Important Current Affairs 28th July 2016

PM to evaluate ‘Vision 2030’

1. PM Modi will chair a meeting today with NITI Aayog to assess Vision 2030
2. Meeting will be attended by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Pangariya and other members
3. It will prepare a 3-year action plan for 2017-18 to 2019-20 as part of the National Development Agenda
4. It is working on a 7-year strategy from 2017-18 to 2023-24 to convert a vision document into implementable policy

12 found guilty in 2006 Aurangabad case

1. A special MCOCA court has found 12 accused guilty in the 206 Aurangabad arms haul case, including Lashkar-e-Taiba operative and 26/11 plotter Abu Jundal
2. Judge S.L. Anekar held that the case was a part of a larger post-2002 Gujarat riots conspiracy to eliminate the then CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi and Vishwa Hindu Parishad Leader Praveen Togadia
3. A total of 22 were accused in the case

IMD sticks to above normal forecast

1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is sticking to its 2016 forecast of southwest monsoon being ‘above normal’ as of now, based on the rainfall so far.
2. The Met department had forecast July rains to be 107% of LPA. July is the most crucial month for sowing of Kharif crops.
3. IMD would come up with its second half forecast for 2016 monsoon season later this month.

Govt Introduces Bill To Amend Lokpal Act

1. The govt. has introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the clause pertaining to NGOs in the Lokpal Act.
2. It proposes to amend Section 44 of the Act.
3. The act required senior management personnel working with NGOs to disclose their assets and liabilities if their NGO receive foreign donations and funds from the Union government.

CAG signs UN audit reports in New York

1. Comptroller and Auditor General Shashi Kant Sharma, along with auditor generals of other countries has signed 11 United Nations (UN) Audit reports.
2. The reports cover important UN bodies like UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, UN-WOMEN, UNOPS and UN Headquarters.
3. These reports will be presented to the General Assembly of the UN and other governing bodies.

Rajnath to visit Pakistan for SAARC

1. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Pakistan to attend the meeting of the SAARC Home Ministers on August 3 and 4, 2016.
2. States had decided that the SAARC home ministers would meet to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism.
3. The first meeting of SAARC Interior/Home Ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006, followed by a meeting in New Delhi in 2007

Great Red Spot cause of heat on Jupiter

1. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot with hues may be the mysterious heat source behind the Jupiter’s high atmospheric temperatures.
2. It is two-three times as wide as Earth and is seen by many as a “perpetual hurricane” with winds peaking at about 400 miles an hour.
3. This effect has been observed over the Andes Mountains here on Earth and may also be happening elsewhere in the outer solar system.

India-US discuss security and terrorism

1. US and Indian officials will meet on Thursday for the 14th US-India Counter terrorism Joint Working Group (JWG)
2. The meeting is to discuss regional terrorist threats, information sharing, border security, and efforts to counter extremism.
3. It was agreed upon by John Kerry and Sushma Swaraj on the occasion of the inaugural US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in September last year.

Cabinet approves abolition JV guidelines

1. Cabinet yesterday has approved abolition of existing guidelines for establishing joint venture companies by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).
2. It will allow DPSUs to forge partnerships in an innovative manner enhancing self-reliance in defence.
3. All nine DPSUs will be benefited by this decision

Opposition forces RS adjournment

1. Opposition on Thursday disrupted RS protesting against making Aadhaar card mandatory for availing government benefits.
2. The opposition argued that as much as 40 per cent of the population do not have Aadhaar card and the move will affect the poor people.
3. These benefits include subsidised LPG, PDS supplies and pensions.

India in talks for pulses import

1. India is in talks with Myanmar and some African nations for government-to-government import of pulses to boost domestic supply and check prices.
2. An MoU has been signed with Mozambique for importing pulses on a long term basis and address the domestic gap.
3. India imported about 5.8 million tonnes of pulses both through public and private agencies

NSTL to develop optic guided torpedoes

1. Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) is set to develop guided heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes with extended range.
2. It has already delivered heavyweight torpedo Varunastra to the Navy.
3. The submarine variant of Varunastra would be test-fired in about two months and the optic-guided torpedo trials will begin by the year-end.

Social activist Mahasweta Devi dies

1. Eminent litterateur and social activist Mahasweta Devi has passed away.
2. She was awarded with the Jnanpith, Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay awards.
3. The writer-activist was known for her dedicated service for the welfare of tribals in different parts of India.
4. Born in Dhaka in 1926, Devi did her graduation and MA from Calcutta University

Narsingh can replace Rana after NADA nod

1. IOA has said that it will not object to wrestler Narsingh Yadav replacing Praveen Rana in the Rio Olympics if he is cleared by NADA in an ongoing dope scandal.
2. Rana has been nominated by Wrestling Federation of India for the 74kg freestyle quota place after Narsingh tested positive for a banned steroid.
3. IOA has cleared a 211-member contingent, including 124 athletes, for the Rio Games

Brazil fines Facebook $11.6 million

1. Brazil has slapped an $11.6 million fine on the Facebook over the company’s refusal to surrender data from its WhatsApp messenger program to police.
2. WhatsApp has been owned by social media giant Facebook since February 2015.
3. WhatsApp is estimated to be used by 100 million Brazilians, making Brazil the second biggest user country after South Africa

ADB raises Rs 500cr in rupee bonds

1. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised Rs 5 billion, by issuing five-year offshore Indian rupee-linked bonds.
2. The strength of the Indian economy has led to increasing demand from international investors for Indian rupee bonds.
3. ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

China, Russia to naval exercises in SCS

1. China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in September.
2. The announcement comes after the PCA has ruled that there was “no legal basis” to Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea
3. With international diplomatic tensions mounting and Washington regularly sending warships area to assert the right to freedom of navigation, the move gains more importance.

India to confront Pak on LeT terrorist

1. India will confront Pakistan with a dossier on militant Saifulla Bahadur Ali when Rajnath Singh will meet his Pakistan counterpart next week to discuss cross-border terror.
2. Ali, in custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was captured during a gunfight in Kupwara on July 25.
3. He had earlier told investigators that he was trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Biocon initiates program on Hepatitis C

1. Biocon branded formulations business announced the launch of a new patient support program ‘Ek Prayaas’ through a nationwide awareness drive for Hepatitis C.
2. It was launched on the occasion of ‘World Hepatitis Day’ on July 28th.
3. The program is aimed to educate the common man about the causes and effects of Hepatitis C.
4. 130-150 million people globally have chronic Hepatitis C infection.

Gautam Adani to counter Pak in Gwadar

1. The government will grant billionaire Gautam Adani 16 billion rupees ($240 million) so-called “viability gap” funding to help the new port at Vizhinjam, on India’s southern tip .
2. The move is seen as India’s answer to Pakistan’s Gwadar port.
3. India is worried about China’s expanding reach in the region through port investments in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives.