19 July 2023 Current Affairs – The Day’s Top News | GKSERIES
Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 19 July 2023, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.
So, here is the Top News of the Day for 19 July 2023 to help you prepare the Latest Current Affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam – 19 July 2023
Singapore Passport Tops Henley Passport Index 2023 as World’s Most Powerful
Singapore now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index, enabling visa-free entry to 192 of 227 worldwide travel destinations. Three European countries, namely Germany, Italy, and Spain, have moved up one rank to share the second position, with visa-free access to 190 destinations. For the first time in five years, Japan has been dethroned from the top spot and now ranks third, with its passport providing visa-free access to 189 destinations.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
India’s ranking in Henley Passport Index
India has advanced significantly in the Henley Passport Index, moving up 5 ranks from the previous year. It is now ranked 80th on the ranking, alongside Togo and Senegal. Indian passport holders now enjoy visa-free access to 57 countries, reflecting the country’s enhanced global travel privileges.
Overview of the Henley Passport Index
- The United States, which was once the top-ranked country in the Henley Passport Index, has now dropped to eighth place. It shares this distinction with Lithuania, both of which provide visa-free travel to 184 destinations.
- On the other hand, the United Kingdom has made significant progress, jumping two places to claim the fourth spot in the index. British passport holders can now access 188 countries without a visa, a position they last held in 2017.
- On the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan is ranked last, with passport holders having visa-free entry to only 27 places. Just above Afghanistan are Iraq with a score of 29 and Syria with 30, making them the three weakest passports in the world.
- The influx of migrants into Singapore, driven by a crackdown on private enterprise in China and concerns over geopolitical tensions, has resulted in increased citizenship grants in the nation. Approximately 23,100 people were granted Singaporean citizenship last year.
Passports of these countries hold the top 10 spots on the Henley Index:
| Rank | Country | Visa-free travel to (out of 277 nations) |
| 1 | Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | Germany, Italy, Spain | 190 |
| 3 | Austria, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Sweden | 189 |
| 4 | Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK | 188 |
| 5 | Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland | 187 |
| 6 | Australia, Hungary, Poland | 186 |
| 7 | Canada, Greece | 185 |
| 8 | Lithuania, US | 184 |
| 9 | Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia | 183 |
| 10 | Estonia, Iceland | 182 |
Passports of these countries hold the bottom 10 spots on the Henley Index:
| Rank | Country | Visa-free travel to (out of 277 nations) |
| 103 | Afghanistan | 27 |
| 102 | Iraq | 29 |
| 101 | Syria | 30 |
| 100 | Pakistan | 33 |
| 99 | Yemen, Somalia | 35 |
| 98 | Palestinian territory, Nepal | 38 |
| 97 | North Korea | 39 |
| 96 | Bangladesh | 40 |
| 95 | Sri Lanka, Libya | 41 |
| 94 | Kosovo | 42 |
About the Henley Passport Index
Invented nearly 20 years ago by Dr Christian H Kaelin, Chairman, Henley & Partners, the index is based on the exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It is the original ranking of all the passports according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa. It’s worth noting that the Henley Passport Index relies on data from the International Air Transport Association to calculate its rankings. This index’s methodology differs from those of other passport rankings, such as the one released by financial advisory Arton Capital, which ranked the United Arab Emirates first last year.
Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) witnessed the birth of cubs for the first time
Context:
After a year of relocating tigresses in the park, the recently notified Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) witnessed the birth of three cubs for the first time.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
What’s in News?
- It is for the first time, the newly notified Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in Bundi, Rajasthan witnessed the birth of three cubs after a year of reallocation of tigress in the park.
- The tiger population of the reserve now stands at five after the birth of three cubs:
- A male tiger- T-115
- A tigress- T-102 (daughter of Ranthambore tigress-T-73).
- Three newly born cubs
- The tigress earlier gave birth to cubs two times.
- 4 cubs in November 2020.
