Ambition IAS

Online IAS Coaching, Preparation, Test Series & Current Affairs

19th July 2017 – Current Affairs Today

by Leave a Comment

Download : 19th July, 2017 – Current Affairs PDF

(Download older Current Affairs PDF’s here )

National Current Affairs

Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced

  • ‘Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017’, a bill providing for amendment to the regulations governing compensation amount payable at the time of acquisition of immovable property by the central government was introduced in the Lok Sabha
  • The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act that came into force in 1952, empowers the central government to requisition any immovable property and also to acquire them under certain specified conditions.
  • The amendment bill to this act has been introduced amid instances of persons interested in a property challenging the acquisition move citing that they were not given the opportunity for personal hearing.

Karnataka appoints panel to design ‘state flag’, look into legal sanctity

  • Karnataka has constituted a nine member committee to design a ‘state’ flag and submit a report on giving it legal sanctity.
  • Jammu & Kashmir is the only state to have its own flag as it enjoys a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.
  • The state government told the Karnataka high court that it had not accepted suggestions to declare the red-and-yellow Kannada flag the official state flag, as a separate flag would go against the “unity and integrity of the country”.

Bill introduced in LS for setting up petroleum institute in AP

  • According to the Objects and Reasons of the bill the institute would be established in Visakhapatnam district in pursuance of the central government’s commitment for setting up a petroleum university.
  • Under the bill, there is a provision for constituting a board of governors as well as general counsel for the institute.
  • The institute would provide high quality education and conduct advance research in all aspects relating to the conventional hydrocarbons.
  • The institute will also pursue research and development in the fields such as liquefied natural gas, biofuels and renewables.

SC allows Centre to replace MCI oversight committee

  • The committee, set up by the court on 2ndMay 2016 last was to function for a period of one year or till a suitable mechanism was brought in by the Centre to substitute it.
  • The Supreme Court has allowed the Centre to replace the MCI oversight committee and to supervise the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a fresh panel of five eminent doctors.
  • MCI had debated that the directions of the constitution bench which had set up the oversight committee were based on certain material which could not be controverted at the time of the order.

Kolkata to host global business meet in November 2017

  • It will focus on sustainable business practices in various areas, including power and energy.
  • The event will be attended by over 500 delegates from over 65 countries.

International Current Affairs

Indians among top asylum-seekers, according to the International Migration Outlook 2017

  • According to the International Migration Outlook 2017 report on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, Indians are among top asylum-seekers in other countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Slovak Republic, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
  • During 2015-16, total 340 people sought asylum in New Zealand. Out of them, India and China were the largest source countries of asylum-seekers – 11% and 9% respectively.

Business & Economy

India stands 4th among fastest growing economies – World Bank

  • As per World Bank’s latest edition of the report titled ‘Global Economic Prospects – A fragile recovery’, India is the fourth fastest growing economy in the world behind Estonia, Uzbekistan and Nepal.
  • For FY 2017-18, Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2%.For following fiscal year it will grow at 7.5%. It pegs world GDP to grow at 2.7 percent in 2017 and 2.9 percent in 2018-19.

SBI launches realty website ‘SBI-Realty’ to facilitate home buyers

  • SBI bank has launched‘SBI Realty’ www.sbirealty.in . It is a one stop integrated website for home buyers. The lender is expected to expand its home loan credit through such move.
  • SBI-Realty will help customers to choose their desired homefrom the universe of 3000 SBI approved projects across the country.
  • There are 9.5 lakhs home units available on the website. Customers can compare current and past trends of prices for the properties in various localities in the city.
  • These projects are spread across 13 states and Union Territories covering 30 cities including metros, semi metro and towns.

 

MoU Signed between Department of Defence Production and BEL

  • MoU has been signed between the department of Defence Production and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the financial year 2017-18
  • The main focus has been given to turnover from exports and increase in indigenous content and other factors include CAPEX investment and Monitoring of CAPEX projects, Reduction in Trade Receivables, and HR related parameters.

Reliance Industries market capitalisation hits Rs 5 lakh crore mark

  • In July 2014 Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) was the first company to hit Rs 5 lakh crore in market capitalization.
  • It is also RIL’s highest market cap in its lifetime and also currently it is the most valued company on the bourses.
  • Reliance was ranked 215th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations as of 2016.

People in News

UK’s first woman Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill elected to key Parliament panel

  • Preet Kaur Gill, who won the Edgbaston seat for the Labour party on was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the UK Parliament.
  • She has also been chosen to lead the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs.
  • Preet will be one of 11 MPs on the cross-party home affairs committee, which investigates the spending, policy and administration of the ministerial department.

Smriti Irani to replace Venkaiah Naidu as new I&B Minister

  • Smriti Irani was given additional charge of the Information & Broadcast Ministry and Narendra Tomar was made the Minister for Urban Development.
  • Smriti Irani is the current Minister for Textiles.

Swami Smarananandaji appointed as new Ramakrishna Mission president

  • Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj is elected as the 16th president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
  • The office of the president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission was vacant following the death of Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj.

Science & Technology

Australia and US test-fires multimillion hypersonic missile – HIFiRE

  • The US and Australia have jointly test-fired a hypersonic missile capable of moving at a speed eight times faster than sound as part of a $54-million research project.
  • The test was part of a project called the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation Program (HIFiRE)involving the US and Australian militaries, Queensland University, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and private companies, including Boeing and BAE Systems.
  • The hypersonic missile is capable of travelling at Mach 8 – eight times faster than the speed of sound, from between 3,836mph (6,200kmh) to almost 8,000mph (13,000kmh).

Govt launches low-cost screening device SOHUM to detect congenital hearing loss in newborns

  • The device has been developed by the School of International Biodesign (SIB) start-up Sohum Innovation Labs India Pvt. Ltd.
  • It was developed as part of a Department of Biotechnology project to develop new medical technologies.

Scientists develop 3D-printed soft silicone heart

  • The 3D-printed soft artificial heart is a silicone monoblock with complex inner structure.
  • It weighs 390 gms and has a volume of 679 cubic centimetres.
  • It is not an exact biological replica of the actual but can help to save lives of people who suffer from cardiac failure.
  • Artificial blood pumps help to bridge the waiting time until a patient receives a donor heart or their own heart recovers.
  • The artificial heart has a right and a left ventricle, just like a real human heart, though they are not separated by a septum but by an additional chamber.
  • This chamber is inflated and deflated by pressurized air and is required to pump fluid from the blood chambers, thus replacing the muscle contraction of the human heart.

Environment and Ecology

New species of bird-like dinosaur identified in Canada

  • Canadian scientists have identified a new bird-like species of dinosaur that lived nearly 71 million years ago. It was about the size of a person.
  • The species has been named as the Albertavenatorcurriei, which means Currie’s Alberta hunter.
  • The bones of Albertavenatorcurriei were found in the badlands surrounding the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Canada.

Sports Current Affairs

 FIFA have lifted their ban on the Sudan Football Association

  • The ban was imposed on the Sudan Football Association (SFA) for its failure to comply with its obligations stipulated in articles 14 and 19 of the FIFA Statutes.
  • Sudan was suspended by FIFA for government interference in the country’s football after they suspended the entire Sudanese Football Association board of directors.
  • Sudan will now be able to continue their campaign in the 2019 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

 

Sitemap