Top Current Affairs of the Week ( 11- 17 July 2021)

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Boot

• Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has won European Championships (EURO 2020) Golden Boot, as no one from England or Italy managed to surpass his tally in the tournament final at Wembley
• He had scored 5 goals, the same as Czech Republic forward Patrik Schick
• Three of his goals came from the penalty spot, while the other two came from open play against Hungary and Germany.
• Ronaldo also became the leading goal-scorer in the history of Euros with his 14th strike.

India’s First Private LNG Facility plant inaugurated at Nagpur

• Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated India’s first Private LNG Facility plant at Nagpur to emphasize on importance of alternate biofuels for diversification of agriculture towards energy and power sector
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG): It is natural gas in its liquid form. When natural gas is cooled to minus 259 degrees Fahrenheit (-161 degrees Celsius), it becomes a clear, colorless, odorless liquid.

Bharat Dynamics Ltd signs deal with Indian Air Force for Akash missiles

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed Rs 499 crore contract with the Ministry of Defence for the manufacture and supply of Akash missiles to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Akash: It is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, being developed under India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
• Akash missile is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by BDL both for Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

Abhimanyu Mishra becomes youngest chess grandmaster ever

• Young Indian American prodigy, Abhimanyu Mishra has become the world’s youngest chess grandmaster (GM) ever at the age of 12 years, 4 months
• The highest title awarded in chess (aside from the title of world champion) is the grandmaster title.
• Abhimanyu grew up in New Jersey and has been playing chess since the age of 7.
• He holds the record for the highest-rated under-9 player in the world and has also achieved the feat of the youngest international master in the world.

Thawarchand Gehlot sworn in as 19th Governor of Karnataka

• Former Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot (73 years) took oath as the 19th Governor of Karnataka under Karnataka HC Chief Justice Abhay Shreenivas Oka in Raj Bhavan.
• He succeeded Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
• Prior to this, Thawarchand Gehlot was the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment at the Centre and the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.
• Thawarchand Gehlot was among the 12 Union ministers who resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers 

India’s first Cryptogamic Garden inaugurated in Uttarakhand

• India's first cryptogamic garden has been inaugurated in Deoban area of the Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The garden is at an altitude of 2,700 meters, spanning over an area of 3 acres.
• Deoban has majestic pristine forests of Deodar, Oak.
• Being a pollution-free area, it also supports the ample growth of Cryptogams.
• Cryptogamae means 'hidden reproduction' referring to the fact that no seed, no flowers are produced, thus cryptogams represent the non-seed bearing plants.

Italy won the UEFA European Football Championship 2020

• Italy won their second European Championship trophy by defeating England 3-2 in the penalty shoot-out in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium in London.
• Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two England penalties to win by a 3-2 shootout.
• It was the first final to be decided on penalties since Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in 1976.
• Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the Best player and Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Golden Boot in the tournament.

UP law panel proposes 'two-child' population policy

• The UP Govt formulated a proposal for population control and welfare, rewarding couples that adhere to a 'two-child policy'.
• The policy will be voluntary — it will not be enforced upon anyone.
• However, if any person decides to "voluntarily" keep the number of their family members limited, they will be eligible for govt schemes.
• On the other hand, if someone doesn't follow the policy, they will face restrictions in govt jobs, availing ration, and other benefits.

Argentina beats Brazil in Copa America 2021

• Argentina won the Copa America 2021 title for the first time since 1993.
• They beat Brazil 1-0 in the final at the historic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
• Angel Di Maria scored the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute.
• This is Lionel Messi's first major trophy with the Argentina senior team.
• Messi elected joint-best player along with Brazil’s Neymar.

