July 18, 2020
NABARD
  • The apex development finance institution, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched development projects worth Rs 44 lakhs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with the aim to strengthen the concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat through rural entrepreneurship.

The development projects of NABARD consist of following initiatives:

  • Formation and development of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and providing Skill development training to these SHGs members to promote rural entrepreneurship at the micro-level.
  • Women attached to SHGs in Little Andaman will be trained for Mushroom Cultivation and Bamboo Handicrafts making.
  • A four-month-long training program for tour and travel agents in Swaraj Dweep
  • Yearly Micro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme will be carried out for 150 members of various SHGs in Mayabunder in Middle Andaman.
  • The apex institution is also providing a platform for sales of local products by financing Rural Haats in Gram Panchayats.
  • Total of Rs. 7.6 lakhs have been released to establish one such Haat in Namunaghar Panchayat of South Andaman.

CPJ’s 2020 International Press Freedom Awarded to Four Journalists

July 18, 2020
  • Four Journalists have been named as the recipients of the 2020 International Press Freedom Awards by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based non-profit organisation to promote press freedom and defend the rights of journalists.
  • All these four journalists have faced arrests or criminal prosecution for their reporting.
  • The 30th edition of the annual International Press Freedom Award will be presented to the winners on November 19, 2020 to honor journalists or their publications around the world who show courage in defending press freedom despite facing attacks, threats, or imprisonment.

2020 International Press Freedom Awards Winners

  • Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh,
  • Mohammad Mosaed from Iran,
  • Dapo Olorunyomi from Nigeria and
  • Svetlana Prokopyeva from Russia.
  • Apart from this, Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has been honoured with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award.

Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2020 released – India ranked 3rd

July 18, 2020
  • Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2020 released by a property consultant Cushman & Wakefield.
  • India ranks third in the list of most-suitable locations for global manufacturing among 48 countries in terms of cost competitiveness and operating conditions.
  • China and the US retain the top two positions.
  • Global Manufacturing Risk Index In its annual ranking of the most suitable locations for global manufacturing among 48 countries in Europe, Americas and the Asia-Pacific, the consultant said India is in top-3 countries this year and an upcoming manufacturing hub globally from an operating conditions and cost-competitiveness perspective.

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 9 points in one year

July 18, 2020
  • As per the Special Bulletin on MMR released by the Registrar General of India, “Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 9 points in one year.
  • The ratio has declined from 122 in 2015-17 to 113 in 2016-18 (7.4 % decline).
  • Northern states registered a higher MMR: Assam (215), Bihar (149), Madhya Pradesh (173), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Rajasthan (164), Uttar Pradesh (197) and Uttarakhand (99).
  • The southern states registered a lower MMR: Andhra Pradesh (65), Telangana (63), Karnataka (92), Kerala (43), and Tamil Nadu (60).
  • The target 3.1 of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
  • Maternal Mortality Ratio MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births

Ossouka Raponda appointed as the first woman Prime Minister of Gabon

July 18, 2020
  • Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda has been appointed as the first woman prime minister of Gabon on 16 July 2020.
  • The 56-year-old is the 12th PM of the country and succeeds Julien Nkoghe Bekale.
  • Prior to holding this position, Ossouka Raponda served as defense minister since February 2019

ARCI, Vehant Technologies develop UV System for baggage Scan Disinfection

July 18, 2020
  • International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, and Vehant Technologies, Noida has jointly developed KritiScan UV Baggage Disinfection System.
  • The device has been designed to control the spread of infection through baggage.
  • Kritiscan UV advanced baggage disinfecting system has a specially designed motorized conveyor to guide the baggage into the disinfection tunnel, which uses UVC light (254 nm) with appropriate irradiance to inactivate microbes and viruses.

IIM Kozhikode develops wearable gadget for implementing social distancing norms

July 18, 2020
Veli
  • Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) based start-up has developed a unique user-friendly wearable band named ‘Veli Band’ that alarms proximity for helping implement social distancing norms.
  • This wearable device has been developed by Qual5 India Pvt. Ltd, a startup co-founded by a woman entrepreneur, mentored and funded by IIMK’s business incubator and entrepreneurship development center.
  • Veli Band helps implement social distancing and location/contact tracing which can help organizations comply with social distancing norms during the current pandemic situation. It will notify wearers that another band is within 3 feet (1 meter), reminding them of the need to maintain social distance.

