Current Affairs, July 2020

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the National Education Policy 2020. The National Education Policy 2020 will replace the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.
• A fleet of five French-manufactured Rafale multi-role combat jets arrived in India. Rafale Jets landed at the Ambala Air Force. The fleet, which comprises three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, would be inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’.
• India and Bangladesh has signed an agreement for the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company (JVC). This 50:50 Joint Venture Company has been formed for LPG business in Bangladesh.
• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has been implemented in India since 20th July 2020. It has replaced Consumer Protection Act, 1986.The new act has been introduced to offer protection to buyers from traditional sellers as well as from the new e-commerce retailers/platforms. It will protect the consumer rights through its various notified Rules and provisions and will empower consumers and hence help them in protecting their rights.
• India has successfully conducted flight tests of its indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile ‘Dhruvastra’. The flight tests were conducted from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha. ‘Dhruvastra’ is an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) which has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is a helicopter version of ‘Nag Helina’.
• A mission titled as “Hope” has been launched to “Mars” by the United Arab Emirates. It will provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes. China has successfully launched “Tianwen-1” its first independent mission to Mars. A Long March 5 rocket carrying the spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China’s tropical Hainan province.
• Boeing India has delivered the last of the five AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Hindan Air Force Station. With this, Boeing has completed delivery of all 22 new AH-64E Apache to the IAF.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the change in the name of "Ministry of Human Resource Development" to "Ministry of Education".
• Government of India has declared the entire Nagaland as “disturbed area” for a further period of six months i.e. till the end of December.
• Guwahati Development Department Ministry has inaugurated 1st manhole cleaning robot ‘BANDICOOT’ to ensure minimal human involvement to clean the sewers.
• IAS Vini Mahajan has become the 1st woman chief secretary of Punjab.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the reappointment of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for a period of 3 years.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of KK Venugopal’s term as the Attorney General of India for a period of one year.
• Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as 1st chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) for a period of three years.
  
• Ashok Lavasa has been appointed the vice-president of Asian Development Bank.
• India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named as India’s most valuable Test player in the 21st century by the Wisden magazine.
• Lewis Hamilton has won the Styrian Grand Prix 2020 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
• Real Madrid has been crowned La Liga Champions for the 34th time.
• Lewis Hamilton won the Formula-1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2020 at Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary.
• International Cricket Council(ICC)has announced that the T20 Men’s World Cup, scheduled to be played in Australia in October-November 2020.
• Haryana will host the 4th edition of the Khelo India Youth Gamesin 2021.
• The 36th edition of the biannual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit 2020 was held via video conferencing in Hanoi, Vietnam. The theme of the Summit was “Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”.
• Kerala Health Minister K.K Shailaja was honoured by the United Nations for her efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic in her state.
• International Olympic Committee has announced that its new headquarters in Lausanne has been awarded the European 2020 US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Award.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief, Kailasavadivoo Sivan has been named for Von Karman Award 2020 by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
• World Population Day is observed globally on 11th July every year. This year theme of World Population Day 2020: Putting the brakes on COVID-19: Safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls.
• India celebrates the Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26th July every year to remember the extreme valour, sacrifice and exemplary courage of Indian soldiers during the 1999 Kargil war.
• World Health Organization observes 28th July every year as “World Hepatitis Day”. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis-free future”.
• World Nature Conservation Day is observed on 28th July every year.
• Former RBI governor, Urjit Patel has written a book titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’.
• The book titled ‘A Song of India’ has been authored by Ruskin Bond.
• Himalayan Golden Birdwing butterfly named as India’s largest butterfly.
• Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal has announced, Poba Reserve Forest in Dhemaji district would be upgraded to a wildlife sanctuary.