- During second time, cubs were killed by the male tiger T-115 or other wild animals.
- Shifting of tigress is in process as male tiger pose a threat to the newly born cubs.
Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve:
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary was designated a tiger reserve on 5th July 2021 as it was granted in-principle approval by NTCA. It was given a status of wildlife sanctuary in 1982 under a state act named Rajasthan Wild Animals and Birds Protection Act, 1951. It is situated in Bundi district of Rajasthan.
It has a core area of 481.9 square kilometres and a buffer area of 1019.98 square kilometres. Mez River, a tributary of Chambal River, runs through this tiger reserve. The total population of tigers in this reserve is five consist of a male tiger, a tigress and three newly born cubs.
Flora & Fauna
- The area of this tiger reserve is rich in biodiversity and it support variety of species.
- Apart from tiger it has populations of Leopards, Sloth bears, Jungle cat, Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Golden jackal, Hyaena, Crested Porcupine, Indian rock python, Indian Hedgehog, Red sand boa, cobra, Hanuman langur, Rhesus macaque, crocodiles, small Indian Civet, palm civet, Indian fox, Rattle, Ruddy mongoose, Indian hare.
- Dry deciduous forests are found in this reserve.
- Along with most prominent tree Dhok, it has Khair, Ronj, Gurjan, Tendu, Saler.
- Variety of grasses is also present.
Nokia and TSSC launch 5G skill development centre in Gujarat
Nokia has announced the building of a 5G talent development centre in Gujarat in collaboration with the Telecom Sector talent Council (TSSC) and Kaushalya-The Skill University. The Center of Excellence (CoE) at ITI Kubernagar will establish a skill Lab dedicated to training individuals in 5G technology skills.
The primary objective is to offer job placements to at least 70 percent of learners within 4-6 weeks after completing the course. This programme will help around 300 candidates in the first year of the project. The 5G skill development centre was inaugurated by Balvantsinh Rajput, the state’s Cabinet Minister for Labour and Employment.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
Nokia’s Efforts in developing a skilled 5G workforce for a Connected India
Nokia is leading the way in pioneering advancements in telecom technology and is committed to cultivating a highly skilled workforce to contribute to the development of the 5G ecosystem. Nokia is investing significantly in infrastructure, equipment, and training for the five labs inside the Centre of Excellence (CoE) as part of its India corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. Furthermore, Nokia intends to promote connectivity and digitization, with the goal of leveraging these efforts to achieve beneficial socioeconomic, educational, and health advantages in India.
Key takeaways for competitive examinations
- President and CEO of Nokia: Pekka Lundmark
India Extends UPI Payments to France, Empowering Indian Tourists
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to France on July 13, 2023, India and France struck a ground-breaking deal that permits Indian tourists to use India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for rupee transactions.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
This partnership marks a significant milestone as it brings UPI, a popular mobile-based payment system, to Europe for the first time after its successful implementation in Singapore. The move is expected to transform the payment experience for Indian tourists in France, removing the need to carry foreign cash and providing simplicity and flexibility.
UPI’s Global Expansion: A Journey Across the Globe
Since its inception, UPI has steadily expanded its reach globally through strategic partnerships. France is the latest addition to the list of countries that have embraced the UPI system for cross-border transactions. Prior to this agreement, UPI had already established itself in countries like Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, and the UAE.
France, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Singapore, the Maldives, Bhutan, and Oman have all embraced various versions of Indian payment systems. This means that Indian users can now use UPI, RuPay, and other digital payment channels in these countries, making transactions easier and more convenient.
NIPL: Forging Global Partnerships
The NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in April 2020, is actively forging partnerships with different countries to create a widespread acceptance network for RuPay and UPI. This network enables Indian travellers to make payments in their destination countries via various digital payment methods.
Empowering Indian Tourists with Effortless Transactions
With the implementation of UPI in France, Indian tourists can now transact in rupees with ease. They can make payments using local QR codes or UPI IDs, removing the need to carry and exchange foreign currency. This newfound convenience allows tourists to spend according to their needs rather than being restricted to fixed amounts of foreign exchange.
