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 15 July 2021, 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.
Daily Current Affairs 15 July 2021
Chris Gayle became the first batsman to score 14 thousand runs in T20 cricket
West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle became the first batsman to reach the 14,000-run landmark in T20s as the hosts defeated Australia in the third T20I.
On 1 July 2009, Gayle signed with the Western Australia Warriors for the Australian Domestic Twenty20 tournament known as the Big Bash for the 2009–10 season.
In 2011, after being left out of the initial part of the West Indies T20 and one-day home series against Pakistan, Gayle opted to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Gayle has scored 42 international centuries, which includes 15 Tests, 25 ODIs and 2 T20I centuries as of 13 July 2021. He was the first cricketer to score centuries in all formats of the game.
United Kingdom exported apples to India for the first time in 50 years
UK international trade secretary Liz Truss has exported apples from England to India, for the first time in 50 years, as a sign of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership in action.
The UK wants a deal with India that slashes barriers to doing business and trading with India’s 2 trillion pounds economy and market of 1.4 billion consumers.
According to the DIT, the aim of an FTA with India is also to make it easier for British services firms to operate in the Indian market, boosting the UK’s status as an international services hub.
According to its latest statistics, trade between the UK and India stands at around 23 billion pounds in 2019, which both countries want to double under the Roadmap 2030 timeline.
Sameer Banerjee created history by winning the junior championship title at Wimbledon
17-year-old Indian-American tennis player Samir Banerjee created history by winning the Junior Championships title at Wimbledon.
Before the start of Wimbledon, Samir Banerjee was at number 19 in the ITF’s ranking of junior players, but after this victory, he can be included in the top-10 junior players in the world.
Also, Sameer is now eyeing the qualifying tournaments of the senior event.
It is most important for Sameer to win the title of the National Hardcourt Tournament in America. If a player wins this tournament, the player gets a wild card entry to play in the US Open.
India’s retail inflation in June 2021 was 6.26 percent
The country’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased marginally to 6.26 per cent in the month of June.
Separately, India’s factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a year-on-year growth of 29.3 per cent in May.
This is the second successive time that the CPI data has come over the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper margin of 6 per cent.
In a separate data released by MoSPI, the country’s factory output witnessed a growth of 29.3 per cent on-year to 116.6 during the month of May.
The IIP had crashed (-)33.4 per cent on-year to 90.2 in May 2020, the data showed. This was mainly due to the nationwide lockdown which was imposed last year to curb the first wave of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Serum Institute of India will begin manufacturing Sputnik V in India
Covishield-maker Serum Institute of India (SII) has decided to manufacture Russia’s Sputnik V over the next two months.
SII’s addition to a growing list of Indian partners for Sputnik V would enable the country to churn out over a billion doses of the Russian vaccine every year.
It is also likely to help improve supply of the vaccine in India, where a soft launch has already taken place through vials imported from Russia but doses from most domestic manufacturers are still awaited.
SII, through its partnership with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), intends to produce over 300 million doses of Sputnik V per year. This takes India’s annual production capacity of this vaccine to nearly 1.2 billion doses a year.
Boeing delivered the 10th P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy
Boeing has delivered the 10th P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy, which will further strengthen its long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.
P-8I multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft was inducted into service with the Indian Navy in 2013.
Since then, the aircraft has logged in more than 30,000 flight hours. The aircraft is also capable of supporting disaster relief and humanitarian missions.
In 2016, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a contract to Boeing to deliver four additional P-8I aircraft.
This 10th aircraft is the second of the additional aircraft ordered under this options contract.
The P-8 series is also operated by the US Navy (USN), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
Bhutan became the first foreign country to use BHIM UPI
Bhutan becomes the first country, in India’s immediate neighbourhood, to use the BHIM app for mobile-based payments and “to adopt UPI standards for its QR deployment”.
Indian government’s digital payment app, BHIM UPI was launched in Bhutan by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Namgay Tshering.
The services have started in Bhutan under India’s neighbourhood first policy and India is proud of our achievement and feel pleasure in sharing it with our valued neighbour.
BHIM UPI is one of the brightest spots and achievements for digital transactions in India during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 100 million UPI QRs have been created in the last 5 years.
Rajasthan announced ex gratia to the family of those killed in lightning strikes
Chief Minister of Rajasthan recently announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to lightning strikes in the state.
Out of this, Rs 4 lakh will be given from emergency relief fund and 1 lakh from the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF).
As per information, 11 people were killed in Jaipur’s Amer area as sky lightning struck the watch tower twice on Sunday in less than 40 minutes.
Four children died in Kota district of Rajasthan whereas three others passed away in Badi in Dholpur district due to the heavy lightning.
