Top Current Affairs 26 July 2020

Top Current Affairs 26 July 2020

Top Current Affairs 26  July 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 26 July 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. 

National News

PM Modi addresses India Ideas Summit 2020 organised by USIBC

• The India Ideas Summit was organised on 21-22 July 2020 by the US-India Business Council (USIBC).
• The theme for 2020 India Idea Summit was ‘Building a Better Future’.
• 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the formation of the US-India Business Council (USIBC).
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually delivered a keynote address at the India Ideas Summit on 22 July 2020.
• The Prime Minister has also invited American firms to invest in sectors like healthcare, energy, infrastructure, civil aviation, defence, finance and insurance, space, among others.

Indian Railways Constructing World’s first electrified double-stack container tunnel near Haryana

• The Indian Railways is constructing the world’s first electrified double-stack container tunnel, between the Aravalli hills, on the railway’s Western Dedicated Freight Corridor near Haryana’s Sohna
• Once operational, a double-stack container goods train will be able to run at a speed of more than 100 km from within this one-km-tunnel.
• The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) is the implementing agency of the project.
• The D-shaped tunnel is one of the biggest Railway tunnels in India in terms of cross-sectional area, measuring 150 square metres.
• One end of the tunnel is near Rewari while the other end of the tunnel is at Dadri.
• The tunnel connects the Mewat and Gurugram district of Haryana.

India’s first honey testing laboratory set up at NDDB in Anand district of Gujarat

• India’s first dedicated honey testing laboratory has been set up at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand district of Gujarat.
• The ‘World Class State of Art Honey Testing Laboratory’ was inaugurated virtually by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on 24 July 2020, with the aim to boost exports and ensure better rates to farmers.
• The facility has been established by NDDB with support of National Bee Board (NBB).
• The new lab will test honey as per the norms specified by the food safety regulator FSSAI.
• The purity of honey, adulteration, chemical substances, residues, heavy metals or antibodies can be checked to help for quality production of honey and its export to other countries..

HRD Ministry forms committee on retaining students in India, to be headed by UGC chairman D. P. Singh

• The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has set up a “Stay in India and Study in India” committee to form guidelines and recommend measures to make sure that more students study in India and there is a smooth transition for students returning from abroad due to COVID-19 situation.
• The committee will  be headed by chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Prof. D. P. Singh.
• This initiative is a part of Governments plan to retain aspiring students, who wants to study abroad, by providing appropriate opportunities for education in premier Indian institutions and addressing concerns of students returning from abroad, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ranking

India Ranks 3rd among top 10 countries gaining forest area in the world: FAO

• India has been ranked third among the top 10 countries that have gained in forest areas in the last decade (2010-2020) as per the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• FRA is a comprehensive assessment brought out by FAO after every five years since 1990 to assess the state of forests, their conditions and management for all member countries.

Key points to the report of FRA 2020

• Top 10 countries which recorded the maximum average annual net gains in forest area during 2010-2020 are China, Australia, India, Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy and Romania
• India accounts for two percent of total global forest area.
• The Asian continent reported the highest net gain in forest area in 2010-2020, with 1.17 million hectares (ha) per year net increase in forests.
• India reported 0.38 percent annual gain in forest (266,000 ha) of forest increase every year at an average, during the same period.
• The forest area managed by local, tribal and indigenous communities in India increased from zero in 1990 to about 25 million ha in 2015.
• The report also assessed the employment in the forestry sector (including logging) with data from 136 countries (that represent 91 percent of the world’s forests ). India reported maximum employment in the forestry sector in the world.
• Globally, 12.5 million people were employed in the forestry sector. Out of this, India accounted for 6.23 million, or nearly 50 per cent.

Appointments

UP Governor Anandiben Patel Gets Additional Charge Of Madhya Pradesh Post Demise of Lal Ji Tandon

• The Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has been given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh with effect from 24 July 2020.
• This decision was taken after the demise of Lal Ji Tandon, Governor of Madhya Pradesh on 21 July 2020.
• Anandiben Patel will discharge the functions of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, in addition to her own duties, until the appointment of a regular incumbent for the office of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

Naveen Tahilyani Appointed as MD & CEO of Tata AIA Life Insurance

• Tata AIA Life Insurance has appointed Naveen Tahilyani as the new Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director.
• Tahilyani will take over from current Chief Executive Officer, Rishi Srivastava, who is moving to Group Agency Distribution, AIA Group, Hong Kong as Chief Executive Officer.
• This is the second time that Naveen Tahilyani is being appointed as MD & CEO. Prior to this, he was the CEO and Managing Director of Tata AIA from the year 2015 to 2018.

Partha Pratim Sengupta takes over as new MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank

• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has appointed Partha Pratim Sengupta as its new managing director and chief executive.
• The 57 year-old Sengupta will serve the post up to the date of attaining the age of superannuation, December 31, 2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• The post of the MD and CEO at IOB was lying vacant after the superannuation of Karnam Sekar, who retired on June 30, 2020.
• Prior to this, Sengupta was the deputy managing director of State Bank of India (SBI).

Sports

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson wins 2020 FWA Footballer of the Year award

• Jordan Henderson, the captain of Premier League club Liverpool has been named the 2019-20 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association (FWA).
• The Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given since the 1947–48 season, to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football.
• The 30-year-old Henderson has played in 30 of Liverpool’s league matches so far this season and scored four goals.

Sri Lankan Bowler Sripali Weerakkody retires from international cricket

• Sri Lankan woman medium-pace bowler, Sripali Weerakkody has announced to retire from international cricket with immediate effect.
• The 34-year-old Sripali Weerakkody represented Sri Lanka in 89 Women’s One Day Internationals and 58 Women’s Twenty20 Internationals.
• Weerakkody was also a member of the 2014 Asian Games bronze medal winning Sri Lankan team.

Important Days

Kargil Vijay Diwas: 26 July

• Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on July 26 since the year 1999, to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil conflict.
• The day is dedicated to our Kargil War’s Heroes and is named after the successful Operation Vijay.
• It is celebrated to in view of Operation Vijay and Kargil War that ended on July 26, 1999. After this, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistan.
• ‘Operation Vijay’, was the code name given to India’s offensive against Pakistan to flush out the Pakistani infiltrators from the Indian territory in Kargil.

Obituary

Veteran Odia actor Bijay Mohanty passes away at 70

• Veteran Odia actor Bijay Mohanty has passed away following a prolonged illness. He was 70.
• Mohanty had started his career in Odia cinema in 1977.
• He was also honoured with National Award for his contribution to art and literature.