Savings on Foreign Exchange Markup Charges
Historically, international payments made with credit or debit cards include foreign exchange markup costs of up to 3.5% of the transaction amount, depending on the card’s features. While some financial institutions offer forex cards with lower markup fees, UPI payments in rupees provide even greater savings. Since transactions occur in rupees, there is no need for foreign currency conversion, saving travelers from additional fees.
UPI and the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS)
Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), travel-related expenses fall within the purview of the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS). As a result, the standard Tax Credited at Source (TCS) requirements apply. TCS applies to international debit cards, prepaid forex cards, and direct foreign currency purchases; however, credit card spending is exempt. However, not all establishments accept credit cards, making it necessary to carry cash. With UPI payments now available in France, this necessity is eliminated, making transactions smoother for Indian tourists.
North Korea tested its latest Hwasong-18
North Korea recently tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM) – Hwasong-18.
About Hwasong-18:
North Korea’s Hwasong-18 is a three-stage solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM). It is North Korea’s first ICBM to use solid fuels which allows for faster launch. It was originally unveiled in the parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in February 2023. The Hwasong-18’s 74 minutes flight time was the longest ever for a North Korean missile test. Hwasong-18 allows faster development of missiles during a year. It has the ability to significantly strengthen their nuclear retaliatory posture and impact their offensive military strategy. Solid-fueled ICBMs such as the Hwasong-18 can be prepared for launch more quickly than their liquid-fueled counterparts as they do not require time-consuming fueling procedures.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
Solid-fueled Missiles:
Soild-fueled missiles used a solid propellant composed of fuel and oxidizer that is tightly packed into the rocket’s motor. This mixture is stable and can be stored for lengthy periods of time without deterioration. Because the propellant is already inside the missile, solid-fueled ICBMs have shorter launch preparation times, making them more responsive to sudden launch orders. They are typically more mobile as they can be easily transported on vehicles without the need of additional fueling equipment.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM):
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than 5,500 km primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery. They differ from other forms of ballistic missile by their much greater range and payload capacity.
The first ICBMs were developed by the Soviet Union in 1958; the United States followed the next year and China some 20 years later.
Three stage ICBM
A three stage ICBM is a type of ICBM that has three stages which are used to propel the missile to its target.
- The first stage is the boost stage which is responsible for lifting the missile off the ground and accelerating it to a high velocity.
- The Second stage guides the missile towards its target, using a combination of internal guidance systems and external tracking systems.
- The Final stage is the terminal stage which is responsible for ensuring that the missile reaches the target with precision.
Finance Ministry appoints SEBI ED Pramod Rao to IFSCA Board
Pramod Rao, Executive Director of SEBI, has been appointed to the Board of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) by the Finance Ministry. Rao has replaced Sujit Prasad, Executive Director SEBI, who was appointed as a Member (representing SEBI) in IFSCA in July 2020.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
It maybe recalled that Rao took charge as SEBI Executive Director on July 15, 2022. Rao, an alumna of the National Law School of India University, previously served as Group General Counsel at ICICI Bank, where he provided strategic control of the ICICI Group’s legal department.
Earlier, he had served as a Member of the Board of Directors of ICICI Securities Ltd, ICICI Prudential Trust Ltd and ICICI Trusteeship Services Ltd.
About the IFSCA
The International Financial Services Centres entity (IFSC) is a statutory entity established by the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act of 2019 with the responsibility to develop and regulate financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (IFSC). GIFT City in Gujarat is currently India’s first and only operating IFSC. In the recent years, India has been making concerted efforts to attract foreign businesses into its international financial services Centre (GIFT City in Gujarat). Several fiscal incentives have been accorded to various players in the financial services industry to enhance the attractiveness of this IFSC for foreign businesses.