IFSCA issued framework to set up of International Trade Finance Services
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) issued a framework for setting up and operating the International Trade Finance Services platform (ITFS).
This will help the traders to convert trade receivables into liquid funds and obtain short-term funding.
This framework will also provide an opportunity to the participants to avail trade finance facilities for transactions on the ITFS platform.
These facilities include – export invoice trade financing, reverse trade financing, bill discounting under letter of credit, supply chain finance for exporters, export credit (Packing Credit), insurance/ credit guarantee, factoring and any other eligible product.
Assam CM tables cattle Protection Bill
Assam Chief Minister tabled the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, on the first day of the 126-member Assembly’s Budget session.
The State Cabinet had a week ago approved the Bill seeking to ban the transport of cattle within as well as to and from Assam, ostensibly to stop smuggling to Bangladesh.
The Bill would replace existing the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950, which allowed the slaughter of cattle above the age of 14 after approval from local veterinary officers.
The Bill added that competent authority may issue permits for the transport of cattle for agricultural or animal husbandry purposes and makes exemptions such as for feeding carnivorous animals in the zoo.
PM to inaugurate the multiple projects in Gujarat
Prime Minister of India is going to inaugurate and dedicate to the nation several key projects of the Railways in Gujarat on 16th July, 2021.
Redevelopment of Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station: The upgradation of Gandhinagar Capital Railway station has been done at a cost of Rs 71 crore. The Station has been provided with world class amenities, at par with modern airports.
Mahesana Varetha gauge converted cum electrified broad gauge line (including Vadnagar station): The Mahesana- Varetha Gauge conversion of 55 km has been completed at a cost of Rs 293 crores alongwith the electrification work at a cost of Rs. 74 crores. It has a total of ten stations with four newly developed station buildings viz. Visnagar, Vadnagar, Kheralu & Varetha.
Electrification of Surendranagar- Pipavav Section: The project has been completed at a total cost of Rs 289 crores. The project will provide seamless freight movement from Palanpur, Ahmedabad and other parts of country upto Pipavav Port without any change of traction.
Aquatics Gallery: The state-of-the-art public Aquatics Gallery consists of different tanks dedicated to aquatic species belonging to different regions of the world along with a main tank consisting of major sharks from across the world.
Robotics Gallery: The Robotics Gallery is an interactive gallery showcasing the frontiers of robotic technologies, which would provide a platform for the visitors to explore the ever-advancing field of robotics. At the entrance there is a gigantic replica of the Transformer robot.
Nature Park: The Park includes several picturesque features like a Mist Garden, Chess Garden, Selfie Points, Sculpture Park and an outdoor maze. It also includes interesting labyrinths designed for children.
MoU signed between India and Denmark on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine
Union Cabinet recently approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of the Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Denmark on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
The bilateral Memorandum of Understanding will encourage cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Denmark through joint initiatives and technology development in the health sector. It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Denmark.
The bilateral Memorandum of Understanding shall encourage cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Denmark through joint initiatives and development of research in the health sector.
This will facilitate in improving the public health status of the people of both the countries.
MoU signed between India and Russia on cooperation regarding coking Coal
The Union Cabinet recently approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Steel of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation on cooperation regarding coking Coal, which is used for Steel making.
The MoU shall benefit the entire steel sector by reducing their input cost. This may lead to reduction in cost of steel in the country and promote equity and inclusiveness.
The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism for co-operation in the coking coal sector between India and Russia.
The objectives of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation between Govt. of India and Govt of Russia in the steel sector. The activities involved in the cooperation are aimed at diversifying source of coking coal.
Workshop on weather forecasts needed for wind and solar energy sectors
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune recently organized virtual workshop with industry stakeholders on weather forecasts needed for wind and solar energy sectors.
The MoES institutes like the IITM, Pune, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) have been issuing meteorological forecasts for wind and solar energy forecast to the stakeholders.
The forecasts have been found to be much skillful on a daily scale. However, due to increasing demand and aspirations by the stakeholders, a need has been felt to revisit the approaches currently being used in wind and solar energy forecasts.
Centre hiked DA for Central Govt employees and pensioners to 28%
The Union Cabinet decided to hike the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners from the existing 17 percent of the Basic Pay and Pension to 28 percent.
The DA and DR instalments are due for four periods namely January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, January 1, 2021 and July 1, 2021.
The government froze all such hikes last year as coronavirus had dented its revenue. The DA hike for central government employees is likely to cost the government about ₹34,400 crore annually.
Last year, the Union Cabinet had approved a 4% increase in DA for government employees and pensioners to 21%. This was to be effective from January 1, 2021.