Abiy Ahmed elected as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia for 5-year term

• Abiy Ahmed has been elected as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia for a second 5-year term, after his ruling ‘Prosperity Party’ won the country’s parliamentary election in landslide victory
• Prosperity Party won 410 seats out of 436 parliamentary electoral constituencies at the general elections of Ethiopia
• Abiy Ahmed is serving as the 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since 2018
• Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa
• Ethiopia's Currency: Ethiopian birr

Reserve Bank introduces RBI Retail Direct facility

• RBI has introduced RBI Retail Direct facility to facilitate investment in Government Securities (G-sec) by individual investors
• Under this facility, retail investors will have the facility to open and maintain the Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) Account with RBI.
• RDG account can be opened through an Online portal provided for the scheme.
• Saving Account holders in India with PAN, Valid KYC documents, email ID and Registered number are eligible to open this account.

UP Govt launches State’s population policy for 2021-2030

• Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has launched State’s population policy for 2021-2030.
• It aims to decrease the total fertility rate from 2.7 to 2.1 by 2026 and 1.7 by 2030, increase modern contraceptive prevalence rate from 31.7% to 45% by 2026 and 52% by 2030 and increase male methods of contraception use from 10.8% to 15.1% by 2026 and 16.4% by 2030.
• The aim of the policy is to maintain a balance of population among the various communities.

Sophie Ecclestone, Devon Conway won ICC Player of the Month Award for June

• Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone of England has been named as ICC Women Player of the Month for June.
• She is the 2nd English female to win the title after Tammy Beaumont, who was awarded this title for February 2021.
• Along with her, New Zealand opener Devon Conway has bagged ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June.
• He is the maiden New Zealand player to win the award.
• Headquarters of ICC: Dubai, UAE.

PM Modi receives First Copy Of ‘The Ramayana Of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the first copy of the book titled as ‘The Ramayan of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’.
• The book has been authored by Late Baljit Kaur Tulsi.
• The book has been published by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.
• Guru Gobind Singh: He was the tenth and last of Sikh gurus in human form. He was a spiritual master, warrior, poet, and philosopher, who was enthroned at the ‘Guru Gaddi’.

WHO issues new recommendations on human genome editing

• World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new recommendations on human genome editing.
• WHO has called for a global registry to track any form of genetic manipulation and proposing a whistle-blowing mechanism to raise concerns about unethical or unsafe research.
• UN health agency commissioned an expert group in late 2018 following a dramatic announcement from Chinese scientist He Jiankui that he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies.

Sher Bahadur Deuba sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal

• Sher Bahadur Deuba (75 years) has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal for the 5th time
• He has been administered the oath of office by President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari.
• He has been appointed Prime Minister under Article 76(5) of the Constitution, which makes it mandatory for him to secure a vote of confidence in the House within 30 days of taking oath.
• He succeeded K P Sharma Oli.
• Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu.

NTPC to set up India’s single largest solar park at Rann of Kutch

• NTPC Renewable Energy will set up 4750 MW renewable energy park at Rann of Kutch in Khavada, Gujarat under Mode 8 (Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park) of Solar Park Scheme.
• This will be India’s largest solar park to be built by the largest power producer of the country.
• NTPC REL has plans to generate green hydrogen on a commercial scale from this park.
• India’s largest energy integrated company aims to build 60 GW Renewable Energy Capacity by 2032.

Nirmala Sitharaman and Namgay Tshering jointly launch BHIM-UPI in Bhutan

• Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman along with Finance Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Namgay Tshering has jointly launched BHIM–UPI in Bhutan.
• With launch of BHIM-UPI in Bhutan, payment infrastructures of the two countries are seamlessly connected and will benefit tourists.
• Bhutan is the first country to adopt UPI standards for its QR deployment, and the first country in our immediate neighbourhood to accept mobile based payments through the BHIM App.

India to host 2026 World Badminton Championships

• India will host World Badminton Championships in 2026 as per Badminton World Federation (BWF)
• This will only be the 2nd time that India will be hosting the world championship, with Hyderabad having played host to the prestigious event in 2009.
• Suzhou will now stage the 2023 edition of the BWF World Mixed Team Championships, with original 2023 hosts India accepting the opportunity to host the BWF World Championships in 2026.

VP receives book 'Urdu Poets and Writers - Gems of Deccan’

• Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu has received the book titled as 'Urdu Poets and Writers - Gems of Deccan'.
• It is authored by senior journalist, J.S. Ifthekhar.
• The book is an anthology of prose and poetry that encapsulates the life and works of 51 outstanding poets and writers of the Deccan region.
• The book traces the rich literary and cultural traditions of Deccan, right from the time of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, to the present times.

NICL launches First Ever Insurance Policy for Himalayan Yaks

• National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) at Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh has tied up with National Insurance Company Ltd. (NICL) for highly valuable Himalayan cattle/yak have been approved.
• It will be a big boon for the yak owners, as it will shield them against a number of risks posed by weather calamities, diseases, in-transit mishaps, surgical operation, strike or riots and permanent total disability for breeding or stud yaks.

IFSCA issues framework for Setting up and operating ITFS Platform

• International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has issued framework for Setting up and operating International Trade Finance Services Platform (ITFS).
• It will enable Exporters and Importers to avail various types of trade finance facilities at competitive terms.
• This will help in their ability to convert their trade receivables into liquid funds and to obtain short-term funding.
• ITFS will provide Trade Finance Services at IFSC.

Indian Navy receives 10th Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft ‘P-8I’

• Indian Navy has received the 10th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the US-based aerospace company Boeing.
• Defence Ministry had signed a contract for eight P-8I aircraft in 2009 but in 2016, it signed a contract for four additional P-8I aircraft.
• Remaining two aircrafts are expected to be delivered in the last quarter of 2021.
• P-8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft, and a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by US Navy

Nepal inks deal with India to develop Lower Arun Hydropower project

• Nepal has signed $1.3 billion deal with India to develop a 679-megawatt Lower Arun Hydropower project, located between Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts in eastern Nepal.
• Under the deal, India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) will develop the hydropower project in the neighbouring Himalayan nation.
• This will be the second mega project undertaken by India in Nepal.
• The project will be developed under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

NTPC signs MoU with Ladakh and LAHDC for Green Hydrogen Mobility Project

• REL (a 100% subsidiary of NTPC) has signed MoU with Union Territory of Ladakh and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) to setup India’s first Green Hydrogen Mobility project.
• MoU was also marked with the inauguration of NTPC’s first solar installations in Leh in form of solar trees and a solar car port.
• It will enable NTPC to help Ladakh develop a carbon free economy based on renewable sources and green hydrogen.

Piyush Goyal appointed Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha

• Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha with effect from July 6, 2021
• He succeeded Thaawarchand Gehlot, who has taken charge as Karnataka;s Governor
• He is a two-time Rajya Sabha Member and is currently deputy leader of NDA
• He is serving as the Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Leader of the House is responsible for organizing government meetings and business in the House

State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 Report: UN-FAO

• UN-FAO annual report titled as ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021’ has been released
• Report was jointly produced by UN Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO
• Outcomes: Number of hungry people in 2020 in World is between 720 and 811 million and in Asia is 418 million. Nearly 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020

ISRO successfully conducts 3rd test on Vikas Engine

• ISRO has successfully conducted the third long-duration hot test on the liquid propellant Vikas engine that will launch the ambitious Gaganyaan programme.
• Test was conducted for the core L110 liquid stage of the human rated GSLV MkIII vehicle, as part of the engine qualification requirements
• Gaganyaan is India's first manned mission to space.
• Engine was fired for 240 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.

World Youth Skills Day: 15 July

• World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed on July 15 every year in order to recognize the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, and to highlight the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges.
• United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day in November 2014.
• Theme for 2021: Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic.

Cabinet approves increase in Dearness Allowance from 17% to 28%

• Union Cabinet has approved an increase in the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners to 28% from existing 17%.
• This hike represents an increase of 11% of the basic pay/pension
• The increased DA and DR rates will be effective from July 1, 2021
• They were put on hold from Jan 2020 amid Covid-19
• DA and DR installments are due for four periods and rate of DA/DR for the period between January 2020 to June 2021 shall remain at 17%

Anurag Thakur launches official team India cheer song for Tokyo Olympics

• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has launched the official team India cheer song titled as 'Cheer4India: Hindustani Way' for Tokyo Olympics contingent.
• The song has been created by legendary AR Rahman and young singer Ananya Birla.
• Cheer song was a culmination of hard work by all the stakeholders in the last 18 months.
• Tokyo Olympics will start from July 23, 2021
• Indian Olympic Association President: Narinder Batra.

Manduadih railway station renamed as Banaras railway station

• Manduadih railway station has been renamed as Banaras by the Northeastern railways (NER).
• NER has replaced the old signboard with the new one which read 'Banaras' in Hindi, Sanskrit, English, and Urdu.
• Code for the station with the new identity will now be ‘BSBS,’ starting from 12am today and will be reflected on all the tickets booked.
• It is the advanced and facility including food plazas, VIP lounges, escalators, gardens, advanced booking station, etc.

Singapore unveils one of world’s largest floating solar panel farms

• Singapore has unveiled one of the World’s largest floating solar panel farms, which can produce enough electricity to power the island’s five water treatment plants quadrupling its solar energy production by 2025
• It is located on a reservoir in western Singapore
• It is 60 megawatt-peak solar photovoltaic farm with 1,22,000 solar panels and has been built by wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries
• It will help to reduce carbon emissions by about 32 kilo tonnes.

United Arab Emirates becomes 1st Gulf nation to open embassy in Israel

• United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel.
• UAE embassy is situated in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Israel, followed by the inauguration of Israel’s embassy in the UAE last month.
• Normalisation of ties between UAE and Israel were discussed for the first time on trade and investment opportunities across economy, air travel, technology and culture.
• Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel

Deepak Kabra becomes first Indian gymnastics judge at Olympics 2021

• Deepak Kabra (33 years) has become 1st Indian to be selected as gymnastics competition judge of the Olympic Games.
• He will be seen officiating the men's artistic gymnasts at the Tokyo Olympics
• His first international assignment was Commonwealth Games 2020 
• He was first Indian judge to officiate in the 2014 Asian Games, Youth Olympics
• He also officiated as a judge in Asian and Commonwealth Games in 2018, Youth Olympics in Argentina, besides other international events 

Cabinet approves continuation of National AYUSH Mission for 5 years

• Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘National AYUSH Mission (NAM)’ for another five years.
• It will now be implemented from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026.
• Govt has allocated Rs. 4607.30 crore (Rs 3,000 crore as Central Share and Rs. 1607.30 crore as State Share) for the scheme to be invested for five years.
• NAM Mission was introduced in 2014 and is being implemented by Ministry of AYUSH to provide cost effective AYUSH Services.

India’s first national dolphin research centre to come up in Patna

• India’s first national dolphin research centre titled as National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) is all to be constructed in Patna.
• It will be a 4,400 square metre plot of land on the premises of Patna University, near the banks of the Ganga.
• Gangetic river dolphin is India’s national aquatic animal. It is a Schedule I animal under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been declared an endangered species by IUCN.

Britain unveils plans to decarbonise its transport systems

• Britain has unveiled plans to decarbonise its transport systems, phasing out the sale of all polluting road vehicles by 2040 and committing the aviation sector to a 2050 net zero emissions target.
• Britain will host COP26 climate summit in November.
• PM Boris Johnson announced 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution to tackle climate change, which included banning petrol and diesel new vehicle sales by 2030 and will now phase out the sale of heavier vehicles.

