National News
India Becomes First Nation To Prepare Full List of Fauna
The Fauna of India Checklist Portal is the first comprehensive document on the faunal species reported from India. India has become the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna, covering 104,561 species. The ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal’ was launched on the occasion of the 109th Foundation Day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata on Sunday by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.
Global champion in biodiversity conservation
“India is a global champion in biodiversity conservation,” Yadav said, referencing the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative as a testament to the country’s dedication to environmental preservation. This program was one of the first major initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his re-election. Additionally, Yadav highlighted other government initiatives aimed at preserving biodiversity, such as the International Big Cat Alliance. He pointed to the successful relocation of cheetahs to India as an example of the country’s effective conservation efforts.
Bird species in India
Among the 1,358 bird species present in India, there are 79 that are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. The Western Ghats Bio-geographic zone has the highest number of these species at 28, with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands being the next most important area for endemism.
List of the states and number of species
| Category | Region | Number of Species |
| Total Mammalian Species in India | 455 | |
| Highest Mammalian Diversity | Meghalaya | 163 |
| West Bengal | 161 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 142 |
Zoological Survey of India
- Headquarters: Kolkata
- Founded: 1 July 1916
- Director: Dr. Dhriti Banerjee
Air India to Set Up South Asia’s Largest Flight Training School in Amravati
Air India is establishing South Asia’s largest flight training school in Maharashtra’s Amravati district with an investment of over ₹200 crore. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of the next financial year, this initiative aims to secure a steady pipeline of pilots for the airline, which will require 500-700 pilots annually to support its expansion plans following a mega order of 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft in 2023.
- Objective: To secure a steady pipeline of 500-700 pilots annually, supporting Air India’s expansion after ordering 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft in 2023.
- Partnership: Collaboration with Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC).
- Land Lease: 10-acre plot leased for thirty years.
- Training Fleet: 31 single-engine Piper aircraft and three twin-engine Diamond aircraft.
- Training Capacity: 180 commercial pilots annually.
- Infrastructure: Features a 1,850-metre extended runway, modern navigation aids, and night landing facilities.
Advantages: Amravati offers over 300 days of clear visibility, ideal for pilot training
Air India:
- CEO: Campbell Wilson (2022–)
- Founder: J. R. D. Tata
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1932, Mumbai
International news
Japan Introduces Holographic Technology in New Banknotes
On July 3, Japan will introduce new banknotes featuring what it claims to be the world’s pioneering use of advanced holography. This technology creates the illusion of historic figures’ portraits rotating in 3D on the bills, serving as a key anti-counterfeit measure. This marks the first redesign of the banknotes in 20 years.
What are the new features of the redesigned banknotes?
The upcoming banknotes introduce several innovative features equipped with advanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. One of the most notable advancements is the incorporation of cutting-edge holographic technology, which creates a three-dimensional effect. These include:
- Three-dimensional holographic stripes on the ¥10,000 and ¥5,000 notes that display the portraits from different angles when tilted. The ¥1,000 bill also includes a similar holographic patch at the bottom left corner.
- Enlarged Arabic numerals replacing the previous kanji characters for easier recognition of the face value by people of all ages and nationalities.
- Tactile marks to help visually impaired individuals identify the denominations by touch.
- Intaglio printing and watermarks for enhanced authenticity.
Important takeaways
- Capital of Japan: Tokyo
- Government in Japan: Democracy, Unitary state, Parliamentary system, Constitutional monarchy
- Prime minister: Fumio Kishida
- Currency: Japanese yen (¥)
State news
Hul Kranti Diwas 2024 Celebrations in Jharkhand
- Date: Celebrated on June 30 every year.
- Significance: Commemorates the 1855 independence movement led by tribal heroes Sidho, Kanho, Chand, and Bhairav against British Rule.
- Tributes: Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Champai Soren, and other dignitaries paid homage to the tribal freedom fighters.
- Main Event: Held at Bhognadih in Sahibganj, the birthplace of martyrs Sido-Kanhu.
- Inaugurations: Various schemes worth over ₹300 crores were inaugurated.
- Casualties: The revolt resulted in over 20,000 casualties, marking a significant chapter in India’s struggle for freedom.
Jharkhand:
- Chief minister: Champai Soren
- Capital: Ranchi
- Founded: 15 November 2000
Banking news
RBI, ASEAN to Create Platform for Fast Cross-Border Retail Payments
- Initiative: Multilateral Project Nexus for efficient, faster, and cost-effective retail cross-border payments.
- Participants: Collaboration between RBI, BIS, and central banks of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
- Launch Date: Platform expected to go live by 2026.
- Agreement: Signed by BIS and central banks of the founding countries on June 30, 2024, in Basel, Switzerland.
- Special Observer: Indonesia involved as a special observer.
- Expansion: Project Nexus aims to include more countries in the future.
Recent Developments
- January 2024: NPCI launched the UPI-PayNow linkage for remittances between India and Singapore.
- January 2024: Google Pay and NPCI International Payments signed an agreement to expand UPI payments outside India.
- February 2024: NPCI partnered with Lyra to enable UPI acceptance in France; UPI services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
- June 2024: PhonePe collaborated with Sri Lanka-based LankaPay to enable UPI payments in Sri Lanka.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
- Governor – Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governors – Swaminathan Janakiraman, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar
- Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
- Establishment- 1st April 1935
- Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Appointment news
New CGM of PGCIL SRTS-I Takes Charge
Akhilesh Pathak has assumed office as the new Chief General Manager of the Southern Region Transmission System-I (SRTS-I) of the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) on Monday, July 1, 2024.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd:
- Established: 1989
- Headquarters: Gurugram, India
- Operations: Manages transmission systems across India
- Network: Extensive network of transmission lines and sub-stations
- Ownership: Government-owned (majority stake)
- Function: Ensures efficient power transmission and grid management
- Subsidiaries: Includes POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation Limited)
Indian Army’s New Vice Chief of Army Staff: Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani
- Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani assumed the charge as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on 1 July 2024. He replaced former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, who took charge as the 30th Chief of Army Staff on 1 July 2024.
- Before his appointment as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army’s Central Command based in Lucknow.
Command structure of the Indian Army
The Indian Army has 6 operational commands and one training command.
| Serial No. | Command | Headquarters | Commander |
| 1 | Western Command | Chandimandir (Haryana) | Lt. Gen. Manoj Kumar Katiyar |
| 2 | Eastern Command | Kolkata (West Bengal) | Lt. Gen Ram Chander Tiwari |
| 3 | Southern Command | Pune(Maharashtra) | Lt. Gen Dhiraj Seth |
| 4 | Northern Command | Udhampur(Jammu ) | Lt. Gen Suchindra Kumar |
| 5 | Central Command | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) | – |
| 6 | South -Western Command | Jaipur (Rajasthan ) | Lt. Gen Manjinder Singh |
| 7 | Army Training Command | Shimla(Himachal Pradesh) | Lt. Gen Devendra Sharma |
Manoj Kumar Singh Takes Charge as Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Secretary
- Manoj Kumar Singh Takes Charge as Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Secretary
- Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre takes charge as the new Chief Secretary (CS) of UP.
- Manoj’s appointment follows the conclusion of Durga Shanker Mishra’s extended tenure on 30 June 2024.
- Manoj Kumar Singh currently holds two pivotal positions as the Agriculture Production Commissioner and the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh.
Science and tech news
SERA and Blue Origin Announce India as Partner Nation for Human Spaceflight Program
- India designated as a partner nation in the human spaceflight initiative by SERA and Blue Origin.
- Opportunity: Six seats available for Indian citizens aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
- Application Fee: Nominal fee of USD 2.50 for verification.
- Selection Process: Final candidates chosen through public voting.
- Experience: Selected astronauts to undergo training and experience several minutes of weightlessness during the 11-minute suborbital flight.
- Goal: Democratize space access for countries with limited space exploration opportunities.
- Research Focus: Mission to conduct research in cellular biology, fluid dynamics, and human physiology, in collaboration with a US educational institute.
About India gangayan mission:
- The Gaganyaan Mission is India’s first crewed space mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- The mission is a crewed orbital spacecraft that will carry three people.
- The Gaganyaan will be in orbit for up to seven days with a two- or three-person crew on board.
- The crewed mission was originally planned to be launched on ISRO’s HLVM3 rocket in December 2021, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now expected to be launched by 2025.
- The mission will include four biological and two physical science experiments related to microgravity.
Scheme news
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Launches NTR Bharosa Pension
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched the NTR Bharosa pension scheme in the state on 1 July 2024 by personally delivering the pension amount to a beneficiary at their house. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led government, which was sworn in on 12 June 2024, was fulfilling one of its election promises.
- TDP president and Andhra Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the scheme at 6 a.m. on 1 July 2024 at Penumaka village of Tadepalli block in Amaravati.
- Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, also participated in the pension distribution programme at Gollaprolu village in his Pithapuram constituency.
NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme: Enhancing Social Security in Andhra Pradesh
Overview
- Scheme: Social security initiative by the Andhra Pradesh government.
- Recent Approval: Enhanced pension amounts approved by the state cabinet on June 24, 2024.
Enhanced Pension Benefits
- General Categories: Pension for old-aged people, widows, weavers, toddy tappers, fishermen, single women, traditional cobblers, transgenders, and artists increased from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 per month.
- Disabled Individuals: Pension for the disabled and multi-deformity leprosy patients increased from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 per month.
- Fully Disabled: Pension for fully disabled individuals confined to beds or wheelchairs and those with severe muscular dystrophy increased from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 per month.