Prithviraj Tondaiman wins bronze in trap in Shotgun World Cup
Prithviraj Tondaiman, who won bronze in the trap event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, was India’s lone medalist. In the final round, Prithviraj secured the third position with a total of 34 points which marked his second individual ISSF World Cup medal, as he had previously won a bronze in Doha back in March. Nathan Hales of the United Kingdom won the gold medal with 49 points, followed by Qi Ying of China with 48 points.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
Indian Shooters in Men’s Trap Event
Prithviraj finished third in the qualifying round with a total of 122 points. He scored 23, 25, 24, 25, and 25 in the five-round qualification series. Unfortunately, Paris 2024 Olympics quota winners Bhowneesh Mendiratta and Zoravar Singh Sandhu were unable to advance beyond the qualification stage in the men’s trap event. Bhowneesh Mendiratta finished 16th with 120 points, while Zoravar Sandhu ended 66th with 115 points.
Indian Participants in Women’s Trap Event
In the women’s trap event, the Indian participants were unable to advance beyond the qualification round. Shreyasi Singh, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, concluded in 36th place with a score of 111 points. Manisha Keer finished 39th with 111 points, while Rajeshwari Kumari ended 58th with 106 points.
Indian Shooters’ Performance in Skeet Events
In the men’s skeet event, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, a two-time Olympian, concluded the qualifying round in 116th place with a score of 112 points. Angad Vir Singh Bajwa finished 74th with 117 points. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka came in 55th place with 119 points, while Gurjoat Khangura came in 82nd place with 116 points.
Moving on to the women’s individual skeet event, both Ganemat Sekhon and Darshna Rathore were unable to qualify for the finals. Ganemat Sekhon narrowly missed the medal round, finishing in ninth place with 120 points. Darshna Rathore finished 65th with 104 points. Maheshwari Chauhan secured the 36th position with 114 points.
Overall, India finished ninth in the medals tally which was topped by the USA with two golds and one silver.The ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Italy was a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.
Key takeaways for competitive examinations
- The first ISSF Shotgun World Cup was held in Mexico City in: 1986
NITI Aayog launched National Multidimensional Poverty Index.
NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’.
It has been released by Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog. As per this report, 13.5 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
This second edition of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) shows India’s progress in reducing multidimensional poverty between both the surveys, NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21). This report is based on the baseline report of India’s MPI launched in November 2021.
The National MPI tracks deprivations across dimensions of health, education, and standard of living based on 12 SDG-aligned indicators. Nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets, and bank accounts are the 12 indicators of SDG.
As per the report, India’s multidimensionally poor percentage has declined from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-2021. Poverty declined in rural areas was faster as compared to urban areas.
Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in number of poor. Around 3.43 crore people came out of multidimensional poverty.
This report estimates poverty for 36 States and Union Territories and 707 Administrative Districts. The fastest reduction in the proportion of multidimensional poor has been registered in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan. The MPI value has nearly halved from 0.117 to 0.066 between 2015-16 and 2019-21. The intensity of poverty has reduced from 47% to 44%.
Government focus on improving access to sanitation, nutrition, cooking fuel, financial inclusion, drinking water, and electricity has led to significant improvement. All 12 parameters of the MPI have shown improvement.
The new Integrated Terminal Building of Port Blair Veer Savarkar International Airport will be inaugurated on 18 July.
The new Integrated Terminal Building of Port Blair Veer Savarkar International Airport will be inaugurated by PM Modi through video conferencing.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
The new building has been constructed at a cost of Rs 710 crore. This airport will play a major role in increasing connectivity to Andaman and Nicobar. The new terminal building of the airport has been constructed in an area of 40 thousand 8 hundred square meters. Every year 50 thousand passengers will be able to travel from here.
An apron has been constructed at the airport at a cost of Rs 80 crore which is suitable for two aircraft of Boeing 767-400 and Airbus 321 type. With its construction, the airport will be able to park 10 aircraft at a time. The shape of this airport is based on the structure representing the sea and the island.
The new airport terminal building has many facilities that will reduce power consumption. Along with this, arrangements have also been made to get maximum natural sunlight so that the use of artificial lighting system in the building is reduced.
Apart from this, L.E.D. Lighting has also been used. To save water, an underground arrangement has been made to store rain water here. A plant has also been installed to clean the dirty water and use it again.
Australia’s Victoria State will not host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
It will not host the games due to projected exceeding expenditures. According to Victoria State Premier Dan Andrews, the cost of the Games was going more than twice the estimated economic benefit the Games would bring to the state.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
According to Andrews, the cost of the Games could be more than 7 billion Australian dollars from a budgeted 2.6 billion Australian dollars. The 2026 Games were set to take place in the Victorian cities of Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland, and Shepparton from March 17 to March 29.
Commonwealth Games take place every four years. Australia hosted the Games in 2018 at the Gold Coast. The 2022 Commonwealth Games took place in Birmingham, England between 28 July and 8 August 2022. Victoria is a state in southeast Australia. Its capital is Melbourne.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy passed away at the age of 79.
Oommen Chandy was the Chief Minister of Kerala twice, from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011–16.
The veteran leader began his tenure as an MLA by winning the 1970 state assembly elections at the age of 27.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
Later, he won 11 consecutive elections. He represented the Puthupally assembly constituency and was the longest-serving MLA in the state assembly.
He is the only Indian Chief Minister to receive an award for public service from the United Nations. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress party. In 2018, he was appointed as the General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee in charge of the crucial state of Andhra Pradesh.
The sale of subsidized Chana Dal under the brand name ‘Bharat Dal’ has been launched
Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal launched the sale at the rate of 60 rupees per kilogram for a one-kilogram pack and 55 rupees per kilogram for a 30-kilogram pack.
This is a step of the Central Government to make pulses available to consumers at affordable price by changing chana stock of the government into chana dal.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
The chana dal is being sold at the retail outlets of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) in Delhi-NCR.
It will also be made available at retail stores of the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF), Kendriya Bhandar and Mother Dairy’s Safal.
NAFED undertakes the milling and packaging of the chana dal. Chana is the most abundantly produced pulse in India.
In 2019-20, Madhya Pradesh (1st), Rajasthan (2nd) and Maharashtra (3rd) were the top three chana-producing states in India.
NAFED was set up in 1958. It is headquartered in New Delhi. Dr. Bijender Singh is its current Chairman.
Australia names first woman to Lead Central Bank
Michele Bullock becomes the first woman to lead Australia’s Central Bank since it was founded in 1960.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
She will succeed Philip Lowe, who is coming to the end of a seven-year term as governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Her appointment comes as the country has been battling rising prices and the RBA is facing a major shakeup.
She is currently the RBA’s deputy governor and is due to start her seven-year term as governor on Sept 18, 2023.
Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead India men’s squads for 19th Asian Games
The BCCI has confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad would lead India’s men’s squads for the 19th Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 and October 8, 2023.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
While Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the women’s cricket competition, which will take place from September 19-28, 2023.
Both competitions will be played in T20 formats.
Team India (Senior Men) squad also include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), and many more.
India won 27 Medals in 2023 Asian Athletics Championships.
In the Asian Athletics Championships 2023, Indian athletes won a total of 27 medals, including six gold, 12 silver and nine bronze medals.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
The championship was held from 12 to 16 July at Suphachalsai National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. India finished third in the medals table behind Japan (37) and China (22).
India’s Jyoti Yaraji, Parul Chowdhary, Tajinder Pal Singh Toor, Abdullah Abubakar, Ajay Kumar Saroj and the mixed relay team won gold medals.
This year, Lord Hanuman was chosen as Thailand’s Asian Athletics Championships official mascot. The logo of the 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 depicted the athletes participating in the Games, their skills, the athletes’ teamwork, athleticism, dedication and display of sportsmanship.