Bandaru Dattatreya takes oath as 18th Governor of Haryana

• Former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya has been sworn in as the 18th governor of Haryana.
• He was administered the oath of office by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha
• Prior to this, he was the Governor of Himachal Pradesh
• He succeeded Satyadeo Narain Arya, who has been moved to Tripura
• He was four-time MP and was first elected to Lok Sabha in 1991 from Secunderabad constituency
• He was also Minister of State for Labour and Employment in 2014 

Gurugram gets India’s first ‘Grain ATM’

• India’s first ‘Grain ATM’ has been set up in Gurugram as a pilot project that will provide consumers with ration without standing in long queues
• With the installation of Grain ATMs, all the complaints regarding waiting time and right measurement of ration quantity to right beneficiary will be redressed.
• It is installed under the World Food Programme of the United Nations and it is called Automated, Multi Commodity, Grain Dispensing Machine.

Rajnath Singh launches AI- powered grievance management application

• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered grievance management application in New Delhi
• The application has been developed by Ministry of Defence with the help of IIT-Kanpur.
• It is the first AI based system developed to improve grievance redressal in the Government.
• It has the capability to understand the content of the complaint based on the contents therein and can identify repeat complaints or spam automatically. 

Karnataka govt unveils bike taxi scheme for state

• Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has unveiled Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi scheme-2021 to ensure affordable first-and last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru and other cities in the state
• This will serve as a bridge between public transport and daily commuters
• It will boost self-employment, promote eco-friendly environment, fuel conservation, reduce travel time, strengthen public transport
• The distance between the origin and destination for a trip shall not be more than 10 km.

Babar Azam becomes fastest batsman to score 14 ODI centuries

• Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam became the fastest batsman to notch up 14 ODI centuries in terms of innings in his 81st ODI innings, surpassing Hashim Amla, Indian captain Virat Kohli and Australian batsman David Warner.
• After failing to score in the 1st two matches, he returned to form, scoring 158 runs off 134 balls, including 14 boundaries and 4 maximums.
• Babar notched up the triple-figure with a four of Saqib Mahmood's bowling in the 38th over of Pakistan's innings.

Ladakh signs MoU with Sikkim to become organic entity by 2025

• Ladakh has signed MoU with Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency (SOCCA) to convert the Union Territory of Ladakh into an organic entity by 2025
• The MoU will facilitate the implementation of Prampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Development Initiative (MODI) in Ladakh
• Aim: To get the organic certification for Ladakh after a tie-up with Government
• It will be completed in three phases with 85 villages, 82 villages and 79 villages respectively.

PM to inaugurate Convention Centre named Rudraksh in Varanasi

• PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated International Cooperation and Convention Centre named as ‘Rudraksh’ in Varanasi, which has been constructed with Japanese assistance.
• The centre will provide opportunities for social and cultural interactions between people.
• It is ideal for holding international conferences, exhibitions and music concerts and other events
• It has murals depicting Varanasi's art, culture and music and its roof is shaped like a Shiva Linga.

Maharashtra govt launches new EV Policy 2021

• Maharashtra State Environment Minister, Aaditya Thackeray has launched new Electric Vehicle Policy 2021 to accelerate the adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles
• This new EV policy is a revision of the 2018 policy and will exempt EVs from road tax and registration charges
• It is introduced with an aim to make Maharashtra the topmost producer of battery-powered electric vehicles in India.
• It also aims for EVs to make up 10% of all new vehicle registrations by 2025.

RBI cancels license of Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar Urban Co-operative Bank

• RBI has cancelled the license of Dr. Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Nilanga, Latur district, Maharashtra.
• Bank ceases to carry on banking business with effect from the close of business on July 14, 2021.
• RBI cancelled the license of the bank as the bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects and does not comply with the provisions of section 11(1) and section 22 (3) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Gokulam Kerala FC to represent India in AFC Women’s Club Championship

• Gokulam Kerala FC will represent India in the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2020-21 Pilot tournament as per All India Football Federation (AIFF).
• This decision came after AIFF was forced to postpone the upcoming edition of IWL due to the monsoons and an expected third wave of COVID-19.
• Gokulam Kerala FC were the champions of Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2019-20, which is also known as 4th edition of the Hero Indian Women’s League
• AIFF General Secretary: Kushal Das.