- Chronic Diseases: Pension for individuals suffering from chronic diseases like kidney diseases and thalassemia increased from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month.
Distribution and Beneficiaries
- Disbursement: ₹4,408 crore distributed as pensions among 6.531 million beneficiaries across 28 different categories on July 1, 2024.
- Delivery: Pensions delivered at beneficiaries’ doorsteps.
Additional Announcements Amma Canteen: The state government will soon launch Amma canteens, providing food at ₹5 to the public.
Defence news
Indian Army commences Joint Military exercise Maitree with Thai Army
The Indian Army has commenced its joint military exercise Maitree with the Royal Thai Army at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province of Thailand. The exercise will be held from 1 to 15 July 2024. The last Maitri exercise was held at the Foreign Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya, from 16 to 29 September 2019.
Maitree Exercise: Strengthening India-Thailand Defence Cooperation
Overview
- Inception: Initiated in 2006.
- Participants (Latest Edition): 76 Indian Army personnel (Ladakh Scouts and other divisions) and 76 personnel from the Royal Thai Army (1st Battalion, 14 Infantry Regiment of 4 Division).
Objectives
- Enhance Cooperation: Part of efforts by Indian and Thai governments to boost mutual defence cooperation.
- Skill Sharpening: Focuses on counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism operations in urban and jungle environments.
- Joint Activities: Includes joint planning, tactical drills, physical fitness, establishing joint operation centres, intelligence and surveillance centres, using drones and counter-drone systems, securing landing sites, special Heliborne Operations, and cordon and search operations.
India-Thailand Defence Ties
- Relationship: Cordial and peaceful maritime neighbours in the Andaman Sea.
- MoU on Defence Cooperation: Signed in 2012 to facilitate bilateral military exercises.
Naval Exercises
- Ex-Ayutthaya: First bilateral naval exercise conducted in December 2023, symbolizing invincibility and connecting Ayodhya in India with Ayutthaya in Thailand.
- Indo-Thai CORPAT: Bilateral coordinated patrol held since 2005, with the 36th edition conducted in December 2023.
Air Force Exercises
- Ex-SIAM BHARAT: Joint exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force.
Sports news
BPCL Partners with IOA as Official Principal Partner for Paris and LA Olympics
- On 30th June 2024, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has entered into a partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as the official Principal Partner for 4 years starting from Paris Olympics 2024 through Los Angeles (LA) Olympics 2028.
- The partnership was announced during the send-off ceremony of the Indian contingent heading to Paris Olympics 2024 organised by IOA in New Delhi, Delhi.
Note: Paris Olympics 2024 will be held from 26th July to 11th August, 2024.
Key People: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Minsitry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOPNG), Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYSA) and Dr. P.T. Usha, President of IOA, among others were present during the event. Details of the partnership:
- This 4-year partnership supports and appreciates the sheer grit and determination of Indian athletes, most of them hails from humble backgrounds and remote corners of India.
- According to this partnership, BPCL will launch series of campaigns designed specifically to support and uplift the Indian contingent heading to Paris 2024.
- Through these campaigns BPCL reaffirms its commitment to support and encourage young sporting talent and fostering a national pride and unity.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL):
- BPCL is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the MoPNG.
- Chief Managing Director (CMD)- G. Krishnakumar
- Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtr
Books and author news
Release of Books on the Life of Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu
- On June 2024, The Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi released three books on the life and journey of former Vice President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu through video conferencing from Delhi on the eve of Naidu’s 75th birthday (July 1 2024).
- The event took place at Anvaya Convention Centre in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Three Books:
- Biography of the former Vice President titled ‘Venkaiah Naidu – Life in Service’, which was authored by Shri S Nagesh Kumar, former Resident Editor of The Hindu, Hyderabad edition.
- ‘Celebrating Bharat – The Mission and Message of Shri M Venkaiah Naidu as 13th Vice-President of India’, a Photo chronicle compiled by Dr I.V. Subba Rao, Former Secretary to the Vice-President of India.
- Pictorial biography in Telugu titled ‘Mahaneta – Life and Journey of Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu’, which was authored by Shri Sanjay Kishore.
Important daysGST Day 2024: Commemorating 7 Years of India’s Comprehensive Indirect Tax
Goods And Service Tax (GST) Day is annually observed across India on 1 July to commemorate the implementation of the GST regime, a comprehensive indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services in India, which came into effect on 1 July 2017.
- 1 July 2024 marks the observance of the 7th GST Day, commemorating the 7th anniversary of the coming into force of GST.
- The 2024 theme for the GST Day is, “Sashakt Vyapar Samagra Vikas” (Empowered Trade Overall Growth).
Background:
- GST was launched on July 1, 2017, during a grand ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament of India in New Delhi, Delhi.
- On 30 June 2018, the Government of India (GoI) announced the decision to celebrate the 1st July of every year as ‘GST Day’.