Real Madrid defeated Villarreal and won 34th La Liga title

July 18, 2020
real madrid
  • Real Madrid has been crowned La Liga Champions for the 34th time after defeating Villarreal 2–1, with one match remaining.
  • Also, the La Liga 2019-20 season title for the Spanish football club Real Madrid is first in three years. Last time the team won the title in 2017.
  • Under the leadership of coach Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid won all 10 games out 10 since the restart, and still, a game remaining.
  • Karim Benzema was the leading scorer for a 2-1 victory against Villarreal.

Automotive technology e-portal ‘ASPIRE’ launched by ICAT

July 19, 2020
ASPIRE
  • The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is developing a technology platform for the Indian Automotive Industry.
  • The objective behind this is to build a strong and self-reliant automotive industry in line with the vision of Make in India and Atma-Nirbhar vision of Government of India.
  • e-portal named ASPIRE (Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research and Education) will be launched in different Phases.
  • Phase I of the portal has been launched on 15 July 2020 and includes connecting the users and experts on the portal for functionality assessment.
  • Phase II of the portal which is expected to be launched by August 15, 2020, will include the posting of domain-specific challenges, team formation, and finalizing the milestones for the execution of projects for the said challenges and industry problems.
  • The final phase of the portal is expected by 15 September 2020, with hosting of the Grand challenges and providing an elaborated resource database and project monitoring and execution.

Human clinical trial of COVAXIN to begin at AIIMS today

July 19, 2020
  • The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is starting its human clinical trial of the indigenously-developed COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN from today.
  • AIIMS Ethics Committee has given its nod for the human clinical trial of COVAXIN.
  • AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research(ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of COVAXIN.

Andhra Pradesh Renewable Energy Export Policy 2020

July 19, 2020
solar panels
  • The Andhra Pradesh Renewable Energy Export Policy 2020 recently announced by the State Govt.
  • The main objective is to attract private investments to help establish renewable power projects of 120 gigawatts (GWs) using the available land bank.
  • The policy will be in force for the five years.
  • The policy aims to utilize the unused potential and to attract private investments to boost the economy and to generate additional revenue to the government

Zoram Mega Food Park in Mizoram is e-inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal

July 19, 2020
  • The Zoram Mega Food Park Ltd at Kolasib in Mizoram has been  e-inaugurated by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal through virtual conference.
  • The Mega Food Park is developed with an aim to develop the North-Eastern region and is in line to achieve Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  • The Food Park has been built at a cost of Rs.75 crore and spread over 55 Acres of land will directly benefit over 25,000 farmers.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches ‘Plasma Donation Campaign’ in AIIMS

July 19, 2020
  • The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on July 19 launched the ‘Plasma Donation Campaign’.
  • It has been launched in association with Delhi Police at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
  • The Union Health Minister highlighted the role of Corona warriors and mentioned the importance of giving plasma donation a much bigger platform.

To integrate AI Curriculum in 200 schools in India, CBSE ties up with IBM

July 19, 2020
  • The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the high school curriculum for Grade XI and XII for the current academic year (2020 – 2021) has been developed in collaboration with IBM.
  • The curriculum is part of CBSE’s Social Empowerment through Work Education and Action (SEWA) program.
  • The initiative is aimed at helping students to learn AI skills for social good.
  • This curriculum will be launched in around 200 schools across Delhi-NCR, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab (13 states of India)

Nelson Mandela Prize 2020 announced by UN

July 19, 2020
  • Nelson Mandela Prize awarded to Greek and Guinean rights activists by the President of United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
  • Marianna Vardinoyannis, of Greece, and Doctor Morissana Kouyaté, of Guinea will receive the 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize.
  • They will be awarded through the virtual ceremony on 20th July 2020.
  • The 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize, is awarded every five years and recognizes those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity,

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