World Day for International Justice: 17th July

• World Day for International Justice is observed every year on July 17 across the globe to mark an emerging modern system of justice against international criminal acts.
• July 17 is the day when the International Criminal Court (ICC) was formally established, following the adoption of the Rome Statute.
• Theme 2021: A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy
• It is celebrated by honouring individuals working to advocate the fundamental human rights of victims.

Government launches digital platform ‘Kisan Sarathi’

• Govt has launched digital platform titled ‘Kisan Sarathi’ to facilitate farmers to get right information at right time in their desired language.
• It was jointly launched virtually by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Through this, farmers can avail personalised advisories on agriculture and allied areas directly from scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra through the digital platform.

Andhra Pradesh to implement 10% EWS quota in employment, education

• Andhra Pradesh govt has issued orders for implementation of 10% EWS reservation in all government employment and education in accordance with 103rd Constitution Amendment Act 2019 that provides for the creation of the special EWS quota to be implemented by the state.
• AP government has simplified the norms stipulated by the Centre for its implementation without sub-categorisation
• People with gross family income below Rs 8 lakh per annum are eligible for EWS reservation 

National Award-winning actress Surekha Sikri passes away

• Veteran television and film actress Surekha Sikri (75 years) passed away due to cardiac arrest
• She was best known for her performances in television daily soap Balika Vadhu
• She was also credited for films like Tamas, Mammo, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Zubeidaa, Badhaai Ho
• She was last seen in Netflix’s anthology ‘Ghost Stories’ directed by Zoya Akhtar
• Sikri won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Tamas (1988), Mammo (1995), Badhaai Ho (2018).

India, Sri Lanka and Maldives Hold Joint Exercise on Maritime Security

• India, Sri Lanka and Maldives held virtual trilateral table top exercise titled as TTX-2021 for countering common transnational maritime crime like curbing narcotics and assistance in maritime search and rescue.
• It is a two-day exercise aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and exchange of best practices procedures for countering common transnational crime.
• The exercise gains additional relevance in light of the successful Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2.

Ministry of Civil Aviation releases Drone Rule 2021 for public consultation

• Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated ‘The Drone Rules 2021’ for public consultation that will replace UAS Rules 2021 (released on 12 March 2021)
• Drone Rules 2021 include:
• Approvals for authorisation number, import clearance, etc abolished
• Number of forms reduced from 25 to 6.
• Fee reduced to nominal levels.
• Safety features like ‘No permission – no take-off’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui passes away

• Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui (41 years) passed away, after he was killed in a clash while reporting fight between Afghan troops and the Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan
• He was employed with international news agency Reuters.
• He was a recipient of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize with six others working as a photographer with Reuters news agency in 2018.

Adani Group takes management control of Mumbai International Airport

• Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) has taken over the management control of the world class Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), by both passenger and cargo traffic, from the GVK Group.
• With this, Adani has become the largest airport infrastructure company in India.
• Now, it accounts for a total of eight airports in its management and development portfolio, accounting for 25% of airport footfalls.
• It will also control 33% of the country’s air cargo traffic

China launches World’s first commercial onshore small reactor project

• China is constructing world’s first onshore commercial modular small reactor titled as ‘Linglong One’ at the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in the Hainan Province.
• Multipurpose small modular reactor (SMR) ‘Linglong One’ (ACP100), is the first SMR to get green signal by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2016.
• ACP100 will have a generation capacity of 125,000 kilowatt hours and upon completion, the capacity can climb up to 1 billion kilowatt hours.

Top Current Affairs of the Week ( 11 July -17 July 2021) - English PDF 

• CDS Exam Last 5 Year Trend Analysis

More from us:

Important Study Notes for Defence Exams

Defence Specific Notes

Weekly Current Affairs

Current Affairs Quiz

SSB Interview Tips

Thanks 

Sahi Prep Hai Toh Life Set hai!