NATIONAL NEWS

Assam Government Launched ‘Gajah Kotha’ Campaign

• Assam launched ‘Gajah Kotha’ campaign to address the growing problem of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC).

• The ‘Gajah Kotha’ campaign involves over 1,200 participants and aims to promote coexistence between humans and elephants.

• The focus of the campaign is on HEC affected villages in Eastern Assam.

• The main objective is to educate the residents about elephant behaviour, ecology and the cultural importance of elephants in the region.

• The campaign emphasizes the importance of conservation efforts in reducing HEC.

• Aranyak, a renowned wildlife NGO based in Guwahati is leading the campaign.
• The British Asian Trust and the Assam Forest Department are collaborating on this initiative.

Tamil Nadu's Authoor Betel Leaves Get GI Certificate

• Authoor betel leaves from Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu have been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) certificate by Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board and NABARD Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum.

• The Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Vivasayigal Sangam, a body representing growers of the Authoor betel leaf, has been awarded the GI certificate.

• This recognition as a Geographical Indication opens up new opportunities for the marketing of Authoor betel leaves.

• The certification allows author betel leaves to be marketed domestically and internationally, thereby increasing their reach in different markets.

• This recognition also highlights the marketing potential of Authoor betel leaves and paves the way for increased demand and popularity.

India For Banks Under Agri Infra Fund

• Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Manoj Ahuja launched a new campaign called Bharat (Banks Heralding Accelerated Rural and Agricultural Transformation) for Banks under Agri Infra Fund.
• The campaign will run for a month from 15 July 2023 to 15 August 2023, with a target of raising Rs 7,200 crore.
• Joint Secretary Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Samuel Praveen Kumar highlighted the progress made under the Agri Infra Fund scheme which has seen construction of over 31,850 agriculture infrastructure projects in the country with a loan amount of Rs 24,750 crore.
• The total outlay of the scheme is Rs 42,000 crore.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020.
• Its objective is to provide medium to long term debt financing for viable projects related to post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India to Open Consulate in Southern French City

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 14 July 2023 that India will open a consulate in the southern city of Marseille, France.

• Prime Minister Modi is on an official visit to France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 13 to 15 July 2023. This is the sixth visit of Prime Minister Modi to France.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community at La Seine Musicale in Paris during his visit to France.

• This year 2023 also marks the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership and the Prime Minister's visit will provide an opportunity to chart out a roadmap for the future of the partnership in various areas such as strategic, cultural, scientific, educational and economic cooperation.

BANKING

Razorpay India Launched 1st International Payment Gateway in Malaysia

• India’s fintech giant and leading Full-Stack Payments, and Business Banking Platform, Razorpay, launched its first international Payment Gateway in Malaysia for the Malaysian market with Curlec, now known as ‘Curlec By Razorpay’.

• The new Curlec payment gateway will serve more than 5,000 businesses with a target of Malaysian ringgits 10 billion in annualized gross transaction value (GTV) by 2025.

• In February 2022, Razorpay had acquired a majority stake in Kuala Lumpur-based fintech Curlec at a valuation of $20 million with an aim to fuel its global expansion plans.

• The balance stake acquisition was to be completed in 2023.

New Travel Credit Card to Redefine Travel Experiences

• IDFC FIRST Bank has collaborated with Club Vistara and Mastercard to introduce a travel credit card.

• It is designed to provide exciting travel and lifestyle-related offers to cardholders.

• The new card will combine seamless banking services with numerous travel benefits.

• Joining Benefits: A free Premium Economy flight ticket along with an upgrade voucher.

• Tiered Annual Rewards: Unlock free tickets basis the cumulative annual spending on the card.

• More than Rs. 1,50,000: 1 additional Premium Economy Class Ticket
• More than Rs. 3,00,000: 1 additional Premium Economy Class Ticket
• More than Rs. 4,50,000: 1 additional Premium Economy Class Ticket
• More than Rs. 9,00,000: 1 additional Premium Economy Class Ticket
• More than Rs. 12,00,000: 1 additional Premium Economy Class Ticket
• CFAR Insurance: The card offers a cover on non-refundable components of any travel booking with up to two claims worth up to 10,000 on Flight & Hotel booking for the cardholder, under Cancelled For Any Reason (CFAR) Insurance.

Max Life Insurance Partnered with DCB Bank

• Max Life Insurance Company has partnered with DCB Bank to provide a variety of life insurance products, including term, savings, and retirement plans, allowing them to protect their financial future and expand their investment portfolio.

• The aim is to empower DCB Bank’s customers by providing them with innovative and flexible life insurance products that cater to their needs.

• The business tie-up will offer bank customers access to Max Life’s protection and long-term savings solutions, offering financial stability for themselves and their families.

SPORTS

Wimbledon 2023

• Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player in the Open Era to win the women's singles championship at Wimbledon 2023.

• In the final, Marketa Vondrousova defeated Ons Jabeur, who had been runner-up in the previous year's tournament.

• Marketa Vondrousova is a Czech tennis player who achieved her career-highest career ranking of world No. 14 according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

• It has been held at the All-England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877, played on grass courts.
• Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open.

64th International Mathematical Olympiad 2023

• The six-member Indian team secured two Gold medals at the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2023 held in Chiba, Japan.

• The event took place from the 02 July to 13 July 2023.

• The Indian team also managed to get two Silver and two Bronze medals and finished 9th out of 112 countries.

• This is the fourth time India secured a position in the top 10.

• The final team is selected through various stages of the National Olympiad Examination conducted by HBCSE.

• The International Mathematical Olympiad is a mathematical olympiad for pre-university students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads.
• It is one of the most prestigious mathematical competitions in the world.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Golden Peacock' Environment Management Award 2023

• Indian company Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) has been awarded the 'Golden Peacock Environment Management Award' by the 'Institute of Directors' in the 'Power Transmission Sector'.

• The award is given for reducing its ecological footprint through programs such as zero waste in landfills, single-use plastic free, water-positive operations, promoting renewable energy integration and implementation of best-in-class environmental management strategies.

• ATL was declared the 'Winner' by its B2C arm i.e. Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited for its unique strategic initiative of increasing renewable energy in bulk power purchase for distribution in Mumbai region.
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2021 in the steel sector by the Institute of Directors. SAIL has been the winner of this award for three consecutive years.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India's Third Moon Mission Chandrayaan-3 Successfully Launched

• India successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 with LVM3-M4 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
• With the success of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission, India will be the fourth country after Russia (Soviet Union), America and China to have soft-landed on the Moon.
• ISRO launched Chandrayaan-1 in 2008. Chandrayaan-2 was launched in 2019. Chandrayaan-3 was launched from Sriharikota on 14 July 2023.
• Chandrayaan-3 has a propulsion module, lander and rover.
• The Lander + Rover of Chandrayaan-3 weighs about 250 kg more than the Lander + Rover of Chandrayaan-2.
• The Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to gather more information about the lunar surface.

IMPOTANT DAYS

World Youth Skills Day 2023

• World Youth Skills Day 2023 is celebrated every year on 15 July.
• It is to mention the significance of developing skills among young people worldwide.
• The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2023 is Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future.
• World Youth Skills Day was created by the United Nations General Assembly on November 11, 2014, through a resolution initiated by Sri Lanka, and supported by some other countries.
• The first World Youth Skills Day was celebrated on July 15, 2015.
• The day intends to “raise awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development” with that in mind.

MISCELLANEOUS

Rare Bird 'Jerdon's Babbler' Spotted in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

• A rare and globally endangered bird species called 'Jerdon's Babbler' was recently spotted in the grasslands of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Uttar Pradesh.

• According to surveyors, more than 95% of 'Jerdon's Babbler' in India are from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

• The Jordanian babbler lives in pairs in small flocks in tall grasslands.

• This globally threatened bird has been listed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1994.