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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 July 2019

::NATIONAL::

Nation pays tribute to Kargil war martyrs on Vijay diwas

President Ram NathKovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister NarendraModi paid tribute to the martyrs of Kargil War on the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
In a tweet, Mr Kovind said, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. The President said, the country salutes the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record its everlasting debt to those who never returned.
On the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu paid respects to the brave soldiers of Indian Army who made ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty to protect nation. In a tweet, Mr Naidu saluted all the heroes of the Kargil war and Operation Vijay who secured a valiant victory on 26th of July, 1999.
On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Prime Minister NarendraModi paid tributes to the brave soldiers of Indian Army who laid down their lives protecting their motherland. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, the day reminds us of the courage, bravery and dedication of our soldiers.
The Prime Minister also shared on twitter some photographs of his Kargil visit in 1999 and described his interaction with soldiers as unforgettable. He said, during the Kargil War, he had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with brave soldiers. Mr Modi said, he was working for his Party in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Himachal Pradesh at the time.

Supreme court directs centre to set up special courts for POCSO cases

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to set up courts within 60 days and appoint sensitised prosecutors to deal with sexual assault cases against children.
The court directed the setting up of Centrally-funded exclusive court in districts with over 100 cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A bench headed by Chief Justice RanjanGogoi, comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said the Centre would have to appoint trained, sensitised prosecutors and support persons to deal with the POCSO cases.
The bench also directed the chief secretaries of states and union territories to ensure timely submission of forensic reports in such cases.
The court asked the Centre to apprise it about the status of compliance of the order in 30 days and to make the money available for setting up of POCSO courts, appointment of prosecutors and others.

::ECONOMY::

Finance ministry to conduct study on overseas bond issue

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the Finance Ministry to conduct a detailed study on the issuance of overseas sovereign bonds in the light of concerns raised by several experts, sources said.
The PMO has asked the Finance Ministry to examine the concerns raised by formers RBI governors and deputy governors on the issuance of such bonds and its implications.
Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman, in Budget 2019-20, announced that the government would start raising a part of its gross borrowing programme from external markets in foreign currencies. She added that India’s sovereign external debt-to-GDP level is among the lowest globally at less than 5%.
The idea, however, has been criticised by many, including economists and allies of the ruling BJP alike, as they argued that it could create long-term economic risks by exposing the government’s liabilities to currency fluctuations.
Rathin Roy, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has called for a discussion on sovereign bonds instead of an ‘imperial announcement’ of the borrowing programme.

India improves rank in Global innovation Index

India has jumped five places to rank 52 in the Global Innovation Index 2019, up from the 57 it had in last year’s rankings.
India’s rise in the rankings has been a consistent trend over the last few years. It had ranked 81 in 2015, which rose to 66 in 2016, 60 in 2017 and 57 in 2018.
“The performance improvement of India is particularly noteworthy,” the report, brought out by the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation, INSEAD and CII, said.
The report also highlighted that India stands out in the world’s top science and technology clusters, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New Delhi featuring among the top 100 global clusters.
“Given its size and if progress is upheld India will make a true impact on global innovation in the years to come,” the report said. Commerce Minister PiyushGoyal, who released the report, said that India’s hope of increasing the size of the economy to $5 trillion cannot happen without significant innovation.
Mr.Goyal also said that India must be a responsive country and work in mission mode by engaging with academia, the private sector and government agencies to improve the quality of citizens’ lives even in the remotest parts of the country.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India-Saudi Arabia to discuss bilateral energy cooperation

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister DharmendraPradhan today held discussions with Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Falih to further enhance bilateral hydrocarbon cooperation.
Both the Ministers discussed further enhancing India-Saudi Arabia hydrocarbon cooperation to become a strong pillar of the existing overall strategic partnership between the two countries.
An official release said, during the meeting Minister Al-Falih emphasized the need for capitalizing on the growing momentum in bilateral hydrocarbon cooperation.
Mr Pradhan discussed the current developments in the global oil and gas markets and raised India’s concerns on the recent increase in Asian Premium and the decision of OPEC Plus members on extending production cuts, leading to oil price volatility.
The Minister also highlighted the need for responsible and reasonable crude pricing in the larger interest of both consuming and producing countries.

Indian embassy gets consular access to sailors on board in Iran

The Indian embassy in Tehran has got the consular access to 18 Indian nationals who were on board the British vessel Stena Impero which was seized by Iran last week.
Minister of State in External Affairs, V Muraleedharan in a tweet, last evening said, the Indian crew members are safe and doing fine. He said, the government will continue to push for early release of detained Indian nationals.
The British oil tanker was seized last week by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz for alleged violation of international maritime rules. Earlier, in another tweet, Mr Muraleedharan informed that a team of the Indian High Commission in London met the 24 Indian crew members and staff who were on board shipping vessel 'Grace 1'.
The Iranian oil tanker 'Grace 1' was seized by the British marines and Gibraltar police authorities off the Spanish coast earlier this month.
The Minister said, the crew's morale is high and assured all assistance for their early release. He said, Indian High Commission in London will facilitate necessary travel document and related arrangements.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Study finds earth warming up faster than in last 2000years

World temperatures rose faster in the late 20th century than at any other time in the last 2,000 years, according to a study released on Wednesday.
While average global temperatures are currently around 1°C hotter than pre-industrial times, there have been a number of periods of cooling and warming over the centuries. This had led sceptics of manmade global warming to suggest that human activity is not the main driver of climate change.
The findings are clear: at no point in modern human history did temperatures rise so quickly and so consistently as in the late 20th century — the period where the world’s post-war, fossil fuel-powered economy reached unprecedented heights of production and consumption.
The study found that pre-industrial temperature fluctuations were largely driven by volcanic activity.But it also concluded that humans had never witnessed such rapid global warming as in the latter part of the 20th century.
Commenting on the studies, Mark Maslin, Professor of Climatology at University College London, said their results “should finally stop climate change deniers claiming that the recent observed coherent global warming is part of a natural climate cycle”.

::SPORTS::

Goa seeks change of dates for National games

The Goa government has sought new dates for holding National Games. Chief Minister PramodSawant told the Legislative Assembly in Panaji today that it was not possible to put up the infrastructure required for hosting the National Games by November this year.
He said the state government has requested the Indian Olympic Association to grant minimum five-month time for holding the Games and allot dates in May next year.
The IOA had recently fined the Goa government for frequently missing the deadlines to host the games in the last four years.
The National Games were earlier scheduled to be held in March- April 2019, but were postponed to November on account of LokSabha elections, by-polls in the state and HSC examinations.