2 July

International News Affairs

• Today (2nd July) isWorld Sports Jounalists Day.
  • This day was established by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in 1994 to mark the 70th Anniversary of it’s foundation.
• TheUK Parliament has scrapped a requirement for male lawmakers to wear ties and jackets in the House of Commons, breaking a long-standing tradition requiring the MPs to wear ties as a part of rules governing conduct and courtesy.

National News Affairs

• The Union Ministry of Science & Technology has launchedNational Biopharma Mission, a first ever Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India.
  • Under this mission, the ministry alsolaunched Innovate in India (i3)program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector.
• Uttarakhandtoday banned begging, making it one of the twenty states and two union territories to have banned the practice.
  • Following a High Court order, the state issued the notification that gives the police right to arrest people begging on the streets.
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inauguratedTextiles India 2017 India’s first ever mega textiles trade fair at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
  • The 3-day fair will showcase the nation as a global sourcing hub and investment destination for manufacturers world-wide.
• The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension has launched a new training programme titled Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) for State Government officials.
  • Objective of COMMIT: To improve the public service delivery mechanism and provide citizen centric administration through capacity building of officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis.
• Mizoram recently celebrated the 31st anniversary of the signing of the historicMizo peace accord.
  • This Accord was signed by the Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga, Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalkhama, and Union Home Secretary R D Pradhan.
  • The accord ushered in an era of peace after 20 years of violence and disturbance that hampered Mizoram.

New Appointments

• Senior IPS officerR K Pachnanda took charge as the new Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). 
  • Important Points to Note:
    • With this, he became the 29th Chief of the ITBP.
    • With this appointment Pachnanda became theonly IPS officer who has served in all the major central paramilitary forces and agencies – CRPF, CISF, BSF, NDRF, SPG, CBI and now the
  • Hong Kong’s new leader,Carrie Lam, was sworn in today by Chinese President Xi Jinping in a formal ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the handover of the territory to China by Britain.
    • Note: With this, she became Hong Kong’s first female chief executive.

About Hong Kong

♦ Government: Multi­party system

♦ Chief Executive: Carrie Lam

♦ Chief Secretary: Matthew Cheung

• Achal Kumar Jyoti is India’s new Chief Election Commissioner
  • Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti will take charge as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India after current CEC Nasim Zaidi retires on July 6, 2017. Nasim Zaidi had taken over as the 20th CEC of India on April 19, 2015.
  • He assumed charge as Election Commissioner on May 13, 2015.
  • An Election Commissioner or a Chief Election Commissioner has tenure of six years in office or till he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Banking, Business & Economic News

• Mumbai’s ‘Vikrikar Bhavan‘ was today renamed as ‘GST Bhavan‘ after the Goods and Services Tax regime was rolled out last night.
  • ‘Vikrikar Bhavan’ is the headquarters of Maharashtra government’s erstwhile Sales Tax department.
• Indian Railwaysis set to introduce ‘Economy AC coaches‘ in trains which will have fares lower than the existing third AC class.
  • The trains with the new proposed three-tier class will be fully air-conditioned, and have the existing AC-3, AC-2 and AC-1 classes also.

MOUs & Agreements

• Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA)an arm of the Indian Railways for commercial exploitation of rail land has inked MoU with National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for redevelopment of 10 railway stations across the country on global standards.
  • The identified stations to be taken up initially by NBCC, a PSU of Urban Development Ministry for redevelopment areTirupati, Nellore, Puducherry, Sarai Rohilla (Delhi), Madgaon, Lucknow, Gomtinagar, Kota, Thane (New)and Ernakulam.
  • The MoU was signed in presence of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain.